  One of the objectives of the undergraduate physics curriculum is for students
to become aware of the connections between the fundamental principles of
classical physics and their personal experience. Nonetheless, numerous studies
have shown that students' awareness of such connections tends to deteriorate,
sometimes substantially, following instruction. In this work, which constitutes
the first analysis of the effects of contemplative practices on the learning
experience in undergraduate physics courses, we present two practices aimed at
integrating formal theory with students' personal, embodied experience: a
sensory meditation and a contemplative videography. In written reflections on
their experiences with the practices, the students expressed suddenly becoming
aware of countless manifestations of formal physics principles in their
surroundings, in an important step toward establishing firm connections between
the abstract and the experiential. Furthermore, the students reported
experiencing a sense of physical embodiment, heightened sensory awareness,
somatic relaxation, and mental stillness, in significant contrast to their
typical experience. Students also described experiencing insight about the
essential role of observation in the scientific endeavor, a reawakened sense of
curiosity, an intrinsic motivation to understand the observed physical
phenomena, and a deepened awareness of their cognitive and emotional processes.
