Close your eyes. Think about the moments that lead you up to this one. Put the stresses out of your mind and be aware of your body…
These are some of the words I’ve heard in different guided meditation sessions.
Most people have seen the ads for apps like Headspace. If you are like me, you are probably curious what those apps are and what they do.
These are guided mediation apps with the goal to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and help with other various issues.
With our busy lives, we never take a minute for ourselves. This is why many people enjoy apps like these. You can fall asleep to them or use them for a short amount of time. However, after a while, you have to pay to use the app.
As students, we have many things to juggle like classes, work, extracurricular activities and our personal lives. With all that, we tend to become overwhelmed and exhausted.
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This lack of time leads many people to believe they don’t have enough time to take a few minutes, reflect on their lives and think about nothing for a short amount of time.
That is what’s appealing about the University of Idaho’s drop-in mindfulness sessions. They allow you to come when you can for a short amount of time to focus on mindfulness.
One thing that’s appealing to me is there is someone there to guide you. It’s similar to apps like Headspace except for the fact you don’t have to pay for guidance after a few weeks.
Jamie Derrick, certified mindfulness meditation teacher, leads the weekly drop-in mindfulness session at the University of Idaho. Every week for twenty minutes, UI students, staff and faculty gather in the Teaching and Learning Center to participate in a mindfulness session.
I decided to go to one of those sessions to see what it is like and I was happy with what I encountered.
When I went to the mindfulness session the repeated phrases I heard that made me feel comfortable were “that’s okay” and “do what’s best for you.” Derrick knows everyone is in a different place when it comes to mindfulness and wants to help them in any way she can.
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Things I didn’t enjoy about the session were the harsh fluorescent lights in the room and the hard chairs you have to sit in. These two factors distracted me and made me uncomfortable. This issue is not the fault of anyone.
A solution to this issue I think would make these sessions perfect for me would be listening to the sessions over Zoom. This allows me to practice mindfulness in a more comfortable setting, like at home. Even with this slight issue, it was nice to take a few minutes out of my busy life to reflect. It made me feel better and less stressed than I was prior to the session.
All in all, I would encourage anyone to participate in a mindfulness session. It only takes twenty minutes to stop and reflect on your life. It can be a great stress reliever and a chance to not think about anything for a short amount of time.
If anyone wants to practice mindfulness, they need to understand that everyone is different, and it may take time to find what’s best for you. This is a big benefit of the drop-in mindfulness session and apps like Headspace. Having that guidance will give you a good starting point to understand what is best for you.
UI’s Drop-in Mindfulness sessions are held every Wednesday starting at noon and last for twenty minutes. They are in the Teaching and Learning Center room 047.
Nicole Hindberg can be reached [email protected] or on Twitter @HindbergNicole