Meditation in the midst of mayhem
Massages, learning ways to relax helpful in combating stress that can affect students' health
Katie Flehmer
Issue date: 10/24/05 Section: Health
Sophomore Karen Crowley said she has been practicing the art of meditation for the past 12 years.
"I was in Tae Kwon Do, and at the beginning and end of class, they had us meditate," she said.
Crowley said even though she is not actively involved with Tae Kwon Do at the moment, she still meditates one to three times a week, depending on her stress load, and the amount of time she does it varies.
"I will usually do it for however long I have a quiet period," she said. "I either just zone out and concentrate on breathing or go on walks to take in the little things."
Meditation, a holistic way to reduce stress, also alters the rate and depth of breathing, Schmitt said. The uses of visualization or imagery are two ways to meditate.
"Many use it in performance situations like speeches or ... before an event," she said.
In class, Schmitt said, she has her students picture a candle melting. She tells them to picture the wax running down the candle and imagine their stresses
floating away.
One of her students, sophomore Michelle Heim, said she was first introduced to meditation in the class.
"I felt really relaxed," she said. "I go to that class after a very stressful one, and it helped to take the weight of the day off my shoulders."
Heim said after Schmitt had students close their eyes or pick a focus point, they listened to a CD featuring a voice that told them to imagine taking a mental vacation. It helped her to get away from the real world for a couple of minutes, she said.
However, meditation can be practiced without a class or an instructor. Sophomore Chris Colney said he hasn't really been taught what to do.
"Usually I do it to relax; it's a good stress reliever," he said. "I just sit down, close my eyes, breathe in deeply and slowly and just pay attention to my breathing."
Meditation helps him because afterward, Colney said, he can think through things much more clearly. Both Crowley and Heim said they think its helpful when getting ready for tests or when studying gets too frustrating.
"I just take the time to appreciate the little things in life that I normally don't," Crowley said. "It just kind of slows things down."
"I was in Tae Kwon Do, and at the beginning and end of class, they had us meditate," she said.
Crowley said even though she is not actively involved with Tae Kwon Do at the moment, she still meditates one to three times a week, depending on her stress load, and the amount of time she does it varies.
"I will usually do it for however long I have a quiet period," she said. "I either just zone out and concentrate on breathing or go on walks to take in the little things."
Meditation, a holistic way to reduce stress, also alters the rate and depth of breathing, Schmitt said. The uses of visualization or imagery are two ways to meditate.
"Many use it in performance situations like speeches or ... before an event," she said.
In class, Schmitt said, she has her students picture a candle melting. She tells them to picture the wax running down the candle and imagine their stresses
floating away.
One of her students, sophomore Michelle Heim, said she was first introduced to meditation in the class.
"I felt really relaxed," she said. "I go to that class after a very stressful one, and it helped to take the weight of the day off my shoulders."
Heim said after Schmitt had students close their eyes or pick a focus point, they listened to a CD featuring a voice that told them to imagine taking a mental vacation. It helped her to get away from the real world for a couple of minutes, she said.
However, meditation can be practiced without a class or an instructor. Sophomore Chris Colney said he hasn't really been taught what to do.
"Usually I do it to relax; it's a good stress reliever," he said. "I just sit down, close my eyes, breathe in deeply and slowly and just pay attention to my breathing."
Meditation helps him because afterward, Colney said, he can think through things much more clearly. Both Crowley and Heim said they think its helpful when getting ready for tests or when studying gets too frustrating.
"I just take the time to appreciate the little things in life that I normally don't," Crowley said. "It just kind of slows things down."