Like the light at the end of a tunnel, Reading Week is almost here.
While February may end with sandy beaches and silent alarm clocks, it requires a couple of mid-terms to get through first. For some, the stress of exams and a case of the winter blues can make this a difficult month on the academic calendar.
Luckily, Lethbridge College has a free resource for its staff, faculty, and students to take advantage of: meditation.
Once a week, Lethbridge College chaplain Erin Phillips invites those on campus to meet for a half-hour group meditation session.
“We hold classes every week but we alternate between noon and afternoon times. We found the afternoon one worked better, more people were able to come. The trick is trying to find time due to schedules,” Phillips explains.
This is the second semester Phillip has held regular sessions. She repeatedly hearing the benefits of meditation from a variety of sources.
“I was at a counsellors meeting and we started talking about things we can recommend to students and somebody said something about meditation. So I tried it in the fall with some break-out sessions at student orientation.”
When it comes to the benefits of practising meditation regularly, Phillips makes the argument that they’re physical, emotional and spiritual.
“They have some medical studies in the States that have found that when people practise it daily, within a short period of time, like six weeks, things like blood pressure and blood sugar went down. It didn’t have to be long periods of time, just 15 minutes a day,” says Phillips.
Other studies of mediation provide evidence that the practice lowers the body’s stress hormones, which are released constantly when under stress. The same studies also suggest that after awhile, the body becomes addicted to these hormones and no longer knows how to relax.
“With meditation you’re training your brain to slow down, to disengage. This is another reason to encourage people to do it on a regular basis,because it becomes a resource in stressful times like the middle of a class.”
Phillips says doctors and psychiatrists are recommending meditation, because they find it helps with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. When combined with conventional treatment, the improvements are significant.
For students having difficulty managing the stress of everyday life, Phillips suggests taking the time to try mediation.
“A lot of what it’s trying to do is just help you be present in the moment, rather than anticipate. You think about so much stress of school. It’s that anticipation. Anticipation of exams, anticipation of deadlines. You’re not in the moment at all. You’re already running down the track towards disaster,” she laughs.
Session attendance for Phillips’ class generally ranges from two to five. Classes will continue for the remainder of the semester. Those interested in joining can contact Erin Phillips at efp2003@telus.net.
