Wheaton Wire

Issue date: 12/2/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Noel Manu '13 / Wire Staff College life can be stressful. Why not take some time for yourself and meditate? It's a great way to take a step back from busy schedules.

You have to finish a lab report by 9 a.m., spend the afternoon conveying your intellect and outstanding attention to detail in internship cover letters, rush to practice at 4 p.m. and scarf down dinner in time to make it to the 7 p.m. Habitat meeting. Oh and did I mention the three classes that are wedged in there also? You're stressed, to say the least. Well, meditation could be just the remedy your frazzled mind is begging for.

Meditation is an ancient Buddhist practice that utilizes a focus on breathing to eliminate conscious thought and calm the mind. For many people, the word 'meditation' evokes an image of a bearded man sitting cross-legged at the entrance to a cave or the foot of a mountain, but the reality is that it can be practiced by anyone, in any setting, from a dorm room floor to the dentist's chair. The basic intent of meditation is to shift the mind's focus from the external world to the rhythms and sensations of one's own breathing. This shift from the external to the internal has extremely positive physiological effects, from relaxing the nervous system to activating the left prefrontal cortex, which is the section of the brain associated with happiness.

Every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. a group of Wheaton students meet in the chapel basement to connect with their breath and recharge their minds with a half hour of meditation. Religion professor Jeffrey Timm, whose academic focuses include Buddhism and Hinduism, leads the group in their meditation.

Meditation group member, William Smith '10, commented on what meditation does for him. "It provides a new place where I am not hyperactive, but I'm not bored," he stated. He noted that the benefits extend into his everyday life, help him to be "more present in each moment, rather than constantly projecting into the future."

Carry Osborne '11, the group's leader, explains, "when you have a really powerful computer, you have to shut it down once in a while…that's what meditation is for the human brain." All of the members agree that meditation can be difficult at first because of "monkey mind," the term Buddhists use to describe the way the brain jumps erratically from one thought to another, distracting us from existing in the present. The key to beginning a meditation is to abstain from self-judgment; simply acknowledge and then dismiss thoughts as they arise. Like most things, practice makes perfect; with time it becomes easier to quiet the monkey mind and become present in the meditation practice.

After attending the Mindful Meditation workshop held in October, senior Katrina Brakoniecki comments, "I always thought the purpose of meditation was to think about nothing, but I have learned that it is more about being mindful and fully experiencing the sensations of the mind and body."

The ancient practice of meditation is a tried and true path to peace, and who couldn't use a little of that in the midst of the hectic and over stimulating world in which we find ourselves? There is not one way to meditate, and each person should test out the various techniques to find what works best for the individual, whether you check out the meditation club, download a guided meditation track from iTunes, or give the breathing techniques a try on your own.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools