I took a mindfulness class. What exactly is a mindfulness class and what compelled me to sign up? I will be honest, it is part of my SLU graduation requirements, so my biggest motivation for the class was to get my Cura Personalis work done. However, this class surprised me and provided me with useful skills I continue to use in my day-to-day life.
Going into this class, I had never meditated before and was unsure of what mindfulness even meant. Therefore, I went in with a personal bias that this class would most likely be an hour and fifteen minutes of nothing. After the first class, however, my mindset immediately changed.
I completed the four total classes, and I have learned eleven meditations. My favorite is called Gatha. It is a poem to help focus your mind during meditation.
Something I struggled with the most at the beginning was not being able to identify my thinking. We do not refer to it as “controlling your thinking” because you don’t want to not think, you just want to realize you are thinking while it is happening. However, with the Gatha, I am too focused on reciting the words in my head to allow my brain to wander off during the meditation.
A second favorite of mine is the body scan. Most people have probably heard of this before because it is a good way to calm down if you have anxiety or panic attacks. Essentially, you close your eyes or lower your vision while breathing and focus on different parts of your body, starting with your feet and working up to your head. I do this almost every night while lying in bed because it puts me to sleep almost instantly.
Research has shown that meditation can improve memory and attention, reduce depression, anxiety and stress, improve sleep habits and so much more. All of these attributes affect college students, which is why meditation can be extremely beneficial. I have noticed positive changes in my attention span when I listen to lectures in class. Meditation also helped me remain focused and less anxious during midterm week.
If you are planning to start meditating on your own, you could follow a guided meditation session. The class I took came with an app, called MIEA Mindfulness, that has guided meditations available. After creating an account, you will be offered a selection of practices and the app will guide you through them after choosing one. It also logs your practices so you can go back and reflect on them.
You could always Google search or look on YouTube for guided meditations to follow if you do not want to use an app. Using guided meditation makes it easier to focus. Without the guided meditation my brain would definitely wander and I would forget what I was even doing.
Another piece of advice is that it is alright to fall asleep at first. Meditation makes me extremely tired but also relaxes my body, which is why I enjoy it so much. Since beginning my mindfulness journey, I have noticed a difference in my mood and energy levels. I feel more motivated and appreciative of everyday life.
Even if mindfulness or meditation sounds strange or like something you would not usually be interested in, I recommend giving it a chance. As I mentioned before, I did not believe I would receive anything beneficial from this class, but I learned and experienced so much. There are also so many variations of meditation, making it something everyone can enjoy.