#UnwindingSzn
A full year at Williams (or even a full day at Williams tbh) can be an extremely stressful time that not many students are ready for. Personally, as a freshman, getting to the summer alive and mentally sane was a huge accomplishment. So current sophomores, juniors, and seniors, pat yourselves on the back. Freshmen, listen up!
This article is by no means meant to get you through Williams stress-free. It is simply advising you on how important meditation at Williams can be. This summer, I got the opportunity to unwind and rejuvenate. I had a whole month before I started working and even when work started, I had no school assignments to finish. I took the time to read a book called The Little Book of Contentment by Leo Babauta. This book changed my outlook on everything and helped me rewire my brain for another year at Williams.
Meditation comes in many forms. Lying down in silence. Lying down with music. Dancing. Writing. Drawing. The list goes on. The most important aspect of meditation is to clear your mind. It could last just 5 minutes or even 30, but all that matters is that you take the time. My mode of meditation was normally lying down and just taking a breather and then choosing a metaphorical point keep in mind while I meditate.
Two of my favorite things to meditate on in Babauta’s book was forgiveness and trust. Babauta highlighted that we should forgive ourselves for past mistakes and trust that we will do some things right. These things take practice, but imagine meditating on them every day alone. It’s a huge release.
Sometimes (most of the time) at Williams, we find ourselves making huge mistakes and end up not trusting ourselves to accomplish what we need to. A huge meditation point everyone needs is that it’s okay. We will never accept this point until we find the time to think on it. So your assignment for today is to trust yourself to read a page of your favorite book on the Paresky lawn or just shut your eyes while you lie down outside Greylock quad. I promise it will help!
Find a guided meditation video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQQ