“Mindfulness mediation” is a term talked about everywhere from drum circles to corporate gatherings. It is a practice in which one attempts to be observant and non-judgmental of his or her thoughts, emotions and sensations in order to focus awareness of the present moment.
There are now more than 20 million Americans who practice meditation in order to reduce stress, pain and anxiety, according to a National Health Interview Survey. There has also been research that suggests mindfulness meditation can have physical, tangible benefits.
Now a twice-weekly group at the USF Counseling Center is bringing mindfulness to USF students.
Amanda Schwait, a USF mindfulness meditation group leader and post-doctoral fellow at the Counseling Center, said that the sessions offer college students a time to set aside for relaxation, which can often be rare with the conflicting pressures of student and social life.
“Students have so many stressors in their day-to-day: a constant stream of homework and social interactions and social media,” she said. “The group allows those students to just come in and be really focused and aware of what’s going on inside of them.”
Schwait also said that the practice could influence the rest of students’ lives outside of meditation. She said, “There’s a lot of concerns and a lot stressors that happen developmentally during college, and I think (meditation) allows people to just slow down a little bit, maybe be able to take some of the non-judgmental mindfulness and awareness and just plug it into the rest of their day.”
Diego Hernandez, a USF assistant professor with a doctorate in psychology, has practiced mindfulness meditation since his college years.
“When I was in undergrad, I was a triple major with a Greek minor,” he said. “I was involved in a lot of activities and a lot of stress, and I decided to reduce it to a double major to finish … but it’s one of those things that I found beneficial for relaxing and regaining my focus.” (MORE)
Source: The Oracle of USF
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