Time flies! The fact that we are already done with our first month of school is unbelievable. With things moving quickly, due dates coming up and midterms approaching, it is essential to care for our minds, and bodies by taking the time to pause, and be in the moment. The Multi-Faith Centre runs the Mindful Moments meditation programs that you can drop into. Despite how hectic school is, Sammi and Jess made a plan to head over to one of the many Mindful Moment sessions occurring each week on campus and take the time to slowwww down. 🐌
Here are Sammi and Jess’ testimonials from their first Mindful Moments class!
Sammi:
On a busy day after stressing over finishing an essay, I began my usual commute to campus🚇. It was a part of my plan to attend a Mindful Moments session. The long walk through the subway station up the flights of stairs and long tunnels had me running late and rushing to get to Robarts to be on time for the session🏃♀️. When I finally got to Robarts, out of breath, I had to navigate my way to the 8th floor. I went from escalator to escalator and then waited outside the elevator, which must have had something against me since every single one was going down, when I needed to go up. By the time I made it to the 8th floor I was hot, sticky, flustered and had my heart racing. I barged into the Reflection Room, all but relaxed.
Instantly as I sat down in the quiet space in the circle of students meditating and closed my eyes; a wave of calm rolled over me. My racing heart from the subway and Robarts trek began to normalize and soon my chaotic day became peaceful. I had always found meditating a very difficult task. I’d tried it in the past but could never truly get into it. Either I couldn't sit comfortably or it was just too hard to have my mind blank for a period of time. Doing it in a group session and the calming environment that this Mindful Moments session took place in, really gave me a different experience than the times I’d tried it prior. I really appreciated how the instructor reminded us it’s okay for our minds to wander, since that’s what minds do and how to bring it back to focus on our breathing. I didn’t know how much time had passed during the session because I felt so in the moment. It completely changed the course and pace of my day, bringing me from chaotic and stressed, to calm, peaceful and zen. I will definitely be attending the session again!😌🌱✨☀️🧘♀️
Jess:
I’ve developed an interest for mindfulness after taking the course BPM335 Mindfulness and the Body (highly recommend BTW!) and learning all about its benefits for improving focus, and relieving stress and anxiety. I’ve dabbled in meditation apps like Headspace to try out 5-10 minute long meditations, but attending a Mindful Moments class was the first time I’ve meditated for a longer period of time.
To describe my experience, it was certainly peaceful and relaxing. As we entered the room, there were cushions on the floor to sit comfortably on to ground ourselves. Our instructor led us through some breathing and gentle body exercises for the first portion, before moving to a period of sitting quietly still for 30 minutes.
At first, I couldn’t stop thinking about the to-do list I have to do right after, or the feeling of my legs falling asleep. But, as I got comfortable and was able to only focus on the present moment, it felt as if those 30 minutes turned into 30 seconds, which our instructor described as a common feeling, a state of mind called “flow”.
Life moves fast, but being able to slow down, relax and take care of myself for that 45-minute session, truly helped in tackling my to-do list for the day. Whether you’re a beginner looking to try out meditation, or you’re an advanced meditator, a Mindful Moments class is just for you!
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