Having free drop-in sessions on campus allows students to take a break from their work and come back with a clearer mind. It also provides an environment for beginners to practice with guidance of instructors. It’s a pretty cool thing to have on campus!
Since the start of the new semester, my anxiety has come back with a vengeance. I have always been an anxious person, and have struggled with anxious thoughts and constant worrying at different points in my life. However, my anxiety…
Whenever there's a change in seasons, I tend to get introspective. To me, autumn in particular always feels like one chapter ending and another beginning. Maybe it has something to do with the change in sunlight, the temperature fluctuating, or…
Maybe it's because I’ve recently read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, or maybe it’s the fourth year wisdom, but anyhow I’m learning to commit to the moments and bask in all the gifts the present has to offer.
Three years ago, I was going through a rough semester and my boyfriend's mother gave me a book called Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a stress reduction and mindfulness expert. Prior to this point, I'd thought of…
If there is something that I've learned in my three years of university, it's that attending a lecture and being present in a lecture are two very different things. What do I mean by that? Take a look…
February, though the shortest month of the year, can also feel like the longest when you’re a student. It is, after all, the season of back to back midterms and papers. Sometimes it can become difficult to see the end…
Taking care of your mental health can be a bit of a chore if that's not something you're already mindful (ha ha) of. To be honest, taking care of your health in general can sometimes be a chore. I think it's hard to self-discipline yourself when you don't feel the immediate consequences of your actions. It just doesn't feel like not sleeping well or not eating healthy is going to affect you right. now. and so it's easier to just give in sometimes.
So it's nice to have reminders every once in a while to keep yourself on track, especially during times when things are going relatively well and you think you don't actually need those reminders.
This past Wednesday was Mindfest, a "festival to create awareness and gain appreciation for mental health." I had missed out on Mindfest last year (check out Madelin's blog from last year if you missed out as well), and so I was glad I had a chance to go this year.
Most of the day events and presentations were hosted at Hart House.
Hi there!
Last week I wrote about being ill, and I speculated that (in addition to cold weather and a nasty cough virus circulating in the air) my sickness was due to being out of touch with my body. It happens every once in a while when we get so busy that it can be a challenge to keep tabs on how we are (really) feeling and what our body (really) needs.
I mentioned to a friend in passing this week that I sometimes attend Mindful Moments sessions on campus to get better connected with my body. He giggled, and said that he imagines me sitting cross-legged with my eyes closed, deeply concentrating on foretelling the future. I think at some point my friend was misinformed—mindfulness, meditation, tai chi, or yoga are not activities done to prophesize about the future. Quite oppositely, the goal is to bring more awareness to the present moment, to the body, and the breath.
