By : McKenna Palczak
Every Thursday in the PE building, room 109, during common hour you can find students practicing guided meditations with Professor John Van Bladel.
This group is a meeting place for all students on campus to feel at peace with themselves, as well as a spot for relaxation.
Meditation and relaxation is a place for people to come and talk about the troubles they have going on. These students meet weekly to meditate, and practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a form of stress reduction, and a way of being in the present rather than being focused on media or stuck in electronics.
John Van Bladel said that he wants to create a safe learning environment where students can promote their emotional and mental stability.
“This time with other students allows them to show some compassion toward themselves” said Van Bladel. He added that techniques like mindfulness and self-care through meditation can even help a student’s GPA.
He stated that he believes there are a lot of students on campus that struggle mentally and emotionally and that this would be a great way to break up their day and do something positive with it.
Between 12:40 and 1:40 every Thursday students grab a yoga mat, lay down with the lights off and listen to either a guided meditation or Tibetan music, to calm the soul and help them try to have a better day