EIU Meditation Club offers a sense of ease to students
Alex Hill a graduate student and buissnes administration major, John Hader a senior kinisiology major and Michelle Meyeraholtz a senior a general studies major meditate during a guided meditation at Booth Library Sunday night.
December 10, 2017
The EIU Meditation Club helped students relax before finals week at Booth Library with a guided meditation.
The club is hosting other guided meditations during finals week to help students clear their minds and de-stress.
Two classes, one at 5 p.m. and another 5:30 p.m., will be held on Monday in the Edgar Room of Booth Library. Two more meditation sessions will be held at the same time and place on Tuesday.
Pamela Padilla, a sophomore Spanish education major, guided other students in meditation. She did this by walking students through the different stages of the meditation, including breathing exercises in intervals.
“I think it’s beneficial to help others and give them a tool that will allow them to de-stress from finals; and not only it benefits them it benefits me as well,” Padilla said.
In addition to helping others, Padilla said she likes to come to the meditations for herself and enjoys the classes.
Meditation Club President Emily Nofsinger, a graduate student and business administration major, also participated in the guided meditation.
“We all kind of rotate speaking here,” Nofsinger said. “The thing about teaching meditation is that everyone teaches it with their own flavor.”
She said the leaders of the meditation sessions often get as much from them as the participants.
“There is growth on two sides,” Nofsinger said. “There is growth on the side for the people that come to the meditation, and there is growth on our side teaching it to people.”
The meditation class started with people closing their eyes. Padilla then guided the session throughout its different stages.
Breathing exercises and imagining things that bring happiness were among the different stages of meditation.
Ali Hill, a senior general studies major, who attended the meditation class had tips on how to deal with finals week besides meditation.
“Make sure you do refreshing things for yourself, because other wise you are going to go into a tailwind of stress,” Hill said.
Other students said healthy dieting and a good amount sleep will help people with the stress of finals.
Nofsinger encouraged students to come to the next meditation class on Monday and Tuesday to help relax from all the stress put on people during finals week.
Jordan Boyer can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].
