Spare Thoughts: Modern meditation

By Sophia Potter
Editor in Chief

In a fast-paced society like ours it can seem counterintuitive that taking 15 minutes to do absolutely nothing could have any sort of calming effect.

In my experience, that’s exactly why it is necessary.

Meditation has been one of my favorite forms of self-care since I was too young to truly understand “the point.” The first time I sat down, steadied my breathing and listened to my stream of consciousness, I came away confused.

What could possibly be gained from sitting and really focusing on my thoughts; something I do too much of anyway? At the ripe age of 12, I had no idea what a luxury it would be, sitting and listening to what was really on my mind.

Many of us have an exaggerated version of what meditation must be: lush comfy pillows, singing bowls, a waterfall magically trickling somewhere in the distance. We have also fooled ourselves into believing there must be some product at the end, a revelation or immediate change in mindset.

Anything can be meditation if you put your mind to it – literally. All it really requires is “to engage in contemplation or reflection.” And while there are certainly tools people use to make this easier or more enjoyable, they are by no means needed.

Cooking can be meditation. Gardening can be meditation. Taking a quiet walk to your favorite pond and spending some time thinking about all the reasons you love it there is certainly meditation.

These types of nontraditional mindfulness activities tend to work better for my busy schedule, but when I first discovered that LCC had a meditation room in the Gannon Building I was so excited to finally have the full experience.

I was a little skeptical that I would be able to really get in the meditation mindset in the middle of a school day, but was pleasantly surprised.

The room, 3225, is beautiful, with plenty of seating and lighting options for whatever type of experience you are looking to have. Whenever I feel particularly heavy, it really helps knowing just upstairs there's a space I can disappear to for a few quick minutes to make myself feel lighter.

No matter what a moment of mindfulness may look like for you, I encourage you to seek it out and give yourself the break you need and deserve.