As I have been researching the ways in which one can improve their mental health, one technique consistently pops up online and in books: meditation. And since I had already been planning to run a meditation event in the READY Center, I figured that February would be the perfect time to experience meditation for myself.
For one, I've been involved in the yoga PE class, at the end of which Ms. Mossop always makes a point to give us time for mindfulness meditation, and then for relaxation pose (which is less deliberate than meditation). In addition, I've been testing out multiple You tubers to find my ideal mediation videos that I can then recommend to others. And since I believe that what I am looking for from meditation is relatively similar to what other Emma girls need, I was particularly focused on anti-anxiety, generally de-stressing mediations. Out of this research, I found my favorite mediation, called Meditation for Anxiety and Finding Inner Peace. I've found mediation to be a more more deliberate thing than I thought it was; in a way, it almost is a workout for the brain since one must brush aside any thoughts that pop into one's head. And most of the meditations I've done have involved very specific visualization technique, which require the meditator to picture an image, or reflect on the self (for instance, doing a body scan to release tension, or visualizing a boat on the sea). I've come to realize that one of the main prerogatives of my project is to encourage people to treat their mental health like their physical health, in the sense that they should care as much about it and spend as much time with their brain's upkeep as with their body's. And I think incorporating meditation into the daily (or weekly) routine is great way to begin this process. Here is the link to my favorite mediation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDLrEaBc978
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February just flew by! At the beginning of the month my weekends were consumed with ESYO concerts, and then over long weekend I had my wisdom teeth taken out, so I’ve not had as much time to dedicate to my Signature as I would like.
That being said, I’ve just scheduled a meeting with Ms. Bendall to plan for our first mental wellness event in the READY Center. The event will be an Introduction to Meditation, as per the request of NAMI@Emma members. I’m hoping to keep this event short and sweet to encourage as many people as possible to attend. I was hoping to run the event before the end of March, and I think that we could have the materials ready by the first week back from break, and run it then or the first week in April. In terms of what the actual event will consist of, I will be giving an introductory presentation, maybe lasting about 10 minutes, about the basics of mediation, my favorite meditation Youtube channels, things along those lines. This would be followed by Ms. Bendall leading a meditation session with the attendees. In terms of advertising for the event, I plan on connecting with Peer Eds and the health classes to encourage people to attend, and I’ve discussed having a meditation flash-mob to raise interest in the event with Ms. Moore. |
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all. -Bill Clinton
Katherine WallaceEmma Willard Class of 2017. Archives
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