Relieve stress through meditation

A new, weekly meditation group at MHCC will meet every Thursday in the Diversity Resource Center (AC 1050) from 2 to 3 p.m.

“Whether it’s work stress or personal stress… life is stressful,” said Heather White, library technical services coordinator. This was the reason she and Brandon Roberts, a human resources generalist, decided to create a meditation group on campus. In the past there have been a few meditation groups offered to faculty members, but this is the first meditation group made available to both faculty and students.

White and Roberts have experience meditating: “I think we both are sort of ‘regular’ practitioners of meditation,” said Roberts, “(but) we’re just going to lead the group.” The Mt. Hood group is breath-focused at the moment, though if attendees wish to share other meditation practices they are more than welcome. This breath-focused standpoint includes walking meditation. Though there are many different types of walking meditation, in this case it is a practice of coordinating your breathing with your steps and feet.

“Whether they have experience or not, (people) can just show up and just be led,” White said of the meetings. “The goal is to get a different quality of awareness, at least for this one hour on campus, regardless of our backgrounds.”

One session has already been held, and White and Roberts plan to continue the meditation group through the summer, possibly spending some Thursday meditations outdoors.

MHCC employees are encouraged to use their wellness time (maximum 90 minutes of wellness work release per week) or their lunch hour. A Wellness Activity Approval form must be completed by the employee before using their wellness time.

The meditation group has been embraced by the school. Melinda Bullen, Diversity Resource Center coordinator, said, “Having students, faculty, and staff come together for meditation practice in the DRC is another excellent example of how different ideas, practices, and cultural experiences have a home on Mt. Hood’s campus.”

The meditation sessions will begin promptly at 2:05 p.m. It is asked that no one enter the meditation after 2 p.m. since that may disturb those already present.