The smell of jasmine incense and the sound of Indian music filled the air of the small, crowded space. The sound of a dozen voices repeating the sacred Hindu syllable “om” reverberated off the walls. At the center of the room, he sat with his eyes closed, palms up and legs crossed. Meditation Club had commenced and Western junior Tony Gallina appeared to be in a trance.
Gallina, the Meditation Club president, led a handful of Western students toward relaxation and enlightenment during the club’s meeting Thursday. Gallina said the club practices focusing the mind, centering the body and learning breathing techniques to help purify one’s aura.
Gallina said the techniques learned from meditation have helped him and his peers in numerous facets of life. He said reduced stress levels, ways to cope with anxiety and depression, better clarity and judgment at school and a stronger immune system are just some of the benefits of meditating regularly.
After practicing meditation on his own for six years, Gallina said he felt he had been missing out on what group meditation had to offer. He said he enjoyed the introspective meditation he had been practicing but wanted to expand to techniques that not only cleared the mind, but focused on the energies of others as well.
And having the help of others can be especially useful this time of year when the days grow darker and shorter for winter, Gallina said. Meditation is a great resource for students to learn how to keep their energy levels high and their outlooks on life positive, he said.
“There’s so much sun on the world during the summer,” Gallina said. “Instead of being down in the winter, you have to remember that it’s going to change. Everything changes. That’s a part of life, and that’s a huge part of meditation.”
Western’s Counseling Center has realized the advantages of meditation as well, and offers a weekly relaxation group for students interested in learning stress-relief techniques.
Anne Marie Theiler, counselor and creator of the group, said the meetings are designed for the counseling center's clients and other students who want to drop in and see what the group is all about.
Theiler, who has a master of science degree in counseling psychology, said learning how to bring down one’s stress level can be as healthy as regular exercise.
“Students are so focused on their future and their goals and where they are going to go that they can forget to live in the present,” Theiler said. “Meditation is a great way to come back home and focus on the here and now.”
Theiler said the best way to profit from meditation is to have some type of regular practice. That way, students will be able to manage and regulate stress more efficiently.
The majority of services on campus support the academic side of the university, but Theiler said the college experience should be about more than just academia. She said any service on campus that supports students holistically, and not just for the development of the brain, is valuable.
Western junior Brooks Hassig is the founder of another campus club that, along with meditation, teaches yoga and breathing techniques.
Hassig said the YES!+ Club, which stands for Youth Empowerment Skills training, values methods that decrease emotional and physical stress and increase non-violence and peace of mind. He said he wanted to create the space and tools to make students feel good about themselves.
“The purpose of everything I do is to increase awareness and increase positive energy. For me, the meditation and the breathing is a means to quiet my mind—get rid of all that chatter because I don’t need it—and to be at peace.”
When Hassig hit a low point in his life two years ago, he said he started the club because he realized he needed a drastic change.
He said he felt like he was sinking in mud and recognized that meditation could be his saving rope.
The goal of the club is to give students ways of dealing with stress not only during meetings, but more importantly, once they walk out the door, Hassig said. The club teaches students how to let go of everything troubling them, he said. Both Hassig and Gallina said their clubs are not associated with a certain religion—meditation is more concerned with spirituality and human values.
Gallina said one does not necessarily have to be sitting still to be in a state of meditation. He considers meditation a frame of mind, which can be practiced while sitting, standing or even being in class.
He said always being aware of one’s surroundings and having a heightened sense of one’s actions is just another form of meditation. Gallina meditates every day to help himself stay focused, centered and empowered in his life.
“There is that whole other aspect of meditation that isn’t a technique,” Gallina said. “It’s about learning how to live your life, and that’s what I’ve been really focusing on. That’s what has been the most powerful for me.”
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