Mindfulness workshop encourages students to live in the moment

College students can experience high levels of stress and anxiety. Because of this, learning time management skills can be crucial to making it through a school year in one piece. Luckily, you can attend a stress management class where they teach you about time management skills, or you could practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a practice primarily focused on bringing your attention to the present moment.

The clinical world has discovered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can be incredibly effective in treating a wide range of mental health problems.

This practice has been adopted by students in universities throughout the country as a way to manage stress and anxiety, and an increasing number of colleges are offering some type of mindfulness-based practice, whether through classes or student mental health services.

UVU has taken the initiative to offer such a program to the students in its weekly Mindfulness Workshop. Held inside the Reflection Center on the bottom floor of the Student Life and Wellness Center, the workshop is a place where students can get an in-depth understanding of what it means to be mindful, as well as participate in meditation.

“I have to be really forceful in how I’m doing my schooling but then it’s nice to come to the mindfulness workshop,” said Stacie Amberson, a full-time student who’s been attending the workshop. “I can change the way that I see schooling. I can approach my schooling in a different avenue, in a different way that will help me be more successful.”

Dallin Bruun is a certified MBSR teacher who guides the meditation and workshop.

“Here it can be nice to come and just let those expectations settle and realize there’s a vibrant and beautiful being sitting in the chair,” Bruun said.

The Mindfulness Workshop was born out of the Reflection Center in September of 2017 as part of previous faculty advisor, Lori Joiner’s, master’s thesis.

“At the time, I was the only certified mindfulness teacher in [Utah] valley so she [Joiner] gave me a call, and took my class,” Bruun said. “She decided to kind of regear her master’s program into introducing mindfulness to the University as an official workshop for the wellness program.”

If you’re interested in attending the mindfulness workshops, they are held every Thursday from 10-11 a.m. in the Reflection Center.