By Henry W.
“Take a deep breath and relax,” said Rabbi Michelle Medwin in her newly-formed meditation class.
Rabbi Medwin is holding meditation sessions in the old Family Five space on Monday nights after dinner until 8 p.m. The sessions are opened to all staff and students for the entire time, or in half hour intervals. The half hour intervals are 7 to 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 8 p.m.
The goal of the meditation is to help students relax. Rabbi Medwin started the sessions because of the relief meditation has provided in her own life.
When she was in school she was often stressed over all her final exams at the end of the semester. Meditation helped to ease some of the tensions she was having. That is the reason for beginning these sessions now near the end of the semester.
She hopes to help FFS students prepare for the upcoming finals in June.
There are a variety of techniques offered in the sessions: focusing on breathing to help clear the mind, relaxation to help muscles that are tense (often people may not even realize they are tense), and visualization, which allows students to take in positive emotions and behaviors, and release the negatives and watch them drift off.
To enhance the effect and allow for a better result, Rabbi Medwin plays music in the background to soothe the mind and body.
“I believe that it [meditating] can be a great tool for people who have used drugs and alcohol to relieve stress. It can be a healthy alternative for them,” she concluded.
All students and staff are welcome to join these sessions every Monday night.
