The daily pressures of sustaining one’s performance in classes, maintaining a positive rapport at work, and nurturing a viable social life is a mutual burden that Moorpark College students are all too familiar with. Although achievable, there is a struggle in balancing these tasks which eventually will have ramifications in the body and takes a toll on mental wellbeing.

Thankfully, there is a new feasible and free solution to students provided by the Student Health Center at Moorpark College. The Mindfulness Meditation Group is a bi-weekly group that practices relaxation techniques intended to improve focus, concentration, and test performance.

Leader of the meditation group Tahney Gaige, Post-Doctoral Fellow in Psychology at the Student Health Center, strives to clear the negative thoughts that seemingly cloud our judgment in academic settings through the medium of meditation.

“Instead of being future focused [anxiety] or past focused [depression] we practice ‘present moment awareness,’” Gaige said. “[Meditation] also decreases emotional lability so a [person] can make a ‘wise’ choice versus one based purely on logic or emotional reasoning.”

The Mindfulness Meditation Group sessions focus on moment-to-moment awareness by providing the tools to help people be fully engaged in their own lives. No physical activity is required, as individuals can either participate sitting or lying down, at their own comfort. These meditation practices further improve the mind-body awareness to bring consciousness to full sensory in everyday experiences. The effects of full-body relaxation include reduction of stress and clarity in performance.

After successfully running a Mindful Meditation group at University of San Marcos, Gaige offered to implement a similar service to the current students at Moorpark as a part of her post-doctoral training in psychology.

With Health Center Coordinator Sharon Manakas’ encouragement, Gaige has toured several classroom to enlighten students on the information and details of what the program entails.

“Tahney saw the benefits of mindfulness meditation at other colleges where she did her pre-doctoral training at, and was anxious to bring it to our students at Moorpark,” Manakas said. “I believe students who participate in the Mindfulness Meditation Workshops, and practice what they learn, will see benefits.”

Positive feedback and strong interest from students had the meditation group taking off quickly. Located in the Library room 318, students have the convenience of meeting on-campus to attend the meditation sessions.

Earlier this month, the set schedule for students who initially signed up began their sessions. Madison Grepiotis, 20-year-old psychology major, is thrilled that this new program has reached Moorpark College.

“I’ve been doing meditation for a while now so the fact that it is free at school helps a lot with my schedule; it’s just another way to get it into my day,” Grepiotis said.

Although regular sessions are closed to the student population at large, open sessions on Mondays at 4pm and Thursdays at 3pm are available for drop-ins. Those interested in reaping the benefits of meditation without the weekly commitment might find this offer more suitable.

Justin Moisan, 18, took his first open-session after receiving a recommendation from the Student Health Center.

“Meditation is something I’ve been interested in for a while, and I know it’s healthy for you,” Moisan said. “Basically I want to get a better grasp on my mind and a clear head.”

For more information on the group you may contact the Student Health Center at 805.378.1413 or email [email protected].

The Mindfulness Meditation Group has something to offer for everyone, from returning students enrolled in a single course to those just starting their first year with a full schedule. Gaige notes that stress originates from varying aspects in our lives, and students now have the opportunity to liberate themselves at their own campus.

“This isn’t just for people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, it can be used for every student,” Gaige said.