Every afternoon, yoga mats line the dance studio at the Goergen Athletic Center on the University of Rochester's River Campus. Students filter in and out, partaking in different styles of yoga and taking a moment to let go of their stress.
These daily yoga classes are hosted through the Mindful University Project, a campus-wide initiative at the university. Offered through the UHS Health Promotion Office, the initiative’s goal is to reduce students’ stress and anxiety.
The Mindful University Project spans throughout all U of R campuses with 3,400 attendees over the past year. Its mission is to empower students and faculty to create mindful presences and foster compassion.
The Mindful University Project also strives to build an inclusive, accessible environment that can allow everyone to take part in their activities, no matter what their lifestyle and schedule looks like.
“Hearing of people's gratitude and the transformative experiences that people have by attending our programs and other offerings, it keeps me incredibly, incredibly passionate about my role,” says Rebecca Block, director of the Mindful University Project.
As an undergraduate at University of Rochester, Block was a peer health advocate and led meditation sessions in the library. Now, as an alum with an advanced degree, Block has had the opportunity to expand her passions for wellness.
“It’s been such a wonderful opportunity to expand on my passions and to really promote these healing practices to our campus community.”
Mindfulness is not a new concept. It was brought to popularity as a form of therapy by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s. In 90% of studies on the subject, mindfulness was shown to significantly reduce stress in students. At Rochester, an assessment showed that 84% of students reported moderate or high stress in the 30 days prior. Upcoming seasonal stressors such as final exams and holidays can lead to an increase in levels of stress.
To combat this, the Mindful U Project offers a variety of programs such as yoga, meditation, and retreats. They're meant to teach participants skills to promote mental well-being.
Lilin Qiu is a graduate student who has participated in programs offered by the Mindful U Project for two years. She attended yoga sessions regularly and participated in the mindfulness retreat twice.
“It was definitely a very good experience for me to have… it was a nice and grounding experience for me to be in.” Qiu says.
Qiu is currently the graduate program assistant with Mindful U. She says that mindfulness as a practice is important as it allows people to be connected to their bodies. She adds that her personal experience with the Mindful U Project and practicing mindfulness has led her to better mental wellbeing.
“I personally really benefited from mindful practice when I was really depressed and anxious at a time in my life,” she says, “I think the impact is that people have a place to or a space to turn to.”
Students who have gone through the program reported less psychological distress, an increase in physical health, better academic performance, and a higher quality of life.
“I think there's so much value to sitting with difficulty with a lens of compassion and safety and honoring that everything belongs. It really allows us to process our emotions,” Block says. “Mindfulness really allows us to truly be present and allow for whatever's arising to come up in a in a safe container.”