Daniel Reed, a psychologist at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) led a Mindfulness workshop entitled “Mindfulness Minutes,” where participants took 45 minutes out of their day to practice mindfulness and reset themselves on Sept. 29.
“The goal is not to judge ourselves,” Reed said. “We congratulate ourselves for taking the 45 minutes for ourselves.”
Reed then instructed participants that there were no specific rules or expectations for the session.
The session was composed of two different mindfulness practices led by Reed. To begin, he asked participants to become comfortable, but not so much that they would fall asleep. He then advised them to close their eyes or soften their gaze.
Next, he worked on leading participants in relaxing their whole body, loosening their muscles and sinking into their breath. He also asked participants to be aware of their environment around them, focusing on the details and the smells.
In the process of sinking into relaxation, Reed told participants to notice which areas held onto tension and to deliver relaxation to those spots.
Throughout the workshop, Reed gave participants options based on their comfort. Participants could use either words or visualizations as part of their mindfulness exercise. He noted that participants could take a break or step away whenever necessary.
Reed concluded the session with some thoughts about the ever-urgent tasks that work and school impose.
“Work is like a cake,” Reed said.
He believes one can take a piece of the cake at any one time, but to attempt to tackle the whole cake in a single-go will lead to feelings of sickness and exhaustion. By tackling manageable pieces and letting go of work when work time is over, one can maintain balance.
Students can check MyRaft for information on how to register for the next weekly session.