Mindfulness

Meditation

Meditation is one way for people to take a break from their stress and anxiety, making time to focus on the here and now rather than worrying about the past or the future. Many people feel that giving themselves this respite helps them to cope more effectively with their stressors. These four links are meditations currently used by students in the Skidmore class “Stress Reduction and Wellness” to help increase awareness of being physically present in the moment. Each will guide you through a 20-30 minute meditation focusing on being mindful of your body, your breathing, and/or gentle movement. The Body Scan is usually easiest to do while lying down in a comfortable place, such as on a yoga mat or in bed. The Sitting Meditation can be done while seated on a chair or bed, or on the floor. The Yoga 1 will work best while you are seated on the floor on a yoga mat or rug, whereas you will need room to stand up and move freely for parts of the Yoga 2 track.

Resources for responding to stress

UT-Austin Mind-Body Lab

Hobart & William Smith Colleges - Relax

Dartmouth College - Relax

Journaling for Stress Reduction

Cultivating Gratitude

Harvard - Relaxation Room

Boston College - Feel Better Now Resources

Internet-based practices for wellness & mindfulness

Self-Compassion

Kristin Neff, PhD

Christopher Germer, PhD

Acceptance

Tara Brach

Resilience

Mindfulness

UW Counseling Center - Relaxation and Mindfulness

Skidmore College - Katrina Smith, Psy.D.

Palouse Mindfulness (free resources for mindfulness-based stress reduction)

KORU Mindfuleness for College Students

Mindful online magazine (free & subscription content)

Apps for Wellness and Mindfulness (free and premium content)

Insight Timer

Extensive library of free meditations organized by themes such as sleep, healing, gratitude, anxiety.

Site: https://insighttimer.com/
Benefits of meditation

Stop, Breathe & Think

20 free activities and meditations to enhance peace of mind and resilience. Premium content at $9.99/month.

Site: http://www.stopbreathethink.com
About: https://www.stopbreathethink.com/about/

Calm

Free images, sounds, practices to reduce stress. Premium subscription unlocks all content at $59.99/year.

https://www.calm.com/
What's included: free vs. premium

Headspace

Free mindfulness-based practices. College students can unlock all premium content at $9.99/year.

Meditation 101: https://www.headspace.com/meditation-101/what-is-meditation
Info for students: https://www.headspace.com/studentplan

books to support mindfulness, stress, wellness

Try Skidmore Library and interlibrary loan for the most recent edition of these titles...

A Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Workbook - with audio-based guided practices (Stahl, 2010).https://mbsrworkbook.com/
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook - 7th edition (Davis, Eshelman, McKay; 2019).
https://www.newharbinger.com/relaxation-and-stress-reduction-workbook-seventh-edition
The Mindful Twenty-Something: Life skills to handle stress… & everything else. (Rogers, 2016).
https://korumindfulness.org/the-mindful-twenty-something-life-skills-to-handle-stress-everything-else/
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. (Kabat-Zinn; 1990, 2005, 2013).
The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive. (Neff & Germer; 2018).
https://www.guilford.com/books/The-Mindful-Self-Compassion-Workbook/Neff-Germer/9781462526789

campus resources for meditation, yoga, and mindfulness

SkidMORE MINDFULness (Office of Religious and Spiritual Life) https://www.skidmore.edu/religious-life/mindfulness.php

Mindful Movement (student club) https://skidmore.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/mindful-movement

PA 129C - Stress Reduction and Mindfulness - An 8-week, 1-credit course offered during the fall and spring semesters. Offered in partnership with the Department of Physical Activity and the Counseling Center.

saratoga-area resources for meditation, yoga, and mindfulness

There are numerous studios in the Saratoga Springs-area, within walking distance or on the bus route. Many offer introductory, per-class, by-donation, and/or Skidmore student pricing. Here is a short list to get you started:

Yoga Mandali

https://www.yogamandali.com/

Namaste Yoga

https://namasteyogasaratoga.com/

One Big Roof Holistic Wellness – Meditation & Therapeutic Yoga Calendar