Most people feel some level of stress at some point but now many people, including students, are using a method that is centuries old to combat it.
“It’s a quickly growing popular thing among the senior class,” Walter English said.
Eighteen-year-old English isn’t talking about the latest music or viral video.
He says everyone is sitting still, being quiet, and breathing
“A lot of times we get distracted or worried about what’s going on around us and with mindfulness the key is just focus on you and your breathing and just what’s going on around you,” he said.
Mindfulness is a form of meditation born out of Buddhism hundreds of years ago.
Recently, it’s become more mainstream, as studies have found that a regular mindfulness practice can improve your health.
“There’s MRIs, there’s blood pressure reports, there’s heart disease reports, so there’s a lot of clear data to show that this practice that has been going for years and years and years really does have significant health effects,” Frankie Engelking, an educator, said.
Mindfulness can be practiced in any space.
Practitioners close their eyes and just start to focus on their inhale and exhale, which helps them calm the mind and tune out stress.
“It feels amazing. It feels like you have nothing to worry about, and whatever you’re worried about, I can resolve it. It’s just so easy,” Maria Duque said.
Duque, a 7th grader said she was overwhelmed by the stress and anxiety of school until she learned to just stop and breathe; something she does every day before class starts.
“It leads not only to become a better person but knowing how you are and what you’re feeling and what is around you instead of worrying about the future,” Duque said.
Practicing mindfulness is being used to help a variety of mental and physical conditions, like obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and in the prevention of relapse in depression and drug addiction.