Here’s a challenge: while sitting straight and with your feet planted, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on nothing else. Think you can do that for ten minutes? In a world where iPhones, Kindles and laptops often affect students’ lives, this small meditation exercise can seem difficult for those who juggle many tasks at once.  

At UNC Wilmington, Michele Deinish leads a weekly meditation session called In Harmony, which teaches students to quiet their minds to focus on a single task and put aside outside distractions. Deinish works as a UNCW staff counselor and facilitates the Counseling Center’s Meditation program and Skills for Self-Mastery workshops.

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“I go to class to talk about stress management, meditation and relaxation,” Deinish said.

In Harmony holds meetings every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the Topsail Island Room 2019 in the Fisher Student Center.

The sessions include meditation mindfulness practices, which trains the mind to relax and focus on a given task while remaining actively aware.

“Research is showing that mindfulness practices, including meditation, are excellent tools for improving academic and physical performance, improved relationships, and improved overall well-being,” Deinish said. “People actually accomplish more when they are being mindful [versus] multi-tasking.” 

Deinish said that people have a hard time focusing due to being bombarded by constant stimuli from technology and social media.

“Issues students face are real, and yet external. Meditation teaches students to go within and explore their inner world,” she said. “Meditation teaches them to intentionally be in the present moment, and it trains the mind to focus on the present.”

During the In Harmony session, Deinish explained that it is important to be comfortable while meditating, but still able to focus on the present. It is not about falling asleep, but staying focused, she said.

Cheyenne Parker, a sophomore at UNCW, spoke about her first In Harmony session.

“I’ve been really stressed about school lately and thought I’d come and sit down to get myself in order,” Parker said.

Parker was accompanied by Liz Matherly, also a sophomore.

“It helped to center myself from a stressful school week and focus on my well-being,” Matherly said.

As prompted by mental exercises, In Harmony attendees attempt to become actively aware of wandering thoughts then pull back to the present task such as breathing or focusing on an image.

While students may worry about not gaining the freshman fifteen or getting enough sleep, In Harmony provides a way to remain focused on health.

The sessions are short and can be completed within ten minutes. With short meditation breaks, anyone can take a mental breather whenever they become overwhelmed or find themselves unable to reel in their thoughts to complete an important task.

The Counseling Center also provides a Pinterest page for additional help with music and guided meditation sessions.