Meditation and Stress

Master Jian Dan recently finished his third and last public teaching at the University of Houston this semester. This time, the invitation was extended by Learning Support Services (LSS), an office under the division of Student Services at the campus-wide level. LSS is one of many hidden treasures on the University of Houston campus. They offer tutoring, learning strategies workshops, learning style assessments and other activities to support and increase student academic performance. Master was invited to teach students how to reduce academic stress through meditation practice.

Even though pre-registration was required, both sessions were full. Surveys collected by the LSS office indicated that students overwhelmingly appreciated learning about meditation. Students strongly agreed that they learned a useful new skill that will help them in their school work. Interestingly, however, when asked “how confident are you that you will incorporate this new skill into your college experience?” the answers ranged from “somewhat” to “very much.” Conveniently, the next survey question probed further “what might prevent you from using this new skill?” Not surprisingly, the majority circled “time constrain.” Integrating regular mediation sitting into our daily routine undoubtedly requires certain level of commitment and motivation. Students who are interested in knowing more about mediation should go to a reputable local mediation center and seek guidance from well-trained teachers.

Due to the tremendous positive feedback from the students, LSS has already asked Master to offer another round of mediation training next semester. We are happy to report that Master has already agreed. Once the dates are finalized, we will announce it here.