STRESSED-OUT STUDENTS TURN TO MINDFUL MEDITATION

U of T prof believes practice will explode across Canada

There is laughter and chatter outside in the hall, but University of Toronto psychology professor Brenda Toner’s “mindful meditation” students seem oblivious. Eyes closed, bodies still, they seem to hear only Toner’s voice as she talks them through a five-minute breathing activity at the end of the weekly session. “Go inside your mind and take a survey of what you’re feeling; check for weather patterns,” she says to the 25-plus students sitting on chairs in a circle. “Now focus on your breaths, breathe in and breathe out and let go of your thoughts as best you can. There are many distractions inside the room and outside; let them go. If your mind wanders, gently nudge it back to the breath without judgment, without criticism.” Toner believes mindful meditation classes are poised to explode across Canadian campuses as universities work to reduce stress and anxiety. “Especially now in our frantic world, there’s so much stimulation, our attention is distracted with so many things. That’s why we’re exhausted; we’re disconnected from our bodies.” Mindfulness is a way of thinking about just one thing at a time; of being in the present, feeling in the zone, she said, “grounded and centred. Most of the time we spend worrying about the past or fearing the future. Guided meditation focuses on the present through thinking about the breath.” First-year student Jaimi Foster started coming last fall on her doctor’s advice to try to reduce her anxiety, and said it has been “life-changing . . . It’s the only time of the week I’m fully at peace, especially at an academically rigorous university. You know that feeling between being asleep and awake? You practise it and calm yourself during the week, even if you’re standing waiting in a lineup.” Master’s student Winnie Lieu took Toner’s fourth-year class on mindfulness, which includes meditation, “and I thought, omigod, this is amazing. ““It seems so simple, to focus on your breath,” said Lieu, “but it helped calm me down when I’m anxious. It sounds crazy, but if you focus on the moment you enjoy life more. I can do it on the subway; I just close my eyes, not even for a couple of minutes.”