By Lauryn Longacre, Staff Writer
Meditation and food intake control were the central themes taught during the Counseling Center’s Mindful Mondays in the President’s Dining Room in Degenstein Campus Center on Sept. 29. Monday’s meeting was chaperoned by Associate Professor of Religious Studies Dr. Matthew Duperon who led the session in a group meditation.
He began by ringing his Tibeten singing bowl, making a harmonic ring for the students to ease their minds to. Duperon then told the students to lay their feet flat on the ground and sit with an erect posture. The students were instructed to take in deep breaths and exhale slowly.
“Let your awareness settle,” said Duperon. “Open your eyes, direct your attention to the food. Look at it, and all the variations color, texture.”
The students were told to notice any sensations they felt such as their mouth-watering or stomach rumbling. Then they slowly moved their food closer to their face and observe the different textures and smells. Once they were instructed to bite their food, the students were told they must wait to chew.
“Feel the weight of food on your tongue,” Duperon said, “when you’re ready, swallow this mouthful. Pick up another bite of food and do the same thing. Noticing details [from the food] and [your body’s] reactions.”
Duperon said that the whole idea for Mindful Mondays came about during the summer. It was created to be a food event and a social outlet for people who were interested in mindfulness and wellness to support one another. Mindful eating offers benefits for dieting, portion size practice, and food appreciation.
Along with Duperon, the dean of health and wellness and Psychologist Stacey Pearson-Wharton was also on board with the installment of Mindful Mondays and has been promoting it.
Duperon said the Counseling Center has gathered peer mentors to help promote the meetings. One goal of the Counseling Center is to try to get some of the peer mentors to lead some of the future sessions.
As of now, Mindful Mondays take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m every Monday in the President’s Dining Room in Degenstein Campus Center. The location is subject to change as meetings grow in attendance.
