CAL professor Dr. Swindall offers mindfulness Zooms for students

While there is value in being an active, well-rounded individual, it can be just as productive to take a step back and breathe. College of Arts and Letters professor Dr. Lindsay Swindall, who has 20 years of meditative practice under her belt, finds meditation to be especially beneficial for students, as it not only helps with stress relief but overall performance in writing and creativity.

In Dr. Swindall’s words, mindfulness is, “being in the present moment without judgment.” Many people associate mindfulness with spirituality; however, Dr. Swindall explains that even though every tradition has a contemplative practice, mindfulness is its own entity. However, it is important to note that individuals new to the practice of meditation should “be careful about what [they] consume,” because there is a lot of false information given the resurgence of consciousness in modern media.

Dr. Swindall was first drawn to meditation in college. After being raised in a strict fundamentalist Christian household, she wanted to explore different schools of thought that might work better for her. She came across a book called Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook by Ram Dass, which propelled her into her own mindfulness practice. Dr. Swindall noticed that the more she meditated, the more she was able to “let go” and separate herself from busy, worrisome thoughts. She carried her practice with her for most of her professional career and even taught a philosophy unit in CAL 105, the Knowledge, Nature, and Culture course required for all Stevens students, which included mindfulness exercises in class. She mentioned that her students “loved it” and brought to her attention that there was no place on campus for meditating, which is what prompted these weekly mindfulness meetings.

The weekly mindfulness meetings consist of a 30-minute relaxation meditation. Students from all backgrounds are welcome to participate in the meditation Zooms, which are held on Wednesdays from 1-1:30 pm. The link to attend is https://stevens.zoom.us/j/304188577 and the password for the meeting is mindful. Professor Peter Dominick from the School of Business is also working with Dr. Swindall in putting together mindfulness events, which will be available this spring and hopefully in upcoming semesters.