With finals quickly approaching and in collaboration with Earth Month, the ETSU Counseling Center hosted a University Woods Meditation Walk on April 14.
The walk was led by Associate Director of the Counseling Center Rebecca Alexander.
Alexander was excited to bring this event back for the spring. By chance, the Counseling Center was able to bring back the meditation walk during Earth Month, which provided an opportunity to connect the importance of nature with our own personal wellbeing.
Erica Malpass, the sustainability coordinator at ETSU, attended the sit-down portion of the event before the walk and was able to provide insight on the necessity of reconnecting with nature in order to care for it.
“Sustainability is not just about picking up trash or conserving your water,” Malpass said. “You have to be one with yourself and have mental wellness.”
Alexander also said that reconnecting back to nature is key to achieving sustainability goals.
“You have to feel connected to the natural world to want to serve it,” Alexander said.
In addition to sustainability initiatives, Alexander shared that the guided meditation walks are extremely beneficial for mental health, making them a great resource for students who feel overwhelmed or stressed.
In fact, Alexander said that participating in a meditation walk supports stress reduction and restoration of attention.
Alexander’s advocacy of the meditation walks is supported by research that shows humans are not separate from nature; we are closely connected.
She further said that when humans are separated from nature, the result is emotional, physical and mental suffering. She believes that returning to nature will restore these elements and provide wisdom.
Participants attending a meditation walk can expect to spend about an hour within nature. Attendees gather at the University Woods Gazebo, which is off of parking lot 13.
Before the beginning of the meditation walk, Alexander discussed the benefits of being with nature. She explained how the walk works and what participants should do to enrich their experience.
Attendees are expected to be silent during the walk and try to absorb as most of their surroundings as possible. Alexander encourages curiosity, instructing participants to notice and question things they hadn’t before.
For information on the dates and times of upcoming meditation walks, visit the ETSU Counseling Center website: www.etsu.edu/students/counseling/
