Sociology instructor Elizabeth Phillips teaches weekly virtual meditation groups from her backyard with quiet flute music in the background to help students destress.

Phillips is working hard to recreate a space for relaxation in a virtual setting.

“These classes are designed to help students, first, reduce stress and anxiety,” Phillips said. “Second, to drop into a quieter state of mind so they can begin to relax.”

Students are introduced to mindfulness meditation classes in a half-hour long group on Tuesdays and an hour-long group on Thursdays hosted by The Well.

“Because our students are busy and they have a lot going on, what we are offering is mindfulness meditation,” said Phillips. “Meditation is something that can take a lot of forms and take a lot of time, and our students don’t have a lot of time.”

This type of meditation emphasizes the thoughts and emotions felt in the moment and to not let thoughts wander.

In the class, Phillips guides students through breathing exercises, encouraging participants to think happy thoughts such as “floating in a tube down a lazy river.”

In the hour-long workshop, students can learn the foundations of different techniques such as open focus, cymatic, and acupressure meditation.

Rebecca Bean, student program advisor for The Well, encourages all students to be a part of the workshops by finding the link to join on Pipeline.

“We want students to know we are here for them during these stressful times,” Bean said. “Students can connect and grow while building a healthy mindset.”