Posted: 02/28/07

Mindfulness meditation at St. Michael's College

Erin Millard | contributing writer
emillard@smcvt.edu

St. Michael’s College senior Jennifer Kerns’ voice drifts softly across the room accompanied only by the natural sounds of breathing. The small group sits in a circle in a dimly lit room of the Women’s Center as Kerns guides them through a mindfulness meditation session.

This semester, after returning from a semester in India, Kerns says she decided to share the meditation techniques she learned with other students.

Kerns says she decided to offer to guide St. Michael's students through meditation after realizing its positive effects. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Kerns)

“It makes you a believer of mindfulness and positive conciseness,” Kerns says. “It’s done it for me and that was my intent to share and provide these techniques.”

Finding time to meditate

Monday through Friday a group of students gathers in the upper room of the chapel or the Women’s Center in order to relax and meditate. For 30 minutes Kerns guides attendees to become mindful of their bodies and surroundings.

So far, only a small core group of four to five people have come on a regular basis and at the most a group of 13 have showed up to the sits, Kerns says. The group is a noncommittal group and people are welcome to come and go as they please.

“The hardest thing is getting here,” Kerns says. “It’s only 30 minutes, but there are just hurdles when it comes to getting here.”

Prior to studying abroad in India, Kerns had never received formal mediation from Buddhist practitioners.

“I meditated [by] running and by being outside with nature,” Kerns says.

While in India, Kerns studied in Bodh Gaya, in the Indian state of Bihar.

“It is the Jerusalem for Buddhists and it is the number one pilgrimage site,” Kerns says. “It is very spiritual and there are many different people of different religions who go there.”

At the monastery, Kerns says she practiced Theravada Buddhism.

“I lived in the monastery and learned academically and experienced everything through meditation,” Kerns says. “It was really amazing and very transformative in ways that through meditation got me in touch with my inner workings of myself.”

When someone is in such an environment academically and socially it makes them face all parts of themselves, Kerns says.

“When you live there you lose sense and surrender that part that makes choices and you make decisions that are best for the community,” Kerns says. “Living in India is humbling and you understand the privileges as an American.”

Living in a different country cultivates watchfulness and a certain frame of mind, Kerns says.

“You’re deprived of your comfort things and once they are gone, you’re on your own...you understand happiness is internal and you don’t depend on those things anymore,” Kerns says. “I can see my effects in my life and how it benefits.”

Kerns says she wanted to bring meditation to St. Michael’s to offer to teach these techniques to people who are interested.

Meditation sessions at a Catholic college?

St. Michael’s is a Catholic community, but meditation is used in many different religions. Fr. Brian Cummings, SSE, the head of St. Michael’s campus ministry, welcomes the sessions.

"Anything can be meditation if you are mindful ad anything is mindful if you are meditating." -Senior Jennifer Kerns

"I think any activity that leads to knowing and discovering God's presence in daily life is certainly an activity welcome and strongly encouraged at St. Michael's," Cummings says.

Indeed, Cummings often uses a form of meditation, himself.

"I regularly pray with sacred scripture and encourage others to meditate on the Gospels in order to deepen one's relationship with God," Cummings says.

Additionally, he says that meditation helps him as a priest and to become closer to God by prayer.

“Prayer in a quiet space helps me focus on the essentials of my faith and my way of life,” Cummings says. “I just can't be a priest without quiet time with God and I think others seeking God need the same time in solitude.”

The Women’s Center agreed to share their space to Kerns and her meditation groups. Kim Swartz, director of the St. Michael’s Women’s Center, has welcomed the group into the center.

“The Women’s Center is a space that is open to the entire campus community,” Swartz says. “I don’t really consider this ‘donating’ the space, but we do our best to share the space with many groups on campus.” 

“Jennifer Kerns is a student and staff member of the center, and organized and now leads the meditation group at the center as part of her work with the center,” Swartz says.

Kerns says she is very grateful for use of the space that she has been able to use and thinks that the Women’s Center is a perfect place to hold the sessions.

“The Women’s Center is a safe space, mindful and supportive,” Kerns says. “[It] is an untouched treasure and is so peaceful.”

The group has tea after their sessions that the center donates and will be starting to cook and have dinner there while meditating next Wednesday. Kerns says they are trying something new with meditation which will be a new experience.

“This group represents the Women’s Center,” Kerns says. “If people like this group, they will love it there.”

Although meditation can be positive, there are some people who can experience hurtful space when they meditate Kerns says. Meditating is personal when you practice and it’s simple, but not easy. It gets you in touch with things that suppress you, your habits, and things you don’t like, Kerns says.

“If someone is in a hurtful place we can investigate it and seek professional help,” Kerns says. “The services on campus can help.”

Individual experiences

Megan Davin is a first-year student who attends the mediations four days a week.

“I heard about the meditations through the e-mail that was sent out,” Davin says. “I never really did any meditation before, but my mother had in the past.”

Davin says she now takes time at night for herself to meditate.

Kerns studied in Bodh Gaya, in the Indian state of Bihar. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Kerns)

“I think it’s great just to have something for yourself to get more in touch and aware of the world,” Davin says.

Davin says that meditation has helped her become calm and more aware of her surroundings.

“I do it to relax and I’ve met some awesome people doing it,” Davin says.

Kerns leads the group in a technique known as shamatha, a type of calm abiding meditation. In this form of meditation, individuals concentrate on their breathing. Kerns says this helps to calm your mind.

Right now, Kerns is teaching people how to practice meditation while quietly sitting or lying down. However, this spring Kerns says she is planning on teaching a type of walking meditation and will utilize the woods behind the 300s as a place to do it.

“Anything can be meditation if you are mindful and anything is mindful if you are meditating,” says Kerns.

“Just be in the moment, keep it simple and see how today goes,” Kerns says. “It’s going to happen regardless if people come; I’ll be here.”