Stressed? Distracted? Anxious?
Okay, right now, wherever you are, take a slow, deep breath.
Hold it...
Now let it go.
A little better, right?
College can be tough, academically, socially, emotionally—but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and it shouldn’t tear you apart.
We launched Breathe Gettysburg as an initiative of the Center for Religious & Spiritual Life to help you build resilience to handle the challenges of everyday life by developing mindfulness skills.
What is Breathe Gettysburg? It’s a collection of classes and experiences that fall under the broad categories of relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness. Some of these experiences spring out of specific religious traditions, some are more generally spiritual, and others are just plain fun and relaxing! All of them are open to the entire College community, no matter what your spiritual background is (or isn’t!).
Here’s what we’ve got going at Breathe Gettysburg this semester:
Qigong: Meditation in Motion
Qigong is an ancient system of physical postures and slow, mindful movement with roots in Chinese medicine and martial arts. In Chinese medicine, its goal is to cultivate and balance the body’s qi, or life energy, through gentle movement, meditation, and mindful breathing.
- When? 4:15-5 p.m. on the following Mondays: Feb. 3, Feb. 17, March 2, March 16, March, 30, and April 13
- Where? Jaeger Center multipurpose room
- Who leads it? Rebecca Colgan, LPC, Staff Counselor, Counseling Services Office. Colgan is a licensed professional counselor with training and general practice in ancient healing arts. She is also a Reiki master and medical Qigong practitioner.
- Want to know more? Visit these links!
Meditation Moment
A 20-minute pause in your day for contemplation, meditation, and mindfulness. We unroll our yoga mats (provided), do a little gentle movement and stretching to center ourselves, then follow a brief guided meditation. You’ll emerge relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take on the rest of your day!
- When? Tuesdays from 11:30-11:50 a.m.
- Where? Jaeger Center multipurpose room
- Who leads it? Kristin Largen, Associate Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life/College Chaplain
- Want to know more? Visit these links!
Knitting Group
Come learn to knit—we’ll provide you with needles and yarn—or bring your current project with you for an hour of stress-relieving needlework! Everyone is welcome!
- When? Wednesdays from 4:15-5:15 p.m.
- Where? The Center for Religious & Spiritual Life
- Who leads it? Kathy Bradley, Executive Director of Health and Counseling Services/Associate Dean, Counseling Services Office. Bradley carries on a family tradition of knitting. She learned from her mother (who is still knitting at age 90), who started knitting at age 5, taught by her grandmother, Dr. Bradley’s great-grandmother. She is happy to introduce others to the calmness and joy of knitting.
- Want to know more? Visit these links!
Faculty/Staff Meditation
Faculty and staff are invited to start their day with a brief 20-minute meditation.
- When? Fridays from 8:15-8:35 a.m.
- Where: The Center for Religious & Spiritual Life
- Who leads it? Katy Mattson, Associate Director, Center for Career Engagement
- Want to know more? Visit these links!
Poetry Moment
Take a short break during the day to reflect on a piece of poetry, spiritual writing, or a brief reading from one of the world’s sacred texts. We’ll read it together, meditate on it in silence, and then reflect together with some discussion. Everyone from all traditions—or no tradition—is welcome. Come as you are for a bit of light and peace in your busy day!
- When? Fridays from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- Where? The Center for Religious & Spiritual Life
- Who leads it? Kristin Largen, Associate Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life/College Chaplain
- Want to know more? Visit these links!
Slow-Flow & Yin Yoga
Deep, slow stretching and restorative poses.
- When? Fridays from 5-6 p.m.
- Where: Jaeger Center multipurpose room
- Who leads it? Nasreen Gooya ‘20
- Want to know more? Visit these links!
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