A (Longer) Moment of Mindfulness

susannahouthier
Feb 4, 2020
2 min read

Professor Bethany Swain seeks to teach her students more than videography skills; she wants to teach them how to take care of their bodies and minds. Anyone who has taken her class is familiar with her "moments of mindfulness" where she has her students sit on her carpeted floor to ground themselves as she invites them to sit and breathe. I always look forward to these moments as they break up my day and remind me to check in on my emotions, to calm myself, and, as a person of faith, to pray and refocus my spirit on God.

This semester, I spend about 18 hours with Bethany each week as a TA for her intro to videography class and as a team member of her documentary production capstone class, ViewFinder. After all of the quality time that we have already spent together, I was not surprised when she told me that our class would be practicing our interview skills by speaking with a mindfulness coach who would also show us a few yoga-esque skills to reduce the physical stress that we feel in our bodies.

It was a very informative and calming afternoon spent outside on a freakishly nice and warm day at the beginning of February. Here are a few shots of my lovely team members and our guests filming and participating in the session.

The Team

The Teacher

Lisa Mills is a mindfulness coach with the organization Grounded 2 Grow and teaches her clients how to use their bodies to reduce stress.

The Skill: Stretching to Release Physical Stress

Physical stress can accumulate in the body due to the metaphorical and literal burdens we carry (like huge broadcast cameras). Stretching the shoulders can calm the mind by forcing the body to relax instead of contract.

The Skill: Journaling to Clear the Mind

Mills asked students to make a list of things for which they were grateful, priorities, and people in their lives who they could turn too in times of need. This list-making refocuses the mind and clears away the cloudiness of stress and anxiety.

The Skill: Listening and Reconnecting to Reality Through Sound

Focusing on just one sound, the sound coming from the farthest source slows the "spinning" of the mind caused by anxiety.

The Skill: Corpse Pose

Usually the last part of a yoga progression, the corpse pose invites the body to relax as if you were going to sleep.

I was very grateful to learn these new tools while surrounded by friends and fresh air. Remember to take care of yourself as you go through this week and to take a "moment of mindfulness" if needed.