A relaxing atmosphere welcomed parents, students, and community members into the learning commons as they signed in to the mindfulness workshop last Wednesday evening. The library had been completely zenned out—cleared of all of its tables, with circles of chairs filling the room and colorful balloons labeled with various relaxing practices that the attendees would soon learn.

One SDA senior, Lucia Niño, said that her dad had signed her up for the event, but that she was ultimately glad to be there because of the great deal of stress she faces in her day-to-day life.

Many students can relate to feeling this overwhelming pressure to do well in school. As sophomore Lauren McCormick, the student organizer of the workshop, said, “Sometimes your brain needs a break.” Her presentation focused on the importance of being mindful, or “focusing your mind on the present by being aware of your thoughts and actions and releasing your self-judgment.” Not only does mindfulness help to improve performance in school, but it also leads to a better quality of life in general, according to McCormick.

Being mindful has been proven to decrease worrying, promote emotional stability, enhance creativity, and increase extroversion―and it can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths to bring yourself to the present, McCormick said..

According to Diana Shimkus, a mindfulness teacher of 25 years and co-leader of the workshop, students who take 10 mindful breaths before tests score 12 percent higher than those who do not. The simple breaths help you to gather yourself and calm your racing mind so that you are prepared to focus on the material in front of you.

After an introduction to mindfulness and its many benefits, attendees were asked to choose four mindful practices that they would like to learn. Each group was lead by an SDA student and a member of the Encinitas Mindfulness Community organization.

Practices ranged from “Mindful Eating ,” in which attendees were asked to eat a chocolate kiss while closing their eyes and noticing the flavors and textures of the candy, to “Four Square Breathing,” in which attendees took a deep breath in through their nose, held their breath, released the breath through their mouth, and held their breath, each breath/hold lasting for four seconds.

Reflecting on the event, Niño said, “It was really relaxing. I should probably think of implementing these into my regular routine.”

All of the relaxation practices taught at the workshop can be found at encinitasmindfulness.org.