About 50 students stopped to meditate on a red blanket Friday.
UF’s Meditation Club held its semesterly Meditate-a-thon from noon to 3 p.m. on the Plaza of the Americas. The club held it later in the semester than usual to help students lower their anxiety levels before finals.
During the event, students did mindfulness meditation, during which they focused on breathing, said Saul Ramirez, a member of the club. The club wanted students to let distractions fade into the background.
“The end of the semester is a time of great stress and anxiety for students,” the 21-year-old UF philosophy and applied physiology and kinesiology junior said. “We want to share the stress-relieving benefits of meditation throughout the Gainesville community.”
Raja Weise, a member of the club, handed pamphlets about meditating to students who passed by.
“People might find that they get distracted by thoughts and sounds,” the 22-year-old UF economics senior said.
Jared Davis, a UF political science sophomore, said he had never heard of meditation or its mental and physical benefits before Friday.
“I never thought much about meditation before talking to members of the Meditation Club,” the 20-year-old said. “But after learning more about it, I definitely plan on meditating before finals.”
