By Jessica Carr
The Texas Tech Meditation Society gives students the opportunity to take time out of their busy schedules and experience the benefits of practicing meditation.
Yaqiong Zhu, a doctoral nutrition student from China, did not know she was able to meditate on campus until she attended a meeting for the Tech Meditation Society.
“I had heard about it [meditation] from TV and books before and wondered what it was like,” Zhu said. “It was very relaxing.”
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The Tech Mediation Society meets every Tuesday and Wednesday from 12:30 to 1:15 in the Texas Tech University Library’s Mezzanine Conference Room. The group is open to everyone, and there is no membership or registration required to participate.
Brian Quinn, a librarian and certified yoga and meditation instructor, started the Tech Meditation Society three years ago. He keeps the room dimly lit and plays natural sounds while reading an outline to navigate students through the meditation process.
“I wear two hats,” Quinn said “One as a meditation teacher and the other as a yoga teacher.”
Quinn teaches yoga and meditation classes at the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center and the YWCA.
Quinn said he has had a long-standing interest in meditation. Three years ago, he was looking for a place to practice meditation, and Lubbock did not offer one outside of a religious setting.
“I wanted a group that wasn’t affiliated with any religious tradition, that way you can still get the benefits of meditation,” Quinn said.
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He said the group is open to different forms of meditation and are not locked into one tradition. He just wants to create a space where people can still get the benefits of meditation while having group support.
“With our group, people have the opportunity to explore a variety of different traditions and find the one they are most comfortable,” Quinn said.
He said some people come to meditation looking for a teacher that will help them make sense of the world. However, he said that is not how meditation works.
“With our group there isn’t a guru, the meditation itself is the real teacher,” Quinn said.
He said if meditation is practiced over time, it could produce great and lasting benefits for people.
According to the National Center for Complementary Health and Integrative Medicine, meditation may ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and may help people with insomnia.
Cesar Rodriguez, a senior history major from Lubbock, said he saw a flier about the Tech Meditation Society and decided to check it out for the health benefits.
“I have had some problems with depression,” Rodriguez said. “My doctor said it was a good practice for it.”
He said he felt fortunate to have this resource available to him on campus.
“I think with more meditation and more practice it can be very rewarding,” Rodriguez said. “It can give a peace of mind too.”
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