NUSSU Hotline’s Exhibition cum Carnival, 11-12 Feb 2010 from 10am-6pm at the Central Forum. Explore topics on mental health, HIV…

Need some mental peace?

Make time for the upcoming FREE meditation session by Associate Professor Millie Rivera this Tuesday, 9 Feb.

By A/P Millagros Rivera, Head, Communications and New Media Programme

I have been in Singapore over seven years. During this time, I have noticed that students have become more stressed and are experiencing depression and anxiety in larger numbers and with greater frequency. As the Head of CNM, I have done what I can to make my own students feel supported by giving them 24-hour access to our facilities, but even that is not an adequate response to the emotional problems I see.

Being a well-rounded student means going beyond studying and getting good grades. University students should do community work, have fun and live fully.  But we also have to remember that they have relationship problems, family crises and these issues, along with the heavy workload they face at NUS, can have a very real impact in their mental, physical and spiritual well being. I think the FASS Student Wellness is a very enlightened initiative and I will support it in any way I can. When I was asked if I would lead a meditation series for students, I immediately said “yes!”   Sure, I am busy! But I think this is very important and deserves my time. My hope is that students will see meditation as part of the things one can do to have a more fulfilling life/career. It’s not something spooky or weird; it can actually bring a great deal of joy, peace and mental clarity to one’s life/work/study.

I believe that peace and joy are things all people aspire to, regardless of their religious orientation. Since coming to Singapore, I have been studying meditation techniques and attending spiritual retreats and workshops in Asia. I started my spiritual work by holding informal meditation sessions at my home for friends who faced difficult life situations and in every instance, those involved in the meditations felt a positive impact. So I know this stuff works! I also teach a spiritual class at a local holistic centre and in my group there are people of all religions and spiritual orientations. We come together because we know that there is more to life than working, making (or worrying about) money, etc.

So for the meditation series, I have tapped on my friends from the spiritual community to lend a hand and teach students various modalities of meditation to achieve inner balance/peace and mental clarity. This will allow students to choose which type of meditation technique works best for them. This will also help them see that there are many types of people involved in spiritual work. I am a professor and look relatively normal even though I teach meditation. There are, of course, yoga teachers, spiritual healers, and others so called “light workers” who teach meditation, but students will also meet an entrepreneur who teaches meditation and a retired career army man who is now a spiritual teacher/healer.

Tsai Miao Kun, PhD student, Department of Philosophy shares, “If a person doesn’t know how to learn from within herself/himself, then she or he can only seek to learn from the outside world. However, I believe that we, as humans, have access to an energy field which is intimately connected to the universe and it has the capability to return us to a source of inner strength by grounding our “everydayness” with balance. This belief led me to the fascinating meditation group initiated by A/P Millagros Rivera (Head, Communications and New Media) and Mrs Soon Huey Yann (FASS Student Wellness).

Joining this group is the most joyful encounter I have ever had in NUS. What can you get from it? First of all, you will meet people greeting you with generosity and love. In addition, you will have access to teachers from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, allowing you to play and explore meditation in distinct ways. Sometimes you may feel yourself embracing novelty like a child, and sometimes it may appear as if you are ready to be the teacher yourself.

Come and enjoy! You may be told here that meditation is the best way to help you release all the tension and stress. You will shortly find out that this group is far more than that, and, it is also lots of fun!

Join Associate Professor Millie Rivera at the upcoming meditation session on “Releasing fear, doubt and worry”. 2 Feb at Communications and New Media (CNM) Play Room.

The sky was pouring and everywhere was wet. But the inclement weather did not stop participants who signed up for Step by Step, a new social activity organized by CPS¹, to turn up in full force. Well, almost.

It was indeed an encouraging moment of truth when participants gathered excitedly at the University Health Centre on 22 January, despite the inconvenience of having an umbrella in hand.

Interestingly, the socialization had begun even before the activity started as participants mingled and chatted away like they were long-lost pals at a reunion.

Each participant was required to match their card with a corresponding card from another participant displaying items of the same category. Participants with cards in the same category became walking partners.

The group later discussed how the social interaction went. It seemed that it was generally easy for the participants to carry a conversation with their walking partners because of their effusive congeniality.

Participants had come from as far as Norway, India and Philippines. The cross-cultural setting provided participants insights into the interesting facets of different cultures.

In an ensuing game, participants were divided into two teams. The notion was to get the teams to complete the game in the shortest possible time by working together. The teams also discussed about group dynamics and how to resolve potential conflicts when working with other students in group settings.

While the activity ended with a brief introduction to relaxation and breathing techniques, the socialization that started over an hour ago did not stop. Instead, it went on as participants exchanged contacts with each other and indicated their interest in other sessions lined up for this semester.

“I really like the activity a lot as it was very fun. It was extremely rewarding for me as I had the opportunity to meet students of different nationalities and cultures. I would definitely recommend it to students who wish to make new friends, learn new social skills, gain some confidence, enjoy nature and get active,” said Ms Camille Jenica Pajarillo Zapata, a graduate student at FASS.

So, if you are keen to know more friends and increase your social circle, take the first step and sign up for Step by Step today!

– By Ignatius Pang, FASS Student Support

Free meditation session for students. Upcoming 26 Jan.

Why is it that each time I walk down the park, stroll along the beach or watch the sunrise and sunset that I end up feeling refreshed and energized? I wonder. And on occasions when I trek along the legendary Orchard Road that I feel quite the opposite, even though I am often greeted by interesting sights such as the overly zealous Christmas decorations that punctuate its narrow skyline,  the fancy flash mobs that appear and disappear out of nowhere, or the predatory shoppers who leave no article unturned during sales.

Recently, I visited the Land of the Rising Sun. In Hokkaido, the weather was bitingly cold. Yet being surrounded by the vastness of the mountains and the impeccable Japanese hospitality, the physical discomfort took a back seat. There was a sense of wonderment and an inexplicable feeling of lightness. Strangely, this fascinating experience went away very quickly just as the YEN in my wallet when I set foot into the crowded streets of Tokyo.

Even Jane Austen, the famous English novelist wrote in Emma: “To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment”.  And it seems valid, according to a number of studies which suggest that the natural environment can have restorative features. For example, van den Berg, Koole, and van der Wulp (2003) found that people feel better in the natural environment than the urban environment when they were asked to rate their mood states before and after viewing films of a simulated walk in the natural environment and a disturbing urban environment.

A friend of mine makes it a point to go for her weekly walks at Mac Ritchie reservoir. She says nature never intended us to live this way – possibly referring to the highly urbanized setting most people spend their days in today’s world. Paying homage to nature has its positive effects, she quipped, alleging that she feels more energetic and prettier these days. I suppose the latter part of that statement could be challenged, but I cannot disagree that she does come across sprightlier than her “pre-nature” days.

It seems to me that in a world consumed by thoughts, societal pressures, financial concerns and demands of others, nature allows people to come to terms with the intricate world. Simply by appreciating its unchallenged beauty, one gets a feeling that life’s meaning is beyond dollars and cents or the expectations of others through a sense of connectedness with a larger structure. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better,” advised physicist Albert Einstein.

Perhaps Einstein was referring to the sense of purpose and belonging many of us are searching for. Yet it seems these very things that we are searching for are already present in nature, all it takes is for us to welcome them.  So the next time you go the park or the seaside, take time to listen to what nature might be telling you.

– By Ignatius Pang, FASS Student Support

First of a series of meditation sessions for students. Upcoming 19 Jan.

Were there occasions that you insisted you knew the truth but as it turned out, the truth was nothing more than make-belief? A belief that you held so firmly because you thought that was all to it.

If you are looking to perform better in your studies and enhance your student life, sign up now for FREE professional workshops and activities specially tailored for students.