Written by 2017 Padua Alumna Alysse Young

Hi everyone!

My name is Alysse Young and I am a current junior at Saint Joseph’s University. I had the pleasure of having Mr. Shelton as my Physics and Environmental Science teacher during my time at Padua Academy.  What really struck me about Mr. Shelton’s classes and his method of teaching, is that he implemented lessons that his students could apply to their lives outside of the classroom. Some of the skills he taught us included meditation and self-reflection. Mr. Shelton reminded us that in life it is easy to get caught up in the stresses and daily to- do’s, but it is important to take a step back and put everything into perspective.  These lessons began to resonate with me, so I decided to continue these practices for the rest of my time at Padua and into my college years. This past semester I had the joy of taking a yoga/ meditation course to satisfy my religious difference requirements. I was able to use the knowledge I gained from Mr. Shelton’s class and build on that knowledge throughout my class this past semester. Ever since putting meditation into my daily routine I have noticed significant and positive changes in my life.  Some of these changes include increased energy, less stress, and overall increased happiness. If I could give some advice to anyone trying to incorporate meditation into their life, it’s to let things come and go when you meditate. It’s easy to get frustrated when you can’t silence the thoughts that come to your mind. This is something that I really struggled with when I first started my practice. The best thing to do is to allow thoughts to come and go and to not try so hard to block them out. Meditation can really change your life if you are open to it.  I hope writing about my experiences can help some of you reading this. I wish you all the best in your meditation journey! 

Namaste!