Written by Padua Junior Sienna D.

I think it is safe to say that everyone’s lives have been turned upside down in the past month. The fear of losing your job, not being with your loved ones, or even the possibility of getting sick makes us stress about things we never had to worry about before. Right now, it is tough to stay positive and calm about these unforeseen events, but I have found comfort through meditation.

In times like this, it has been very hard to stay happy. Recently, I have become stressed about things I cannot control and I’ve found myself empty and lost when searching for things to look forward to. For the first two weeks of quarantine, I found myself in a situation I had never been in before. I have had trouble falling and staying asleep at night. As a teenager, sleeping has come very easy to me so struggling to sleep was very alarming. I began to find myself awake until 4 AM and other nights waking up at 5 AM. I was not able to fall back asleep because of the constant thoughts running through my head.

I began to research ways that I could destress and improve my sleep cycle. It is important that I get the proper amount of sleep, especially for my body. I found myself looking deeper into meditation and the benefits of it. I had been involved in the after school mediation sessions already and always found myself more calm and relaxed after meditating. I was worried at first that I would struggle to meditate by myself and not in a group, which I was used to doing. I started doing the virtual mediation sessions that were offered to the students, two times a week. This introduced me to the world of independent meditation.

After a couple of these sessions, I finally felt comfortable meditating by myself in hopes that I could ease my stress before sleeping. After the first couple of times, I found that my mind was more clear and I was at peace before falling asleep. Originally, I had started independent meditation in hopes to sleep better, but have found myself using it throughout the day whenever I feel stressed. I have used meditation so frequently in the past month that it has become a part of my essential routine to get through this quarantine and I am so grateful that I have discovered it.