“What are you doing? Yoga at midnight?” My roommate walks in our dorm, shocked by — as she put it — my stationary, “toad-like” posture. I take a deep breath and keep my eyes closed, trying to ignore her and continue my meditation for the day.

It’s Sunday at 11 p.m. and I’ve tried meditation for an entire week.

Most people consider meditation either as a form of yoga, or a religious practice in which people try to find Zen in subjective silence. Indeed, the origin of meditation can be traced back approximately 5,000 years ago to 3500 BCE in Ancient India. Many images show people sitting with crossed legs and hands on their knees, a typical meditation posture. However, modern meditation is considered a therapeutic remedy and can be practiced by all.

So I wondered, what if I — a typical stressed out, sleep-deprived college student — attempted to make meditation part of my daily routine?

The basic idea of meditation is to take time from our busy schedules to relax, and to really reflect on our lives. Methods of meditation vary greatly, from stretching to simply sitting on your sofa. For me, the ultimate goal was to find a moment of peace in this boisterous city.

I decided to meditate by sitting on my bed with my legs crossed and hands placed on my knees for 10 to 20 minutes before going to bed every night. During this time, I tried to imagine myself being surrounded by the sea, hearing the waves washing against the rocks.

Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Especially when you have to share your apartment with three other people who bring their friends home on a regular basis.

My first attempt to meditate was on Monday. I had a lot of work that day, so after sitting on my bed and closing my eyes, the first thing I thought of was all the the work I had piling up. I found it quite ridiculous that I had to force myself to think of an ocean while the reality of my textbooks stared at me from the other side of the room. I struggled to calm down and just relax for a good five minutes, but only found myself getting more and more nervous. I took a deep breath and started thinking of how to schedule my time for the week.

Surprisingly, thinking about my week alleviated the pressure I felt. I decided to reflect on the past and think about the future, and the 20 minutes passed by relatively fast.

For the rest of the week, I had no problem entering the world of Zen. However, meditation remained a big challenge, as I’m very easily distracted in general. The laughter of my suite mates and their friends or simply the sound of typing would would easily interrupt the moments of peace.

Strangely, I found the worst part of meditation to be when it ended. Opening my eyes and being jolted back into reality was an unsettling feeling. I would finally be relaxed and calm only to realize that there was tons of homework piling up and waiting for me.

By the end of the week, I had learned that meditation is an interesting way to relax and find a moment of peace in our busy lives. I discovered the importance of private time and just how crucial it is for us to take a break once in awhile.

I would definitely recommend that NYU students try out this relaxation method, but I don’t know if I’ll continue meditating after this week. Although I did like taking time for myself during the day, it didn’t change the fact that that I would still have to return to reality minutes later.
And to be honest, now that the week of meditation is over I’m just happy to get those 20 minutes back every day.

Email Diya Jiang at [email protected].