Gustavus Meditation
Attain Your Full Potential
Welcome to the secular meditation program at Gustavus Adolphus College!
What's the schedule?
Connect with us! Sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Instagram!
In Fall 2024, there are two sessions per week during the campus Sabbath break:
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 11:30 - 11:50 (CST)
Tuesdays - Online
We meet via Google Meets. To access the link, subscribe to our Google Calendar or click here to be taken directly into the meeting. You can also sign up for our weekly email newsletter, which will contain the link.
Thursdays - In Person
We meet in person at the Bonnier Multifaith Center, main floor of Anderson Hall (south end). Cushions, chairs and mats are available. Please remove your shoes and leave them outside the space when you arrive.
All Gustavus students and employees are welcome to attend online or in person, as is anyone in the wider community, even if you do not have a Gustavus connection.
What is secular meditation?
Secular meditation draws on the wisdom traditions of the past but doesn't require practitioners to subscribe to any particular religion. The meditation we teach might include elements from Buddhism, psychology, and modern wellness, but avoids religious or specialist language. Secular meditation distills the essential teachings from these traditions, making them accessible to us today.
This means that everyone is invited and welcome to join meditation, no matter if you're a part of a faith tradition or not. For a more in-depth discussion about what secular meditation is, including a list of great books and apps, we recommend this article by Jonathan Carson.
We also encourage you to explore other spiritual and meditation resources on campus, including the Chaplains Office, the meditation resources available through the Counseling Center, and the beautiful labyrinth and meditation garden located in the Gustavus Arboretum.
What can I expect?
Ed, the official kitten of Gustavus Meditation
Gustavus Meditation sessions are appropriate and accessible for all audiences. Everyone is encouraged to attend, whether you've practiced regularly for years or are a complete newcomer. All Gustavus students and employees are welcome, as is anyone in the wider community who comes across these resources and would like to practice with us.
Bad experience with meditation in the past? Tried it and got bored or discouraged? That's not a problem. In fact, that's a common experience. We teach a variety of different meditation techniques, so you might find a new approach that works better for you.
At every session, the meditation teacher will welcome you and guide you through a practice lasting 12-15 minutes. At the end, there will often be a few minutes for questions or conversation.
If you're practicing online, you're welcome to keep your camera on or off, whichever is most comfortable for you.
If you're practicing at the Bonnier Multifaith Center, please remove your shoes before entering. We share the space with other groups and many of them - like us - sometimes use the floor to practice, so this keeps it clean.
Finally...why should I try meditation?
This is the million dollar question! Meditation can be dull, dry, boring and frustrating. It can be unpleasant and uncomfortable to sit with our emotions and thoughts. So why would anyone even want to try?
Although this is a question you'll need to explore yourself, many people meditate because they want to be happy, to have less suffering, to weather the ups and downs of life, and to feel more connected to themselves and others. Meditation isn't a magic pill. It won't make you blissed out or stress-free, although sometimes you will feel this way.
Meditation helps us get to know ourselves, our minds, and all our glorious, messy patterns. We start to see how we react when we're stressed or angry or upset or happy or annoyed. We start to notice our habitual patterns. And when we get to know our minds well, we can create some space and begin to experiment with different responses, ones that might better support and nurture us.
Our Meditation Teachers
Meditation sessions are led by mental health professionals from the Gustavus Counseling Center, as well as Professor John Cha (Religion), and Professor Julie Gilbert (Library), who is a Tergar Certified Anytime Anywhere Meditation Teacher.
Questions? Class Visit? Practice Interview?
Contact Julie Gilbert, Gustavus Meditation Program Coordinator, with any meditation-related questions. Julie is a certified meditation teacher and happy to share her expertise with others.
Julie is also available to talk to classes and other groups about meditation practices and reasons why people might try meditation.
Finally, if you would like to schedule a 15-minute practice interview to discuss anything that's arising in your practice, Julie is available for conversation.
The Gustavus Meditation Program helps the campus and wider community develop resiliency and establish practices of mental wellbeing through regular secular meditation sessions and talks. Sessions and talks are appropriate for all levels of practice, whether you have an established practice, tried meditation in the past but found it didn't work well, or are completely new to meditation. Beginners welcome!
The Gustavus Meditation Program is sponsored by the Chaplains Office, the Counseling Center, and the Library.