The sound of “om!” and the smell of warm tea emanate from Computer Lab 1 each Thursday. room 8 to 8:30 a.m., as the Upper School Morning Meditation is hosted in the Lab to bring a calming and reflective atmosphere to the busy Upper School community.
As one of the creators of the meeting group, Cloud Blackburn ’25 wanted to ensure there was a place and time created for everyone to relax after mentally difficult days: “Morning Mediation was created because it gave students a way to start off the day calm[ly] because school is a very anxious place for some people.” Gail Barna, technology teacher and faculty advisor of the practice, also noted that being able to start your day centered is statistically proven to enhance students’ learning abilities and overall mood.
Photo taken outside the meeting. Photo by Mason Levens ’25.
The meetings are structured to make the most out of the 30-minute office hours block before school officially starts: “We drink some tea to center ourselves, and then at around 8:10 we meditate for about 15 minutes and then we head to class,” said Blackburn ’25.
Since there are many different varieties of meditation, the group is figuring out which type works best for the 5-15 members who attend weekly. “Currently [we do a] love and kindness [centered] meditation, but I would like to try a meditation on gratitude,” said Barna.
For the future, Barna said, “I want to get people in the habit of doing this regularly, and if people are really stressed about something, to get in the habit of doing meditation to help them.” She added, “I would like students to start to suggest what they need based on how they feel [in order] to teach them something they can do on their own.”
Jadin Figueroa ’25 attended one of the preliminary sessions and had a very positive experience: “The meditation woke me up and made me feel ready for my day of school,” he said.
The Morning Meditation is looking to grow their attendance and continue through the end of the school year.
