Alexus Jones

Nov. 16, 2017

LBST 2101-336

Professor Celia Sinclair

Word Count: 1,170

Visitation: Peace Haven

I dont do shit until I meditate. This blunt statement was made by the Hip-Hop mogul

Russell Simmons. This was a powerful statement that peeked my interest and made me want to

experience meditation and its impact on a persons psychological being. It made me wonder if

meditation could be so powerful that it would supercede everything in a persons day. Meditation

involves taming our thoughts or our conscious mind. Could medication provide mood altering

effects that could lead to inner peace and happiness? My curiosity was aroused. This led to my

decision to visit a meditation session and experience it up close and personal for the first time.

On November 15, 2017, I sauntered into a Peace Haven meditation session led by Yes

Plus member Ms. Kamaria Clifton. The session was held at 12:30 pm in Cone 336 on campus at

the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The Peace Havens location is in the cutest little

room with a very chill setup and environment. There was cubbies for peoples bags and shoes.

Pillows covered the floor and there were only a few chairs. The room was very bright. Ms.

Kamaria Clifton is a graduate of UNC Charlotte with a degree in Political Science. She wanted

to contribute to campus life and decided that teaching students how to manage stress through

meditation was the way to go. Her meditation session was very engaging and attracts a diverse

population of people from various backgrounds, genders, majors, titles and classifications.
Although, I could not tell if people were shy because there was not a lot of talking, but I guess it

is a meditation session, so it does need to be quiet.

Ms. Cliftons session started off with a few icebreakers by stating our names, majors, and

a fun fact about ourselves. Ms. Clifton began a discussion and members openly discussed how

individuals experience stress, anxiety, regret, and worry when reflecting on past or future

experiences. Next, we started a game called the Oom Game to get everyone to relax. The

purpose of the exercise was to be in the present. Ms. Clifton stated the following during my

session when your thoughts are in the present, that is when you are at your happiest and the

most relaxed. The Oom Game allowed us to be in the present because we were actively

focusing on following the game and not other things. The idea was to go around the circle

counting, but on numbers containing the number 3 or is a multiple of 3 you say Omm. So we

began the game after receiving the instructions. Omm, omm, 13! and laughter starts around the

room. This the sound of me messing up and being eliminated from the game. But was I mad?

No, because the game had me focusing not on winning or stressing, but the enjoyment of

focusing on other people. The game relaxed me and moved my thoughts away from my load of

schoolwork that was waiting for me when the session was over.

The idea of the session was to focus on the environment, your body, and your thoughts. A

technique that she used was called alternate nostril breathing. This a technique helps to relax you

physically and mentally. It uses the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Alternate breathing is

controlled by using your right hand, if you are right handed and left if you are left handed. I

placed pointer and middle finger are placed in between your eyebrows. I used my right thumb to

cover the right nostril and your ring finger to cover my left nostril throughout this exercise. My
left hand was to remain relaxed on my left thigh with my palm facing up. As I inhaled and

exhaled through my right nostril, the left is closed with my ring finger, then I switched and

closed the right nostril with my thumb and inhale and exhale through my left nostril, then I

continuing switching back and forth inhaling and exhaling. I breathed through one nostril at a

time and switched after every inhalation. During this exercise, I was instructed by Ms. Clifton to

close my eyes, but I peaked a few times because I could not help myself. Next, we all took the

session to an end through what seemed like seconds, but was really like half an hour of

meditating. Everyone sat with their palms up and relaxed as we closed our eyes and was led by

Ms. Clifton on how to meditate. She said things like listen to the AC, listen to the

environment, listen to your body, become aware of your body, listen to your thoughts,

deep breath in, deep breath out. Sometime during meditating, I could hear and feel the lights

go off. This session allowed me to focus on things I have never spent the time to focus on before

and I found fun and relaxation within myself and surroundings.

In The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt, the author, speaks of the positives effects

of meditation on the mind and body. Meditating gives one the ability to think more rationally,

logically and from several perspectives. Lastly, meditation can allow you to develop a serene

calmness, which can help you to cool down and communicate more effectively in your

relationships. And as everyone knows, the quality of your relationships offers a direct correlation

to the happiness in your life. Better communication equals better quality of life. Meditating is

defined as thinking deeply or focusing one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid

of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation. This relates to the
concept of our class because meditating in The Happiness Hypothesis is supposed to increase

happiness.

Meditation is about taming the elephant. According to Haidt, the elephant is my

conscious mind. Buddha once said We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make

peace with ourselves. This was a difficult task for me because, my mind and thoughts are never

still. They are both constantly flowing like a river. During my experiment with meditation, I

found it difficult to shut the inner-noise off so that I could concentrate and relax. I know that

meditation takes time and patience. As I surveyed the lowly lit room, I witnessed others with

their eyes closed and fully engaged in the experience. Their elephant appeared to be under

control and focused on finding inner peace. Unfortunately; my elephant, in its untamed, state did

not cooperate. I realized two things. One, if I am to tame my elephant, then I must do like

Russell Simmons and not do shit until I meditate. Two this road to finding inner peace and

happiness could be challenging if the person controlling the elephant remains uncooperative.

This was an interesting and insightful experience for me. At the end of the session I gave Ms.

Clifton my Thank You Letter and she said I made her day, but she had really made mine.
 Bibliography

Haidt, Jonathan. The Happiness Hypothesis. Basic Books, 2006.