The Hoya: The Guide: October 29, 2021

FEATURES Meditation offers students the opportunity for relaxation and reflection. B4

PODCASTS Learn evidence-based methods to improve happiness in “The Happiness Lab.” B6

FITNESS Students sweat their stress away with restorative yoga at Yates Field House. B8

October 29, 2021

ILLUSTRATION BY: JASON OMORI/THE HOYA

‘Stillness, Silence, Simplicity’: Meditation And Mindfulness at Georgetown Meditation spaces on the Georgetown University campus give students the chance to clear their minds, calm their bodies and cut their stress.

Nina Jennings and Sofia Wills Hoya Staff Writers

Bathed in the early-morning light, among the flaming red changing leaves of nearby trees, Georgetown University students can find serenity tucked away in the oldest and smallest building on campus: a red brick structure on Old North Way across from New South Hall.

The John Main Center for Meditation and

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Interreligious Dialogue (JMC) hosts daily meditations out of this tiny building, Anne Marie Becraft Hall. The director of the JMC, Lisa Directo Davis, is a fixture of the center and sees the impact of meditation on students who come to share the practice. Especially when college gets stressful, meditation can invite stillness and quiet into students’ minds, according to Davis.

“The minute you sit down and you’re quiet and you breathe, even for like one or two

MASON LEATH/THE HOYA

Georgetown students embrace the environment of introspection through meditation on campus as they tackle the pressures of academic life and transition back into in-person learning at the university’s oldest and smallest building.

minutes, it reorients your mind; it reorients your body,” Davis said in an interview with .

By hosting regular meditation sessions in the middle of the Georgetown campus, the JMC provides a space where students, faculty and staff can practice mindfulness and improve their emotional wellness. However, the JMC is far from the only option students have to engage in meditation; on Nov. 4, the Georgetown University Dharmālaya, a Dharma meditation space in the Copley Hall

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basement, will hold its opening ceremonies.

Along with student-run organizations like the Buddhist Student Association (BuSA), these two campus spaces are making meditation more accessible to the Georgetown community. When life feels thoroughly unpeaceful, these groups encourage students to take a moment and deep breathe.

Coming Back to the Present

The practice of meditation is different for everyone, every time, according to Ellena Joo (SFS ’22). A board member of BuSA who has meditated both secularly and religiously, Joo said that external factors can affect her daily meditation to craft a different experience every time she sits down for the practice.

“While I meditate, I never have the same experience twice. It’s very much like a conversation with myself. For me, depending on what’s going on and what’s at the forefront of my mind, it varies a lot,” Joo said in a Zoom interview with The Hoya. “I meditate with a philosophy that anything goes.”

Davis noted that while her meditation is influenced by external factors, its introspective nature has also helped her to improve her awareness of both her mental processes and what is going on in the world around her.

“How I experience meditation depends on the day; it depends on the moment. It depends on if I have done a physical practice to help me really prepare for the physicalness of meditation,” Davis said. “So the emotional state, physical states, all of these other things can impact how the first few moments are practiced.”

Davis’ years of meditating have given her the skills to deal with this variable nature of everyday practice while simultaneously keeping in mind the fact that meditation is also a practice centered around stillness. Davis encouraged consistent practice to develop a sense of comfort with silence and calm.

“If you know what you’re entering into and you’re not making it up every single time, you’re not shifting from one different practice to the next practice,” Davis said. “No matter how I feel or what I’m struggling with that day, that will always kind of start to draw me to be more rooted in good practice.”

Whether students attend the weekday morning sessions at the JMC from 8:30 to 9 a.m., or just focus on mindfulness walking between classes, opportunities for meditation are everywhere. Ven. Yishan Qian, a Buddhist residential minister on campus, stressed that finding small moments to engage with meditation is the key to an effective practice.

“It’s helpful to make meditation your habit. We have many habits and a way in our daily life, like what we do like when before eating right in the morning, before going to class or in the evening, when after we finish all our coursework. So, before we go to that, at that moment, there you can find a time for meditation,” Qian said in a Zoom interview

with The Hoya. “Meditation can be only one also how others are around me — not just minute or five minutes if you have time, or people, but every creative being,” Davis said.

Meditation practices can often provide a you can do it only in five seconds. sense of self-awareness, developing a deeper knowledge of the self and a heightened Taking Deep Breaths As Georgetown students return to in- awareness of others, according to Davis. person learning, many are struggling with Furthermore, Davis said this awareness of academic stress coupled with the increased oneself and others fosters self-compassion, burdens of maintaining a more in-person an increasingly valuable quality for Gensocial life. Georgetown students are still ad- eration Z students, who are struggling now more than ever with anxiety and depressionjusting to these overwhelming changes.

Some students, like Mallory Hybl (NHS related mental health concerns.

“It reorients people to realize they have ’22), a student leader at the JMC, find that meditation can be a way for many people to the capacity to not always enter into the chaos and the haste and that they have the effectively improve their mental health.

“It really does help with stress and men- capacity to step out of it and also observe it tal health and just kind of allows students and learn from it,” Davis said.

Meditation communities on campus, to hopefully get a different perspective and find some space,” Hybl said in an interview whether through the JMC, the Dharmālaya with the Hoya. “I also think that meditation or other organizations like BuSA, provide as a practice allows us to live more deeply students with welcoming communities that are focused on furthering their emotional into who we truly are as human beings.”

Hybl said meditating at Georgetown has well-being. Hybl said the JMC in particular been especially helpful in seeking a calm en- has provided her with a home and a sense of vironment since returning to campus.

“I initially just started going to the center to find a little bit of peace and quiet and a little bit of grounding. I’m from Colorado, so changing environments in states was a little bit overwhelming,” Hybl said. “It’s always nice to just be able to go to the center and just find the little space for some stillness, silence and simplicity.”

Similarly, Joo said that students, in response to myriad on-campus stressors, actively seek out reflective spaces on campus.

As a result of this interest, BuSA hosts meditation exercises open to all interested students. They even held a “Meditate Under the Stars” event with the Astronomy Club in the Georgetown observatory.

“We ended up using the meditation Sangha poster for tabling, and a lot of students came up asking about meditation,” Joo said. “We had around 100 students sign up, which is more than we’ve ever had. It was clear that a lot of students wanted to get involved because they wanted a space that they could meditate in.”

Beyond wanting a space to escape from hectic university life, Joo said some students specifically seek out meditation resources to cultivate a spiritual approach when caring for their mental health.

“I really do think students try to look for communities where they can be mindful and reflective in an organic way that is also friendly,” Joo said.

belonging on campus.

“I think what students hopefully get is just a sense of community. It’s a lovely little space, and it’s so nice to see the same and some new faces, at least when I lead in the morning. It’s just a beautiful group of humans and a good way to start the day,” Hybl said.

Ultimately, outlets for reflection, selfcompassion, community and relaxation are resources students desperately need as they grapple with a unique hybrid learning experience of returning back to campus. Davis sees meditation as a positive opportunity to combine the ambition of Georgetown students with kindness and compassion for a better world.

“If you can just taste this while you’re here during your time in Georgetown, experience this, we hope that that plants a seed so that it’s something that you’ll cultivate,” Davis said. “It’ll make you a bigger, more compassionate person, which is really what our world needs. Not just to be intellectually achieving or successful, but a whole person.”

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Meditation at the JMC is a practice centered around stillness and reflection, often using breathing techniques and mantras to anchor focus during student-hosted sessions.

The Way of Wellness

From personal reflection to stress relief, there are plenty of benefits to meditation.

Davis highlighted a central strength of meditation through personal introspection: compassion.

“The most important thing that meditation cultivates within myself is a sense of awareness, not only where I’m at personally but

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

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PODCAST

‘The Happiness Lab’ Educates, Entertains About Wellness  Mia Young

Hoya Staff Writer

Upon returning to campus in August, the joy of being back in person was widespread.

The thrill of spontaneous conversations, connecting with old friends and engaging with classmates made for widespread feelings of excitement, but now that midterm season is in full swing, campus has adopted a more muted mood. However, look no further than “The Happiness Lab,” a podcast from Yale University psychology professor Laurie Santos for ways to hold onto that joy and make the most out of your time in college and beyond.

“The Happiness Lab” offers insight into a wide range of perspectives and ideas about happiness and offers evidence-based strategies for improving personal happiness. A compelling mix of neuroscience and psychology with personal stories relating to happiness makes the podcast a captivating listen, and Santos’ soothing and compassionate tone adds to its comforting nature.

One episode, “Psychopaths and Superheroes,” even features Georgetown University’s own Abigail Marsh, a professor in the department of psychology and the interdisciplinary program in neuroscience.

After being saved from a near-death experience by a stranger when she was a teenager, Marsh set out to study the psychology behind altruism and what motivates people to do good deeds and help others. Her research has uncovered many interesting findings that she discusses in the episode, such as altruism making people happier and personal happiness being a major reason people engage in good deeds.

The episodes explore aspects of happiness, and at the end of each episode, Santos gives tips for improving happiness based on that week’s topic that range from making small changes to addressing larger habits and attitudes.

Notable other episodes include “The Power of a Made-up Ritual,” which discusses the power of personal or cultural rituals to help people work through grief and “Working Your Way to Happiness,” which details how to get more fulfillment from your work. Both episodes leave listeners with useful advice and inspiration in seeking to boost the discussed aspects of their mental health.

Many episodes incorporate interviews that add a personal dimension to the topic or an interesting academic perspective. In “A Silver Lin-

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ing,” for instance, Santos interviews figure skater Michelle Kwan about winning a silver medal at the Olympics, and how social comparison and external reference points can make even positive events feel like unhappy occasions.

Many episodes are applicable to young people’s experiences in a competitive academic environment. “Dial D for Distracted” discusses building a healthier relationship with smartphones, and “Making the Grade” considers how academic pressure around grades leads to stress and anxiety.

“The Happiness Lab” manages to keep a positive, uplifting tone without descending into toxic positivity. Santos and her guests are candid about mental health struggles and grief, and encouragement to become happier never overlooks the fact that listeners may be facing the challenges.

A happiness podcast can fall into the trap of assuming its listeners are all starting at a neutral emotional baseline, but “The Happiness Lab” approaches topics with sympathy in a way that is accessible to people in a wide variety of places on their mental health and wellness journeys.

However, certain episodes tend to speak to more affluent listeners.

For example, in “For Whom the Alarm Clock Tolls,” Santos discusses “time famine” and the negative impacts of American productivity culture on happiness. The interviewee for this episode encourages idleness or setting aside time to do nothing every day to improve happiness.

While this episode provides an important critique of the way that busyness is often wrongfully rewarded by corporatist culture, it also assumes that working too much is a choice and not a necessity for many people in order to make ends meet. Focusing on personal changes people can make, while a deeply important endeavor, can occasionally pull focus away from the common social barriers to happiness.

Despite its occasional shortcomings, listening to “The Happiness Lab” is a consistently relaxing and enjoyable experience, and Santos’ attitude refrains from the judginess or patronization one might expect of a wellness podcast host. As an undergraduate professor, Santos is deeply understanding of and responsive to the stressors faced by many college students at competitive universities.

If incorporating an uplifting, engaging and calming piece of content into your wellness routine seems appealing, “The Happiness Lab” is a wonderful choice that is equal parts thought provoking and profoundly encouraging.

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THEHOYA.COM | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y: N ATAS H A L E O N G / T H E H OYA

For those who need an extra push into dreamland, there are plenty of audio options to help eliminate tossing and turning, allowing for a longer and more restful sleep.

“Sleep With Me” is one of our favorites.

Classical Music

Sometimes words distract our brains and keep us awake, even if we’re not actively listening. If this is a problem for you, nothing will knock you out faster than some violin and piano. There are plenty of playlists dedicated to classical music on Spotify. Some highlights include “Classical Music to Fall Asleep to <3” by iréne:D and “Beautiful, Calming, Classical Music”

by Jared Kuo. These playlists consist almost entirely of true classical music, but if you’re looking for some more modern, orchestral music, put on “Instrumental Disney Covers” to experience the magic of Disney as you drift off.

‘Deep Energy’ Podcast

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Why Count Sheep To Fall Asleep?

Top 5 Audios To Achieve Sweet Dreams Emily Smith

Hoya Staff Writer

Even after a long day of classes, meetings and homework, sometimes you just can’t fall asleep amid dorm noise, airplanes flying over campus and your own mind wandering. If this is the case for you, here are five audio sources designed to guide you into the dreamland.

‘Sleep With Me’ Podcast

If you find your mind racing as you try to fall asleep, the bedtime stories in the podcast “Sleep With Me” might be for you. In episodes just over an hour in length, the show’s host Drew Ackerman, nicknamed “Scooter,” talks

you down into a mindset fit for sleeping and gives you some comfort before telling a story for the remainder of the episode.

Some stories are simple tales reminiscent of childhood bedtime stories, while others are a bit more unique. In Episode 1,014, for instance, the listener is lulled to sleep as Scooter reads from the JC Penny catalog, detailing each item with prices, colors and sizes. “Sleep With Me” has over 1,000 episodes with content that will keep you just interested enough before floating off to sleep.

already? Are you missing those childhood naps at your grandmother’s house? No matter the case, “Nemo’s Dreamscapes” on YouTube has a sleep playlist for you.

Each three-hour video fits a niche theme designed to send viewers off to bed with a smile. The videos with songs are designed to sound as if they are coming from another room, giving them a muffled quality. In others, light rain can be heard in the background. There are Halloween and Christmas-themed videos, Disneythemed videos and videos designed to make you feel like you’re on a train. Even ‘Nemo’s Dreamscapes’ on YouTube though each video is three hours long, Are you nostalgic for a time you didn’t you’ll be sound asleep within minutes live in? Are you wishing it was Christmas with a guarantee of sweet dreams.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

If classical music makes you feel distracted by the symphonies of Mozart and Beethoven instead of your own dreams, don’t panic. Jim Butler has the solution with his “Deep Energy Podcast,” which features compilations of ambient sounds and music to help even the most restless sleepers.

With over 762 episodes and counting, and a new episode posted every night, Butler’s audios emulate stillness and serenity. One particularly soothing episode is “The Stillness of October.” Broken into two parts, the entire hour and a half feels like the warm hug of fall. Some other episodes you won’t make it to the end of include “The Night Sky,” “Drifting in Space” and “Future Memories.” Without pulling you too far into the music, Butler’s show blocks out the outside world and sends you into one of your own within minutes.

‘Nature Noise’ Playlist on Spotify

For those who absolutely cannot listen to music without getting sucked into it, Spotify has you covered. Spotify has published many of its own playlists designed to help you sleep, including “Nature Noise.” The playlist, with 115 sounds that last over five hours, consists solely of quiet natural sounds, from rain to birds. There’s no better way to silence loud neighbors than by pretending you’re in a rainy forest in South America. Put the playlist on loop and you can fall asleep to rain and wake up to waves crashing as if you’re on the beach — not rushing to class.

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I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y: T I M G O H / T H E H OYA

Music, time spent with friends, nature and exercise are among the practices students cite in each of Georgetown’s undergraduate schools as significant components of their self-care plans. an interview with The Hoya.

For students in the NHS, enjoying small moments within each day, from laughing with friends between classes to sitting down at Leo’s for dinner, can be a form of self-care. Just as Siva values the small moments, Bridgitte Isom (NHS ’24) seeks self-care by getting to sleep on time and listening to classical music.

“I try to be very disciplined about getting enough sleep. I usually am in bed by 11 p.m. and wake up at 7:30 a.m. Classical music is also something which helps me to destress and calm down,” Isom said in an interview with The Hoya.

The College of Arts and Sciences

Wellness Across Georgetown: Self-Care Practices for Each Undergraduate School Isabel Pinnell

seasons, social stressors and a pandemic? and into nature for a brief moment is crucial Connecting to their academic disciplines, for mental well-being. students from Georgetown’s four schools have all “Going on walks and runs gives me time In the past several years, the buzzword “self- found different ways to practice self-care. to reflect and disconnect,” Robben said in an care” has taken the world by storm. Books, interview with The Hoya. magazines, news articles and social media The School of Foreign Service posts proudly promote calming playlists, Ana Ruiz (SFS ’22) likes to practice self-care The School of Nursing and Health recipes and skincare routines, aiming to add a by pushing beyond her comfort zone. To her, Studies little bit of comfort to the chaos of life. It feels socializing and getting out into the world is a Like Robben, Rupa Siva (NHS ’25) also enjoys impossible to scroll through TikTok without huge part of taking care of herself in the Walsh running as a method of self care, as a student in seeing an influencer in a mud mask and fuzzy School of Foreign Service (SFS). the School for Nursing and Health Studies (NHS). socks touting the importance of self-care.

“As an extrovert, I like to meet with people, to Because of her health-focused studies, self-care is One of Georgetown University’s foundational make intentional time to meet with professors constantly on Siva’s mind. values is cura personalis, meaning “care of the or other people I find interesting,” Ruiz said in “I usually hang out with my friends, go whole person.” But how can someone practice this an interview with The Hoya. for a run, or eat a good meal because they uniquely Georgetown version of self-care amid the For Patty Robben (SFS ’25), stepping away are things that clear my mind and help me workload of seemingly never-ending midterm from screens and school-related notifications forget what I’m stressed about,” Siva said in Hoya Staff Writer

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

Similarly, students in Georgetown College cite music that holds significance from younger years as an important element of their self-care routines.

“I love to listen to music from the early 2000s, specifically Adele, because it makes me nostalgic for happy childhood memories,” said Samantha Abbruzzese (COL ’23) in an interview with The Hoya.

In addition to listening to music, time with friends is another facet of self-care on campus which students in the College appear to be drawn to.

“I like to sit in the lovely spot behind the Healey Family Student Center that overlooks the Potomac and just relax and talk with friends,” Christina Landau (COL ’25) said in an interview with The Hoya.

The McDonough School of Business

In contrast, students in the McDonough School of Business (MSB) like to combine numerous forms of self care to create a comprehensive list of ways to take a mental health break. Syrena Foster (MSB ’23) offers four different components of her self-care routine.

“I like to work out, spend time with friends even when I know I have things due, make sure to eat, and get help when I need it,” she says.

Stress will always be an unpleasant reality in the lives of Georgetown students, but available resources, from professor office hours to talking with a mentor or counselor, can help alleviate daily stresses and worries.

Though the four Georgetown schools all differ in academic programs and career paths, Hoyas all practice self-care by taking time out of the day to enjoy the little moments of life and pausing to remember to take care of themselves even when school becomes overwhelming, leading to an overall happier Hilltop.

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Wellfound Foods Machine Offers Delicious, Nutritious, Yet Overpriced Meals Mason Stempel Hoya Staff Writer

ILLUSTRATION BY: JIMIN LEE/THE HOYA

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | THEHOYA.COM

Vending machines: metal monsters that either spit out food or hoard it on their own fickle terms, no matter how many $5 bills or curse words are thrown at them. Besides their unreliable service, vending machines are filled with notoriously sugary food with low nutritional value and receive criticism for promoting poor eating habits with temptingly low price tags.

The Wellfound Foods vending machine pushes back on this narrative. It is the mysterious meal dispenser that stands across from Chick-fil-A and Crop Chop in the Leavey Center. Situated in a discreet corner, the giant rectangular vending machine is painted in aesthetically pleasing yellows and blues, matching the company’s website and evoking ideas of freshness and nutrition.

Wellfound Foods is a prepackaged food startup created by Sarah Frimpong, a previous member of the board of directors at DC Central Kitchen who sought to introduce healthier ingredients into grab-and-go foods after finding the quality of food options at some of her old jobs to be very disappointing.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused businesses to shut down and sent workers home, Wellfound Foods pivoted to focus more on its vending machines, especially installing the machines in hospitals.

“I think as a business, you are always thinking: How do we evolve, how do we diversify and how is the market changing?” Frimpong said in an interview with the Washington Business Journal.

“We were placing our vending machines before COVID-19. But this has underscored a lot of the benefits for us and for consumers.”

The Medstar Georgetown University Hospital does have a Wellfound Foods vending machine; however, instead of addressing the needs of hungry doctors and nurses, the Leavey Center machine caters mostly to ravenous students. For Arjun Badami (COL ’24), stumbling across this vending machine was a stroke of luck.

“I saw it in Leavey one day and I wanted a brief change of pace from Leo’s,” Badami said in an interview with The Hoya. “I also had class from 12:30 to 3:15, so having somewhere to quickly grab a sandwich beforehand was convenient.”

Before this chance encounter, Badami didn’t even know the Wellfound Foods vending machine existed. Balanced eating is part of Badami’s self-care regimen, so since then, the vending machine has been a favorite.

“What you eat matters a ton. Having a good, tasty source of things like veggies and protein is really important to me,” Badami said. “It is not only healthy, but it gives me something to look forward to each week, which can help put me in a good mood when work is getting hectic.”

The Wellfounds Foods vending machine has a variety of ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads and breakfast options. Badami’s favorite item from the vending machine is the Roasted Portobello & Mozzarella Sandwich, which he loved so much that he actually recommended it to the sophomore class in the “Gtown 24” GroupMe chat.

“I, in fact, do eat the portobello sandwich fairly regularly and have tried a couple other things there,” Badami said. “All good, but the sandwich is my favorite.”

To buy food from the machine, a student must use their own money independent of a meal plan, presenting a downside to students who are already paying for on-campus food options. The lack of a Flex dollars reader or meal swipe option poses a barrier for those who may wish to grab a healthy, quick meal from the machine but do not want to spend almost $9 on a sandwich.

Isabel McHenry (COL ’24) sampled the Blackened Chicken Caesar Sandwich from the machine and deemed the food not worth the $8.99 she spent on it.

“I could get a ciabatta at Royal Jacket — that’s a much better bang for my buck,” McHenry said in an interview with The Hoya.

In some ways, the Wellfound Foods vending machine adds to the Georgetown community’s nutritional balance by being a fast option for healthy meals. However, the machine’s awkward location, lack of advertisement and high prices for average food subvert many of the common upsides of vending machines. Ultimately, braving the Crop Chop line may end up being more appealing than this mysterious setup.

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Active Relaxation: The Healing Power of Restorative Yoga Active rest might be an oxymoron, yet it perfectly describes what students sometimes need the most. Amid assignmentinduced stress, it is sometimes necessary to purposefully set aside time to reset, and restorative yoga is the perfect solution.

Syllabus week is long gone, and the doom and gloom that comes with midterms, papers and actual schoolwork has set in.

Restorative yoga originates from the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, a yoga practitioner from India. His original teachings included invigorating classes that utilized props to help practitioners align the body. Yoga teacher Judith Hanson Lasater helped the practire grow in popularity with her 2005 book, “Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times.”

Over time, restorative yoga has evolved to take many forms. The poses and style of practice vary between instructors, but the end goal remains the same: Refresh the body and mind. With the use of props like yoga blocks or blankets to remove any strain on the muscles, restorative yoga can decrease stress and improve mental health.

Angel Gonzalez, a certified yoga instructor

with over 200 hours of practice, offers a restorative yoga class each Monday in Yates Studio A with calming music, string lights and extensive guidance for those just starting out with restorative yoga.

“Restorative yoga is a yoga practice in which we support the body to such an extent that we feel safe enough to completely relax the body and mind,” Gonzalez said in an interview with The Hoya. “So typically the poses are held for a long time, and you’ll only do four to six poses.

And the reason why your body is fully supported is to allow your muscles to fully relax.”

This relaxed state triggers a hormonal response from the parasympathetic nervous system, the system that allows the body to rest, replenish cells and calm down from fight-orflight hormones triggered by the sympathetic nervous system.

“Restorative yoga allows you to enter the parasympathetic system, or the parasympathetic nervous system, in order to kind of replenish or restart those systems,” Gonzalez said.

To get into this deep state of active relaxation, yoga poses like child’s pose and corpse pose are not too straining, so it is easier to focus on easing the mind. Restorative yoga is beneficial to mental health, since participants

enter with the intention to relax and distress both physically and mentally.

Gonzalez first began practicing yoga midway through his undergraduate years, when he was pursuing a degree that he disliked in order to meet familial expectations. When he started doing yoga, he felt transformed by the practice.

“It was a time that was difficult for me; I was in a degree that I wasn’t entirely happy with,” Gonzalez said. “I took a chance of taking some yoga classes every year in my university. It was a wonderful studio. And that was it.”

Gonzalez’s dilemma is not uncommon; many college students can feel unhappy with their studies at certain points throughout the semester, so trying out yoga classes might be the perfect activity to engage in during a particularly stressful week.

Betsy Regan (COL ’25) tried out Gonzalez’s restorative yoga class at Yates for the first time this week, attempting to take a relaxing and restful break from studying (Full disclosure: Regan is a Blog writer at The Hoya).

“I have taken yoga before but never at Yates or a restorative class,” Regan said in an interview with The Hoya. “I liked it. It kind of felt like organized napping, but it was a nice break from my day. I’d been studying a lot for my midterm, so it helped me relax, and it was

WELLNESS TO DO IN DC

WEDNESDAY RECOVERY

Alethia Tanner Park

Are you feeling gassed? Meet at Alethia Tanner Park every Wednesday from Oct. 27 to Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. for Wednesday Recovery. Hosted

by Gutted Fitness, this 25- to 30-minute free wellness session invites you to reset your mindset. You can also try Gutted Fitness’ 20-minute full-body workout on YouTube.

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By Mariana Rosado-Rivera

EATON WELLNESS X FRANKLIN PARK SERIES

Franklin Park

Eaton Wellness is offering free wellness sessions in Franklin Park. Monday yoga classes from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., meditation on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., and Qigong on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. will help you calm your mind and create a balance in your life.

FRANKLIN PARK DC/FACEBOOK

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@NOMAPARKSDC/TWITTER

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a break that let me clear my head.”

Gonzalez encourages everyone even remotely interested in yoga to try out variations, including restorative, as a form of relaxation and stress relief. For those unwilling to make the trek to Yates, YouTube also offers many free videos ranging from ten minutes to an hour.

“Restorative yoga is accessible and can be adapted to everyone regardless of age, experience, injuries or physical ability, because we can always use props to accommodate and support people’s bodies,” Gonzalez said.

“Everyone can practice the postures and experience relaxation.”

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RUN+YOGA AT CONSTITUTION GARDENS WITH KT (HALLOWEEN EDITION)

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MEDITATION AND MUSIC MEDICINE SOUNDBATH

Eaton Wellness in Eaton D.C.

On Nov. 11, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., join Eaton Wellness in a sound healing, guided meditation. You will experience “Deep Restoration & Transformation” by releasing your negative energy, relaxing and taking in new, positive vibes. Through this meditation, you will become one with your sensations and begin to learn what mindfulness is.

Constitution Gardens

On Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Hikyoga will be hosting this wellness session centered on exploring one’s surroundings through a combination of yoga and running to help participants establish their inner peace while also becoming more energized. Attend dressed in your Halloween costume for extra fun!

EATON DC/FACEBOOK

Special to The Hoya

@CONSTITUTIONGARDENS/TWITTER

Caroline Box

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