“Imagine a box with a lid beside your bed,” said the narrator of the guided sleep meditation playing after the event’s hosts introduce themselves. “See yourself opening this box placing any worries, busy thoughts, to-do lists, emails into the box. And now closing the lid and sliding it under the bed where it will stay safe until the morning.”
This exercise was just one of the many things the Steep & Sleep event has to offer for Algonquin students.
The Spiritual Centre and Health Services have joined together to provide weekly workshops on healthy sleeping habits through Student Support Services. These workshops include: tips on sleep, mindfulness and taking care of the body.
“It’s important to take negative energy and transform it into something positive and harmonious,” said Yuriy Derkach, spiritual counsellor with Spiritual Services.
The event is hosted each Tuesday on the Algonquin Student Services Facebook page. There is an opportunity to watch the event live with other viewers when the video premieres at 8 p.m. and it is available to watch anytime afterwards.
Each week there is a new tea feature. This week on Oct. 6 it was peppermint tea which can help with digestion, relieve headaches and promote better sleep and fresh breath.
Viewers are invited to a guided sleep meditation provided by Youtube channel Relax for Awhile. The meditation features visualizations, sleep-promoting music and the soothing voice of a narrator, leading the viewer to a calm, relaxed and meditative state.
“It was nice to be able to relax and meditate all my worries away,” said an attendee of the event.
To help encourage better sleeping patterns, a handout is available for download on the Student Support Services website. The handout gives users the opportunity to track their progress and set goals.
“We’re not just a body,” said Derkach. “We have a mind, spirit and soul. It’s important to find time to stop and reflect.”