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How did you become interested in the practice of meditation?

My dad is an acupuncturist, so he’s into all of that sort of new-age stuff. He meditates every day, and he taught me. Me and all my brothers meditate now.

When did you start becoming interested in meditation?

On and off when I was a toddler, but in eighth grade I started to meditate a lot more.

What does your meditation consist of?

There’s different types of meditation that focus on different things. There’s a type of meditation that is a kind  of a form of martial arts called qigong that me and my dad do some mornings, which is just taking on the well-being and feeling of your body. Like: ‘Does your right arm feel heavier than your left arm?’ Just being aware of your body.

Why do you meditate?

I think it’s a healthy practice. There are a lot of studies that show meditation helps with a lot of stuff, for example if you meditate you’re less likely to suffer from depression.

Is meditation something you think more students should start doing?

Yeah, definitely. I think a lot of people are super stressed about all this stuff they have piled up, when they should be focusing more on themselves. It can really help relieve stress.

What suggestions would you have for someone who is interested in
starting to practice meditation?

Just sit down for a couple of minutes each day and try to be aware of your surroundings. Like: ‘How heavy do my feet feel or what noises do I hear?’ Just checking into how you feel.

What resources are available to help those who are interested in practicing meditation?

I use an app called Headspace. It’s a meditation app that was created by a former monk. There are a bunch of different meditations that can teach you how to meditate and there are meditations for different situations. Like, you can meditate on relationships or health. There are also productivity meditations that can help you be productive for a longer amount of time, which I think could help students.