The first session of a workshop designed to help students, faculty and staff achieve their fullest potential through breath work and meditation will be held on TCU’s campus Oct. 13-15 for students.

Professor Shweta Reddy received the grant from TCU Invests in Scholarship to study the impact of breath work and meditation on individual well-being, specifically at TCU. SKY Campus Happiness Retreat is a three-day workshop, a total of nine hours, offered by the International Association of Human Values to up to 25 faculty and staff and 50 students to learn this meditation practice.

“A lot of people don’t know the difference between meditation and mindfulness,” Dr. Reddy said. “Mindfulness uses the mind as meditation goes beyond the mind.”

Dr. Reddy wants to provide an additional mental health resource to campus as the counselor-to-student ratio is not feasible to support all students. Her study’s goal is not to prove the greatness of the program as 115 higher education institutions in the U.S., including Yale, MIT, Stanford and Harvard, already offer it. Instead, she wants to measure the workshop’s success on TCU’s campus.

“I’m sure there are still some people who think that it is not scientific, but there is enough research to support the science behind meditation,” Dr. Reddy said.

Dr. Reddy found SKY meditation in 2017 while battling immense stress in her work, health and personal life. The volunteers she invited to teach have taught SKY meditation for about 14 years at other universities.

“I had to put my life back together,” Dr. Reddy said. “I have not missed a day because my life depends on it; my health, my family and my interactions with my students.”

It was important to her that the grant covers the workshops not only for students but also for faculty and staff as she sees the impact their interactions with students can have. The first retreat for faculty and staff will be offered online Oct. 20-22.

“Stress can be passed from one person to another by just the presence,” Dr. Reddy said. “I feel our faculty need it just as much as students need it.”

Dr. Reddy compared the practice to brushing teeth as these workshops help individuals develop a habit. She hopes that students will be self-sufficient in their practice by the end of the course. However, she will also offer weekly group practice sessions post-retreat to help students maintain and learn more about the practice.

“What a great way to restart each day and not carry the burden of the previous,” Dr. Reddy said.

Students who complete the workshop can later participate in a student leadership program, including deeper meditations and tools to teach others. Additional sessions will also be offered in spring 2024 for those who were not able to participate in the fall.

 “There is no other tool that we have that can give you a fresh slate every day,” Dr. Reddy said. “I have benefited from it, so this is my way of paying it forward.”