You don’t need special clothing or special equipment to meditate, says psychology professor Carlin Miller, making it an accessible way for people to deal with stress.

She introduced more than 30 UWindsor faculty and staff members to basic techniques in a workshop presented January 22 by the Human Resources department’s workplace wellness program.

“The idea was to introduce people to mindfulness-based approach to relieving stress,” says Dr. Miller. “It looked like everybody had a really good time. It looked very peaceful”

Attendees participated in three activities: a seaweed meditation that invites them to wave as with a current, the calming four pebbles technique developed by Thich Nhat Hanh, and an awareness of breath meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Miller provided a handout with suggested readings and online tools. “The take-home message is you can meditate anywhere,” she says.

The workshop was over-subscribed; Miller hopes to hold another to clear the waiting list of interested applicants.

“People are very stressed out,” she says. “I hope this is the beginning of people finding a source of resiliency.”

She says the seminar ties in nicely with her research projects, which relate to bringing meditation to families and the community.