For some students, meditation is an important practice to learn mindfulness, gratitude, and self-care.

Every Thursday beginning Oct. 8, the Queen’s Spirituality and Meditation Society (QSMS) will be hosting virtual meditation sessions over video-chat platform Zoom. The sessions are designed to guide students on their own spiritual paths by fostering individual spiritual growth in a group setting.

Each session will be divided into three parts, Zoe Morgan, co-chair of QSMS, said in an interview with The Journal. The first part is a spiritual discussion, followed by a guided meditation and a question and answer period.

“We really want to offer students a chance to rediscover their own paths and really change their perspectives so they can interpret the world around them in a new light,” Morgan said.

“A lot of us just follow the path that our parents have laid out for us. We go to school, we get a job, we grow up, maybe start a family, and then don’t really think much of it.”

Morgan said the spiritual discussions will be led by a QSMS executive member and will be inspired by practices derived from Buddhism, Hinduism, and New Age Spirituality.

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The topic of this week’s session is mindfulness, though future sessions may include topics like the ego and the
law of attraction.

By learning from many different teachers, each on their own spiritual paths, Morgan said QSMS hopes to “give students as many diverse perspectives as possible.”

“By really focusing on yourself, your soul, and your spirit, you can really create so much joy,” she said.

Morgan added the sessions are intended to “teach Queen’s students that true happiness comes from within.”

“It’s not based on external circumstances,” she said.

She explained that meditation allows people to shift their perspectives so they can become more open-minded about their futures.

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Since the University first confirmed the 2020-21 year will be remote in May, QSMS has been developing online classes.

Although the remote setting has its challenges, Morgan is optimistic.

She said offering online classes over Zoom may generate more participation because some people prefer to do meditation and practice spirituality on their own.

Participants can choose to have their cameras off and listen to the practice, which Morgan said will make sessions more inclusive to those who aren’t comfortable practicing in group settings.

In the future, Morgan said QSMS is hoping to do outdoor activities such as nature walks, outdoor meditations, and meditation retreats. It will also be offering yoga classes soon.

“What the pandemic taught us is that sometimes life’s unpredictable, but you’ve just got to accept it as it is, go with the flow, and find joy in the littlest things,” Morgan said. “Every challenge can truly be an opportunity.”

To participate in QSMS’s meditation sessions, students can sign up through the club’s Facebook or Instagram page.

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