Every Monday at 2:30 p.m., the UT Meditation Society meets in room 218 of the University Center. Since the members are busy college students, meetings only consist of about 20–25 minute meditation sessions, which help with the daily stresses of college life. After meditation sessions, the group will discuss any troubles they may be having with their techniques or an unusual experience they may have had. The group is there to support each other and help each individual establish their own practice of meditation.

Danielle Pickle, the group’s president, is a student currently working her Master’s Degree in Social Work. With school-related worries and being a parent, Pickle explains that meditation helps her to relax, get to sleep better at night and even be a better mother for her children. Pickle meditates everyday for about 20 minutes in a room by herself, but she says that meditation times vary for everyone.

Pickle found out about the UT Meditation Society when she saw a flyer at the U.C. about an information session on meditation in fall 2005. After attending the session, she became more interested in meditation and started attending UT Meditation Society meetings. There she learned different techniques, involving visuals, breathing, and sound. After 6 months of learning, experimenting, and working on breathing and technique, Pickle had developed a consistent practice for her everyday life.

The group hopes to continue its meetings in the next year, but Pickle has concerns about the campus’ general interest in meditation. The group’s leader says that meditation does not really appeal to college students because of its "stigma with eastern religious cultures". However, meditation holds many physical benefits and does not have to be practiced only for religious purposes.

The three techniques that the UT Meditation Society uses are the Mantra technique (using vibration and sound) and the Trataka technique (using visualization).

The UT Meditation Society will continue to meet every Monday. The last meeting of this semester will be Monday, April 30. So, if your looking for a healthy release from your weekly stresses, check it out.