The Gift of Stress Relief

Joanna Perdomo

Last Wednesday’s field trip day was based on stress reduction and integrative medicine. Our team planned the day’s activities with the hopes that the yoga, meditation, and exploration of Chinatown we had in store would serve as great relaxing activities at a time when projects were in full swing and stress was mounting. Although our original plan was to hold our morning’s activities (yoga and a mindfulness based meditation session) in the beautiful and serene Osaka Japanese Gardens in Jackson Park, due to impending rain, we made a last minute change of plans and scheduled the morning’s events in Rockefeller Chapel. We were a bit down about having to switch the locale, as the Osaka Gardens were something we had looked forward to sharing with everyone, but upon entering Rockefeller Chapel, it quickly occurred to me that this switch was not only going to be okay, but might even turn out to be for the better. 

The morning light was pouring through the stained glass windows, casting a majestic glow on every part of the empty chapel. There was a palpable sense of tranquility, spirituality, and sacredness in the air, setting the perfect scene for a morning of clearing our minds and honoring our bodies. We were fortunate to gain permission to use the altar for our yoga session. Greg, a wonderful yoga instructor who teaches community yoga classes at Chicago Family Health South, led us in a short but powerful yoga session that calmed my mind and relaxed my body. While I have done yoga for a few years and in different settings, the altar of Rockefeller Chapel was by far the most special setting in which I have practiced. Rolling onto our backs at the end of class and looking up at the ornately decorated ceiling hovering from high above, I was struck by a sense of awe, humility, and gratefulness that stayed with me throughout the day and beyond.

After yoga, we moved outside onto the lawn of the Chapel where a beautiful breeze awaited. Spread out on our yoga mats in the grass, we had the privilege of learning the principles of mindfulness based stress reduction from Dr. Sonia Oyola. Dr. Oyola’s infectious smile, positive spirit, and warm wisdom enveloped our group. Through her kind and thoughtful activities she honored our stresses, fears, and coping mechanisms and then led us in my favorite part of the day, a “body scan”: a form of meditation in which we worked our way from feet to head, becoming keenly aware of each part of our body, letting go of imperfections and treasuring abilities. When I opened my eyes from this exercise I felt completely centered, grounded, and at peace. It was incredible how just a few minutes of dedicated concentration could alter my mindset.

I am so grateful to Greg and Dr. Oyola for sharing their gifts and talents with us and allowing us not only a morning of stress relief and relaxation, but for providing us with the tools and confidence to incorporate these simple yet powerful physical and mental exercises into our daily lives. I hope that we are all able to continue to use these methods ourselves and teach them to our friends and families to foster healthier and less stressful lives.