A full course load, book expenses eating up your wallet, the sudden loss of summer nights, alarm clocks beating your brain; school’s back. The return to UMass Boston comes with its own set of problems: public transit, parking garage chaos, gas prices sky rocketing, not to mention the hours of work-these are all stress triggers. With stress comes aggression, frustration and irritability, add a couple of double shot espressos to the mix and you’ll be speed balling down the hall toward a meltdown or the nearest exit, “When’s the Pass Fail Deadline?” Ring a bell? But, alas there are plenty of forms of relief and release to the stresses student life brings. Taking the time to unwind and de-stress can make all the difference and can potentially keep you from chocking the next hyped up buggy eyed Starbuck’s employee you see, you know the one, with the all the right lingo at 8:30 in the morning when you’re still rubbing your eyes already late to class.

The following is an exercise which may seem a bit new age-y, some might find it irrelevant, but it does work if you tune into your mind and tune out the television. If you find yourself stressed out this semester and turning toward a hissy fit, bottle of JD, or a brick wall/punching bag take a step back and try this de-stressing exercise, one that is good while the weather is fairly warm, it’s not as pleasant during winter months. A well practiced friend showed me this technique which I’ve coined “Release the Rock”. The rock; a metaphor for excess negative energy, stress and frustration.

Find an outdoor location, preferably one with a large expanse of grass or woods that is not over populated. In this location search the area for a rock, approximately the size of a lump of coal, while searching for the rock inhale and exhale deeply, clearing your mind, by counting to ten or repeating a word or sound (i.e. “om”). Once you’ve selected a rock sit on the ground cross legged (pretzel-style). Hold the rock in your right hand; the hand that will be giving away the negative energy, which can be visualized as a black/gray color. While placing your left hand on the soil, the hand receiving positive energy which can be visualized as a green, pink, blue or white light. (Ideally chose fertile soil for this exercise, because cement or shifty dirt is less relaxing and has a constricting energy flow). Close your eyes, clear your mind, inhale and exhale slowly and concentrate on focusing your negative energy into the rock, fill it with thoughts and symbols of that which stresses you out. Allow your mind to feel the weight of the rock become greater and full of the tension you need to release-once you feel you can no longer hold it, open your eyes (to make sure there is no one in your line of fire) inhale deep, throw the rock and exhale simultaneously. You have mentally thrown away your tension. Place your right palm on the soil and envision the positive life-filling energy of the earth to engulf you, traveling up your left palm through your body and out the right back into the earth: thus mentally creating a circle. This may be accompanied by a chant of a phrase, breathing, counting, or silence-with ears open to nature.

If you’re skeptical it’s understandable, I was when I first began exercises similar to these. Sometimes it hard to let go of your over controlling mind and the stress, but this exercise truly worked and it worth a try. If this suggestion seems to far fetched, yoga is a well known practice. The following is a list of local yoga institutions in the area and UMass Boston offers yoga courses @ the Fitness Center.