Finals are here and so is the test anxiety. Don’t let the anxiety win. There are plenty of resources that Cerritos College offers.

From Monday through Thursday, “Mindful Meditation for Academic Success” is here to help you.

Finals are a stressful time for anyone or maybe you are someone who struggles with anxiety.

These meditations take place over zoom so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home and these sessions always begin at the same time, which is 10 a.m.

Mindful Meditation has been going on since Aug. 29 and ends on Dec. 15.

Each session only lasts around 30 minutes and you can find the flyer on the Cerritos College Website.

There it will tell you how to register for the zoom meeting and the instructor is Laurie Angress.

She has been an instructor for Cerritos College for about 6 years and is a certified yoga therapist.

Angress encourages everyone to join Mindful Meditation to get rid of any fears and anxiety.

A lot of people see meditation as something religious or something that interferes with religion but that is not the case.

“If you are Christian, Buddhist, or even atheist that’s okay and I will work with you and do whatever makes you feel most comfortable,” Angress said.

Angress guides you in peaceful meditation where you don’t have to sit still for from wiggling your hands and fingers for example.

“Learning how to regulate your nervous system and how to increase your focus because when we’re anxious that’s when it becomes hard for us to focus,” Angress said.

You can either stand up or sit down to take deep breaths and they are simple exercises for everyone to participate in.

The first step to getting any type of help is always hard but don’t shy away. These meditations are here for you to help you and are a judge-free zone.

If you are someone who is anxious or just has anxiety, this can be a really good resource for you. So why not take advantage?

“Self-awareness can be fun and very valuable,” Angress shares, “It is a form of self-care that can be enjoyable. I want people to think of this as a moment of self-care.”

Another reason people are scared to join is due to fear of doing a meditation “wrong” but there is no right or wrong way of doing meditation.

The zoom meetings will be ending on Dec. 15 but don’t worry, the “Mindful Meditation” events will be back for next semester.

So keep an eye out if you didn’t get to participate this semester.