The evening of March 5 hosted a plethora of relaxing activities for students at Lewis University. Held at the Recreation and Fitness Center Pool, Lewis’ “Treat Yourself Night” provided students with the opportunity for a breath of fresh air before an exhausting week of midterms.
Continuous ambient sounds reverberated off darkened walls as students serenely floated on mattresses atop the Rec Center Pool. Hues of phosphorescent green and blue complimented the gentle clear water’s gentle ripples, making for quite the tranquil environment for meditation. Some chose to wear bathing suits, while others remained comfy in their everyday clothing.
Each session of meditation out on the water lasted for roughly 20 minutes; to begin the process, students were situated with a mattress before being pushed out onto the water by a member of Lewis’ Men’s or Women’s Swimming.
Following the initial release, students were then left to meditate by themselves under the careful supervision of several lifeguards for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, members of the swim teams began dispersing in the pool at a laid-back pace to begin bringing students in without splashing.
Afterward, students were free to participate in another cycle, engage in another activity at the Rec Center or exit as they so pleased. Unsurprisingly, the two trained massage professionals who offered their services at the event found themselves particularly busy. Many stressed students found the idea of releasing some of the built-up tension in their body from schoolwork and the looming prospect of tests rather appealing.
Likewise, participants were also drawn to the essential oils craft laid out in the Rec Center hallway. Students filled up roller bottles with a mixture of coconut oil and their essential oil of choice, delighted with the wide selection of essential oils available–36 options, to be exact. In addition, multiple students got temporary Henna tattoos from the talented Henna artists on-site.
Samanta Stevenson, Assistant Director of Student Recreation and Wellness, cited that her inspiration for the event was actually “a viral Tiktok.” Ultimately, it was the fact that a similarly constructed self-pampering event was taking place in the north suburbs motivated Stevenson to take action. Together, the exhaustive collaborative efforts across multiple campus departments successfully put Stevenson’s idea in motion, for which she expressed her utmost gratitude.
