University of Maine at Augusta Expands Mindfulness Resources for Students

A five-minute mindful breathing exercise, a seven-minute beach visualization and simple yoga poses are now part of the University of Maine at Augusta’s Stress Awareness Month push, giving students something they can use between classes, study sessions or work shifts.

The UMA Counseling & Wellness Department has equipped the meditation and prayer room in Randall, Room 217, with breathing exercises, guided meditations and simple yoga poses. The room is available whenever Randall is open, turning a small space in the Randall Student Center into a steady place for reset rather than a one-day wellness stop. UMA also asked students to respect the in-use sign on the door, underscoring that the room is being treated as a quiet, protected space for recovery and reflection.

For students who are not near Augusta, UMA pointed to online practices that are easy to carry anywhere. The beach visualization runs seven minutes, and the guided mindful breathing exercise runs five minutes. That short format makes the resources practical for campus life and for home use, and it gives students a quick way to test mindfulness without special equipment or a long commitment.

The mindfulness push sits inside a broader Stress Awareness Month campaign across UMA’s Augusta and Bangor campuses. One April event, “Stress Awareness - Antlers Down, Breathe… Planting Herbs & Engage the Senses,” took place in the Student Lounge at Randall Student Center, while an “Ice Cream Social” was listed for April 22 at Eastport Hall in Bangor. UMA’s student-life pages say ongoing activities are open to all students, regardless of location, which extends the reach of the month-long effort beyond a single campus.

The pattern is not new. UMA’s October 2025 “Spook Your Stress Away” event also featured gentle stretches, deep breathing and guided meditation, showing the university has been building these low-barrier wellness offerings over time. The larger support structure is also in place: UMA Counseling and Wellness Services offers in-person and virtual counseling, including Zoom sessions, with appointments Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and evening appointments available by request.

UMA’s catalog says counseling is free for in-state UMA students and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through a support line. Students can reach counseling at (207) 621-3344 or by email at umacounseling@maine.edu. With the Randall Student Center serving as a hub for student services, lounges and support spaces, the new mindfulness offerings fit squarely into UMA’s wider student-support network.