Emory University Launches Student Wellness Retreat Blending Yoga, Meditation, and Breathwork

When Emory junior Vidhi Tiwary took her place at the front of Cannon Chapel and walked four dozen faculty and staff members through a sun salutation series, she wasn't just leading a yoga session. She was anchoring one of 12 events in MindfulEmory's inaugural faculty and staff retreat, and the room full of colleagues on yoga mats was paying close attention. Now MindfulEmory is bringing the same format to students.

The program has scheduled a dedicated student wellness retreat for April 24 on Emory's Atlanta campus. Organized by MindfulEmory in partnership with more than 10 campus offices, the retreat will include guided meditation, breathwork, yoga, and workshops targeting stress reduction and academic resilience. Advance registration is required and space is limited.

Tiwary, who has practiced yoga since age seven, brought her Hindu background explicitly into the faculty retreat. "I led a sun salutation series of poses," she said, "and in Hindu that's referred to as suriya namaskar, which literally means saying hello to the sun, but with your movement." She added: "In Hinduism, yoga is a form of devotion, and it is very connected to meditation and mindfulness. I've been practicing since I was seven years old, and it was meaningful for me to share this tradition at the retreat."

That kind of contextually grounded instruction is central to how MindfulEmory operates. The Rev. Dr. Gregory McGonigle, Emory's university chaplain and dean of religious life, co-leads the MindfulEmory steering committee alongside the Venerable Priya Sraman, Emory's Buddhist chaplain, and Andy Kazama, director of undergraduate research and associate teaching professor in the Department of Psychology. The steering committee's cross-disciplinary composition mirrors the retreat's cross-campus structure, coordinating with counseling services, student affairs, and academic support offices rather than siloing the program inside a single wellness center.

Sraman runs the weekly Mindfulness Monday Circle and sees the retreat as part of a broader institutional message. "These programs act as a reminder to students that your mental and emotional health matter," he said.

McGonigle has been direct about the calendar logic of scheduling the retreat in late April, when the semester's final stretch tends to compress exam pressure into a tight window. "As we approach the end of the semester and encounter all the stressors that exams can bring," he said, "mindfulness can be an especially useful tool for balance and self-care."

MindfulEmory is also accepting applications for a Mindfulness Fellows Program set to launch in fall 2026. Selected students will work to connect peers with campus resources and weave contemplative practices into daily campus life. McGonigle noted the role requires no prior meditation experience, only a willingness to engage and share.

The initiative is housed in Emory's Office of Spiritual and Religious Life but is deliberately framed to reach students who identify as spiritual but not religious, offering a secular entry point to practices like pranayama and sitting meditation that might otherwise feel inaccessible through a faith-based office.