The SKY club is offering its trademark SKY Happiness Retreat June 11–13, open to all CU Boulder students, faculty and staff. It is a powerful weekend retreat filled with evidence-based meditation and breathwork practices, social connection, self-development and stress-management skills that bring calm, clarity and happiness.
Research on SKY Breath Meditation
Two recent research studies were published from Yale and Harvard on the practices taught through our club: SKY Breath Meditation, the cornerstone of the SKY Happiness Retreat. The results show this program could address the obvious student needs, especially in this climate.
The Yale study evaluated the SKY Breath Meditation practice along with Yale's in-house Emotional Intelligence program and MBSR (mindfulness). This study done last spring shows that SKY Breath Meditation was the most powerful and beneficial program for student mental health and well-being, even when compared to mindfulness! The study found, by practicing SKY, students reported improvements in six areas of well-being: depression, stress, mental health, mindfulness, positive affect, and social connectedness.
The Harvard study found participants of the SKY program reported significant decreases in perceived stress levels, sleep disturbances and resiliency against anticipatory stress.
The retreat
This retreat is offered in 40 universities across the country, including Stanford, Arizona State, Ohio State and MIT. It is one of the coolest places to connect with yourself, make awesome friends, and have fun!
It offers techniques to eliminate stress, improve vitality, and expand awareness. During the workshop, you will learn to live fully in the present moment and get a chance to dive deep into the joy hidden inside you. The program is fun, relaxing and a much-needed recourse in these testing times.
Learn, experience, flourish
The program helps participants in a myriad of ways:
- Understand the sources of stress and the role of breathing techniques in reducing stress
- Meditative practice to manage negative emotions and anxiety
- Help to improve the quality of sleep
- Increased energy level throughout the day
- Ability to increase personal happiness
- Learning to deal with criticism and mistakes
- Taking personal and community responsibility
- Increasing social connection, enthusiasm and inspiration
Interested?
The next online retreat will be held June 11–13. Join via Zoom from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday.
Availability is first-come, first-served and requires attendance to all sessions. Apply now or email sky.club@colorado.edu with questions. RSVP here.
Revolutionized my daily life. As a busy student with a job, my plate is always full, I highly recommend making time for this course to reduce stress and improve focus.” –Bryn, USM Law
I was practicing meditation for five years and it was difficult. During the first session of SKY, I went so much deeper into meditation than I had ever gone.” –Santosh, UIUC
SKY made me very conscious of my thought patterns, and conscious of a sense of self that exists independent of those thoughts and different moods. I have found a daily practice that is something I’m relying on. (And this finals period has been largely stress free, mainly because meditating removes most of that stress!)” –Sarah, Harvard
I loved being able to participate in an experience that allowed me to enhance my knowledge of being present. It was a great reinforcer and reminder that life is to be lived and with depth of awareness. The instructors were incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and answered any questions thoroughly to the students. The course provided me with tips and techniques that I can transfer into both personal and professional life.” –Annalise Brown, CU Boulder
