Through Thai massage, yoga and beauty products, the women of Kappa Phi Lambda tried to help Northwestern students manage the stress of college living Monday night.
Kappa Phi Lambda held their sixth annual Spa Night Monday, focusing on how students can handle stress.
“Each year we try to have a different focus,” said co-organizer Amy Wu, a Weinberg senior. “This year we decided to tackle stress management.”
Kappa Phi Lambda invited representatives from the Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage, the Evanston School of Yoga, and NU’s Counseling and Psychological Services. The sorority also sought donations from companies like Crabtree & Evelyn, Caudalie and H20 Plus to supply free cosmetic samples for attendees.
“It has been a really successful event in the past,” said Weinberg junior Stephanie Song, who organized the event with Wu.
The evening began with a presentation by the Thai Bodywork School of Thai Massage. Speaker Chuck Duff described the method of Thai massage and its ability to holistically energize the body while still being a low-impact practice for the therapist. Duff demonstrated several techniques on a volunteer.
“It’s very much like an assisted form of yoga – similar to shiatsu massages,” Duff said. “Thai massages are not as much about focusing on your muscles as they are about relaxing and energizing your entire body.”
Duff warned that not all Thai massages are the “real thing.”
“There are a lot of people, especially when you visit Thailand, who may claim they are trained therapists, but really just want money,” Duff said. “It is important to make sure that your masseuse will not stretch you past your pain tolerance.”
CAPS continued the night with a presentation about relieving stress. After handing out packets, CAPS invited the students to list aloud all the causes and effects of stress.
Representatives Kristen Hopfinger, Carrie Berta and Sara Gruzlewski then asked attendees to break into two groups, sit on the floor, and participate in a series of relaxation exercises.
While one group experienced progressive muscle relaxation – a meditation-like exercise focused on the isolation and relaxation of each body part – the other group went through numerous breathing exercises designed to lengthen and deepen one’s breathing while relieving tension.
The evening concluded with a presentation from Cynthia Gran of the Evanston School of Yoga. She discussed the science of breath and the meaning of mind and body exercises. Yoga is not necessarily a stretching exercise, but a way to calm your mind and bring all parts of yourself into union with one another, she said.
“In yoga we believe that your mind is outside yourself,” Gran said. “Until you can calm the ripples of your thoughts, you cannot see clearly into yourself.”
Weinberg freshman Abby Chu said she found Gran’s presentation very interesting and learned a lot about the “science of breath,” and the influence breathing has on one’s body.
“I wish the event could have been a little more interactive,” Chu said. “Overall, I enjoyed it, but at times it was a little awkward to just sit and watch the presenters talk.”
