A conversation with Andrea Martin is a gift. The South Hero resident, a sophomore at South Burlington High School, practices mindfulness techniques daily, and she is generous and introspective when sharing what she has learned from these approaches.

Mindfulness, defined by mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally,” is helpful in addressing stress, explained Andrea. She continued, “After I came home from two weeks at Omega Teen Camp this past summer, I had a lot of good techniques and skills to help me address stress in a more effective way.”

This was not Andrea’s first experience at Omega, an internationally known wellness program with one of its campuses in Rhinebeck, New York. “I actually first attended the Omega Institute when I was about seven years old,” she explained. “My mom brought me with her, and I was in the kids’ program where they start you in early mindfulness practices.”

Andrea’s experience this past summer allowed her opportunities to take courses in yoga, world dance, and meditation, to name a few. She found sound meditation to be especially compelling: “I really enjoyed it. The music let us go deeper into our own thoughts. My counselor played the stick guitar and also a bunch of Indian instruments. I found the music very relaxing, and when I came home from camp I bought a lot of that kind of music.”

As an experienced rider, Andrea has found this ability to relax essential, especially, she noted, “before a big horse competition. I find myself taking deep breaths and being very gentle with myself, celebrating what I’m doing rather than trying to be in such intense competition with other people. This also has allowed me to feel more connected to the horses. It’s so easy to tell what kind of ride I’m going to have when I’m more in tune with what the horses are feeling.”

Andrea has brought her experience and knowledge to the South Burlington School District, where she is grateful for the district’s commitment to a Wellness and Resilience Program for staff and students. At the high school, she explained, “our health teachers are bringing mindfulness practices to the students. Also, we are gathering a group of students to attend the Omega Teen Institute together this summer.”

“It’s important that kids learn how to react in a healthy way toward stress,” Andrea reflected. “I know it’s helped me a lot with my grades and with midterms, for example. I feel like I’m able to focus on what I’m doing a lot more, and I find I’m able to have a better attitude.”

“High school is actually fun,” Andrea smiled, “so the best advice I could give to freshman is to relax. Just take a deep breath, put your best foot forward, and enjoy your time here.”