Mixing teaching and meditation is an unusual practice, but it works for Okanagan College teacherBrett Wade.

Wade helps his students lower their stress levels by offering quick guided meditations before each class.

The idea started when Wade noticed a difference in student behaviour.

鈥淚鈥檝e noticed over the last five years students are reporting higher levels of anxiety and stress. So I realized that I had to do something to settle students down prior to the exam,鈥� he said.

A guru of mindfulness, he worked on a technique to get students to be present in the moment.

After handing out the exams, he asked students to do a quick breathing practice to settle down the class. After the initial success of lowering test anxiety, it became a daily classroom practice.

鈥淲hat I found was that not only was it settling the class down, but I was getting reports from students that they were finding it to be so beneficial in their own lives,鈥� he said.

Second-year therapy assistant student Cailin Parry swears by his meditations.

She used to have test anxiety, but after learning some techniques with Wade鈥檚 help, she found meditating highly effective for her mental health.

鈥淚 suffered from anxiety and depression and I鈥檝e reached out to him more than a few times,鈥� saidParry.

The guided meditations have also calmed her before a test.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a sacred place for us to quiet our minds,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e feel blessed to be in his presence.鈥�

Thanks to Wade, Parry practices her own meditations.

鈥淚 was looking for an easy and gentle way to bring it into the classroom. It鈥檚 interesting if I miss a day鈥� it鈥檒l be the students who will remind me,鈥� said Wade.

He has been doing his own meditations for 20 years and said it doesn鈥檛 have to be a spiritual practice.

On Fridays, he also gives a free meditation class for staff and students that looks into the origins of meditation in addition to meditating.

鈥淟ook around the classroom and identify five things in your mind that you can see,鈥� he says to start the class by defining mindfulness.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about the health benefits. Just a few minutes can provide a significant stress reduction,鈥� he said.

Wade owns a yoga/meditation studio called the Ekahi Centre on Water Street, where he offers meditation classes for free.