Meditation: a health care strategy for university students

Objectives: to develop meditative activities with students from a university in northwestern Rio Grande do Sul and to analyze the perception of university students about meditative practice. Method: research-intervention, with a qualitative approach. We accomplished 11 meditation meetings, with the participation of five students, from April to July 2019. The data produced through a questionnaire with sociodemographic and health data, non-participant observation and open interview were subjected to thematic analysis. Results: students’ participation in meditation was motivated by curiosity, difficulty concentrating, stress, irritation, anxiety and nervousness. Mindfulness meditation provided increased concentration and focus for studies, improved sleep quality and promoted self-awareness and subjective well-being. Conclusion: mindfulness meditation at the University was important to promote mental health, effective in minimizing stress and anxiety states and promoted positive changes in students’ lives.