Efforts to address the harmful physiological effects of stress and anxiety among nursing students are ongoing. Incorporating stress-reduction techniques into the nursing curriculum is highly beneficial, but there is a lack of research regarding what methods to use and how to implement them. The setting for this research was a small rural community college in West Virginia. The purpose was to discover how mind-body skills and contemplative practices impact first-year nursing students' perceptions of stress and anxiety and to illuminate specific techniques that could be integrated into the curriculum to mitigate stress, promote overall well-being, and academic success. This study employs Porges' Polyvagal Theory and Beck's Cognitive-Behavioral Theory to guide the research. Using the conceptual framework of an exploratory single case study (Yin, 2018) and interpretive phenomenological analysis (Pietkiewicz & Smith, 2014), the study delves into the participants' lived experiences of first-year nursing students' perceptions of stress and anxiety. Data collection from 11 participants included interviews, observations, and document analysis, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of individual's experiences. Aligning with the principles of participatory action research (Kemmis et al., 2014), this study emphasizes the dual roles of the researcher as both a participant observer and the principal investigator. Additionally, the study is informed by the one-credit academic model to engage in mind-body skills and contemplative practices supported by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine's small group model. Findings reveal how specific mind-body skills and contemplative practices impact first-year nursing students' perceptions of stress and anxiety. Findings also promote the adoption of best practices for incorporating mind-body skills and contemplative practices into nursing education curricula, improving the overall educational experience and student outcomes in nursing programs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]