Jessica Pellegrino – General Assignment Reporter
There are not many outlets for healthy stress relief on campus. But the recently founded Meditation Club offers students a place to relax and mindfully de-stress as a break from their busy day to day schedules.
Malcolm Zawacki, president of the Meditation Club, was there when the club was founded.
“David Kowal founded the club last year, with a friend of his.” said Zawacki. “Both he and his friend graduated last year, so the brand new club got a brand new executive board. This is our first year with a budget so we’re excited to expand what we do on campus.”
The Meditation Club uses meditative techniques to help its members relax and focus. Vice President, David Grylka, created the club’s simple and effective motto: “Calm with us.”
President, Zawacki, stands by Grylka’s motto for the club. Zawacki said, “I really like it because it’s simple and it gets across our most fundamental goal: the cultivation of a clear and calm state of mind.”
A typical meeting starts with a small debrief of the day’s stresses.
“We usually start a meeting with a 10 minute meditation, to get everyone out of the rush-around mode of thinking that classes and work and everything like that demand.” said Zawacki. “After that, the meetings vary on a week to week basis. If there are any upcoming events, or ideas for events, those are usually discussed first.”
The 10 minute meditation at the beginning of the meeting helps the members open their minds and forget about all of the things they have to do. It is a way of letting go of everything and focusing on oneself.
Zawacki said, “Then we’ll spend the rest of the meeting talking about a topic related to meditation or mindfulness.”
“We’ve done activities involving the development of a personal mantra, mindfully eaten candy, and discussed the application of eastern philosophies to modern life. I love when conversations really take off, it’s always rewarding to hear the ideas being exchanged. We’re blessed to have an open environment and group of people.”
Since its founding last fall, the Meditation Club is now a recognized club on campus. They plan to expand now that they have a club budget through Student Life.
“Right now we’re just beginning to build up a repertoire of events.” said Zawacki.
“We’ve already come up with a mindful bake sale, in which we bring homemade food, with as much information about the food as possible. The group thought that giving that extra consideration would help encourage people to be mindful of what they’re truly putting in their bodies.”
The Meditation Club also plans to create meditation oriented events. Zawacki said, “Outdoor activities are a big interest of ours, though the weather has been fickle lately. A hike that had a theme of grounding has been on my mind for a while, I think the feeling of stomping up the side of a mountain naturally creates a sense of immersion with nature.”
The Meditation Club also collaborates with other organizations with like views on campus.
“We always try to support other clubs and their events, especially those who encourage expression of thought and emotion.” said Zawacki. “Meditation club is heavily affiliated with Active Minds, it’s so important to have a place to talk about anxiety and depression, or any other major stress on a person’s mind. Folio is another club I try to support as much as I can. The readings that they hold are a great way to connect with art and the people creating the art.”
The Meditation Club meeting every Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Engleman A113.
Zawacki said, “We have no expectations, and no judgments. All that I ask is that, if you feel moved to do so, please come ‘calm with us.’”
Photo Credit: Mitchell Joyce
