Students Seek Serenity Through Meditation

Hayley Alaniz, Staff Reporter

Hayley_Alaniz@csumb.edu

May 1, 2008

Serenity and stress relief has

found its place on CSU Monterey

Bay’s (CSUMB) campus with a

meditation class offered in the

Personal Growth and Counseling

Center (PGCC), building 80.

Marianne Rowe, a licensed

marriage and family therapist,

instructs a class where students,

staff, faculty and the outer

community can come and release

their inner chaos.

Each semester starting in the

fall of 2006, there have been two

classes offered: the beginning

class, “Introduction to Mindfulness

Meditation,” and the advanced

class, “Advanced Mindfulness

Meditation.”

“The advanced class is offered

to those who have meditation

experience or have gone through

the first class,” said Christiane

Dettinger, counselor at the PGCC

and outreach coordinator.

The beginning and advanced

sections of the meditation practice

are done in a series of four classes

each. In each class, individuals are

able to build on what they have

learned in previous classes, so

this makes it difficult for people

to drop in on a class. However,

students are not discouraged from

joining if they did not start from

the beginning.

Junior and Liberal Learning

and Integrated Studies (ISSM)

Major Jason Pineda stated that

not only does it add greatly to his

experience at CSUMB, but the

class gives him energy and a sense

of relaxation.

“Since the class is near the end

of the week, knowing it is there

helps me get through the week,”

said Pineda.

Camillo Geaga, second year

sophomore and ISSM major

talked about how the class gives

him inner joy, helps him in many

ways, and is something that would

be beneficial to every student.

“Everyone should have peace

and wisdom within us. Mindfulness

meditation is a way of accessing

that peace and wisdom, as well

as an open mind and heart.”

Rowe, who was responsible for

creating the class and teaching

the practice, continued saying

one highlight has been “seeing

awareness and conscious open and

kinder relationships develop with

themselves and others.”

Classes are held on Thursdays

from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the

PGCC in building 80 and will

continue in the fall.