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Volume CXXXIII, Number 1 |
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Relax with meditation
GRACE CHO
ORIENT STAFF
As the new school year begins, stress levels begin to rise, emotions are stirred, and nervous breakdowns are right around the corner. But instead of crying, screaming at your roommate, or ripping the pages out of your text book, there are many alternatives around campus that may help to reduce the anxiety filling your life. The counseling center is always a good start, maybe a cup of tea at the café, but a little known resource is the Chakras meditation course offered on campus.
Mona Paschke leads seven-week workshops teaching the art of meditation and Chakras at Bowdoin. Chakras is the discipline of channeling one's seven energy centers in order to relieve stress and prevent physical aliments, which can manifest from stress. Each of the seven energy centers are stationed at a specific spot on the body and revolve around circularly to trap energy from floating around in the outside world. Often times, when a person becomes stressed or full of anxiety, they suppress one of more of his or her energy centers causing illness.
Paschke said she found herself drawn towards Chakras as a form of stress relief when she was facing some difficult experiences. "I was in need of some personal healing. Chakras made me aware of my feelings and made me feel comfortable in my own skin."
Her positive experience with Chakras caused her to pursue the profession of self-healing. She studies for several years to learn the art of healing one's mind, body, and soul in order to help others. After finishing her studies she opened a private practice from her home where she helps clients to re-channel his or her energy centers.
This was not enough to satisfy Paschke. Working at Bowdoin's Café, she sees students day in and day out stressed, frantic, and ill. "I interact with students all day. Seeing and listening to their problems made me want to help them. They looked to me as their confidant," said Paschke.
Working with counseling services, Paschke wrote a seven-week curriculum and began teaching her workshops in fall 2002. They are held once a week for an hour and fifteen minutes each session where she helps to guide her students through meditation and generate a comfortable, nonjudgmental atmosphere where everyone can talk freely about what is bothering them. "I want to give another outlet for people to go and just release the bad energy from the day or week and be relaxed," said Paschke.
Paschke plans to offer another Chakras meditation course
this fall. It is scheduled to start by the end of the month. For more
information, swing by the Cafe and ask Mona for more information.
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