Mindfulness Course Offered at Montana Tech

02/05/2020

Montana Tech Counselors, Cricket Pietsch, LCSW, and Amy Lorang, PCLC, are offering a 4-session course on Mindfulness. The course gives students the skills to manage stress and enhance their general well-being. Mindfulness is the practice of learning how to pay attention to the present moment without judgment. Holly Rogers, MD & Margaret Maytan, MD of Duke University Medical Center, designed the course, “Koru Mindfulness Meditation.” Koru is the Maori word for the unfurling fern frond. It symbolizes balanced growth.

Montana Tech offered the course during the fall semester with success. Seven students completed the course and gave great reviews. “Thinking about how being present in the moment can add value to my life by spending some time actively, not worrying or being dissatisfied,” noted student #1. Another added, “The class helped me relax and not be so tense, that meant a lot to me.”

“We have found that students want practical skills to help them manage their everyday stressors,” notes Cricket Pietsch.

The skills presented are practiced in class with the expectation of home practice between lessons. The skills include breathing exercises, walking meditation, guided imagery, and eating meditation. “With the success of the fall semester class, we wanted to provide this opportunity again this spring,” Amy Lorang commented.

The first class begins February 19 at 3:30 pm and runs through March 11. Students receive books for their use and need to commit to all four sessions. Students can contact Cricket Pietsch at cpietsch@mtech.edu or Amy Lorang at alorang@mtech.edu to reserve their spot. Enrollment is limited.