Over the past four weeks, Valencia College held a free Koru mindfulness and mediation class. The first of the four sessions was on March 25, with the last session ending on April 15. Instructed over Zoom, the course was offered to students, faculty, and staff.

The Koru sessions were taught by Valencia counselor Dr. Marcia Roman, each one running for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Throughout the course, participants were taught skills such as breath awareness meditation, dynamic breathing, and guided imagery, accompanied by Koru’s fundamental concepts.

“The word, Koru, means fern frond. The fern frond represents both growth and stability, qualities we hope to impart to Koru students. Mindfulness and meditation practice […] fosters a sense of wholeness—a sense of healing in people, and these are qualities I think a lot of us are looking for,” said Roman.

Valencia student Windi Kemplin, 48, took the course at the beginning of the new year. Throughout the class, she found relaxation in the deep breathing exercises conducted in the lotus position.

“You just try it, and it will change your life for the better. Marcia Roman was a great professor, guiding Koru. I’ve been meditating for a few years, and she fine-tuned it,” said Kemplin.

As a mother of two, Kemplin expressed how taking the class and mediating helped clear her mind from all the “craziness.”

“It was extremely helpful to relax with the busy days that I have. It’s just refreshing to take ten minutes out of your day to meditate, relax, and slow down,” continued the teaching major.

Upcoming Koru mindfulness and meditation classes will be posted on Valencia’s event page. Participants are required to pre-register and attend all four sessions to get the most out of the Koru teachings.