Amanda Dean, alumna, started Compassion Project as a way to provide the community with a free, ongoing yoga and meditation project that was unaffiliated with any specific religious tradition.
Funded by a grant from the New Mexico Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, she said she began in July, with a few rooms made available by the United Methodist Church a few blocks from main campus.
“Part of the inspiration for the Compassion Project was a commitment to inclusivity. The benefits of these practices shouldn’t just be available to people with money,” Dean said. “So if you’re a broke college student, it’s nice that these things are still available, and that they’re close to campus.”
Years of meditation and various philosophy courses inspired her to begin the project. Dean prefers to meditate in a group setting and is interested in multiple traditions including how the eastern philosophies translate into contemporary western culture, she said.
Janet Norden, pastor at United Methodist Church, said she is happy to be hosting the project.
“The church supports (the project) and thinks it’s totally consistent with our mission. We are looking for ways of connecting with the community and it is very consistent with that,” she said.
Among other things, the grant money went to yoga mats, blocks and other necessary equipment. Yoga instructor Carol Woodland saw the space Dean was using, and immediately recognized the potential for yoga classes, Dean said.
“We sit for half an hour, we share for half an hour, then we move for an hour or two: a really great complementary practice,” she said.
Dean said hosting practices based on eastern religions in a Christian church works well.
“It’s refreshing to see meditation and mindfulness increasingly embraced by Christian traditions. It’s an important shift because eastern meditation traditions are a beautiful complement to the teachings of Jesus. Mindfulness is just a way to bring compassionate awareness to the human experience.”
The project is inclusive and designed to benefit anyone who is interested.
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“It is so nice to be involved in a group that is not out for profit, but simply to share the gifts of human interaction and peace with one another,” Katie Otsuka, an attendee, said.
Although the project is based in religious tradition, Dean stressed that it is rare to hear anyone mention his or her beliefs. Rather than being attached to beliefs and ideas, the experience is more about watching and learning from them. The goal is to help everyone be healthier, release negative energy and bring together people from all walks of life, she said.
“I was nervous because I didn’t know anything about meditation schools and I cannot stand being proselytized to,” Roxanne Christian, a regular attendee, said. “The instructors welcomed individuals who had varying levels of experience and never once tried to convert me. The room rang with compassion.”
Future plans for the Compassion Project include adding more classes targeted toward what the community wants. There has been a general desire to start morning classes and to make the current space more kid friendly, Dean said.
The project convenes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at University Heights United Methodist Church on 2210 Silver Ave. SE. Meditation is at 6 p.m. followed by an optional discussion and two yoga sessions take place at 7 and 8 p.m..
“The classes are small now, but I sense as word of the Compassion Project circulates the vibe will truly bring about the growth of this vision,” said Joe Gallegos, president of the University Heights Neighborhood Association. “One of the key elements of compassion I feel in my experience joining the Project’s physical, spiritual and mental focus is humanness.”
Marielle Dent is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com, or on Twitter @Marielle_Dent.
