You sit with your legs crossed on a cushioned pillow, breathing slowly to lower your heart rate. The sound of a babbling brook plays on a speaker, and the scent of soothing essential oils fills your lungs. You ditch your day-to-day stress and reach a level of tranquillity that is hard to find on a bustling college campus. However, this experience is available to all students, five days a week.
The Zen Den, created two years ago by dance professor and licensed therapist Donna Scro Samori, consists of a transformed office and a large closet space designed to relieve stress. Located on the first floor of Life Hall, the Den is open to students Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also offers free one-on-one counseling sessions.
The Zen Den boasts a comfortable layout and can hold several students at a time. Jordan Reed | The Montclarion
Samori discussed what inspired her to create Life Hall’s Zen Den.
“I am also a proud alumni of [Montclair State University] and graduated with a BFA in dance in 1991,” Samori says. “In 2019, I decided to go back to school to get my [Masters in Social Work]. Once I became a licensed therapist, the Department of Theatre and Dance decided to create a role for me as the Mental Health Consultant for the department. I could really understand [performing arts students’] unique challenges in a demanding field.”
A sign outside of the office room's door welcomes students into the Zen Den. Jordan Reed | The Montclarion
For Samori, the Zen Den felt like the most useful combination of her skills as both a dance professor and therapist.
“When I stepped into this role, I asked the department chair if there was any empty space that I could use as a mediation space,” Samori said. “There was an open office that was available, and I got to work. I had a small budget to work with so I supplemented the rest with my own financial contribution. I felt that having a space for students to come and decompress would be essential for their mental health.”
The Zen Den also contains a small study space with supplies for students. Jordan Reed | The Montclarion
So far, the Zen Den has been greatly successful in its mission.
“On average, there are between 10-28 students that use the Zen Den daily,” Samori said. “Most students come in and rest in between classes. Students will nap, color, do homework or just sit with their eyes closed.”
Samori said that in a recent survey, 92.3 percent of students said that the Zen Den is “very helpful in terms of creating a safe, supportive and quiet space for them.”
“Just the other day, there were so many students resting in the Zen Den that I thought, ‘We are going to need a bigger space!'” Samori said. “I am thrilled to see so many students finding comfort in the space.”
An essential oil diffuser sprays the room with a calming scent as ocean sounds and ambient music play in a speaker in the Zen Den. Jordan Reed | The Montclarion
The Zen Den has been so successful that it inspired the Student Government Association to open more Zen Dens in Schmitt Hall and the Student Center. Samori is not involved in creating these rooms. The SGA recently concluded the fundraising stage of the project.
As a dance major herself, senior Laura Aglione understands the benefits the Zen Den has for performing arts majors. Jordan Reed | The Montclarion
Laura Aglione, a senior dance major, works at the Zen Den desk and spoke about the importance of the Den for performing arts majors.
“We don’t get a lot of time throughout the day,” Aglione explained. “We have really busy schedules, so Samori thought it’d be really nice to just have a space for everybody to just take a breath, chill for a second so that’s really awesome, how it’s expanded, and it will be available to more people on campus, other than just theater and dance.”
Samori agrees that more Zen Dens on campus can be great for students’ mental health.
“Zen Dens and quiet spaces are needed across campus to help students manage the stress of college life. [A safe, quiet space] can create a sense of calmness and groundedness, which can help a student feel better equipped to meet the demands of being a college student both academically and socially,” Samori says. “As a university that prioritizes mental health, Zen Dens and spaces like them should [not only] be in the Department of Theatre and Dance, but in every department.”
A sign welcomes students into the Zen Den. (The hours on the sign are inaccurate as the Den is open from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.) Jordan Reed | The Montclarion
