ZEN and NOW

Changing attitudes toward meditation cause practice to skyrocket in popularity

BY ERIK CHALHOUB

Americans are well-trained to visit a doctor when they are battling a physical ailment, or head to a psychologist when they may be feeling off mentally.

But historically, they have neglected the third part of their being, something that people of eastern countries have long cultivated: energy.

Thankfully, the United States is now catching up, said Dawn Culp, owner of The Zen Room in downtown Gilroy.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the use of meditation among adults increased threefold from 2012 to 2017, at 14.2%. For children, meditation increased from 0.6% in 2012 to 5.4% in 2017.

And this was all before the Covid-19 pandemic, which stressed people’s mental state like no other time in their lives, causing depression, anxiety and other ailments.

Reports say the popularity of smartphone apps that focus on mindfulness and meditation skyrocketed during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Culp is well in tune with this phenomenon. Opening The Zen Room in Gilroy in 2015, she has had to move the business multiple times to accommodate her growing clientele, now located at 7473 Monterey St.

Perhaps even more telling: Culp said she has a waitlist four to five months long for new clients looking for private services, which include one-on-one meditation, hypnotherapy, energy work, guided visualization and more. There are other practitioners working alongside Culp with expertise in their own fields such as breath work and trauma relief for PTSD. Group meditations and classes are also available.

A portal to peace

It’s difficult to realize that a door is all that separates The Zen Room from the outside world.

The sounds of passing vehicles, smells of nearby restaurants and the often jarring sights of old meets new in the area can be a lot to take in.

But as soon as one enters that door into The Zen Room, its calming effect is palpable, with the dim lights, burning incense, soft music and gentle imagery all complementing each other to create a world of relaxation.

That’s exactly the response Culp is hoping for.

“When people walk into this space, I want them to take a deep breath and let their senses remind them of a simple and powerful truth, ‘I’m OK,’” she said.

realize the benefits of the practice.

The pandemic certainly played a role.

Growing Need

Culp, a Gilroy resident, knows plenty about the fast-paced, stressful world of modern society.

She left her corporate career in Silicon Valley to pursue what she refers to as a calling. People told her she was crazy for passing up a well-paying job to start her business, but she knew she was making the right decision.

“My high-tech job was wonderful and taught me a lot, but the fire in my belly wasn’t there,” Culp said. “I wasn’t born to do that job…I knew I needed to be doing something in the wellness field.”

That job only exercised part of her brain, she said, adding that the importance of utilizing the whole brain is something many don’t realize. The left brain, or the more analytical side, is often the most used, yet most people neglect the right, or their intuitive and creative side.

“In Silicon Valley where our left brain is being exercised like crazy, here is a place where you can strengthen the right brain,” she said. “You need the whole brain and not forsake one for the other.”

From surviving to thriving

Culp said she’s seen changing attitudes toward meditation in recent years. Sure, it still has its fair share of skeptics, including plenty of them locally, but even they are starting to

“It’s amazing what people will try when they are at the bottom of a well,” she said, adding that many of those same skeptics looking for positive ways to deal with their depression are now “clients for life.”

The Zen Room’s clientele ranges in age from 7 to 92, according to Culp.

Not only do the ages range, but people from all walks of life will walk through the door, including many first responders.

“One of the most exciting things about what’s happening, and is part of our expansion, is everybody is getting into this,” she said.

A growing number of hospitals throughout the nation are also offering such services, including Stanford, which provides Healing Touch Therapy, a type of energy therapy which supports physical, emotional and mental health.

Culp added that her clientele has grown well past Santa Clara and San Benito counties, with people up and down California taking part in classes, and others who fly from out of state. She also offers remote services for those unable to physically visit the location.

For people looking to bring a little bit of zen home with them, Culp sells essential oils, crystals, books, jewelry and more.

Culp said there are only two states of being that one can exist in any given moment: surviving or thriving. What she sees is many people operating in “survival mode,” running from the “lion” that could take many forms: fear around the pandemic, worries over losing their job, or being unable to pay bills.

“Survival mode is always supposed to be a sprint, not a marathon,” she said.

But humans are not meant to be in such a state 24/7, Culp said, and we need to make time for what she calls “rest and repair.”

“When you get into rest and repair and this beautiful, calm zen space, all of a sudden all the systems that went offline when you were in survival mode come back online,” she said. “Getting into a rest and repair state of being is critical to overall wellbeing.”

For information and to book an appointment, visit www.TheZenRoom.Love.