Meditation What is Meditation? Meditation can take many different forms but for the purpose of this program we will be learning Mindfulness Meditation, a method for quieting the mind in order to bring awareness into the present moment. This will form the basis for exploring other meditation techniques based on the interests and needs of participants. How Does it Work? By quieting or ‘taming’ the mind, we can begin to know ourselves better, to understand the origins of much of the emotional, psychological and physical processes that make up our everyday lives. Mindfulness practice is highly effective in bringing calmness & clarity to life’s ups and downs. What are the Benefits? The benefits of an established meditation practice may include: • Reduced Stress • Improved Concentration • Increased Confidence • Less Pain • More positive interacions with others • Overall improvement in mental and physical health Not surprisingly, the more one practices meditation, the greater the benefits. Meditation for Chronic Illness Research has shown that meditation can be an effective tool to help people manage their pain. By promoting a healthy state of mind, the effectiveness of both physical exercise and medication is increased. Class Structure Instruction runs from 12:30 – 2:00 broken up into half hour segments. Feel free to attend any or all of the half hour segments. Parrticipant needs will determine the topic of each segment.