Free Monmouth County Online Meditation Class Begins May 12

HOLMDEL, NJ — Are you looking for a better way to deal with stress? Do you want to focus your mind and sharpen your thinking? Do you take an anti-anxiety medication and want to stop? Or perhaps unwinding at the end of the day with alcohol or other "stress relievers" is not as rewarding as you once found it?

Earlier this year, Josh Wright offered a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course in Holmdel (it was originally supposed to be at Bell Works), but he had to transition it online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However — despite the pandemic — that first course saw such a positive response that he is now offering another online class, which will run on Tuesdays from May 12 to June 30, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. This course will be offered free of charge (normal MBSR courses are $400 to $500).

As Wright says, "skills are better than pills." Looking to increase your resilience, build peace of mind, or just learn a new skill? Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an approachable, evidence-based program, combining a range of meditation techniques and yoga-based mindful movement. By incorporating group discussions, MBSR creates a sense of community that is a great antidote to loneliness, as well as building communication skills for managing relationships in close quarters. At a time when many of us are making do with less, here is a no-frills approach to fighting cabin fever and a host of other ills.

If you're interested in joining, please out the online intake questionnaire, where you can sign up to attend one of the mandatory online orientation sessions (one hour on May 4-7, or May 11-12) before filling out the online registration form.

As Wright says: "The skills we develop in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction are not only directly applicable to the uncertainty and stress of the moment — they are a great investment for the long term. Also, it's a special opportunity to share the journey with other people in the course and learn from their experiences."

Info.:

•  May 12 to June 30 (8 weeks)
•  Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
•  One daylong session in June
•  Orientation sessions May 4-7, 10-11
•  Online via Zoom 
•  Free of charge
•  All experience levels, ages 16+

Why take a class when I can just download an app or watch a video?

Meditation cultivates mental wellness the way an athlete cultivates physical fitness. Just like
hitting the gym and getting a training, it helps to:
1) Find a community to support and inspire you.
2) Get personalized answers to your questions.
3) Focus on proven techniques.

MBSR launched the scientific study of meditation’s benefits, and it is commonly practiced in hospitals and community centers around the world for treating everything from chronic pain to anxiety and depression.

Wright has 20 years of experience studying yoga and meditation, with training from faculty at Brown University, Oxford University, and the original developers of MBSR at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. An economist with 15 years of experience across several industries and continents, his teaching is grounded in the working world as much as the meditation hall – and a unique appreciation for how they can inform each other.