Learn to Meditate: free class!

The good news is you don’t have to sit cross-legged to meditate! Meditation and “mindfulness” have been sweeping the country--from schools and churches to community centers and hospitals. Calming the mind for whole body relaxation has long been known to be beneficial to the body and the mind (lowers blood pressure, relieves anxiety and can help beat the blues) but what are some other benefits? Did you know that a regular practice of just 20 minutes a day can, over time, even “grow gray matter” (from a recent Washington POST article). People with a regular practice also report feeling happier and more self-reliant. Learning focusing through meditation can help retrieve memory, too.

If you would like to find out more about mindfulness-based meditation for stress relief and relaxation, there will be a free one-hour information session Sept. 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Kingstowne Center for Active Adults, 6488 Landsdowne Ctr., Alexandria, VA 22315, intersection of Telegraph & Beulah Rds., next to the Kingstowne Library. Call the instructor--Sandy Reid, not the Center--to sign up: 703-971-7397. About the instructor: Sandy Reid is a licensed mental health counselor (State of FL), a registered yoga teacher and has practiced meditation since 1990. She teaches meditation and yoga in the Kingstowne-Rose Hill VA area.

Also, A new 8-week series begins at the Center Sept. 9, using ”A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook,” (with CD), based on the ground-breaking work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, M.D. (small fees for class & book)