Perhaps you’ve found yourself rushing around lately, fueled by nervous energy and coffee. You may have said to yourself, “I’ve got to slow down and take time to breathe.” Perhaps you thought about learning to meditate but immediately said to yourself, “No… that won’t work. My mind is too busy for meditation.”
Becoming mindful doesn’t happen just because we intend it to. It is a mindset, a way of approaching life and the world that is cultivated. We all have the ability to be mindful: to pay attention to what is present in each moment without allowing ourselves to automatically become reactive to what is happening. We all have habits of the mind and nervous system. Some of us tend to be chilled out (not me) and some are wired to be more edgy or nervous. Wherever you are along that scale, from relaxed to biting your nails, it is possible to train the nervous system to react to life’s events in a different way. We call that neuroplasticity, and it can happen at any age. It is a process that can be learned through practice.
Healthy Adams County is about to present another opportunity to engage in some mindfulness training. Let’s call April “a mindful month.” There will be four free weekly classes available online, using Zoom, in which we’ll learn the practices of mindfulness, mindful movement, and meditation. The first classes will teach the basics and the final two will build on those skills to bring a mindful attitude to everyday life. Classes will be held on Zoom on March 28, April 4, April 11, and April 18. We’ll meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Although classes are free, you must register. For registration, call Healthy Adams County at 717 337-4137.
Julie Falk PhD has been teaching mindfulness in Adams County for more than a decade. She teaches yoga and somatic movement at the YWCA and chairs the Healthy Adams County Behavioral Health Task Force.