A program from the Stratford Library Aging With Agility aims to address security and independence for area seniors.
December will see the program focus on spirituality, and the December 3 session is all about meditation basics and labyrinth walking. Irene Roth will be teaching seniors the basics around meditation, while Leslie Wright will be teaching about labyrinth walking.
“There are two types of meditation,” said Roth. “There is the formal meditation where you sit for a time period and focus on your breathing. There are also informal ways of practicing meditation such as mindfully washing the dishes, or washing your car, mindfully cooking, walking. When I do my presentation I will highlight both types of meditation, and show that you can take just a quick break throughout your day.”
Roth got into meditation a decade ago when she was living and suffering with different chronic conditions. She was forced to take medication just to get through the days, and then she took a mindfulness and awareness workshop where she learned about how mindfulness helps with pain reduction, and she calls the relief she has experienced as game-changing.
“As you focus on certain parts of your body that are in pain, you can actually release the pain especially if you breathe into these areas,” said Roth. “If you can slow down the thinking and focus on the pain and breathing, you begin to release the pain and feel better.”
She says if something like this can work for her, a person dealing with so much chronic pain it can work for anyone, and the health benefits especially for seniors are plentiful.
“Meditation helps seniors because it helps with reducing stress, improves focus, enhances sleep, and lowers blood pressure,” said Roth. “It also helps alleviate lots of chronic pain, boosts emotional well-being, there are just so many benefits. Meditation is great because you don’t need any equipment or fancy clothing, and you can do it from the comfort of your home.”
Wright will be covering the labyrinth walking, something that has been around for 4000 plus years. She did her training in San Francisco in 1999, and Wright along with her husband are among few married couples that have the training. They also undertook the advanced training program just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all the borders.
“Labyrinth walking can be a wonderful way to help reduce stress,” said Wright. “People also use them as a way of seeking insight.”
The practice of labyrinth walking is usually done outdoors in one of over 6,000 labyrinths in the world, however during the pandemic facilitators had to shift to online finger walks. Wright will be bringing some examples of what the finger labyrinths look like on December 3.
“There is a two handed finger labyrinth that experts believe helps balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain,” Wright said. “Participants can use that and try it for about ten minutes so they get a sense of how labyrinths work.”
She says it's important to keep our physical, mental and spiritual health, and the upcoming workshop will be a good way to get back to basics. While sharing how a labyrinth makes a person feel is encouraged, it's not mandatory. It’s also important to know that not all labyrinths or walks are the same.
The workshop on December 3 is taking place at the Stratford Library from 10-11:30 a.m and its free of charge.
