A free community mindfulness workshop will be held April 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
The contentious and divisive local election cycle has come to a close, making it the perfect time for residents from all sides of the aisle to come together and share a collective – and mindful! – sigh of relief. Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) will be helping people do just that on April 6, when it hosts a free community mindfulness workshop at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.
But this isn’t the first time a mindfulness program has been offered to help calm community unrest.
BCHD’s first workshop debuted in February 2015 in Hermosa Beach at the request of then-City Manager Tom Bakaly, now CEO of BCHD, who wanted to offer residents a calming outlet during the tumultuous oil drilling debate.
Hundreds of locals, some positioned firmly on opposite sides of the oil issue, turned out for the initial event. Its success compelled BCHD to begin offering an ongoing series of community mindfulness workshops, which have attracted more than 1,500 participants to date.
The upcoming workshop, which runs from 6-7:30 p.m., will switch gears slightly from BCHD’s previous programs – which have focused primarily on the history and science behind mindfulness – and broaden to incorporate meditation techniques like intention setting, loving-kindness, visualization and mindful breathing.
There will also be four new faces facilitating the workshop. Local experts Eric McCullum from Insight LA, Tristan Coopersmith from Life Lab, and Greg Flaxman and Shiori Lange from BCHD will each take their turn guiding the audience through evidence-based meditation practices designed to help alleviate stress, anger and worry – a trio of emotions that are markedly high among Beach Cities residents, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the program begins at 6 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but advanced registration is required.
Childcare will be provided at AdventurePlex (located just down the street from the event) for children three and older. The cost is $25 for the first child and $15 for siblings. Dinner from Fresh Brothers will be provided. Please register at AdventurePlex.org no later than March 23.
