Beach Cities Health District Offers ‘Mindful’ Post-election Outlet
A free community mindfulness workshop will be held April 6
from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
Contact: Catherine Bustamante, Beach Cities Health District – 310-374-3426, x255; Catherine.Bustamante@bchd.org
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (March 23, 2017) – The contentious local election cycle has come to a close, making it the perfect time for residents from all sides of the debate 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.
The upcoming workshop, held in partnership with the City of Redondo Beach, will mark the second time in as many years that BCHD has offered a mindful outlet during a hotly contested local election.
In February 2015, at the height of the oil drilling debate in Hermosa Beach, the first mindfulness workshop was held at the request of then-City Manager Tom Bakaly, now CEO of BCHD. Hundreds of locals, many planted firmly on opposite sides of the issue, attended the event. Its success prompted BCHD to offer an ongoing series of mindfulness workshops, which have drawn more than 1,500 participants to date.
“Data shows that feelings of stress, anger and worry run high in our community, and I’ve seen firsthand how amplified these emotions can become during an election,” said Bakaly. “The goal of our upcoming workshop is to help residents meaningfully connect with one another and learn evidence-based techniques that can reduce daily stresses and improve overall well-being. I encourage everyone in the Beach Cities to take advantage of this resource.”
The upcoming workshop will differ slightly from past programs, which focused primarily on the history and science behind mindfulness, and broaden to incorporate evidence-based meditation techniques, including:
- Intention setting: Making a choice to pay attention to something, deciding to be present and enjoying things while they happen.
- Loving-kindness: Focusing and extending feelings of love, kindness and compassion toward people.
- Visualization: Picturing what you desire and then visualizing it over and over again with all of the senses.
- Mindful breathing: Bringing focus to each breath by experiencing or observing it rather than changing it.
There will also be four new faces facilitating the workshop. Local experts Eric McCullum of Insight LA, Tristan Coopersmith of Life Lab, and Greg Flaxman and Shiori Lange of BCHD will each take their turn guiding the audience through evidence-based meditation practices.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the program begins at 6 p.m. There is no cost to attend the workshop, but advanced registration is required at bchd.org/mindfulness.
Childcare will be provided from 5-8 p.m. 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.
For more information, visit bchd.org/mindfulness. Or contact Tiana Rideout at tiana.rideout@bchd.org or 310-374-3426, x139.
About Beach Cities Health District
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) is a healthcare district focused on preventative health and serves the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. Established in 1955 as a public agency, it offers an extensive range of dynamic health and wellness programs, with innovative services and facilities to promote health and prevent diseases across the lifespan. BCHD operates AdventurePlex, a health and fitness facility where kids play their way to good health, and the Center for Health & Fitness, a comprehensive, medically based fitness center. Visit www.bchd.org or call (310) 374-3426 for more information.
