Mary Bitterauf (Photo courtesy Stacey Kane)
LincolnHealth’s Coulombe Center for Health Improvement will once again offer a nine-week mindfulness-based stress reduction class at Schooner Cove, on the LincolnHealth — Miles Campus in Damariscotta.
The program will begin with an orientation on Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 5-6:30 p.m. and classes run Wednesdays from Oct. 2 to Nov. 20 from 5-7 p.m. There is also a Saturday class on Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Mindfulness is developing a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations — without judging. In short, mindfulness is about being fully present in one’s life rather than living in the past or the future.
Research shows that the practice of mindfulness meditation can reduce stress, boost the immune system, strengthen areas in the brain that improve focus and attention skills, and help reduce anxiety and depression. This nine-week course was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and has helped tens of thousands of people worldwide.
The class will be taught by Mary Bitterauf, a certified mindfulness-based stress reduction teacher who received her training and certification in mindfulness-based stress reduction through the University of Massachusetts’s Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Society. Bitterauf has taught this world-renowned program for more than seven years. Mindfulness-based stress reduction instruction involves mindful meditation practices, discussion, gentle stretching, and yoga, and is appropriate for all fitness levels.
The Coulombe Center for Health Improvement offers this course at $125, which is significantly less than its normal cost. Scholarships are also available. To register or for more information, call 563-4269 or email brooke.alley@lchcare.org.
