Campers experience mindfulness and yoga

At the Lewes Historical Society in August, 15 boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 12 took part in a two-day camp retreat to focus on the practices of mindfulness and yoga in preparation for a new school year. Minds Over Matter Initiative partnered with Ever-Present Yoga to present Back to Basics: Mindfulness and Yoga for Back to School, a program focused on developing life skills to help deal with daily stressors and tough transitions, like the end of summer and the beginning of school.

Participants learned about the practice of mindfulness, which focuses on paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Through various activities such as mindful breathing, mindful listening and developing a practice of gratitude, campers were introduced to skills designed to help bring calm and focus to their busy minds.

The integration of yoga and movement into the program allowed participants to stretch their bodies, learn different yoga poses and connect with their breath, a key component to both mindfulness and yoga.

"It was a wonderful, activity-filled couple of days," said Lisa Rector, Minds Over Matter Initiative educational services director, who ran the camp with Judi Block, owner of Ever-Present Yoga. "We took it as a good sign when one of the kids asked if we would be doing more of these camps."

For more information, go to www.minds-over-matter.org and www.everpresentyoga.com.