HealTree meditation sampler series to start June 6

HealTree will present a meditation sampler series starting at 9 a.m., Tuesday, June 6, at 1632 Savannah Road, Lewes. Sessions continue June 13, 20 and 27.

Meditation is the practice of focusing one's mind for a period of time, noticing thoughts but being nonjudgmental. There are many different techniques, including but not limited to mindfulness, guided imagery, mantra, mudra, loving-kindness and movement meditations. People who practice meditation consistently report feelings of peace, calm and balance, and they say these feelings last beyond the period of active meditation. Research shows that meditation has benefits for both emotional and physical well-being. They include increasing one’s perspective, building coping skills to manage stress, increasing self-awareness and ability to focus on the present moment, reducing negative emotions, increasing imagination, creativity, patience and tolerance, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and improving sleep quality. Research also suggests that meditation may be useful for symptom management for certain medical conditions such as anxiety, asthma, cancer, chronic pain, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia and headaches.

Meditation is not always easy, and it will not bring peace automatically. Many people are more familiar with a constant state of doing, and meditation practices involve switching to a state of being. Learning about different meditation techniques in a group setting may assist in that transition.

In this four-week series, participants will learn about meditation and have opportunities to practice several different styles.

Participants may choose to attend all four sessions or drop in for one class. The cost is $20 per session. This series will be guided by Luanne Usinger, who holds a master of science degree in psychology and has worked as a health educator for almost 30 years. Usinger, a certified meditation instructor, has taught meditation and relaxation techniques for over 28 years, achieved certification as a clinical aromatherapy practitioner in 2011, and became a reiki master in 2009. 

For more information or to sign up, go to healtree.co or call 302-827-4683.