Meditation Center Gives Free Lessons in “Mindfulness Day” Event

In honor of National Meditation Day, Columbus KTC Meditation Center is offering free one-hour meditation lessons at several Columbus public libraries on Saturday June 1, effectively creating “Mindfulness All Over Town.”

“There have been a lot of scientific studies about the benefits of mindfulness,” said Kathy Wesley, spokesperson for Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling Meditation Center. Developing mindful attention “can help with stress relief and mental focus, and many people are learning it to improve their general wellness,” she said.

KTC has been offering meditation instruction for free weekly at its meditation center in Franklinton since 1990, Ms. Wesley said, “but we thought it would be interesting to bring meditation out to the wider community with this event.”

The free meditation instructions will be taught by six different KTC meditation instructors and will take place in meeting rooms reserved at Columbus Metropolitan Library branches.

“We chose the libraries because they are a great community resource, have good meeting spaces and because they are all over town, which meets our goal of bringing mindfulness to as many places as we can,” Ms. Wesley said.

The one-hour lessons are open to all ages. Lessons will include the basics of developing mindfulness using breath-awareness techniques, as well as strategies for making time to practice mindfulness during a busy day. Participants will sit in chairs for the lessons and will have time to ask questions.

“We chose different times throughout the day Saturday so it might help people find a time that suits them best,” Ms. Wesley said. “We hope people will feel free to come and learn about mindfulness and see how it can help them in their everyday lives.”

Columbus KTC has been part of the Columbus community since its founding in September 1977.  Its main weekly meditation instruction and sitting sessions are at 10 a.m. Sundays at Congregation Tifereth Israel, 1354 E. Broad St.

Here is the complete list of Free Meditation Lessons:

Friday May 31, 2019
12 noon to 1 p.m. – Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch, 96 S. Grant Ave.

Saturday June 1, 2019

11 a.m. to 12 noon
Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch, 96 S. Grant Ave.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Linden Branch, 2223 Cleveland Ave.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Livingston Branch, 3434 E. Livingston Ave.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Martin Luther King Branch, 1467 E. Long St.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Whitehall Branch, 4445 E. Broad St.

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Hilliard Branch, 4500 Hickory Chase Way
Columbus Metropolitan Library South High Branch, 3540 S. High Street

1:30 to 2:30
Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Branch, 96 S. Grant Ave.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Franklinton Branch, 1061 W. Town St.

3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Columbus Metropolitan Library New Albany Branch, 200 Market St.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Whetstone Branch, 3909 N. High St.

For information, please visit www.columbusktc.org

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