- Julie Anne Larkin, M.A., Mindfulness Coach
4-week class series on mindfulness at Riverwood, Aitkin
We are living in an increasingly busy world. Often we are wrapped up in thoughts and feelings, constantly moving from one thing to the next without a moment’s peace.
What would it take to help you enjoy living in the present moment with less stress and anxiety? Mindfulness can bring more relaxation and calm into your life.
“Mindfulness practice helps people deal with stress, emotions and pain. By quieting the mind, we learn to relate to ourselves and others in a kinder, more compassionate way,” explains Julie Anne Larkin, mindfulness coach who is offering consulting services as part of Riverwood Healthcare Center’s Healthy Communities Partnership three-year wellness initiative funded by Allina Health and the George Family Foundation. “I’m looking forward to introducing mindfulness practices to local residents through a 4-week class series to begin February 5th.”
Mindfulness class in Aitkin
Larkin will begin teaching a 4-week mindfulness class called “Stabilizing the Mind” at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin on Wednesdays, Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Riverwood will also offer this mindfulness class throughout the coming year, adjusting the meeting time for some daytime as well as evening hours.
Participants will be introduced to simple ways to integrate mindfulness practices into daily life, including yoga, meditation and breathing exercises (these techniques have no connection to religious beliefs or instruction). Limited to 15 participants, the cost of the class is $40 (discounted from its full $120 value), which includes a manual with CDs of yoga, meditation and other practices for use at home.
To register or for more information on the mindfulness class series, call Riverwood Education at (218) 927-5552 or email education@riverwoodhealthcare.org
A tool to heal the mind, body
Mindfulness practice is a healing tool that has proven benefits for the mind and body. Janet Larson, PhD, family nurse practitioner and mental health specialist at Riverwood, says that she recommends mindfulness practices to 75 percent of mental health patients.
“From a mental health standpoint, just focusing on the right here and right now is so important,” Larson explains. “Even without mental illness, many of us face a lot of stress daily from being bombarded with a lot of things all at once. For people coping with high anxiety, calming the mind can help them control their heart rate and sleep better too. I regularly advise my patients to get in the car and just drive instead of trying to multi-task while driving—listening to the radio, talking on the phone, and drinking or eating something.”
Dr. Tim Arnold, family physician at Riverwood, also finds mindfulness a useful tool to promote wellness among his patients.
“I talk with my patients regularly about mindfulness and what it means,” Dr. Arnold says. “Mindfulness may be perceived as complicated, but it really isn’t. Mindfulness can have a profoundly positive effect on our physical and mental health. Numerous well-designed studies have shown a significant reduction in heart disease and a significant impact on the treatment of depression and anxiety.”
Dr. Arnold adds: “As a physician, I regularly deal with the problems that modern medicine creates in an attempt to treat disease. Mindfulness is an incredibly powerful alternative treatment option for many ailments and it comes with no side effects and virtually no monetary cost. I can see the positive physical change in how people look and feel after a 10-minute conversation about mindfulness.”