Mindful Meditation Sessions for Children and Adults

What: St. Stephen's Episcopal Church hosts weekly Mindful Meditation sessions for adults and children every Tuesday evening. No meditation experience needed. Meditation is facilitated by Wendy Sullivan, LMSW and based on the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction work of Jon Kabat-Zinn. Sessions are free and open to the public. St. Stephen’s is wheelchair accessible.

"Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better; it’s about befriending who we are already." Pema Chodron

When: Tuesdays (weekly)
Children 6:30 – 7:00 PM
Adults 7 – 8:00 PM

Where: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church,
350 Chili Ave. Rochester, NY 14611

Cost: free (donations encouraged)

For more information: Call St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church at 328-0856, or email: wendy@sullybrown.com

Background:
Mindfulness is a practice that is gaining acceptance in western medicine as an “evidenced based” way for reducing stress; it is a way to manage your emotions from hijacking your brain. It is a way to practice being fully awake in the only moment we have: the present.

Recent brain studies show that not only does the brain affect our experience (thoughts, feelings, behavior), but that our experience affects the brain. How we think, feel and act changes the chemistry and structure of the brain.

Susan Kaiser Greenland, the founder of the InnerKids Foundation, which trains schoolchildren and teachers in the Los Angeles area, calls mindfulness “the new ABC’s — learning and leading a balanced life.”*

“Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Our hope is through Mindful Meditation, children and adults will learn skills needed to manage stress more effectively. When children in the parish independently began to attend the weekly adult meditation sessions, it became evident that they are seeking ways to manage the stresses in their lives and learn new ways to practice loving kindness.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is an inclusive, progressive community where peace, social justice and faith converge in our worship and urban ministries. 