A local Yoga master has been leading two free meditation series, one for teens and one for the general public, at the library in Thornbury, hoping to help improve mental health in the community.
Brenda Murphy, owner of Interior Consciousness, said she noticed in her practice, teaching in studio, in private, and leading retreats there are a lot of people feeling "pretty darn stressed and anxious these days."
"I wanted to give back to the community," said Murphy.
One of the Thursday afternoon 30-minute meditation sessions is dedicated to teens exclusively.
"A lot seems to be at stake. We're seeing a great increase in mental health struggles within the teen population," said Murphy. "I wanted to be able to give them a tool, a life skill, so they can feel a sense of agency over their lives and their bodies."
The meditation features methods for calming the mind and settling the body's nervous system to increase focus, decrease anxiety and process information with more clarity.
"We're recognizing that mental health and resilience is just as important as our physical health," said Murphy.
Classes are 30 minutes long and are open to anyone, with no experience necessary. The class includes meditation only, and is done from a chair in an accessible space.
The teen class runs Thursday at 4:30 and the other class for the general public begins at 5:30.
You can register online via the L.E. Shore Memorial Library website, but drop-ins are welcome.
The series runs until the end of June, but Murphy said if the interest is there, she will continue to run the free program beyond the month of June.
