To assist the Melrose community in coping with stress, anxiety, and depression, the Melrose Recreation and Health & Human Services Departments are partnering to bring the Melrose community a 4-Week Wellness Program called Introduction to Mindfulness. The program will take place weekly on Tuesdays from 7 — 8:30 p.m. in person at the Milano Center. Residents can register for session 1, running January 17 – February 7, or session 2, running February 28 – March 21.

Over the course of four weeks, participants will learn to use focused attention to tune into their bodies to help calm the mind and self-regulate the nervous system and will develop a personalized home-based practice with support from the class and available recordings.

“We’re pleased to bring this course to the Melrose community and believe that all Melrose residents, regardless of socioeconomic status, should have the opportunity to explore techniques that may help reduce stress or anxiety,” said Mayor Paul Brodeur. “Self-care and prioritizing one's own physical, emotional, and mental health are critical to the well-being of our community. I hope that many of our residents will take advantage of this program.”

The program, which will be taught by Melrose Recreation Department Director and Mindfulness Teacher Frank Olivieri, is a pre-requisite for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), another course the City plans to offer to the community in 2023.

Potential benefits of practicing mindfulness include:

Improve coping skills for dealing with stress, anxiety, & depression
Improve physical health & well-being
Improve cognition & mental stamina
Improve awareness & emotional state
Increased attention & creativity
Increased job satisfaction & enhanced performance
Increased sense of connection to self and others

To register, visit https://secure.rec1.com/MA/melrose-ma/catalog, and to learn more, please contact the Melrose Recreation Department at 781-979-4179 or [email protected].