Monthly Mindfulness Meditation with Bettina Kanitz

Are you curious about mindfulness and meditation?

While there are many ways people describe mindfulness, the Greater Good Science Center says: “mindfulness is maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.”

Research shows that being mindful/practicing mindful meditation can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, help improve focus and concentration, and for some it can foster spiritual growth.

All levels of experience are welcome to this class! In this class, we will:

• Deepen our understanding of what mindfulness is and how to cultivate or strengthen our personal practice
• We will practice various guided mindfulness-based meditations and/or exercises focused on increased awareness & clear seeing (Vipassana meditation tradition
• Contemplate a specific theme such as letting go, forgiveness, self-compassion, loving kindness, etc.
• Address how to take our practice “off the cushion” and into our daily lives

Bettina Kanitz has been a licensed clinical psychologist since 2000 and a certified teacher of Mindfulness Meditation Program of Dr. Tara Brach and Dr. Jack Kornfield. Since 2018, Bettina has been teaching at the Center for Mindful Living in DC, and her teaching themes includes:

• Foundations of Mindfulness- body, feelings, thoughts
• Compassion/self-compassion practice
• Meditation- starting a practice
• Mindful breathing
• Gratitude practices
• Craving and clinging
• Letting go
• The heart practices
• Forgiveness
• Working with fear
• Impermanence, uncertainty
• Working with the negativity bias & internalizing positive states
• Metta and loving kindness

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Alexandria, Workshops in Alexandria.