By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County Park District has long boasted about its natural resources. Its woods, waterways, bike trail and boulders.
On Tuesday, it boasted about another resource – the only certified trauma informed mindfulness meditation teacher in Northwest Ohio.
Emma Taylor, a program naturalist with the park district, has been providing free mindfulness classes through the park district for two years. That adds up to 22 programs totaling 1,980 minutes, she said.
Prior to the board tackling the business of paying bills, awarding contracts for paving and a new furnace, Taylor invited those present at Tuesday’s meeting to find their mindfulness. With their eyes closed, they were asked to first feel their feet and gradually work their focus up the body.
Taylor encouraged them to be “in your body, in this room, at this moment.”
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
“This is a cool break in all of the craziness,” board President Tom Myers said after Taylor’s presentation.
Taylor’s goal is to give participants in her program permission to cast away stress while reconnecting and relaxing. In the natural settings, she helps people feel a sense of wonder in all of the county’s parks.
That allows participants in the classes to go back to their daily lives better able to deal with challenges facing them. Taylor has heard from participants that practicing mindfulness has reduced their anxiety, improved their sleeping patterns, and lowered their blood pressure.
After two years of offering the program, 50% to 75% of her classes are made up of repeat participants, Taylor said.
“They enjoy their time with us,” she told the board.
Participants have reported to Taylor that after practicing mindfulness they feel lighter, slow down to a comfortable pace, take care of themselves, and are more aware of the wonders of nature.
“It’s an adult field trip,” with some of the programs including “gentle hiking” and environmental education, Taylor said.
One participant offered a different type of praise for the program, saying it wasn’t overly “foo foo.” When asked by Taylor to define “foo foo,” the person said programs that have a fake facade and are inauthentic. Taylor took that as high praise.
There are “multiple ways to be mindful,” Taylor said after the meeting. Some may include yoga or tai chi techniques, meditation, music or people silently incorporating their own religious beliefs.
“It’s all about the state of mind you’re in,” she said.
And once people learn mindfulness skills, they can be carried over to the rest of their lives.
“You can be mindful doing the dishes. You can be mindful taking a walk,” Taylor said.
Jim Witter, the program coordinator at the Wood County Park District, said the mindfulness program is important and Taylor’s qualifications are unique.
“This is something we wanted to invest in,” Witter said. “This is really valuable to the park district.”
Classes consist of a combination of seated and walking mindfulness practices and nature awareness activities. The classes are appropriate for teens and adults, and registration is required.
The March class is already full, but there are spots open in the April 8 class, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., at W.W. Knight Preserve.
In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the park district board approved several resolutions introduced by Park District Director Chris Smalley:
- Contract with Morlock Asphalt for paving work at the park district headquarters, for $32,875.
- Contract with Downey Plumbing and Heating for furnace replacements at W.W. Knight Preserve Nature Center for $14,990.
- Contract with Eric Palmer Trucking and Excavating to tie into a new sewer line at the park district headquarters, and remove the existing septic system, for $8,325.
- Contract with InTech IT Solutions for upgrades to the security system at Reuthinger Preserve, for $5,370.
The board also went into executive session to discuss land acquisition, with no plans to take action.
