The Winter STREAK wellness program will offer its third free virtual workshop, “From Stress to Stillness: The Heartfulness Approach to Well-Being,” on Wednesday, Feb. 4, with sessions at noon and 5:30 p.m. The 30-minute online event is part of WellSpan Health’s 12-week Winter STREAK initiative, which encourages community members to build healthy habits during the cold-weather months.
Academic hospitalist Jayaram Thimmapuram, MD, an internal medicine physician with WellSpan, will lead participants through a brief guided heartfulness meditation designed to be easy to incorporate into daily life. The workshop will highlight research-backed benefits of meditation, including reduced stress, better overall well-being and improved sleep quality, outcomes that have been documented in Heartfulness studies involving health professionals and other working adults.
Heartfulness is a heart-centered meditation practice that focuses attention on a feeling of lightness and calm in the chest, with simple techniques that can be practiced at home, at work or before bed. Organizers say the session will introduce beginners to the basics of Heartfulness while also offering a reset for experienced meditators who may have fallen out of routine.
Winter STREAK is a free, virtual community program that runs for 12 weeks and combines workshops, wellness guides and other resources to help participants increase physical activity, eat healthier and nurture emotional well-being. Residents can join the challenge at any point during the season and are encouraged to build “streaks” of daily healthy choices, with prizes available for those who stay engaged throughout the program.
Registration for “From Stress to Stillness: The Heartfulness Approach to Well-Being” is open now, and space is available to anyone interested in learning practical meditation tools for managing stress in the new year. Participants can sign up and access the virtual workshop link through the program website at winterstreak.org.
