The Healing Arts Collective introduces their 2018 theme with a free community-wide workshop for grown-ups February 1 from 7-9 p.m. at Rye Recreation.

In 2016, Shari Balaish, Kim O’Connor, and Jamie Jensen, respectively a yoga teacher, social worker, and an educator, joined forces with other Rye women working in similar fields to quietly seed a movement that supports “healing” in all its forms that you can learn more here by joining this group. This group of professionals wondered if they could do something about the unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety in Rye’s children and teens.

With no budget and lots of volunteer time, they hosted a community-wide event introducing nearly 150 residents to “mindfulness”. They conducted workshops at faculty meetings in all five of the City’s public schools, participated in the Middle School Expo, led mindful walks and workshops on mindful eating, and offered free meditation and yoga classes.

This year, their theme is “play”, which is intended to offer a different entry point for managing stress. Building on the work of Stuart Brown, they hope to remind the community that “play shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul.”

The Healing Arts Collective celebrates and encourages community partners to continue the conversation. They firmly believe that to help children manage life’s inevitable stresses, grown-ups need to collectively lead the way. And a year of rediscovering play – may be just what we need.

This workshop is free to the public and any donations made the evening of will go directly to support Rye Recreation Camp Scholarships. Please register at healingartscollectiverye.org.