Mindfulness seminar offers families advice on healthier living

Stress does not discriminate— for parents working throughout the day, facing deadlines and taking care of their children. And for those children who are studying in school, forging friendships and figuring out the world around them.

At a seminar geared toward East Meadow families, however, Cory Muscara, a mindfulness teacher most recognizable for his appearances on “The Dr. Oz Show,” gave a crash course on meditation and how it can be used to alleviate stress and channel it into progress.

When Muscara discovered the benefits of medication in college, he said, “I still had stressors, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up . . . but I just felt good out of nowhere.”

Muscara led the auditorium in a meditation exercise, hitting two finger cymbals and asking the crowd to focus on the sound as it gradually faded. Then, he challenged his audience to regard their musings from an objective point of view— as if thoughts of deadlines, conflicts or memories are simply clouds passing through the vast landscape of the mind.

Mindfulness, he said, aims to change the negative correlation with which our mind associates certain thoughts. For instance, if someone associates work with disgust, it hinders their ability to focus and perform in a positive environment. However, if someone meditates on the thought of work, they could, instead, focus on their strengths and what they like about their job.

“It’s not brain science,” Muscara said and laughed. “But it is brain science.”

The mindfulness seminar was presented by a committee run through the Parent Teacher’s Association’s called “A Community Committed to the Education Success of Students” and the East Meadow Kiwanis.

“It’s part of a continuum on resiliency and teaching resiliency to our students,” said Veronica Nicastro, a chairperson on the ACCESS committee.

In addition to the seminar, the ACCESS committee runs two events on resiliency throughout the year. The next will take place on a to-be-decided date in March and focus on wellness.