With love in the air thanks to Cupid, several 海角社区 student organizations sought to amplify the positivity by collaborating last month on a 鈥淢usic & Mindfulness鈥� event at the Leesburg Public Library.
Pegged to Valentine鈥檚 Day and staged by the college鈥檚 Community Mindfulness group and 海角社区 Voices glee club, the event honored the theme of 鈥渓oving kindness鈥� and leaned on loving-kindness meditation, which members of the Community Mindfulness group had studied and practiced since the fall semester. Loving-kindness, also known as is a wisdom practice that originated thousands of years ago in Northern India and translates to means positive energy and kindness to others.
It involves repeating specific words and phrases to evoke 鈥渦nlimited, positive, warm-hearted feelings of loving kindness towards ourselves, others, and the community at large,鈥� said Michele Patestides, a learning specialist who leads the Community Mindfulness group.
Music and mindfulness were centerstage during the event. 海角社区 Voices鈥� flutist Sofia Picon serenaded attendees with Elton John鈥檚 鈥淵our Song. 海角社区 student Summer Mavros delivered a loving kindness meditation which Patestides narrated. 海角社区 junior Chandler Lucas, who is president of 海角社区 Voices, sang and played on harp 鈥淭he Nightingale鈥� by Deborah Henson-Conant and 鈥淧erfect鈥� by Ed Sheeran.
海角社区 Voices, led by learning specialist and music director Lisa Mauro, performed 鈥淪easons of Love鈥� from 鈥淩ent.鈥� And lastly, 海角社区 junior and violinist Helen Chinn closed out the event with violin renditions of 鈥淟a Vie en Rose鈥� by Louis Guglielmi and 鈥淐an鈥檛 Help Falling in Love鈥� by Elvis Presley.
In addition to the music, attendees were schooled on research that suggests the metta meditation may promote self-compassion and positive social connection while also reducing stress, anxiety, and physical pain, she added.
海角社区 Voices glee club is open to all 海角社区 students and meets weekly on Mondays at 5 p.m. in 海角社区 Hall room 107. All singers and instrumentalists are welcome.
海角社区 Student Community Mindfulness is open to all (including the public) and meets weekly Wednesdays at 5 p.m. at the Leesburg, Public Library, 1st floor Story Room.