MILLERTON — After a long and stressful day of work, it’s nice to be able to relax.
That’s exactly what happens at the North East Community Center every Monday at 5:30 p.m.
A meditation class, run by Karen Kisslinger, gives participants a way to relax that may be a bit different from what they’re used to.
"It was great. It was really nice having new people and the people that are used to coming," Kisslinger said of Monday’s session.
The class was originally called Community Happy Hour, a healthy alternative to going to the bar that used to be on the other side of South Center Street, where the community center is located.
Kisslinger uses methods such as Chinese Chi Kung, self-accupressure and oils to de-stress her clients during class, which lasts for about an hour and a half.
The last 20 minutes consist of sitting meditation, which Kisslinger calls a helpful relaxation technique.
Kisslinger chose the community center for her program because of its proximity to the center of the village and because it’s a "nice place."
"It’s free and open to anyone that wants to come in," she said, adding that some techniques utilized in the class seemed foreign to the attendees at first. "This is really about experiencing deep relaxation. To a lot of people it’s kind of new, scary and challenging."
The 30-year meditation veteran said that although her current class size, which ranges anywhere from one to eight people, is good, she wouldn’t mind having more people stop by the center on Monday nights.
"We could definitely accommodate more. The more the merrier," she said. "A bigger class would be fine."
Kisslinger’s next class takes place at the center next Monday, May 7.
Drop-ins are welcome.
