What is Westchester Breathes?
Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being. These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say …they work!
To invite Westchester Breathes to your organization or learn more about the Resilience Coalition, please contact us by email.
How can I participate in Westchester Breathes?
Online Via Zoom – Two 2024 OPEN SESSIONS
Mondays, 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM, through June 17.
Register once for a series and you’ll get a link good through June 17. (Psst….go ahead an register for both – come when you can!) And if you can, share our flyer!
Each 50minute session provides an opportunity to learn and use gentle BREATH-BODY-MIND™ practices to soothe, balance and strengthen the nervous system. No prior experience needed.
This noon-time session is a typical OPEN SESSION that also serves as a “Teacher Practice” opportunity . Certified instructors in Breath-Body-Mind are invited to gain teaching experience, and participants get to experience a variety of teaching styles! The session is organized by a senior instructor.
Teachers: Please join 10minutes before the class starts to plan the session. The class will run for 50 minutes starting promptly at 12; stay for feedback after the session has ended. Please register. (Psst…you can also just come and enjoy the class!)
In-Person Classes
Mondays, 2:30 PM at Drum Hill Senior Residence, 90 Ringold Street, Peekskill – through June 10. Parking is free.
This free program is open to Drum Hill residents & local community members. For those who do not live at Drum Hill, please email your interest to outreach@wlsmail.org
Coming in the Spring – Westchester Breathes Workshop.
Watch this space for news of this upcoming practice opportunity to be held in Elmsford NY.
What is BREATH-BODY-MIND™?
Westchester Breathes is grounded in the work of Dr. Richard Brown and Dr. Patricia Gerbarg – two clinical psychologists who identified, studied, and teach simple, effective voluntary regulated breathing exercises shown to reduce the experience of stress and increase the ability of the body to self-soothe and heal. Learn about their research, publications and workshops at Breath-Body-Mind.com. Learn about the impact of their work in disaster relief at Breath Body Mind Foundation.org
The work to make this program available in Westchester County emerged from the work of the Westchester Resilience Coalition.
How can I get involved in BREATH-BODY-MIND™?
More learning and practice opportunities
See the calendar below for BBM sessions with senior teachers who have worked with Westchester Breathes.
Click the here for yet workshops and teacher trainings offered directly by BREATH–BODY-MIND™.
Opportunities from the New York State Trauma Informed Network and Resource Center (TINRC)
Thanks to a multi-year grant, these practice and learning opportunities will be continuing and evolving state-wide through 2025. ALL of the BREATH–BODY-MIND™ practice sessions, workshops, trainings, and opportunities are available to all New Yorkers and are free of charge.
TINRC BBM Practice Sessions
Practice Sessions offer basic gentle BBM practices to soothe, balance, and strengthen the nervous system. These sessions are offered every Tuesday at 6am for 30 minutes, 12pm for 30 minutes, and 8pm for 45 minutes. Open to anyone. Offered for free through the New York State Trauma-Informed Network.
TINRC BBM Teacher Training
BBM Level 1 and Level 2 Teacher Trainings are 36 hour live online program spread scross several weeks. Training is offered for free through the New York State Trauma-Informed Network. Attendees must have attended a 12-hour BBM Foundations workshop before enrolling in Level 1 Training. 2024 sessions will be announced soon. Please use the link below to be added to a waiting/notification list.