Events to nurture the mind, body and soul

Geelong Regional Libraries are helping the community invest in themselves with a series of “Mind, Body and Soul” events this month.

Open to the public, the six events at Belmont Library will cover a range of inspiring topics with something for everyone.

The series began with a saving family stories workshop on Monday this week, which was an orientation session showing participants how to take photos, VHS tapes, slides and film negatives out of storage and bring them to digital life, ready to share with family and friends.

It continued on Wednesday this week with an event dedicated to meditation and mindfulness, with attendees asked to bring their tablets or smartphones so they could be guided through how to get access to free online meditation and mindfulness resources through the library.

“At Geelong Regional Libraries we aim to support our communities’ health and wellbeing, and to foster community connection,” Geelong Regional Libraries chief executive officer Vanessa Schernickau said

The Body, Mind and Soul events at Belmont Library are a perfect example of this focus come to life and we’re thrilled to be able to offer such a diverse and engaging range of sessions.”

The remaining sessions are:

Life coach workshop, tomorrow (Saturday, May 13), 10am-11.45am (paid event) – This workshop will help you to identify personal goals by focusing on your values, strengths, passions and resources. Elizabeth Hopkin is a life coach, writer, singer-songwriter, and volunteer coordinator. She loves motivating people to set and achieve goals for their next chapter – whatever that might be! This interactive introduction to life coaching will encourage participants to focus on their values, strengths, passions and resources, and to identify the positive strategies and possible barriers to achieving their goals

Collage art workshop, tomorrow, 2.30-4pm – Come together and explore basic collage techniques using scissors and glue. You might choose to work with botanical or illustrative images or a range of other materials which, will be provided. All you need to bring is a creative mindset, no previous experience needed

Mindfulness Labyrinth Walk, Tuesday, May 16, 2-3.30pm – Labyrinths are used worldwide as a way to quiet the mind, calm anxieties, recover balance in life, enhance creativity and encourage meditation, insight, self-reflection and stress reduction. A labyrinth will be available to walk inside the Belmont Library during this session and for the remainder of the month. Facilitator Amanda Nicholas will assist the community that may be walking a labyrinth for the first time and answer any questions regarding the history of the labyrinth as a mindfulness practice

Tai chi, Friday, May 19, 10-11am – The ancient art of tai chi is one of the most effective exercises for health of mind, body and spirit. With the art often described as a “moving meditation”, this is a great opportunity to try tai chi for yourself and connect with others in a fun and casual environment.

Belmont Library is located at 163 High Street, Belmont.

To book a place in any of the sessions and for more information, head to grlc.vic.gov.au