The Healing Power of Meditation
On a rainy Thursday afternoon, Providence House transformed the community room at our Women’s Justice Program into an oasis of positive energy. A circle formed with comfortable seating options and yoga mats curved around the space. Calming music and sounds complemented the aroma of lavender and citrus essential oils, creating an atmosphere of pure tranquility. Over the course of an hour and half, 14 women came together to engage in a guided meditation focused on self-love.
The event was a collaboration between Providence House and Exodus Transitional Community, Inc. Members of both agencies participated to create an intentional space grounded in resilience for women impacted by the legal system to breathe in and embrace self-love and breathe out any negativity, stigma, and self-doubt.
Our facilitator, Sharon Nunez, guided thirteen women through the meditation session, incorporating her own lived experience of incarceration, surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, and managing anxiety into her approaches for coaching others. In collaboration with PH staff, Sharon created a curriculum that was tailored to meet the needs of women and gender-expansive people who have experienced trauma and are impacted by incarceration.
According to Sharron, “Institutions were designed to break us and keep us from loving ourselves, and each other. Working with Providence House to create an event meaningfully designed to heal that trauma and support each other on our journey towards finding self-love using meditation as a tool was special.”
The event included guided meditation coupled with activities such as:
Reframing our Thinking, which examines what our inner monologue sounds like, working toward ensuring that we are speaking to ourselves in an uplifting and motivational way;
Our Body and our Mind, which explores the energy we put into ourselves and reflects on the energy that we put into the world; and
Positive Affirmations, where participants write down an affirmation that resonates with them, practice saying it to themselves silently, then take turns within the group saying it out loud while looking at themselves in a mirror.
“It was a beautiful and inspiring experience,” said Danielle Minelli Pagnotta, Executive Director of Providence House. “The way each woman was vulnerable with themselves and with the group was truly powerful. I look forward to participating again.”
Providence House Board Vice President, Anju Mahajan, was also in attendance. After the event, she noted, “I have been involved with Providence House for 4 years. This was a unique and powerful experience. We all sat together, as one. At the end of the day, we are all people who need to practice self-love, peace of mind, and compassion. Thank you to the PH residents for letting me share in that experience.”
In order to encourage our residents to make time for mindfulness in their day-to-day lives, we want to create a serene, communal space to do so. Donate today and help us revitalize the community room at this beloved residence.