Clear Your Mind in South County

Find a Like-Minded Community
Meditation and mindfulness have been proven to help everything from stress to high blood pressure to insomnia. Get started with the Rhode Island Community of Mindfulness, which hosts monthly meditation sessions all over the state, like Generations Sangha on the second Saturday in East Greenwich and the Clear Heart Sangha that happens every Sunday morning at a different location in South County. 

Find Your Zen Place
Heart Center Yoga in Narragansett provides a quiet respite from a noisy world. They offer weekend classes that focus on simple breathing meditations and simple approaches to tackling everyday problems. Every second and fourth Saturday of the month is Jyoti Inner Light Meditation, which is free and great for beginners. Kundalini Community Meditations happen on the second Sunday of the month, and offer a longer, deeper meditation with warm up exercises. 123 Boon Street, Narragansett. 662-1164.

Forge a New Path
In the summer, Block Island is a beachy paradise. In the winter, the island is just as beautiful but much more quiet. Take an off-season day trip to the island’s Sacred Labyrinth, which is a meditation garden designed to connect you to your deepest self. The circular stone pathway isn’t a maze – it’s a walking path for you to explore slowly with intention. At the center is a sitting area with views of Sachem Pond and North Light. A sculpture garden offers some levity, and the mailbox filled with notebooks of other people’s reflections is a must-see. Corn Neck Road, Block Island. 

Color Your World
The Jamestown Philomenian Library and the Cross Mills Library in Charlestown both offer a Coloring Group, for adults to zone out of stress and zone into coloring inside the lines… or outside, depending on what feels right at that moment. It’s a kind of meditation to clear your mind and connect with the page, plus you get the added bonus of playing with colored pencils. Jamestown: 26 North Road, Jamestown. 423-7280; Cross Mills: 4417 Old Post Road, Charlestown. 364-6211.

Find Stillness in Movement
If sitting still isn’t your thing, try Breathe and Stretch with Seated Meditation at Holistic Heart Wellness Center. Think of it as a simple yoga class, but one that pairs simple stretches with guided meditation that introduces many different forms of the practice so that you can find which one works best for you. 659 Sandy Lane, Warwick. 441-8449. 

Embrace Eastern Meditation
It might be a hike to get there, but it’s worth the drive. The Providence Zen Center in Cumberland is the closest thing you’re going to find to Japan in Rhode Island. The retreat has a main building that offers weekly meditation instruction and sessions, a monastery and walking paths on their serene 50-acre property. On Wednesdays, the Zen Center offers free walk-in introduction to meditation, and sitting and walking meditation sessions to help you find your own Zen place. 99 Pound Road, Cumberland. 658-1464.

Eat Mindfully
If you’re looking to eat healthier – or finally have someone explain to you what farro is and how exactly you eat it – try out the Mindful Eating Program at The Island Heron. The program, taught by mindfulness and meditation instructor Priscilla Szneke, integrates mindful practices with the science behind eating habits. There is daily meditation guidance on your smartphone, and a weekly session to discuss challenges and successes with a group. 34 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown. 560-0411.