BY KAREN BOSSICK
A workshop of origami crane folding will be accompanied by a guided loving kindness meditation this coming Thursday at the Town Center West.
Meditation teacher Mary Ann Chubb and Hailey Public Library educator Kristin Fletcher will offer the workshop at 5:30 pm Thursday, Dec. 15, for adults in honor of the holiday season.
The workshop is free and materials will be provided.
“As we slip into the shortest days and darkest nights of the year, it’s important to take time for quiet reflective activities,” said Fletcher, the library’s education and engagement manager, “During this workshop, we’ll teach participants how to fold beautiful origami cranes that they can take home to ornament their holiday tree or give as gifts.”
Cranes are a symbol of peace and happiness in many Asian countries and folding origami cranes is said to bring good luck.
Loving kindness meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice made popular by best-selling author Sharon Salzburg, who was a workshop presenter at the 2018 Sun Valley Wellness Festival. The practice has been embraced by many faith and non-faith traditions.
Mary Ann Chubb became interested in meditation in 1996 and has attended many meditation retreats. She was a facilitator with the Flourish Foundation for eight years, teaching mindfulness practices to children in public and private schools throughout the valley.
Kristin Fletcher saw her first origami crane while on a meditation retreat many years ago and was captivated. She has been folding cranes and giving them as gifts ever since.
