Health Matters
MEDITATION IN VANN PARK
Engaged Enlightenment
Group enjoys connection, health benefits from daily meditation at Vann Park BY JODI KEEN • PHOTOS BY RILEY GUERZINI
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ach morning, Vann Park on Evansville’s East Side welcomes a flurry of activity. Walkers trot their dogs across the lawn. Runners stretch their legs by tracing the park’s perimeter. Families converge on the playground, children ambling across the jungle gyms and slides. Pairs sit at picnic tables for a friendly game of chess. Amidst the bustle, just before 9 a.m. — weather permitting — a small clutch of people congregates on a patch of grass on the far west end of the park. Setting up camp under a broad canopy of trees, they settle into lawn chairs and greet each morning by freeing their minds. Through
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EVANSVILLE LIVING JULY/AUGUST 2021
RESTFUL RECHARGE Friends and neighbors gather each morning to meditate at Vann Park, an idea originated by Lorenzo Minor.
20-minute sessions, the group practices meditation, quietly communing with themselves and stilling their thoughts and breathing. They’ve found that the sessions start their day on a positive note. Meditation itself is not a new practice. Its history traces back to sixthcentury BCE Buddhist, Hindu, and Taoist traditions. Its earliest purpose is less clear: Historical studies show it could have been a tool for contemplation or socialization. Meditation took root in early Eastern religions as a way to commune with God and oneself, and the practice has since moved to the western world. In the past 20 years, it has gained a more mainstream following for its research-supported health
