LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Mindfulness teacher and author JoAnn Saccato, MA is offering a free online Mindfulness for Stress Reduction workshop.

The educational and exploratory experience is on Tuesday, April 17, at 6:30 p.m. and again on Tuesday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Preregistration is required.

The 90-minute workshop includes a brief history of mindfulness, recent scientific findings on the benefits of mindfulness, with an emphasis on stress reduction, and simple guided mindfulness exercises including breath awareness, gentle movement and loving kindness practice.

The workshop is based on Saccato's courses and forthcoming book, “Mindful and Intentional Living: A Path to Peace, Clarity and Freedom.”

Mindfulness is a popular health and wellness practice based on purposefully paying kind, non-judgmental attention to direct experience.

It is a scientifically proven approach that helps reduce stress and stress-related illnesses, increase focus and attention, decrease incidences of and relapses with depression, reduce anxiety, reduce relapses in addiction, and aids in sleep and digestive disorders.

It has also been shown to increase well being, life satisfaction and happiness, as well as improved social relationships.

"Mindfulness and related practices offer a uniquely appropriate approach for our contemporary stresses and add an extra supportive component to recovery from large scale disasters, such as those we've experienced in the past few years," said Saccato. "Cognitively understanding how mindfulness works with our biology in addition to experiencing it directly can provide immediate relief."

Saccato currently consults on personal and community disaster resiliency, teaches mindfulness, offers mindfulness-based life coaching, and is the author of “Companioning the Sacred Journey: A Guide to Creating a Compassionate Container for Your Spiritual Practice” (2013) and her forthcoming book, “Mindful and Intentional Living: A Path to Peace, Clarity and Freedom.”

Workshop participants are invited to wear comfortable clothing and be prepared for gentle movement.

For more information and to register for the online workshop visit www.MindfulAndIntentionalLiving.com/events or call Saccato at 707-350-1719.