Be Still, Boost Brain

There's new evidence from a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital that suggests that mindfulness and relaxation exercises can boost brain power. Participants in the study engaged in mindfulness-based stress reduction exercises that included guided imagery and stretching. Even as little as 30 minutes a day of mindfulness practice can have positive results in the areas of learning, memory, and emotional well-being.

The study was reported in the Washington Post and you can read more about it here.

Get a jump on National Stress Awareness Month in April and start your meditation practice now!

Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week, Feb. 14 -20!

"How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it!"

-George Elliston; news reporter, poet

A simple act of kindness can:

• bring two people together in spontaneous goodwill
• create a smile that can go 'round the world
• increase someone else's happiness as well as your own
• ignite a small flame of positive thinking

Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week from Feb. 14 - 20! We'll be celebrating all week at Mindful Hands and will host a Kindness Fair on Saturday, Feb. 20. You can also follow us on Follow us on twitter (twitter.com/mindfulhands) as we post suggestions for random acts of kindness, inspirational messages, and updates on acts of kindness happening around the world.

If you're really feeling brave, you can take the Extreme Kindness Challenge from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Commit to doing at least one act of kindness for each day of Random Acts of Kindness Week and share your experience via Facebook, Twitter or the Random Acts of Kindness website.

To get you started, here's a few simple acts of kindness:

• smile at everyone you see
• say "thank you" to someone who did something nice for you
• compliment a stranger
• pick up trash in your neighborhood
• hold the door open for someone

Participate in random acts of kindness! We may not be able to change the whole world, but we can certainly change our little corner of it.

15th Anniversary Celebration!

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Mindful Hands! We've certainly seen many ups and downs over the years and weathered many storms.

We've also changed our focus several times and expanded to meet the changing needs of our customers. We started out in 1996 as a Buddhist arts and meditation center then quickly expanded to importing Chinese antique furniture, eventually adding other home and garden accents to accomodate the needs of our growing customer base. In 2003, we expanded to the second floor and morphed into the specialty gift store and community center that we now are.

One thing has never changed: YOU! Our wonderful and loyal customers have stuck by us through thick and thin, ups and downs, and through all of our transformations. And you've brought your friends, family, and out-of-town visitors to see us and share in our little "oasis of serenity in Old Town."

To show our appreciation for your support, we're planning several special events throughout the coming year, including a 15th Birthday Extravaganza in June! To help us celebrate, and to make sure you don't miss out on any of the festivities, join our mailing list now!

Thank you for fifteen fabulous years!