Boost Your Brain and Body with Insightful Workshops

Did you know that regular exercise and meditation techniques could lead to maintaining good balance, sharper thinking, and a healthier brain, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and falls?

You have options for attending these workshops – virtual or in-person! AARP members and guests are invited to our Wellness Wednesdays and Thriving Thursdays series, Boost Your Brain and Body – presented by Body & Brain Yoga and Health Centers Inc. and AARP Long Island. From Qigong to meditation to exercises for better sleep, our seven-part series offers workshops that could help you to build strength, think, learn, problem-solve, and enjoy emotional balance.

For more information about brain health visit us at AARP Staying Sharp, an online program that shows you how to build habits that support your brain health — and have fun doing it! AARP Staying Sharp includes access to the Cognitive Assessment, Lifestyle Check-Ins, and Additional Tests, and it is available to all AARP members and registered users of aarp.org at no cost.

Please note that you must be signed in to your AARP.org account or create an account to register for events. AARP membership is not required. You will need to register separately for each program you are interested in attending.

Connect with AARP Long Island to build optimal habits to support your brain health!

*Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before starting any new exercise regimen. Ongoing class participation could reduce the risk of falling and enhance the potential for engagement in a wide range of activities.

*Details:
*All virtual events are from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
*In-person events times vary, check listings.

• Online: Thursday, May 8, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET
• May is Arthritis Month - Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents Qigong, Joint Opening Exercises and Tapping for Strengthening and Pain Relief
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/ArthritisMonthBodyBrainExercises
  
  Arthritis is one of the most common conditions of aging that impacts Americans, and its painful effects can feel debilitating. Qigong has been promoted as a powerful holistic practice that can increase circulation and energy flow to ease arthritic pain, and you will also learn simple and powerful exercises like body tapping and joint opening movements that will enhance the mobility and strength of your joints and muscles.
  

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• In-person: Thursday, June 26, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET
• June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month - Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents Practices for Successful Aging
• Location: Michael J Tully Park, 1801 Evergreen Ave. New Hyde Park
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/2025PracticesSuccessfulAging
  
  June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, an opportunity to more deeply understand the importance of the brain, maintain its function, and work toward reducing cognitive decline caused by diseases like Alzheimer's and other dementias. Based on principles of neuroplasticity and brain science, the fun and engaging mind-body techniques you'll learn from the workshop will help release tension from the brain and promote memory, creativity, focus and clarity. You'll be amazed at what your brain can do and how you'll feel afterwards. Just bring your brain!

• In-person: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 | 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
• World Listening Day is July 18 – Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents Breathing & Energy Meditation for Self-Care
• Location: The Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff, Village Hall, 300 Sea Cliff Ave. Sea Cliff
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/BreathingEnergyMeditationSelfCare
  
  World Listening Day is July 18 on the National Day Calendar. What does it really mean to slow down from the noisy and distracting world around us, and pay attention to our inner selves? This workshop will guide you through breathwork and energy meditation to help you calm your busy thoughts and emotions and reconnect with yourself. From a place of deep peace, awaken your intuition to create mindful habits for self-care, enhanced well-being and contentment.

• In-person: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 | 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
• August is National Immunization Awareness Month – Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents 5 Exercises for Boosting Immunity
• Location: The Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff, Village Hall, 300 Sea Cliff Ave. Sea Cliff
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/5ExercisesBoostingImmunity
  
  August is National Immunization Awareness Month which is dedicated to raising awareness about why vaccines are essential for people and the importance of boosting our immunity to stay healthy. In this workshop, participants will learn about simple practices such as breathing, meditation and Qigong that strengthen the natural healing capacity within ourselves, which will lead to improved immunity and resilience. No matter what the weather or circumstances around you, activate your natural healing power to stay healthy and bright.

• In-person: September, Thursday, September 4, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
• September is Happy National Balance Awareness Month – Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents Balance & Strength for All
• Location: Rose Caracappa Sr. Center, 739 NY-25A, Mt. Sinai
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/NationalBalanceMonthBalanceStrength
  
  Maintaining good balance, strong lower body, and a stable posture to prevent falls is essential as we age. Whether you suffer from conditions like vertigo, dizziness or just have general trouble balancing, empower yourself with simple exercises to improve the strength of your legs, feet, core, and spine. You'll also learn how to improve your mind-body coordination to enhance your senses and awareness, which will help to improve balance, mobility, and help you stay active and on the go!

• Online: Thursday, October 9, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
• October is Menopause Awareness Month – Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents How to Improve Well-being through Menopause
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/ImproveWellbeingthroughMenopause
  
  In honor of Menopause Awareness Month and to support women’s health, this workshop will offer important tools to help support physical and emotional well-being during this transitional time in women’s lives. You will learn how to create a relaxing bedtime ritual for better sleep, exercises for strengthening your bones, and mindfulness techniques to manage night sweats and hot flashes. Developing a regimen for self-care can help ease the difficult symptoms of menopause and promote a positive mindset and overall wellbeing.

• Online: Thursday, November 6, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
• November is Alzheimer’s and Family Caregivers Month – Body & Brain Yoga/Tai Chi presents Practices for Self-Care and Emotional Management
• Register: https://events.aarp.org/AlzheimerFamilyCaregiversMonth
  
  November marks both National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. We honor the extraordinary courage, strength, and resilience of people facing this devastating disease and those caregiving heroes, the families and friends who stand by their loved one’s side and help them age with dignity. Caregivers can easily lose sight of their own health and wellbeing, and it may be hard to initiate positive habits of self-care. This workshop will offer guidance on how to recharge and rejuvenate the body and mind, let go of negative emotions and maintain positive energy. When you as a caregiver can integrate self-care techniques, then you will have that much more energy, love and support to share with those who need it.

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