Estela Villanueva-Whitman, Special to the Register 11:02 p.m. CST March 7, 2015

Fred Nelson leads Meditation Around Town, a free monthly meditation session, on Feb. 19 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center.(Photo: Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register)

Dennis Kelly discovered meditation more than 44 years ago; he later shared it at his workplace and now is involved with Meditation Around Town, bringing the experience to venues across central Iowa.

The program is in its second year, an offshoot of the popular Yoga in the Park, which Kelly developed six years ago.

If youve never really experienced meditation or youre open to giving it a try, its a safe environment. Theres no pressure and nobody asking you to join anything, he said.

Part of the experience is discovering what helps quiet the mind, Kelly said.

Kelly began meditating as a sophomore at the University of South Dakota after seeing a flier for Transcendental Meditation. Hes also a reiki master and practices yoga and EFT, or emotional freedom technique, also known as tapping. Before retiring, he brought yoga and meditation to his workplace, John Deere Financial in Johnston.

Ive always enjoyed energy work and self-development and the inner journey aspect of life, he said.

During a trip to Chicago, Kelly saw a flier for Yoga in the Park. He took a hotel towel with him and joined the group at Millennium Park, all the while thinking he could create something similar in Des Moines.

Kelly began talking to Des Moines parks officials and began the yoga program at Grays Lake. Although he no longer organizes that event, it is still going strong, drawing 200 to 300 people every Saturday in the warmer months.

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Meditation events help central Iowans