The goal of the Bless Bennington Project is to inspire people to take a moment daily at 9 AM or 9 PM — or any time it occurs to you — to dedicate a minute or so to focus on loving and appreciating our community, our town, and the landscape that we live in.

Many people know that Bennington is named after its founder, Benning Wentworth, but did you know the name Benning means “Blessed”? In other words, Bennington means “Blessed Town.” With our collective intentions, let’s help to fulfill that potential.

One way to begin is to take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and focus on the heart area to help quiet the mind. You may wish to choose a positive quality, like love, gratitude, or peace as a focus, allowing that quality to radiate from your heart like candle light. Imagine that radiance expanding as you extend blessings of love and gratitude to the community, town, and landscape of Bennington. After a minute, take a few deep breaths, open your eyes, and bring a sense of closure by reorienting your awareness to your physical body and surroundings.