February 2006
News from Stress Resources
in this issue
 

February 9 Drop-In

Do you need a boost to your meditation practice? Join others in continuing to develop your practice of mindfulness with our monthly group meditation and discussion. This month, since February is Heart Month, we will be focusing on meditations of the heart, using centering exercises and mindful yoga to go within and expand our awareness.

Any one with some meditation experience is welcome to join us! We will be meeting in the Wright Tavern Center, from 7-9 PM, on Thursday, February 9. The Wright Tavern is located at 2 Lexington Rd., Concord. Please remember to bring a yoga mat, as well as a blanket for comfort during relaxation.

Drop-in fee is $15

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Greetings!

If you are a believer in Punxsutawney Phil, (the official groundhog), Spring is another six weeks away. Just maybe, Punxsutawney Phil has it right...he wasn't running away from his shadow, but allowing himself to continue to retreat, renew and rebalance with the slower pace of the Winter months.

How often are we in a hurry to rush through another season, another task or even another year? Can we see Punxsutawney Phil as our mindful guide this month and be present with Winter....a time to settle in to our own internal rhythm and awareness. Perhaps this is a time to come inside, both literally and metaphorically.

I hope you will find time during this month of renewal to become aware of your inner landscape as you observe the outer landscape from a warm and cozy place.

Warmly,

Pam


A Taste of Mindfulness

Stress Resources will be presenting an innovative "Lunch and Learn" workshop: A Taste of Mindfulness on Wednesday, March 15 from 12-1 PM at Karendyth, a new holistic center located at 254 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA. This is a a perfect way to learn to incorporate mindfulness into your workday. Read more about the workshop by clicking the link below and then clicking on NEW Workshops.


Barnaby Inn Retreat

Fabulous...Incredible...Wow... These are just a few of the comments from the nurses who attended our Nurse Retreat at the Barnaby Inn in W. Harwich, MA on January 28. More than a dozen nurses spent the day caring for the caregiver with various workshops and TLC therapies. The Nurse Retreats are designed for nurses by nurses and include delicious meals, TLC therapies such as chair massage and reflexology sessions, as well as MARN approved Continuing Education workshops for nurses in a beautiful B&B on Cape Cod.

If you didn't have a chance to rebalance, reflect and renew at this retreat.....don't worry we will be planning more retreats soon! Stress Resources collaborates with Coach4Nurses and The Barnaby Inn, all nurse-owned businesses, to make the retreats a meaningful respite for nurses by nurses.


MBSR and Chronic Pain

An interesting study, brought to my attention by one of my students, appeared in the Journal of General Internal Medicine recently. The study examined reported levels of pain in chronic pain patients suffering from musculoskeletal pain using Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), massage and standard care as the study variables.

The pilot study findings indicated the most pain reduction initially in the massage group, but the level of pain substantially increased at the end of the study period (when the participants were not receiving massages any longer). While the standard care group and the MBSR group did not have as dramatic a decrease in the reported pain, at the completion of the study the MBSR group had the most sustained improvement in mood states, one of the most difficult to treat manifestations of chronic pain. The conclusion being that MBSR may lead to sustained improved mood states and thus reduction of pain with lifestyle and coping changes.

If you are interested in reading more about this study, click on the MBSR and Chronic Pain link to below.


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