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Greetings!
I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. Maya Angelou
Wise and wonderful words for this holiday season expressed so eloquently by poet Maya Angelou. Often in this season of expectation and busyness, we forget that giving does feed and liberate the soul. Even in times of economic hardship, we can share our abundance with others, be it with our time, our talents, our presence, or our food. Keep the spirit of giving alive by liberating your soul this holiday season and making a difference in someone else's life. I am grateful to each of you who read my newsletter each month, and have touched my life in some way. Best wishes to you and your families for a holiday season filled with joy, hope, and compassion.
Peace, Pam
Pamela Katz Ressler, RN, BSN, HN-BC
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Meditation Maintenance |
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Keep up with your meditation practice by attending Meditation Maintenance Sessions...a great way to give yourself a self-care "tune-up" once a month. Because we are getting into winter weather season, I will put a recording on the office voice mail (programs and classes option) 978-369-5243 by 3 PM for evening sessions and 9 AM for morning sessions if the session has been canceled due to weather.
Evening sessions meet from 7-9 PM on the second Monday of each month:
- December 8
- January 12, 2009
- February 9, 2009
Daytime sessions meet from 12:30-2:30 PM on the second Friday of each month:
- December 12
- January 9, 2009
- February 13, 2009
Both evening and daytime sessions will be held at Stress Resources' office (97 Lowell Rd, Concord, MA) this year, while Wright Tavern and First Parish Church are undergoing renovation. It will be necessary to pre-register for sessions this year, as space is limited. Meditation Maintenance sessions are $15 per session. Register by e-mail or by phone (978-369-5243)
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Individual and Group Instruction in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) |
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We are living in challenging and turbulent economic times. Recession, economic downturn, restructuring and rescue plans scream at us from the daily papers and news reports. It's enough to stress out the most laid back person in the world! While we cannot control the economic forecasts, we can learn new skills of stress resiliency to help us weather whatever unsettled climate in which we find ourselves. Take this opportunity prepare for riding out the stormy weather by signing up for the upcoming 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) or arranging individual sessions of MBSR. Classes begin in January, flexible scheduling and continuing education credit are available. What do you have to lose?..nothing, what do you have to gain?...everything!
To learn more about the group classes or our newly expanded individual options, click here |
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Free Yoga Benefit Event, Saturday, Dec 6 |
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 Recession Proof Your Life by Exploring the Yogic Principle of Giving Freely
Recession Proof Your Life...This headline caught my eye and intrigued me when I read about the upcoming yoga benefit to be held Saturday, Dec 6 from noon until 2 PM at Yoga and Nia for Life in Concord Massachusetts. Yoga instructor, John Calabria, Kate Millen and Natalie Engler will be offering this class of gentle, flow and restorative yoga and meditation as a benefit to the Acton Food Pantry. What a wonderful representation of the yogic principle of freely living and freely giving from the heart. By you giving freely some non-perishable foods from your pantry, John and friends will share freely their gifts of yoga, and we will all share our gifts of abundance with those in need at the Acton Food Pantry. By joining together to share our bounty with others, we truly do recession proof our lives as they remain full and abundant even when we are watching our 401K's nosedive. Here is what John Calabria has to say about the event he will be hosting on Saturday:
"If you are coming, there are several ways to experience our class together:
1. Root through your shelves and find the box of pasta, and can of soup bought so long ago, and bring them along to class. Yes, that will feed somebody, and we will very-much appreciate your contribution.
2. Search your cabinets and find the favorite item amongst your stores. Hold it to your heart; imagine the person who will receive it. Beam your prayer into the container, infusing the food with this light. Do this until your eyes well-up. Bring it to class and place it in the bin. Don't tell anybody. It's not a story; it's a sacred act of compassion between you and the recipient.
It's important to notice even a slight hesitation in your giving. Is it an expensive item, does it activate a sense of 'I don't have enough?' Our lower chakras blindly grasp the material world, and keep us in a feeling of fear and lack. Our consumptive culture encourages this. The antidote is to give. Perhaps you really need that favorite item for your holiday dinner. Then choose something else, but practice giving until you can sense no hesitation at all. In Yoga philosophy this is called Daan. Freely giving, freely living from your heart. It is the only way to lasting happiness. Happy if the market is up 600 or down 600. In every moment, each and every breath, we have the option to skim the surface of life, or to live deeply. Your choice, give the pasta, or give from your heart. "
Thank you to Lisa for letting me know about this yoga event. I hope to attend and see you there! For more information, contact John Calabria
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Holiday Stress |
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 Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress
As much as we try not to get caught up in the frenzy surrounding the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, often we find ourselves feeling overworked, overwhelmed and overstressed! A few years ago, I was introduced to the Japanese aesthetic concept of Wabi-Sabi. Wabi-Sabi is about embracing the beauty in imperfection, patina, simplicity, man-made vs. machine-made. In her book Finding the Deep River Within, my colleague Abby Seixas, uses the term "Wabi-Sabi Eyes" as a different way we can choose see the world, especially during a time of the year when we habitually drive ourselves crazy seeking the "perfect" holiday. Abby writes: "Wabi-Sabi is a different way of seeing, a good antidote to seeing through the eyes of perfection." Can we, for only a few short weeks, give ourselves the chance to view the world through Wabi-Sabi eyes, with perhaps with a bit more compassion and sense of beauty of our own imperfection and those around us? And can we see beauty in the simple and humble alongside the glitz and glitter?
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