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January 2012  
Greetings 
Living Healthy 
"Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Take down a musical instrument.
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. 
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground"
~Rumi

Happy New Year. As we enter January, we become intent on making changes. The new year is often filled with "shoulds" and resolutions focused on "improving" ourselves in some way.  May I suggest a radical departure from this tradition? What would happen if the only resolution you made (and kept) was to let the beauty you love be what you do?  How empowering and affirming! A simple yet powerful intention for 2012.

May you walk in beauty in the new year, 

Pam

In This Issue
Meditation Maintenance Schedule
Pam's Blog
10 Tips for Stress-Less Holidays
Flexible, Individual MBSR Training
Unique Holiday Gifts
Stress Resources Channel on YouTube
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 Meditation Maintenance
Meditation Maintenance Sessions are a great way to give yourself a monthly self-care "tune-up" by joining with fellow meditators to discuss insights and challenges of your practice. You are welcome to attend each month or simply on an occasional basis. You will find a supportive and welcoming respite in the midst of your busyness.

Winter/Spring Schedule

Evening sessions meet from 7-9 PM
 
Wed, Jan 11 
Wed, Feb 8
Wed, Mar 7
Wed, Apr 11


Daytime sessions meet 12:30-2:30 PM
 
Fri, Jan 13
Fri, Feb 10
Fri, Mar 9
Fri, Apr 13  
  
Both evening and daytime sessions are held at Stress Resources' office (97 Lowell Rd, Concord, MA). Please pre-register for sessions as space is limited. 

Meditation Maintenance sessions are $15 per session. Register by e-mail or by phone (978-369-5243).  

Introducing the Stress Resources' Lending LiBooksbrary  


Through a generous donation by one of Stress Resources' students, we now have a collection of books and audio/visual materials on a broad range of mind/body, meditation and health and wellness topics that are available to lend at any time. 

Feel free to browse through the collection at any of our meditation maintenance sessions.

 Pam Ressler
Pamela Ressler, RN, MS, HN-BC
 
Visit my blog

I invite you to read AND comment on
my blog. I write reflections and post links to articles of interest on the intersecting topic areas of resiliency, healthcare, stress management, mindfulness, and life!

Stress Resources and Pam Ressler are on TWITTER    

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Follow @pamressler   

and @stressresources    

for updated resources and links to relevant healthcare articles and research 

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STARTING THIS WEEK!!!

Winter 2012 Group MBSR Program   

Fall MBSRThe Winter 2012 Session of Stress Resources' Group MBSR will be starting this week! Both Thursday evening and Friday morning classes are available.  Classes begin on January 12/13 and end on March 8/9 (classes are not held during February public school vacation week February 23/24)  

 

REGISTER NOW!!  Class size is limited to 15 students.  Continuing education credit is available for nurses and other health professionals.

 

For more information or to register for the Winter 2012 Group MBSR Program, click here. 

All Yoga is NOT Created Equal


If you think that signing up for that yoga class at the gym is just the ticket for your fitness this year, you may want to read this article recently published in the New York Times: How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body. 

While I practice yoga myself and teach a very gentle type of hatha yoga in my mindfulness classes, all yoga styles and classes are not created equal.  Some of my orthopedist friends have remarked that they haven't seen so many overuse and traumatic injuries of the spine, knees and hips since the Jane Fonda Aerobics craze of the 1980's! 
Jane Fonda Aerobics
Jane Fonda Aerobics 1980's (yes, those are men wearing the ubiquitous leg warmers of that era in the background)  

Here are some tips to help you find an appropriate yoga class for your needs:
  • Always speak to your health professional before beginning a yoga practice.
  • Observe a yoga class taught in the style you are interested in prior to joining.
  • Ask the style of yoga the instructor teaches and if the instructor has received certification from the Yoga Alliance.  There is no standard training or certification for yoga teachers and training can be as short as a weekend course.  A yoga instructor must have undergone a minimum of 200 hours of training to be certified by the Yoga Alliance, and then may use the acronym RYT (registered yoga teacher) after their name. 
  • Start with a gentle style of yoga. One gentle type of yoga is Kripalu style, which includes a meditation component as well as body focused work. 
  • Restorative yoga is a great choice for those who are returning to exercise from injury or illness.
  • Avoid super-heated yoga classes unless you are have thoroughly stretched and warmed up your muscles prior to class.  These popular classes often have the most injuries associated with them because while muscles and joints feel warm and flexible because of the room temperature, they are not properly stretched and injury may result.
  • Finally, the word yoga means "yoke or union" , bringing together the mind and the body.  If your yoga class does not attend to the mind as well as the body (by including a deep relaxation and meditation component), it is not a yoga class, but an exercise class.

Stress Resources Offers Flexible MBSR -- Individual Training  

  • Do you have an unpredictable schedule that doesn't allow for a commitment to an every week group class? 
  • Have you heard about the new research on the health benefits of mindfulness and are curious to find out how you can benefit?  
  • Are you interested in exploring how to add mindfulness practices into your busy life?  
  • Could you use some gentle guidance and coaching in establishing,renewing or maintaining a mindfulness practice?    
  • Do you live too far from Concord, MA to attend on-site classes? 

 

Stress Resources will help you craft a mindfulness practice that makes sense for you.  We can arrange in-office or real-time interactive web instruction anywhere in the world through Skype webcam connection!

 

Flexible MBSR/Private and Semi-Private Mindfulness Training: This unique option offered by Stress Resources allows the individual to set the pace for training but maintains the essential framework of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction in private or semi-private sessions. The individual mindfulness training option allows your MBSR training to take place over 8-12 weeks at your own pace and schedule. Four individual sessions (1-hour each) are scheduled at the participant's convenience with morning, afternoon and evening sessions available.  Additional training sessions may be added as needed for an additional fee and a Blue Cross/Blue Shield discount is available. Train with a friend for added savings.
For more information about Flexible MBSR Training, click here     

Stress Resources' Meditation Tools    

Sometimes you need a few tools to deepen or enhance your meditation practice.  Stress Resources offers two products that help you do just that: Our exclusive handcrafted labyrinths and our popular meditation CD.

Would you like a meditation tool that can enhance your creativity,
focus and problem solving during the day?  You may want to consider a lap labyrinth.
These beautiful,
handcrafted lap labyrinths are designed and made exclusively for Stress Resources. They are great for home, office, or school and are easily portable and surprisingly durable. Some individuals tuck a labyrinth in a tote bag to use in waiting rooms or during long medical appointments or keep one on their desk at work to create a more centered, productive mindset during stressful times.

 CD
Our popular meditation CD, Opening the Door to Meditation, is great for students as well as adults. It features 3 different 20 minute meditations, as well as an 8 minute Loving Kindness meditation. The CD can be downloaded to an mp3 player for portability. 
 

Check Out Some Great TEDTalks on Stress Resources' YouTube Channel  


 

YouTubeDid you know that Stress Resources selects and curates a great collection of clips, videos and lectures from some of the world's foremost teachers and leaders in the fields of mindfulness, compassionate communication, health care, and resiliency on the Stress Resources Channel?  

 

This mMihaly Czikszentmihalyionth's selections include two inspiring and thought provoking TEDTalks, one by Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi exploring the question, "What Contributes to a Life Worth Living?" and the other by physician and author, Abraham Verghese, reflecting on the "Importance of Touch as a Ritual of Healing".   

 

Be sure to continue to check often for new clips that have been added to this eAbraham Verghesevolving and expanding collection.  You can access and subscribe to the Stress Resources' YouTube channel by clicking this link (it's free!)