Much Ado About Mindfulness! August, 2011

August, 2011

Greetings!

This issue is packed with information! Greetings from California where I'm attending the American Viniyoga Institute's professional training in a unique method called Viniyoga. Unlike the yoga seen in most yoga studios, Viniyoga is uniquely gentle, individualized, targeting and strengthening the interior muscles used for breathing, training the practitioner to mindfully use the breath to support the spine, and re-educating the muscles from dysfunctional patterns to functional ones. It's the only form of yoga supported by research conducted by the National Institutes of Health showing it to be effective for reducing chronic back pain. I've been here learning and practicing Viniyoga all week, and the improvement in my chronic back pain, and the increased strength in my lower back, is remarkable. Participants in the upcoming Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses beginning August 8th will get to learn and practice Viniyoga as a part of the curriculum.

August 17th at 2:00 PM I'll be speaking on Mindfulness and Growth-Fostering Relationships: How Women Connect and Transform as part of the Powerful You! Women's Network's monthly webinar/teleconference. If you'd like to learn more about Powerful You! and all it has to offer women in the areas of personal, professional, and spiritual growth, click here.

On September 14th at 6PM at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Myers I'll be speaking at the monthly meeting of the Southwest Florida chapter of Powerful You! on the development of a new program on weight loss. This pilot program will incorporate mindfulness meditation, Viniyoga, and the curriculum on spiritual growth developed by author Marianne Williamson entitled A Course in Weight Loss. If this type of program appeals to you, please take this short survey. I want to receive your input as this new program emerges.

Scroll down for all the latest news in mindfulness and personal growth. See you next month. And, remember,

life is about learning, trying new things, changing and growing.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

There are still spaces available in the two 8-week MBSR courses scheduled for August 9th - October 5th. Tuition for this upcoming course has been reduced by $100, so if you've been considering MBSR, take advantage of this discount. Options are a morning class on Tuesdays (9:30 AM - 12) or an evening class on Thursdays (6-8:30 PM). Classes are held at The Brooks Executive Suites, 9990 Coconut Rd., Bonita Springs. Each course includes an all day retreat to be held on Sunday, September 25th at The Brooks Commons Club (next door). To reserve your space in either course, click here. To learn more about MBSR, click here.

Foot Massage

Restorative Yoga and Massage

There are two of these 3 hour workshops scheduled in August. To register for the workshop scheduled from 1-4 PM on Sunday, August 14th click here. To register for the workshop scheduled from 1-4 PM on Sunday, August 21st click here. Registration for these workshops is limited to 12 participants, so enroll early! Past participants have loved this workshop!

Mindfulness is Central to Integrative Health

Did you know that at institutions like Duke Integrative Medicine and Vanderbilt Center for Integrative Health, mindfulness is central to the mission of health? At these integrative medical centers, physicians routinely prescribe ancient Eastern healing practices like mindfulness meditation, yoga, massage, and acupuncture, along with conventional Western medical treatments. These institutions, like others throughout the country, operate on models, depicted at the links below, that attend to the mind-body connection, preventive practices, nutrition, emotional well-being, movement, spirituality, and life meaning and purpose. These exemplary healthcare institutions offer us a glimpse of what healthcare could be for all of us, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Duke Integrative Medicine's Model

Vanderbilt Center for Integrative Health's Model

Living MindFULLY

Sept. 16-24

Save some time on your calendar for the mindful living events planned for Living MindFULLY week in Lee County September 16-24. You'll enjoy guest speakers, workshops, and events focusing on living a mindful life. Living MindFULLY is a collaborative effort of Integrative Mindfulness, the non-profit Hearts' Path to Mindful Living, Inc., Lee County Parks & Recreation, Renaissance Montessori School, and Lee Memorial Health System. For information visit www.PathtoMindfulness.org or e-mail John Kiseda of Lee County Parks & Rec or Mary Robinson of Hearts' Path to Mindful Living, or call John at (239) 432-2163 or Mary at (239) 277-0646, ext. 2.

Please spread the word of mindfulness in Southwest Florida by forwarding this newsletter to your friends, family members, physician, health-care practitioner, and colleagues by clicking on the "Forward this issue" link below.