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Greetings!
In the Blackwater Woods
by Mary Oliver
Look, the trees
 are turning
their own bodies
into pillars
of light,
are giving off the rich
fragrance of cinnamon
and fulfillment,
the long tapers
of cattails
are bursting and floating away over
the blue shoulders
of the ponds,
and every pond,
no matter what its
name is, is
nameless now.
Every year
everything
I have ever learned
in my lifetime
leads back to this: the fires
and the black river of loss
whose other side
is salvation,
whose meaning
none of us will ever know.
To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.
Mary Oliver explores the theme of "letting go" so beautifully. It is certainly something that many of us struggle with in so many facets of life. As the season changes to late fall and early winter we are reminded by nature of "letting go" and going within. I was honored to be able to participate in a day long teaching with the Dalai Lama when he visited Boston at the end of October. In his teaching the Dalai Lama circled back many times to the understanding of "emptiness", letting go, as a precursor to compassion and connection. This resonated with me and I hope it also does with you as we continue our mindful work of simply being.
Wishing you a month of love and letting go, Pam |
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Stress Resources has an active Facebook Page with frequent links to articles, research and events related to resiliency, mindfulness and stress management.
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Pam Ressler
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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!
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Meditation Maintenance
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2014 Fall Schedule
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.
Our general schedule is the 2nd Wednesday (evening) and 2nd Friday (afternoon) of each month. However, there may be some months when we will meet on other Wednesdays or Fridays. Please see the schedule below.
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.
Fall Schedule
Evening sessions meet 7-9 PM
Wed, Nov 12
Wed, Dec 10
Daytime sessions meet 12:30-2:30 PM
Fri, Nov 14
Fri, Dec 12
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
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Stress Resources and Pam Ressler are on TWITTER
Follow @pamressler
and @stressresources
for updated resources and links to relevant healthcare articles and research
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The Science of Meditation
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 Scientific American devoted their cover story to the neuroscience of mindfulness this month.
In this issue you will read about the research that is shifting the perception of meditation and mindfulness from a fringe activity to a scientifically studied and validated practice. Click here for a brief excerpt of the article. Well worth getting a copy!
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A Day with the Dalai Lama
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 A day with the Dalai Lama! An opportunity I wholeheartedly embraced on October 30. I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the day- long teaching with the Dalai Lama at the Wang Center in Boston. He offered lessons on the 8 Verses of Mind Training, a Buddhist teaching as well as shared his humor and wisdom with those of us in the audience. So what were my take-aways?
- One is never too important or famous to be humble
- Laughter and humor matter
- Embrace what is good in yourself and others
- Don't take yourself or the world too seriously
- Emptiness and letting go is metta (loving-kindness)
- Compassion is cherishing the well-being of others
- Just because we perceive something doesn't make it real
- Never lose your curiosity
- To cultivate "bodhichitta" (wish for enlightenment) one must first have compassion
- Educate your heart and your mind with enthusiasm
So many other teachings were transmitted that day, I am still mulling them over and will share more as I synthesize them. The openness, humbleness and happiness that the Dalai Lama exuded that fall day in Boston will stay with me as a life lesson...I feel very grateful.
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Individualized, Flexible Mindfulness Training
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Do you love the idea of learning mindfulness based strategies and meditation to enhance your life and decrease your stress, but a weekly program does not work for your schedule? Look no further than our Flexible Mindfulness Training. Stress Resources offers individual and semi-private training in Mindfulness Based Stress  Reduction. Sign up for semi-private sessions with a friend and one of you trains for 1/2 price ($200 savings).
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.
Stress Resources' Flexible MBSR has been successfully taught to business leaders, healthcare professionals, management consultants, teachers, busy parents and students. We work together, mindfully, to meet your needs. What are you waiting for?
The Flexible Mindfulness Training:- Includes four 1-hour sessions that may be scheduled
in the morning, afternoon or evening to meet your needs. We can meet in person, in Stress Resources' Concord office, or via Skype.
- Materials provided include 5 CDs (downloadable to mp3), copy of Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, training workbook and reference guide.
- Allows your MBSR training to take place over 8-12 weeks at your own pace and schedule with individualized coaching.
- Add a friend option allows you to learn the skills of MBSR with a friend and train for 1/2 price! (BCBS discount cannot be combined with this special rate)
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Mindfulness:
What it IS and What it IS NOT
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Do you ever wonder what mindfulness really is, and also what it is not? With all the hype mindfulness is receiving these days, those of us who respect and value the benefits of mindfulness in our own lives need to be aware that some are promoting mindfulness as some kind of miracle potion that "fixes" everything. Well-respected mindfulness meditation teacher, author, and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, Joseph Goldstein, will be addressing Mindfulness: What it Is and What it Is Not, in a free public lecture at UMass Medical School's Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society in Shrewsbury, MA on Wednesday, Nov 19 from 7:00-9:00 PM. I am planning on attending and would love to meet up with others at the event. To RSVP for Joseph Goldstein's talk, click here |
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