July 2015       
"Summertime, and the livin' is easy. Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high"     ~ George Gershwin

 

Greetings! 

Summertime and the living is easy...or it can be if we take the challenge of being just a bit more mindful in our day to day dealings with the world around us. The biggest difficulty in establishing and maintaining a mindfulness practice is the expectation that it should be easy. I would argue that meditation and mindfulness are simple but never easy. However, inserting small increments of deliberate practice into your day will lead to sustainability in any new skill or habit. Mindfulness is skill that develops the more you practice.

Summertime is a great time to "try-on" a new skill when the pace is a bit more forgiving than during the rest of the year. Are you up for a summer challenge in mindfulness? One fun way to increase your mindfulness this month is by participating in the July Mindfulness Challenge. To participate I invite you to locate (think farm stands, gardens, farmers' markets, CSAs, specialty/ethnic food markets) a food item that you have never eaten before; photograph it; then explore it mindfully (noticing all five senses...sight, sound, smell, tough and taste); write a few lines about what you discovered; and finally email me the photo/description of your item (if you only want to send a description of your mindful edible that's fine, too). I will post all the submissions to the July Mindfulness Challenge entries on my blog (with or without your name, as you wish). On August 3, I will randomly select one name from all the submissions and send that lucky mindfulness participant a copy of the CD, Opening the Door to Meditation. You can submit as many items as you wish in the July Mindfulness Challenge.

Let's have some fun and be mindful at the same time...happy hunting!

Wishing you a month of mindful edible discoveries,

    Pam



 
In This Issue
Pam's Blog
Meditation Maintenance Schedule
New Logo...New Website for Stress Resources
Fall MBSR Registration Open
Individual Mindfulness Training
Zentangle in August
The Art and Relaxation of the Tea Ceremony
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 Pam Ressler
Pam Ressler
 
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!
Meditation Maintenance

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2015 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 W
ednesdays 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, Sept 9

Wed, Oct 14

Wed, Nov 11

Wed, Dec 9 

 

Daytime sessions meet 12:30-2:30 PM  
Fri, Sept 11 
Fri, Oct 16*
(*note 3rd Friday instead of 2nd) 
Fri, Nov 13
Fri, Dec 11 

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 $20 per session

Register by
e-mail 

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 

New Logo...New Website  


2016 will mark the 15th anniversary of Stress Resources. As with any milestone, it is one to acknowledge, celebrate and renew!

After more than a decade, I decided it was time to re-imagine my logo and website--honoring what is familiar while at the same time embracing a cleaner, more functional (especially for mobile devices), and hopefully more aesthetically pleasing site.  You will find many of the favorites from the old site, such as the newsletter archive and resources, but also a NEW events page listing upcoming groups (like Meditation Maintenance), workshops, speakers, in an easy to navigate interactive calendar. Click on the photo or listing in the calendar and you will be able to learn more and register directly for that event. I plan to add more videos and audio downloads to the resources section of the site in the near future.

 

This is an evolving process, and one in which I need you to offer ideas. What do you like, what could be tweaked? I plan on adding some short testimonials as well. If you feel comfortable offering some words about your experience with Stress Resources, I would welcome your contribution.   

Thank you for being part of the Stress Resources community as it continues to evolve, grow and serve the needs of more individuals and organizations.

  

Fall Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR)
meditation class from Boston Globe Registration is NOW OPEN

Registration for the
Fall Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) is now open. This is the program you have heard about and read about in the news...the gold standard of most of mindfulness studies. The program consists of 8 weekly 2-hour sessions, all materials are included in the course. Class size is limited to 16 to allow for more individualized attention than most other MBSR programs offer. This year the evening program will be held on Monday evenings, the daytime session will be held on Friday mornings.

Classes start on
Friday, October 16
Monday, October 19

Continuing education credit is available for nurses and social workers. For more information and registration,
 

Jump Start Your Mindfulness with Individual  Mindfulness Training 

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  • Do you need a jump start on mindfulness training?
  • Weekly group classes don't work for your schedule?
  • Are you a "totally Type A person" and cannot fathom how meditation would work for you?
  • Do you have specific medical challenges that mindfulness tools may be able to help?
  • Looking for strategies to engage more successfully in your professional life?
  • Just curious as to what mindfulness actually is and how you could benefit?
Let's work together to create an individualized approach to mindfulness that will work for YOU. 

  

Individual Mindfulness Training is a unique option offered only by Stress Resources that allows the individual to set the pace for training but maintains the essential framework of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in private or semi-private sessions.

Stress Resources' Individual Mindfulness Training
has been successfully taught to entrepreneurs, business leaders, athletes, healthcare professionals, management consultants, teachers, busy parents and students. We work together, mindfully, to meet your needs. What are you waiting for?

For more information about Individual Mindfulness Training click here 
 Reduce Your Stress and Increase Your Mindfulness with Zentangle

                                                    
Have you been reading about the relaxation benefits of coloring for adults? The New Joy of Coloring was the cover story in a recent Parade magazine. What we know about the brain is that indeed it is beneficial to step away from the analytical processing mode and into the more creative or free flowing mode on a regular basis. We can do this through many strategies, like meditation and relaxation tools. Intricate coloring or a similar process called Zentangle elicit similar responses in the brain. Zentangle consists of drawing (think doodling) repetitive patterns on a small square of paper.

Come play with this meditative technique called Zentangle on Friday, August 21 from 12:30-2:30 at the Stress Resources office. Beginners encouraged to come...everyone will be successful...I promise!  In the photo above are examples of some of the beautiful results of our last Zentangle workshop (and all examples are from first time Zentanglers!)

Space is limited to 10, so register soon. You will go home with your own set of supplies to continue your Zen-tangling.

Cost is $35 per person Preregister by clicking here 
The Art and Relaxation of the Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony

Tranquility, joy and harmony....join us in experiencing the ritual of the Chinese Tea Ceremony along with the beautiful sounds of the Guzheng (traditional stringed instrument of China). I am pleased that tea master Haiyan Feng will be leading a very special workshop for Stress Resources on Saturday, September 12, from 3:00-4:30 PM. Here is what Haiyan says you may expect to experience during the workshop:   

 

"The Tea Ceremony is a ritual of inner peace to nurture the body, mind and spirit. Tea is life. Tea is energy.   

 

We live in a stressful world. Rarely do we have a chance to listen to what our hearts want and need.  Watching a spiritual tea master performing a tea ceremony, is like having a therapy massage in a spa where your spirit is lifted and you feel love, peace and joy in the moment.

The workshop is designed to reduce stress, boost energy and purify the system thru the authentic Chinese tea ceremony (a ritual of inner peace for harmony, tranquility and joy) and the Guzheng (one of the most ancient Chinese instruments for healing) musical therapy.  

 

You will gain knowledge of the potential health benefits of the teas, learn when to drink what type of tea in your daily life, and participate in the tea ceremony. 4 types of organic whole leaf loose teas tasting and cookies provided."

 

This workshop will fill quickly and attendance is limited. Preregistration with payment is required to hold your spot! To register and learn more, click here