Stress Relief Yoga

Yoga is a movement & awareness practice that demonstrates the power of the mind-body connection. Using strength and flexibility exercises we put the body under “stress” and watch the physical and mental reactions to gain understanding of our habits. Techniques we teach give participants tools to switch “on” the relaxation response and turn “off” the fight, flight, or freeze response. Leave class with a sense calm, strength, and improved range of motion. All levels welcome, including those who are not flexible or don’t regularly exercise. We will have mats for 15 people, please bring your own if you have one. Participants will have the option to use a chair if they need.



Mindfulness for Stress Management

Mindfulness is a way of training attention that helps us engage fully in life. Often we function on auto pilot and our automatic reactivity to stress can be exhausting and depleting. Mindfulness practices can increase our joy and decrease our tendency to get stuck in negative trains of thought when we are faced with stressful situations.  At work, mindfulness teaches strategies to stay focused, emotionally self-regulate, and find compassion and connection with others. There are many ways to practice and we will introduce you to a few techniques that anyone can do, no matter how busy the mind, or how acute the stress.

Introduction to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
An introduction to the powerful protocol has been changing lives of patients at the Stress Reduction Clinic at UMass and now around the world since the late 1970s. How can we manage stress by using our own bodies? Learn the correlation between wellbeing, mindfulness, and attention.

Mindful Communication
Expand your language of emotions and needs for greater empathy. Based on nonviolent communication and the work of Marshall Rosenberg. These practices have been used throughout the world to calm disputes in politics and communities and aid understanding in interpersonal relationships. 60 minutes, in-person only.

Self Kindness as a practice of Mindfulness 

Loving Kindness is the third practice in mindfulness after single pointed concentration and open attention. What is this heart centered approach and how can self-kindness be the stepping stone towards loving kindness for others. Learn a technique to practice daily. 60 minutes, in-person only.

Creating a Mindful Work Environment

Using the 9 qualities of mindfulness to create a work or team culture that has a sense of psychological safety. Psychological safety is a basic need for teams to be high performing and creative according to Google’s study of 180 teams. This class will be focused on reflection and group work. 60 minutes, in-person only.

Meditation

Introduction to Meditation at Work

Let’s be honest: no one’s mind is completely clear when meditating. Surprised? Learn other myths associated with this ancient practice and its application at work.

Meditation to train the attention

We live in an age of distraction and meditation is one way to train the mind’s ability to focus. We get better at what we practice, so learn a technique you can do daily.

Meditation obstacles

There are many reasons that we stop meditating. Everyone encounters obstacles; learn ways to get through the obstacle and use it as a way to focus attention to begin practicing again.

Micro-Resets

Stress is a feedback loop. We need to return to baseline at regular intervals. But how? We teach a physiological approach using the body and the breath that you can use during your workday.

5 minute mindfulness

We often don’t have more than 5 or 10 minute moments throughout our day to practice. Learn techniques you can integrate throughout the day to return to baseline and re-establish a sense of wellbeing throughout the day.

Change Habits with Mindfulness

Creating habits conserves mental energy, but what happens when those habits are detracting from wellbeing? How can mindfulness, developing a deeper awareness of attention, actually help us change our habits? Based on Dr. Judson Brewer’s work.

Yoga for Stress Resilience

What body and brain-based techniques can we employ to enhance our stress resilience? Take this immersive class to learn approaches that any one can try.

Mindful Eating

Try deepening inner attention and body awareness to support flexible food choices. The most important part of the class is trying exercises that participants can repeat with other foods and other times.

Sweet Relief - Mindful eating can help us to curb the desire to eat more sweets and fully enjoy even the smallest bite. Bring a dessert to class to try a mindful eating exercise.

Hunger Signals – Do you know your hunger signals? Learn body and mind sensing to become familiar with your own hunger.

Craving – How does craving inform your food choices? It can be one of the biggest obstacles to mindful eating. How do we employ strategies to deal with craving.

Relaxation and Breath work

Yoga Nidra or Deep Rest

A meditation practice for Type A’s. Release deeply held physical and mental stress methodically. This technique is useful to get to sleep and stay asleep. A fully guided meditation practice recommended by the Department of Defense for PTSD. 30 minutes, only.

Breathing to change your state

Breath exercises can change inner wellbeing from anxious or depressed to a feeling of balance or calm. Learn about the role of the vagus nerve when we manipulate the breath. Reflect on different practices and how they change the inner experience. An immersive class. Take home a 10 min audio recording as a gift. 30 minutes, only.

Specialty Workshops

SMART goal setting

What do we need to consider when making healthy lifestyle changes? Use a worksheet to reflect on implementation of your new healthy routine.

How to use a Neti Pot
Do you suffer from discomfort related to pollen, dust or airborne particles? Learn how to use a neti pot. Did you know a neti pot is an ancient Indian cleansing technique? Bring your neti pot to class and learn proper use and its history and application, especially if you have found it painful to use in the past. You will need to bring your own supplies to class: a neti pot and a large bowl. We will provide salt and warm water if class is held in-person.

Empathy Circle

A chance to practice deep listening to another. This kind of open, curious attention can increase our capacity to be mindful and create new possibilities of connection. We will expand our understanding of emotions and needs based on Marshall Rosenberg’s work, Non-Violent Communication. 60 minutes, in-person or virtual with camera on, only.

History of Yoga

Sometimes the point of yoga is misunderstood as body conditioning or flexibility training. Learn the historical roots of yoga, its 8 part philosophy (of which the physical movements is only 1/8), and try the poses included in the research study on yoga for carpel tunnel syndrome.

GLAD Technique 

Establish a daily practice of noticing what we are grateful for, what we learned, accomplished, and delighted in. By the end participants will have a short practice to create a sense of optimism and positivity in their life. Worksheet provided.