Author: Erin Price

The Joan Hisaoka “Make a Difference” Gala is held annually in September. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts has been a fortunate recipient of The Joan Hisaoka Gala for the past thirteen years. This event raises funds that support organizations that assist those living with cancer.

Our dedicated board member, Robert Hisaoka, created this event in his sister’s name. Joan Hisaoka attended Smith Center’s Living Well with Cancer Program in 2008 and passed away shortly after. She was so affected by her experience, finding the tools she learned in coping with her cancer so profoundly useful, that she herself wanted to help others. With this wish, Robert created the Gala to carry on her legacy.

We are pleased to announce that the 14th Annual Joan Hisaoka Gala – Assisting those Living with Cancer will be held on September 18, 2021.

Now in its fourteenth year, the gala has raised about $17,500,000 for cancer support services in our area. This black tie event will attract close to 500 philanthropists from the Washington, DC business community and features a four-course dinner, as well as a reception, dancing, and silent and live auctions with exclusive luxurious items.

Over 20,000 people in Washington, DC currently live with cancer. Smith Center for Healing and the Arts is the only independent cancer support organization serving the DC cancer community. As one of two recipients of the evening, Smith Center receives major support for our daily programs that include support groups, stress reduction, nutrition workshops, cancer retreats, individual patient navigation services and other healing resources.

We are honored to be a beneficiary and to continue our life enhancing programs for people with cancer in Joan’s honor.

To learn more about this fabulous annual event, please visit: http://www.joanhisaokagala.org/ or contact Selvana Awad, selvana@smithcenter.org, 202.483.8600 to learn how to become a sponsor or to purchase tickets through Smith Center.

Sponsor Information

Thank you for generously supporting Smith Center through this event! 

 

 

Breathing in Wellness: A 4-part Mindfulness & Meditation Educational Series

developed by Matthew Grossman

Developing mindfulness skills can help combat stress, anxiety, and uncertainty in everyday life. This series explores meditation & mindfulness skills and explores four core meditation practices.

Session topics include:

  • Session 1: Sitting Meditation is one of the core practices of Mindfulness Meditation. It combines aspects of physical body positioning, calming breathing practices, and directing the mind’s awareness in order to achieve a balanced and natural sense of relaxation.

 

  • Session 2: Body Scan involves focused and nonjudgmental awareness and acceptance to specific parts of the body in sequential order (head, neck, chest, abdomen, etc.). This promotes awareness of both positive and negative sensations in the body while keeping the Sitting Meditation component of awareness of thoughts.

 

  • Session 3: Visual Meditation/Guided Imagery is a practice which involves imagining yourself in a relaxing, healing, stimulating place. This practice can be used to relax the body and mind, improve daily functioning, and facilitate healing through the use of attention and imagination.

 

  • Session 4: Loving-kindness Meditation begins with generating a feeling of love and acceptance towards yourself and emanates outward to others around you with whom you have positive or negative feelings towards, and even to those whom you do not know. Through the use of a mantra, this practice softens the mind and the heart and builds empathy and wellness.

 

Session 1: Sitting Meditation

Sitting Meditation Script

Sitting Meditation Handouts/Resources

Session 2: Body Scan

Body Scan Meditation Script

Body Scan Handouts/Resources

Session 3: Visual Meditation/Guided Imagery

Visual Meditation Script

Visual Meditation Handouts/Resources

Session 4: Loving-Kindness Meditation

Loving-Kindness Meditation Script

Loving-Kindness Meditation Handouts/Resources

 

Copyright 2018, Matthew Grossman (2018)

 

 

 

 

Metastatic Breast Cancer One Day Retreat Application   —   RETREAT FULL

Saturday, May 18, 2019

9:30am to 5:00pm

This retreat is designed to empower those living with Metastatic Breast Cancer to make life-affirming changes by providing tools and knowledge in a safe and caring community of others facing a similar diagnosis.

During the retreat, you will experience:

*A respite from the stresses of daily life with a cancer diagnosis

*Gentle, therapeutic yoga and meditation

*Delicious, whole foods, health-supportive lunch and

*An education session about eating with cancer

*A creativity session to tap into greater self-understanding in the face of cancer

*A community of other individuals who have shared experiences

Who: This retreat is designed for women who have been diagnosed with Stage IV/Metastatic breast cancer.

Cost: FREE, thanks to the generous support of the GW Cancer Center.

The retreat is now full. Please contact erin@smithcenter.org with any questions.

If you are interested in attending one of our upcoming retreats, please fill out and submit the following online application. Your responses will be kept confidential and only shared with the retreat staff. If you prefer, we can also send you a copy of the form to be completed offline and submitted – please contact retreats@smithcenter.org if interested.

**NOTE: This form does not allow you to save your progress, so we recommend completing in one sitting or writing your answers in a word document and pasting them into this form below.

The Guardian by Michael Winger

Retreat Reunion Event Information & Directions

The Guardian

Tina’s experience at her 2004 Cancer Retreat inspired her to create a healing garden in her home. The focal point of the garden is a sculpture, “The Guardian”, created by one of her fellow CHP participants, Michael Winger. “The concept of ‘The Guardian’ is that of avian forms protecting their eggs- their young. Four birds hover over and under their young with outstretched wings, protecting their young. When viewed from the side, the negative space created by the egg forms create two eyes. These are the eyes of the guardian. Others have seen an image of the Madonna and Child from the front, and lovers from the side. I think these images are all present in ‘The Guardian.’”

– Michael Winger, Artist and CHP Alum (2004)

Directions

The event is located at the home of Retreat alumna, Tina Cleland

9506 Culver Street, Kensington, MD 20895

The venue is ADA accessible. Street parking is available.

More information on Kensington, MD

METRO: The venue is close to the Medical Center, Grosvenor, and Bethesda Red Line Metro stations. From the station, it is a quick trip via Uber or Lift.

We will also have volunteers available to drive people from the Medical Center metro station to Tina’s house.

To request a pickup from the metro, please email DeAnne Nehra at Rdan89@aol.com by May 29, 2018.

Accommodations

There are a number of hotels in Kensington, Bethesda, and Silver Spring that are nearby.

If you are coming in from out of town and would like to request a place to stay with a local Cancer Retreat alum, please email DeAnne Nehra at Rdan89@aol.com by May 1, 2018. to request a placement. Spaces available are dependent on how many local Cancer Retreat alums volunteer to host. We cannot guarantee accommodation space will be available.

If you are a local Cancer Retreat alum and would like to volunteer to host a Cancer Retreat Alum from out of town please email DeAnne Nehra at Rdan89@aol.com to volunteer your home.

Cancer Retreat Companion Application

If you are interested in attending one of our upcoming retreats with your friend or loved one, please fill out and submit the following online application. Your responses will be kept confidential and only shared with the retreat staff. If you prefer, we can also send you a copy of the form to be completed offline and submitted – please contact retreats@smithcenter.org if interested.

**NOTE: This form does not allow you to save your progress, so we recommend completing in one sitting or writing your answers in a word document and pasting them into this form below. Click here for a complete list of questions.

If you are a Cancer Survivor interested in attending the retreat, please fill out this form instead.

Cancer Retreat Application

If you are interested in attending one of our upcoming retreats, please fill out and submit the following online application. Your responses will be kept confidential and only shared with the retreat staff. If you prefer, we can also send you a copy of the form to be completed offline and submitted – please contact retreats@smithcenter.org if interested.

**NOTE: This form does not allow you to save your progress, so we recommend completing in one sitting or writing your answers in a word document and pasting them into this form below. Click here for a complete list of questions.

If you are interested in having a caregiver, partner, or companion attend with you, please have them fill out the Companion Application form.