Tag: Health

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Yael Flusberg, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, RMT, MS

Gentle PM Yoga

Enjoy a greater sense of well-being and enhanced energy in our gentle yoga classes. Learn various yoga postures, techniques in progressive relaxation, breathing practices, and meditation to help reduce stress, as well as balance mind, body, and spirit.

Our classes are specifically designed for adults facing stress, cancer, or other illness and are open to anyone interested in attending. All levels are welcome.

And, check out Yael’s contribution to CONNECT, Smith Center’s community-minded newsletter, called “Nurturing Resilience” on our YouTube channel!

Yael’s Gentle Yoga Class Meets Weekly on Tuesdays from 6:00 – 7:15pm ET.

Suggested Donation for 1 Class: $10

Suggested Donation for 1 Month of Classes: $25

In addition, our yoga classes are listed with the National MS Society and we welcome patients and caregivers of those with multiple sclerosis to our gentle yoga classes.

Our programs are also open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Yael Flusberg

Yael Flusberg Gentle Yoga Instructor Smith Center
Yael Flusberg first came to yoga hoping she could get rid of stuff, namely the ways life’s stresses and traumas had become painfully embodied. Fifteen years and thousands of layers of release later, yoga continues to teach her how to make strategic, creative, and life-nourishing choices. Trained as an integrative yoga therapist, Yael’s classes blend active with receptive states of being, and are both insightful and lighthearted. Off the mat, she is a coach, writer and energy therapist. Since 2005, Yael has taught yoga classes at area hospitals, libraries, workplaces, schools, and yoga studios. As an integrative yoga therapist (E-RYT500) she facilitates both group and individual yoga therapy sessions, working with people dealing with a variety of conditions including cancer, digestive disorders, diabetes, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, hypertension, mental health challenges (including depression, anxiety, grief and trauma), rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, and sports injuries. She currently teaches a weekly therapeutic class for people living with cancer and their caregivers on GW’s campus. More info: www.yaelflusberg.com

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Yael Flusberg, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, RMT, MS

Gentle PM Yoga

Enjoy a greater sense of well-being and enhanced energy in our gentle yoga classes. Learn various yoga postures, techniques in progressive relaxation, breathing practices, and meditation to help reduce stress, as well as balance mind, body, and spirit.

Our classes are specifically designed for adults facing stress, cancer, or other illness and are open to anyone interested in attending. All levels are welcome.

And, check out Yael’s contribution to CONNECT, Smith Center’s community-minded newsletter, called “Nurturing Resilience” on our YouTube channel!

Yael’s Gentle Yoga Class Meets Weekly on Tuesdays from 6:00 – 7:15pm ET.

Suggested Donation for 1 Class: $10

Suggested Donation for 1 Month of Classes: $25

In addition, our yoga classes are listed with the National MS Society and we welcome patients and caregivers of those with multiple sclerosis to our gentle yoga classes.

Our programs are also open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Yael Flusberg

Yael Flusberg Gentle Yoga Instructor Smith Center
Yael Flusberg first came to yoga hoping she could get rid of stuff, namely the ways life’s stresses and traumas had become painfully embodied. Fifteen years and thousands of layers of release later, yoga continues to teach her how to make strategic, creative, and life-nourishing choices. Trained as an integrative yoga therapist, Yael’s classes blend active with receptive states of being, and are both insightful and lighthearted. Off the mat, she is a coach, writer and energy therapist. Since 2005, Yael has taught yoga classes at area hospitals, libraries, workplaces, schools, and yoga studios. As an integrative yoga therapist (E-RYT500) she facilitates both group and individual yoga therapy sessions, working with people dealing with a variety of conditions including cancer, digestive disorders, diabetes, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, hypertension, mental health challenges (including depression, anxiety, grief and trauma), rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, and sports injuries. She currently teaches a weekly therapeutic class for people living with cancer and their caregivers on GW’s campus. More info: www.yaelflusberg.com

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Yael Flusberg, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, RMT, MS

Gentle PM Yoga

Enjoy a greater sense of well-being and enhanced energy in our gentle yoga classes. Learn various yoga postures, techniques in progressive relaxation, breathing practices, and meditation to help reduce stress, as well as balance mind, body, and spirit.

Our classes are specifically designed for adults facing stress, cancer, or other illness and are open to anyone interested in attending. All levels are welcome.

And, check out Yael’s contribution to CONNECT, Smith Center’s community-minded newsletter, called “Nurturing Resilience” on our YouTube channel!

Yael’s Gentle Yoga Class Meets Weekly on Tuesdays from 6:00 – 7:15pm ET.

Suggested Donation for 1 Class: $10

Suggested Donation for 1 Month of Classes: $25

In addition, our yoga classes are listed with the National MS Society and we welcome patients and caregivers of those with multiple sclerosis to our gentle yoga classes.

Our programs are also open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Yael Flusberg

Yael Flusberg Gentle Yoga Instructor Smith Center
Yael Flusberg first came to yoga hoping she could get rid of stuff, namely the ways life’s stresses and traumas had become painfully embodied. Fifteen years and thousands of layers of release later, yoga continues to teach her how to make strategic, creative, and life-nourishing choices. Trained as an integrative yoga therapist, Yael’s classes blend active with receptive states of being, and are both insightful and lighthearted. Off the mat, she is a coach, writer and energy therapist. Since 2005, Yael has taught yoga classes at area hospitals, libraries, workplaces, schools, and yoga studios. As an integrative yoga therapist (E-RYT500) she facilitates both group and individual yoga therapy sessions, working with people dealing with a variety of conditions including cancer, digestive disorders, diabetes, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, hypertension, mental health challenges (including depression, anxiety, grief and trauma), rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, and sports injuries. She currently teaches a weekly therapeutic class for people living with cancer and their caregivers on GW’s campus. More info: www.yaelflusberg.com

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing programs@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Renee Sandell, PhD

“It’s like we don’t exist’’ -Jaune Quick-to-See Smith on Native American artists - Healing Arts
“It’s like we don’t exist” by Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith

Join Renee for a hands-on, interactive art “workout,” designed to strengthen your discernment during this time of frequent misinformation.

 

We will use her Balanced Way of Seeing® method to explore multiple layers of meaning in the artwork of artist Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith that focus on maps and identity. We will consider this work and explore its timely relevance to racism, displacement, and the Pandemic.

 

Reflecting on past and present moments of endurance and injustice in our lives, we will rediscover sources of our own discernment needed to confront challenging issues in times ahead. Spend an evening as part of a virtual, multi-generational community through art “workouts” that become intimate online retreats for meaningful discerning, learning, connection and healing.

No previous art experience necessary. A Discernment Resource PDF will be emailed after the workshop.

 

Suggested Materials: 

  • White paper
  • Pencil
  • White drawing paper
  • Black sharpie marker

Suggested Donation: $15

About Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell’s art, teaching, and research focus on Visual Fitness 4 All: Engaging Creativity and Insight® for EVERYONE. Renee is founder/director of the expeditionary, museum-based SummerVision DC Program, which she designed and has delivered for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) for 10 years since 2010. Previously Professor of Art Education at George Mason University (2004-2014) and at Maryland Institute College of Art (1990-2003), she is co-author of two books on gender issues and has published numerous articles, book chapters and art curricula. Winner of the 2019 Lowenfeld Award, Sandell was recognized as 2015-2016 Distinguished Lecturer in Art Education at Miami University and 2013 NAEA National Art Educator. Renee has received numerous awards for her leadership and scholarship on her Form+Theme+Context (FTC)® and her Marking & Mapping®, an accessible form of visual meaning-making. Sandell’s Visual Fitness 4 All® for Engaging Creativity and Insight® workshops are designed to nurture envisioning skills for individuals within professional development programs, organizations, health spas, businesses, and other venues. She has been offering Art & Virtues workshops since early in the Pandemic. Renee’s Smithsonian Associates studio courses include: “Curating a Life: Art as Memoir,” Seeing More: Art, Virtues, and Our Lives, and Visual Journaling: Creativity Workshop.

Learn more about Renee’s teaching at www.visualfitness4all.com Renee’s artwork includes artistic installations of multi-media markings on paper, board, and silk, to explore the human condition in time, space, and place. To learn more about Renee’s artwork, visit her website www.reneesandellart.com

Visual Fitness 4 ALL

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef

Nourishment for Life with Chefnurcian Laura Pole

Join Chef, Oncology Nurse and Musician (Chefnurcian) Laura Pole on Wednesday, June 15 from 12-1:30pm for a program tailored to anyone who has received a Metastatic Breast Cancer diagnosis. We’re going to have a great time exploring how foods and eating habits can nourish you and help you nurture a body that’s less hospitable to cancer.

 

Chefnurcian Laura will tailor the class to your questions and interests about nourishment. She will also present a food prep demo based on what most of you are interested in learning. Please send in your questions and recommendations ahead of time to programs@smithcenter.org.

Suggested Donation: $10

About Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef

Laura Pole

Laura, Director of Smith Center’s Nourishment Education Programs, has served as the head retreat chef and nurse consultant since 1997. She is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Integrative Oncology Navigator with over 40 years experience in caring for people with serious illness. She is also a Certified Health Supportive Chef, professional musician and Nia body-mind fitness instructor. Her popular cooking classes are centered on culinary translation: that is, helping  participants translate a diet prescription to a plate of nourishing delicious food. Laura is the founder of “Eating for a Lifetime,” a consulting business dedicated to teaching individuals and professionals about health supportive eating and food preparation. In addition to Laura’s work with nourishment, she is the co-coordinator of Smith Center’s Patient Navigation Training in Integrative Cancer Care. Laura also serves as coordinator of the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. Please click here to register for this drop-in circle.

with Kiersten Gallagher

Grief Circle

Please join us in a series Healing Circles for Grief “to discover the extent and limits of what is lost, what is left and what is possible.”  – John Schneider

If you have lost a loved one, this is an opportunity to share what is on your heart and mind right now, to listen and be listened to deeply and generously. Together we create a safe space for listening to messages from our inner experience. 

Our healing circles are a safe and supportive space to walk with each other through these times. Each circle is a blend of sharing and silence, compassion, and curiosity. Our agreements ensure acceptance and confidentiality. We honor our own unique paths to healing and respect the choices of others.

Some Assumptions about Grief

  • The experience of grief is unique for each individual. While we can make some general assumptions, there is no template that describes the experience for all people.
  • Grief is cumulative. That is, each time loss is grieved, the grief encompasses the lifetime of loss and the remnants of each experience.
  • Grief following a significant loss is most often a lifelong process, with each pivotal point in life bringing the grief back up to be processed from a new perspective.
  • Grief, loss and suffering fundamentally changes and reshapes the individual.
  • Grief is not about forgetting or disconnecting. Rather, healthy grief is about remembering the parts of self that get lost amidst the experience and reorienting the individual in their relationship with self, the world and others.
  • Grief is a whole body experience: emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual. Each have a wide range of expression which can cue us that grief is present.
  • While grief and trauma are often intertwined there are significant differences between them. Trauma should be addressed with trauma specific interventions that often go beyond what is possible in circles.

Adapted from Khris Ford

Grieving Together Healing Circle will meet Weekly on Wednesdays from 2:00-3:30pm EST for 6 weeks.

Grief Circle Dates:

  • October 6, 13, 20 & 27
  • November 3 & 10

About Kiersten Gallagher

Kiersten Gallagher

Kiersten has served as the Cancer Support Program Director for Smith Center since 2014. Before coming to Smith Center, she had the privilege to serve individuals and families living with cancer at Wellness House of Annapolis. Kiersten aims to offer programs to reduce stress and help participants to see the world we live in from different perspectives. She thoroughly enjoys teaching yoga and creativity classes at Smith Center and encourages gentle movement and creativity in the healing process. Kiersten is a certified yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance and also has her YCAT (Yoga Therapy in Cancer and Chronic Illness) Professional Certification through the Integral Yoga Academy. She has completed Patient Navigation training through Smith Center’s Institute for Integrative Oncology Navigation and has also completed the Commonweal Healing Circles: Advanced Cancer Support Training. Kiersten is also certified in CLIMB®(Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery) a program that aims to build upon the strengths of children and increase his/her ability to cope with stress associated with a parent’s illness. She believes in a holistic approach to healing, human relationships and is grateful for each and every day. In her spare time, you may find Kiersten laughing with friends, cycling, taking art classes, practicing yoga and spending time with her husband Shane, son Liam, and dogs Hooper and Pablo.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Lauren Trosch, PT, DPT, OCS

How to Support Your Pelvic Floor

Problems with your pelvic floor can contribute to urinary leaking, difficulty going to the bathroom, and pain with intimacy. You can experience pelvic floor problems throughout your lifetime, from childhood through adulthood. Illness, medications, and surgeries may also contribute to embarrassing pelvic floor issues.

 

To better understand and manage your pelvic floor problems, join us for our talk!

 

What we’ll talk about:

  • Common pelvic floor problems like urinary and bowel incontinence, constipation, and painful sex
  • Why are they happening?
  • What can you do to help with these embarrassing issues

About Lauren Trosch, PT, DPT, OCS

Lauren Trosch

Lauren is a pelvic floor physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist who helps those with pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, and bowel and bladder dysfunction in the DC Metro region.
She is very active in the local and international pelvic health community, and serves as the Multimedia Education Manager for the Academy of Pelvic Health. She helps to educate pelvic floor providers through the Academy of Pelvic Health, International Pelvic Pain Society, and the international pelvic floor education platform – My Pelvic Floor Muscles. She also hosts a local scientific journal club for DMV pelvic floor providers.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef

Healing in the Kitchen with Laura: Picnic TIme!

Healing in the Kitchen with Laura

Picnic Time!

Outdoor picnics, wherever they may be, are a great way to nourish yourself with food, companionship and nature.

 

Emerge from the winter with Chef Laura and prepare a picnic meal with those long-awaited just-picked vegetables and fruits of spring. Who knows… you might even get a virtual glimpse of one of her favorite picnic spots in the Blue Ridge mountains.

 

Carrots and sugar snap peas love to dip into Asparagus Tapenade.

Tender lettuce and arugula get along great with radishes and fennel in a Spring Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.

How about some Black Bean and Forbidden Rice Patties?

They’re going to make their way along with sliced avocadoes and Chipotle Dressing between the whole grain bun of your choice, or if you prefer, sandwiched in savoy cabbage leaves.

Let’s finish the meal with some Fresh Strawberries Topped Off with Whipped Coconut Cream.

Suggested Donation: $10

About Laura Pole, RN, MSN, Chef

Laura Pole

Laura, Director of Smith Center’s Nourishment Education Programs, has served as the head retreat chef and nurse consultant since 1997. She is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and Integrative Oncology Navigator with over 40 years experience in caring for people with serious illness. She is also a Certified Health Supportive Chef, professional musician and Nia body-mind fitness instructor. Her popular cooking classes are centered on culinary translation: that is, helping  participants translate a diet prescription to a plate of nourishing delicious food. Laura is the founder of “Eating for a Lifetime,” a consulting business dedicated to teaching individuals and professionals about health supportive eating and food preparation. In addition to Laura’s work with nourishment, she is the co-coordinator of Smith Center’s Patient Navigation Training in Integrative Cancer Care. Laura also serves as coordinator of the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Renee Sandell, PhD

The Birthday, 1887 by Marc Chagall
The Birthday, 1915 by Marc Chagall

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

― Marcel Proust

 

Join Renee for a timely, interactive art “workout,” designed to strengthen your gratitude as we also examine the virtues of love and appreciation.

 

We will use her Balanced Way of Seeing® method to explore layers of meaning in Marc Chagall’s 1915 painting The Birthday from the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). We will consider this work and its timely relevance to life and love during the Pandemic. Reflecting on past and present moments in our lives, we can rediscover sources of our own sources of our own gratitude and modes of positive expression in these challenging times.

A Gratitude Resource PDF will be emailed after the workshop.

 

Suggested Materials: 

  • White paper
  • Pencil
  • White drawing paper
  • Black sharpie marker

Suggested Donation: $15

About Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell’s art, teaching, and research focus on Visual Fitness 4 All: Engaging Creativity and Insight® for EVERYONE. Renee is founder/director of the expeditionary, museum-based SummerVision DC Program, which she designed and has delivered for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) for 10 years since 2010. Previously Professor of Art Education at George Mason University (2004-2014) and at Maryland Institute College of Art (1990-2003), she is co-author of two books on gender issues and has published numerous articles, book chapters and art curricula. Winner of the 2019 Lowenfeld Award, Sandell was recognized as 2015-2016 Distinguished Lecturer in Art Education at Miami University and 2013 NAEA National Art Educator. Renee has received numerous awards for her leadership and scholarship on her Form+Theme+Context (FTC)® and her Marking & Mapping®, an accessible form of visual meaning-making. Sandell’s Visual Fitness 4 All® for Engaging Creativity and Insight® workshops are designed to nurture envisioning skills for individuals within professional development programs, organizations, health spas, businesses, and other venues. She has been offering Art & Virtues workshops since early in the Pandemic. Renee’s Smithsonian Associates studio courses include: “Curating a Life: Art as Memoir,” Seeing More: Art, Virtues, and Our Lives, and Visual Journaling: Creativity Workshop.

Learn more about Renee’s teaching at www.visualfitness4all.com Renee’s artwork includes artistic installations of multi-media markings on paper, board, and silk, to explore the human condition in time, space, and place. To learn more about Renee’s artwork, visit her website www.reneesandellart.com

Visual Fitness 4 ALL

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, register by clicking the RSVP button above or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org.

You will receive the Zoom information no later than the morning of your program.

with Mikhail Hogan, MD, ABIOM, RCST, and Rabbi James Kahn

Medical Marijuana for Oncology Patients

Cannabis is becoming more widely available as a medicine in the United States as well as throughout the world. Although its medicinal use dates back thousands of years, health care providers trained in modern times during cannabis prohibition and stigmatization have very little knowledge regarding the pharmacology, benefits and risks, and dosing recommendations. Oncology patients are increasingly relying on on-line testimonials or advice from cannabis dispensaries to determine if cannabis may be useful for them.

 

Recent surveys have shown that at least 50% of oncologist would like to have their patients try medical cannabis but only few actively prescribe mostly due to lack of education on the topic.

 

This session will outline the basics of the system of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids, review clinical situations where cannabis may be a useful intervention and discuss and demonstrate some of the currently available delivery systems.

Objectives:

  • Enumerate the clinical situations which have the best evidence to support the use of medicinal cannabis as it relates to oncology patients.
  • Discuss the effects obtained from different strains and modes of delivery of medicinal cannabis.
  • Understand basics of the process of obtaining medical cannabis in DC area.

About Mikhail Hogan, MD, ABIOM, RCST

Mikhail Hogan

Dr Kogan is a leader in the newly-established field of Integrative Geriatrics. He is the chief editor of the first definitive textbook of the field entitled “Integrative Geriatric Medicine”, published by Oxford University Press as part of Andrew Weil Integrative Medicine Library series and is frequent speaker at  a variety of international conferences on the topics of Integrative Medicine, Geriatrics, healthy aging, as well as  medical cannabis. While Dr Kogan’s main medical cannabis expertise is in treating older patients and palliating symptoms at end of life he also treats wide arrange of internal medicine problems from chronic GI problems to cancers where use of medical cannabis can be very beneficial. In October 2021 Dr Kogan in collaboration with Dr. Joan Liebmann-Smith and Pinguin Random Publishing House published Medical Marijuana, Dr Kogan’s Evidence-Based guide to the health benefits of cannabis and CBD.

Dr. Kogan currently serves as medical director of the GW Center for Integrative Medicine, associate professor of medicine in division of Geriatric and Palliative Care, and associate director of the Geriatrics and Integrative Medicine Fellowship Programs and director of Integrative Medicine Track program at the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine.

Dr Kogan is also the founder and the executive director of AIM Health Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that provides integrative medicine services to low-income and terminally ill patients regardless of their ability to pay.

About Rabbi James Kahn

Rabbi James Kahn

Rabbi James Kahn is the Executive Director of Liberty Cannabis Cares (LCC), the social impact and corporate responsibility team at Holistic Industries, one of the largest, privately held, multi-state cannabis operators in the U.S.  Rabbi James, as he’s known to colleagues and friends, has been with Holistic since its earliest days – opening the very first Liberty dispensary in 2019 before transitioning to a national position as Director of Community Outreach. He is a passionate cannabis activist and educator, with more than a decade of experience in the industry. His work at Holistic is focused around four key pillars: social equity, diversity, education, and community engagement. James’ career in cannabis began in 2011, when he and his family opened Takoma Wellness Center, Washington, D.C.’s oldest (and largest) medical cannabis dispensary. James continues to serve Takoma as a strategic business advisor.  As an ordained rabbi, James has served in a range of positions, including Senior Jewish Educator at the University of Maryland Hillel, Director of Chaplaincy at JSSA (a large social service agency serving the DMV area), Rabbinic Director for D.C.’s Hebrew Free Burial Society and the Washington Board of Rabbis. He currently serves on numerous boards, including the National Hispanic Cannabis Council, the International Jewish Cannabis Association, and the United States Veterans Chamber of Commerce. His unique blend of cannabis experience and community service inspires Holistic’s values as a company and improves the industry as a whole.