Tag: Meditation

This program is being offered virtually via Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui of Capital Nature

Reston Bioblitz (Photo: Ana Ka’ahanui)
Reston Bioblitz (Photo: Ana Ka’ahanui)

Need a little dose of green to destress and reconnect with yourself? Restorative nature-based practices are available to you, even if you are stuck at home. Certified forest therapy guide, Ana Ka’ahanui will guide you through the experience of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese term for “forest bathing.” Shinrin-yoku is a nature therapy practice that has its roots in ancient Shinto traditions and modern medicine, to support wellbeing. Contemplative but more active than meditation, shirin-yoku has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure, boost immunity, and enhance mood and creativity.

 

Ana will lead this session virtually from a beautiful nature spot in the DC metro area, inviting you to engage your senses in a restorative and relaxing immersion experience from home. You are invited to join from inside your house or apartment, yard, or balcony, wherever you can view a spot of green for the session.

Suggested Donation: $10

Capital Nature

Capital Nature is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing nature into the lives of Washington Metro area residents and visitors. We are a fiscal 501c3 project of Green Spaces for DC.

We believe people are healthier, and our communities more resilient when nature is part of our lives. We envision a Washington DC region where a culture of nature engagement and stewardship thrives—where daily contact with the natural world supports human wellbeing  and ecological health across our communities.

Capital Nature provides information on the region’s many available, but not always known, nature events: from forest walks to citizen science adventures to educational workshops and stewardship projects. We collaborate with partners and friends to create new opportunities for nature engagement, and invite all to share their stories of experience with the natural world.

Through Capital Nature’s Biophilic Practice Group, we develop nature-based designs and strategies for wellbeing and community health.

About Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui

Ana Leilani Ka'ahanui

Ana Leilani Ka’ahanui is Co-Founder and Director of Tours & Experiential Programs for Capital Nature, a regional nonprofit that promotes nature engagement in the Washington DC metro area. She is a certified forest bathing guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and is passionate about sharing the practice, which is needed now more than ever. Ana is also a Virginia Master Naturalist and committed to connecting people to nature through citizen science and other biodiversity initiatives such as the global City Nature Challenge.

This program is being offered virtually via Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Kiersten Gallagher and Mindy Brodsky, LCSWA

SC Writes for Young Adults (1)

This program was born out of our SC Writes program offered to young adults living with cancer. The effect of writing and sharing our writing in a safe and sacred space with each other has been healing and inspiring. In SC Writing Space, each week, there will be a writing prompt, fifteen-minutes of off-screen writing time, and the remainder of the hour will be left for reading and sharing. This healing program offers a place for supporting one another and we stay clear of writing critique. Come and experience writing and sharing together.
All ages, people living with cancer and non-cancer program participants are welcome. This program will be limited to 6 participants. Register for one, or as many sessions as you would like. Please let us know if you are unable to attend, as space is limited.

SC Writing Space will be offered bi-monthly on Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30pm. 

Each session is limited to 6 participants, so register early!

Upcoming Dates:

  • March 2 & 16
  • April 20 & 27
  • May 4 & 11

About 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 SmithCenter 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.

About Mindy Brodsky, LCSWA

Mindy Brodsky

Mindy Brodsky specializes in trauma-informed, strengths-based counseling with a passion for integrative health and healing. Mindy honors her clients as the experts of their lives, and she strives to provide a supportive and safe environment.
After a career in social justice advocacy and her own challenging health journey, Mindy aspires to meet her clients where they are to help them achieve their goals.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Candida DeLuise, LICSW

Join us in this opportunity to bring mindfulness and awareness practices to consciously welcome the New Year. In our contemplative time together we will share our basic goodness and authentic selves. We can say goodbye to 2020 and share an intention to hold in our hearts for 2021.

Suggested Donation: $10

About Candida DeLuise, LICSW

Candida DeLuise

Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy – Reiki, Energy work, Buddhist Psychology

As a contemplative psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience, Candida integrates mindfulness and psycho-spiritual approaches into the therapy process. She has worked with clients on transitions, relationships, trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness and aging issues. Creating a safe and nurturing space, she draws on mind-body awareness and Buddhist psychology. Candida is also a Reiki practitioner and life celebrant, crafting rituals to honor significant events. She is licensed in D.C. to officiate weddings and loves working with couples to create a custom ceremony that highlights their unique relationship. An experienced coach, consultant and Buddhist practitioner, Candida teaches meditation and leads workshops on mindfulness in everyday life. She works with artists in the creative process, and with individuals and groups committed to social change. She believes that as we reconnect to our inherent wisdom, we empower ourselves to live a more full and expansive life. 240-462-9550
candidadeluise@gmail.com

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Candida DeLuise, LICSW

The holiday season can be stressful and this year’s holiday will be different for all of us, presenting new challenges. Join us in creating a peaceful refuge for each other. Candida will guide us in mindfulness practices to help us slow down and connect to our true hearts.

Suggested Donation: $10

About Candida DeLuise, LICSW

Candida DeLuise

Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy – Reiki, Energy work, Buddhist Psychology

As a contemplative psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience, Candida integrates mindfulness and psycho-spiritual approaches into the therapy process. She has worked with clients on transitions, relationships, trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness and aging issues. Creating a safe and nurturing space, she draws on mind-body awareness and Buddhist psychology. Candida is also a Reiki practitioner and life celebrant, crafting rituals to honor significant events. She is licensed in D.C. to officiate weddings and loves working with couples to create a custom ceremony that highlights their unique relationship. An experienced coach, consultant and Buddhist practitioner, Candida teaches meditation and leads workshops on mindfulness in everyday life. She works with artists in the creative process, and with individuals and groups committed to social change. She believes that as we reconnect to our inherent wisdom, we empower ourselves to live a more full and expansive life. 240-462-9550
candidadeluise@gmail.com

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Beth Lawrence, RYT500

Looking Beyond 2020: A Peaceful, Joyful Yoga Practice

Overall, this has been a pretty tough year but, as with everything, there have been some bright moments as well. I want to give you a bright moment: one of light, deep relaxation, and joy. Our program will start with a gentle mat practice, we’ll breathe some balancing breaths and finally, we’ll enjoy a supine meditation.

About Beth Lawrence

Beth Lawrence

Beth discovered yoga in early 2002 as a mother of six month old twins. She was looking to get back into shape after their birth. In yoga, she found far more than she anticipated- an age old practice designed to help people relieve stress- both mental and physical. After a few years of regular practice, she knew she wanted to share her positive experiences with others. She has been leading yoga classes in the DC area since 2007 after completing her 200 hour yoga teacher training at Nth Degree Yoga with Martha Rosen. In 2011, she went back to earn her RYT500. Her personal practice is inspired by Integral Yoga and Sivananda Yoga, both of which incorporate body and mind into the practice.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Liz Lescault

InterPlay

Could you use more community, support and ease in your life?

In times of stress it is important to stay connected with loved ones, to be in a supportive community, to reach out and to share with others. It is also vital to build our inner connections and strengths that nurture self care, self love and self acceptance.

We will share, reflect and listen deeply to others. We will move, tell our personal stories, laugh, play and sometimes share deeper concerns. We will witness, honor, and celebrate whatever is shared.

During each session we will have time to be in conversation, gaining support and reassurance from others. We will also explore alternative ways of expressing our concerns and moving stress out of our bodies through easeful movement and playful interchange.

We will build opportunities for self expression and creative solutions in our daily lives.

Growing Connections will be offered on October 15 & 29 from 7:00 – 8:15pm ET. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions.

About Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault, a visual artist and sculptor, has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Metro Region and is a member of the DC InterPlay Board. Liz leads Open Gathering days for InterPlay DC and organizes and leads workshops regionally and nationally.

Liz melds her art, teaching and personal philosophy with InterPlay wisdom, tools and forms.

Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and The Trevor Project providing help for LGBTQ youth in crisis.

Liz also led InterPlay for elders with chronic illness and cognitive disabilities at Iona Senior Center up to the Covid shutdown and is looking forward to leading online programs for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts.

https://www.lizlescault.com/home

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Liz Lescault

InterPlay

Could you use more community, support and ease in your life?

In times of stress it is important to stay connected with loved ones, to be in a supportive community, to reach out and to share with others. It is also vital to build our inner connections and strengths that nurture self care, self love and self acceptance.

We will share, reflect and listen deeply to others. We will move, tell our personal stories, laugh, play and sometimes share deeper concerns. We will witness, honor, and celebrate whatever is shared.

During each session we will have time to be in conversation, gaining support and reassurance from others. We will also explore alternative ways of expressing our concerns and moving stress out of our bodies through easeful movement and playful interchange.

We will build opportunities for self expression and creative solutions in our daily lives.

Growing Connections will be offered on October 15 & 29 from 7:00 – 8:15pm ET. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions.

About Liz Lescault

Liz Lescault, a visual artist and sculptor, has practiced and taught art for over 40 years. Liz is Coordinator of the DC InterPlay Metro Region and is a member of the DC InterPlay Board. Liz leads Open Gathering days for InterPlay DC and organizes and leads workshops regionally and nationally.

Liz melds her art, teaching and personal philosophy with InterPlay wisdom, tools and forms.

Formerly, Liz, was a hotline crisis counselor, for various suicide prevention lifelines and The Trevor Project providing help for LGBTQ youth in crisis.

Liz also led InterPlay for elders with chronic illness and cognitive disabilities at Iona Senior Center up to the Covid shutdown and is looking forward to leading online programs for Smith Center for Healing and the Arts.

https://www.lizlescault.com/home

This course is now full. Please email Brandel to inquire about program dates in 2021.

with Brandel France de Bravo

Compassion Cultivation Training

14 CMEs/CEs available for 16 hours of class time (8 Monday evenings on Zoom: October 19-December 7)

Empathy and compassion… there’s been a lot of talk lately about these two qualities. Who has them, who doesn’t, and the need for compassionate leadership. Months into the pandemic, physicians, nurses and other health professionals are complaining of burnout and compassion fatigue. Many of us, whether or not we’re front-line workers, worry that an empathy deficit is fueling our nation’s divide. Could teaching people how to tap into their innate powers of compassion be the answer? The Washington Post seems to think so; in January of this year, the newspaper published “In an Angry America, a New Remedy Emerges: Compassion.”

If you’re interested in learning more about compassion and starting or deepening a meditation practice, you might enjoy taking Compassion Cultivation Training©, a course developed at Stanford University over a decade ago.

Designed by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists, and researchers,  Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT™) is taught at Stanford’s Medical School and around the world by certified teachers. The 8-week (16 hours) course can strengthen your natural capacity for compassion, empathy and kindness—toward yourself and others—and increase resilience. Many who have taken the course say that it has given them a sense of balance and allowed them to live with greater joy and intention.

The class will meet every Monday on Zoom from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm for 8 weeks, beginning on October 19th. Class dates: October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and December 7.

Each class builds upon the previous, but if you have to miss one class, that’s okay. CE credit will be given as long as you attend 7 of the 8 classes. Each week includes:

  • In-class guided meditations and online recordings for use at home

  • Group discussions and in-class exercises relevant to each week’s theme

  • Optional readings, videos, and practices for outside the classroom to enhance learning and support a daily meditation and compassion practice

14 credits are available to the following professionals:

Physicians Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Physician Assistants (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Nurses American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Nurse Practitioners American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
Psychologists American Psychological Association (APA)
Case Managers Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC)
Physical Therapists (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Social Workers National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
General Participation Certificate Provided to other attendees not included above.

Cost to enroll:

Register between October 9 and October 18 and pay $375 with or without CMEs/CEs tuition. 16 hours of class time for 14 credits.

If you’re interested in taking Compassion Cultivation Training© but the full tuition presents a significant barrier, please contact the instructor at bravofrance.com to discuss paying in 2 installments or a partial scholarship.

If you are seeking credits for this course, please click here to register. 

If you are not seeking credits for this course, please register above.

About Brandel France de Bravo, MPH

Brandel France de Bravo holds a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University and is a graduate of Warren Wilson’s MFA Program for Writers. She has two decades of experience researching and designing health interventions in the U.S. and abroad. She has run an HIV prevention program in Africa, designed harm reduction strategies for intravenous drug users in Central Asia, and developed materials to help cancer patients in the U.S. make informed decisions about their treatment. She is co-author of a parenting book influenced by the RIE philosophy of infant-toddler care and is a published poet and essayist. She studied Compassion Cultivation Training with founding faculty while a fellow at Stanford University and is honored to be a certified teacher of CCT.

http://www.brandelfrancedebravo.com/

Please click here to register for the 8-week program.

with Brandel France de Bravo

Empathy and compassion… there’s been a lot of talk lately about these two qualities. Who has them, who doesn’t, and the need for compassionate leadership. Months into the pandemic, physicians, nurses and other health professionals are complaining of burnout and compassion fatigue. Many of us, whether or not we’re front-line workers, worry that an empathy deficit is fueling our nation’s divide. Could teaching people how to tap into their innate powers of compassion be the answer? The Washington Post seems to think so; in January of this year, the newspaper published “In an Angry America, a New Remedy Emerges: Compassion.”

If you’re interested in learning more about compassion and starting or deepening a meditation practice, you might enjoy taking Compassion Cultivation Training©, a course developed at Stanford University over a decade ago.

Designed by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists, and researchers,  Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT™) is taught at Stanford’s Medical School and around the world by certified teachers. The 8-week (16 hours) course can strengthen your natural capacity for compassion, empathy and kindness—toward yourself and others—and increase resilience. Many who have taken the course say that it has given them a sense of balance and allowed them to live with greater joy and intention.

The class will meet every Monday on Zoom from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm for 8 weeks, beginning on October 19th. Class dates: October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and December 7.

Each class builds upon the previous, but if you have to miss one class, that’s okay. CE credit will be given as long as you attend 7 of the 8 classes. Each week includes:

  • In-class guided meditations and online recordings for use at home

  • Group discussions and in-class exercises relevant to each week’s theme

  • Optional readings, videos, and practices for outside the classroom to enhance learning and support a daily meditation and compassion practice

14 credits are available to the following professionals:

Physicians Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Physician Assistants (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Nurses American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Nurse Practitioners American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
Psychologists American Psychological Association (APA)
Case Managers Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC)
Physical Therapists (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Social Workers National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
General Participation Certificate Provided to other attendees not included above.

Cost to enroll:

Register by or on October 1, 2020 for the “Early Bird” price of $300 without CMEs/CEs or $400 with CMEs/CEs. Register between October 2 and October 15 and pay $375 without CMEs/CEs tuition and $475 with CMEs/CEs. 16 hours of class time for 14 credits.

About Brandel France de Bravo, MPH

Brandel France de Bravo holds a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University and is a graduate of Warren Wilson’s MFA Program for Writers. She has two decades of experience researching and designing health interventions in the U.S. and abroad. She has run an HIV prevention program in Africa, designed harm reduction strategies for intravenous drug users in Central Asia, and developed materials to help cancer patients in the U.S. make informed decisions about their treatment. She is co-author of a parenting book influenced by the RIE philosophy of infant-toddler care and is a published poet and essayist. She studied Compassion Cultivation Training with founding faculty while a fellow at Stanford University and is honored to be a certified teacher of CCT.

http://www.brandelfrancedebravo.com/

Please click here to register for the 8-week program.

with Brandel France de Bravo

Empathy and compassion… there’s been a lot of talk lately about these two qualities. Who has them, who doesn’t, and the need for compassionate leadership. Months into the pandemic, physicians, nurses and other health professionals are complaining of burnout and compassion fatigue. Many of us, whether or not we’re front-line workers, worry that an empathy deficit is fueling our nation’s divide. Could teaching people how to tap into their innate powers of compassion be the answer? The Washington Post seems to think so; in January of this year, the newspaper published “In an Angry America, a New Remedy Emerges: Compassion.”

If you’re interested in learning more about compassion and starting or deepening a meditation practice, you might enjoy taking Compassion Cultivation Training©, a course developed at Stanford University over a decade ago.

Designed by a team of contemplative scholars, clinical psychologists, and researchers,  Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT™) is taught at Stanford’s Medical School and around the world by certified teachers. The 8-week (16 hours) course can strengthen your natural capacity for compassion, empathy and kindness—toward yourself and others—and increase resilience. Many who have taken the course say that it has given them a sense of balance and allowed them to live with greater joy and intention.

The class will meet every Monday on Zoom from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm for 8 weeks, beginning on October 19th. Class dates: October 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and December 7.

Each class builds upon the previous, but if you have to miss one class, that’s okay. CE credit will be given as long as you attend 7 of the 8 classes. Each week includes:

  • In-class guided meditations and online recordings for use at home

  • Group discussions and in-class exercises relevant to each week’s theme

  • Optional readings, videos, and practices for outside the classroom to enhance learning and support a daily meditation and compassion practice

14 credits are available to the following professionals:

Physicians Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Physician Assistants (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Nurses American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Nurse Practitioners American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
Psychologists American Psychological Association (APA)
Case Managers Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC)
Physical Therapists (ACCME) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
Social Workers National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
General Participation Certificate Provided to other attendees not included above.

Cost to enroll:

Register by or on October 1, 2020 for the “Early Bird” price of $300 without CMEs/CEs or $400 with CMEs/CEs. Register between October 2 and October 15 and pay $375 without CMEs/CEs tuition and $475 with CMEs/CEs. 16 hours of class time for 14 credits.

About Brandel France de Bravo, MPH

Brandel France de Bravo holds a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University and is a graduate of Warren Wilson’s MFA Program for Writers. She has two decades of experience researching and designing health interventions in the U.S. and abroad. She has run an HIV prevention program in Africa, designed harm reduction strategies for intravenous drug users in Central Asia, and developed materials to help cancer patients in the U.S. make informed decisions about their treatment. She is co-author of a parenting book influenced by the RIE philosophy of infant-toddler care and is a published poet and essayist. She studied Compassion Cultivation Training with founding faculty while a fellow at Stanford University and is honored to be a certified teacher of CCT.

http://www.brandelfrancedebravo.com/