Meditation and Mindfulness as Self-Compassion & Embodied Movements for Resilience, Resourcing, and Transformation
Sponsored by WICCD and the Health Equity & Community Wellness Collaborative
Self-care is more than pedicures and mimosas—it is a vital part of taking care of ourselves and our communities. This series will provide opportunities to learn about and practice self-care in critical, and maybe even radical ways.
For more information, contact Sarah Hentges at sarah.hentges@maine.edu.
Join via ZoomMeditation and Mindfulness as Self-Compassion
with Audrey McGee, RYT-200
Wednesday, October 27 from noon to 12:50
What is meditation? What is Mindfulness? In a performance-driven culture where we are asked to do more and be more, all the while having to take care of others, it is easy to lose touch with who we really are. Meditation does not have to be about emptying our minds and distracting ourselves from earthly concerns (we have plenty of opportunities for that on a daily basis). Meditation and mindfulness are about finding a calm resting place within, a place where we can become the observer of our own lives, learning to have acceptance and compassion for ourselves. In this Critical Self-Care session, we will discuss the meanings of meditation and mindfulness and learn some self-care practices for finding a calm resting place within, so we can become our own observers, bringing awareness and compassion to ourselves.
If you have a chance, please take the self-compassion quiz here.
Embodied Movements for Resilience, Resourcing, and Transformation
With Sarah Hentges, PhD and RYT-200
Wednesday, November 17 from noon to 12:50
How do we navigate the turbulent times we live in? When is it time to act and when is it time to be still? How can we tap into our body’s natural resources and learn to respond rather than react? How can we create more love and more justice for ourselves and for others? What do we want to transform?
In this experiential session, we will learn more about trauma, the nervous system, and the power of embodiment toward individual and structural transformation and personal and collective healing. The activities that we will be doing are accessible tools that you can take with you to practice in your way, in your time, in your life, in your body.
Drawing inspiration from yoga, Black feminist texts, and the Embody Lab’s Embodied Social Justice program, we will practice a variety of activities that incorporate mindfulness, breathing, centering, grounding, and mindful movement.
This session is a “challenge by choice” and “brave space,” meaning that you should take care of yourself and you may choose to opt-out of any activity at any time.