Mindful Living Workshop
WITH AMY JEANGUENAT
Have you ever experienced arriving at work and you don’t even remember driving there, misplacing the same items everyday (e.g. phone, keys, glasses, wallet), short-tempered or defensive when you don’t mean to be, or eating when bored or distressed? These are some examples of being mindless. Mindfulness can be described as bringing awareness and intentionality to the present moments of our lives in such a way that we do not label a situation (e.g. as good or bad, fair or unfair, pretty or ugly, important or unnecessary, urgent or not urgent). It can create a pause to allow for a fresh perspective before our default responses, actions, and judgments take over our mind.
Mindfulness practices can be used as an exercise to train your brain similar to how you might train to play a sport. By practicing you develop muscles and techniques that can then be applied to situations outside of the practice such as during stressful moments at work or at home. Overtime one can start to take control of the agitated mind and let go of unbeneficial mental patterns.
In this workshop attendees will focus on how the practice of mindfulness can be used as a tool to train both the brain and the body.
AGENDA:
Introduction to mindfulness and neuroscience to support its benefits
Mindful meditation technique (example: breath awareness)
Self- assessment activity
Mindful meditation technique (example: body scan)
Conscious communication activity
How to cultivate a mindfulness practice on and off the mat
Attendees may wish to bring a personal journal, pen, and items of comfort for meditation (i.e. yoga mat, meditation cushion, blanket, pillow etc). Paper, pens, and folding chairs will also be available.
Mindfulness practices enhance the connection between our body, our mind and everything else that is around us. ~ Thich nhat hanh
Amy Jeanguenat is a scientist and a certified teacher of ancient wisdom, meditation, and mindfulness. After experiencing chronic stress at her position as an operations, she sought mechanisms to build resilience, reduce stress, and to communicate consciously. By establishing a daily meditation practice, Amy became aware of how her body and mind reacted during moments of stress and from there was better able to diffuse those reactions. She also learned ways to find silence, truly relax, listen to inner wisdom, and improve her health. She now extrapolates teachings from meditation philosophies and practices to help others integrate tools into their daily lives to reduce stress, improve decision making and enhance overall well-being. Amy believes that a new mindset can create new results and helps others build positive habits by changing their perspectives. You can learn more about her at www.mindgenllc.com or www.facebook.com/mindgen.