On-site/In-person Community Gathering Practice Tips
We understand that, during this transitional time, some of us are more ready than others to slowly re-enter into the experience of small social gatherings. For this reason, we have created a hybrid service model, where a small number of (no more than 4) participants will be able to join us in-person. If you are interested in this option, let us know and we will provide further guidance, including:
- Signed Releases/Waivers of Liability forms (one time, for new students only)
- PayPal information to facilitate payment (to ensure your spot is saved)
- Masks will be required before and after the class
- Bring your own props (e.g., mats, blankets, pillows, bolsters, eye pillows, intention cards, etc.)
- Come at least 15 minutes early to settle in and allow physical distancing while doing so (doors will open at 6:30 pm)
Virtual Community Gathering Practice Tips
For those that would prefer to stay in the comfort of home – whether due to physical distance, family participation and/or even the enhanced sense of privacy – we will continue to provide the option to connect with us through Zoom.
Once you let us know that you are interested in attending, we will send you an email that will include details around what is needed from you, including:
- Signed Releases/Waivers of Liability forms (one time, for new students only)
- PayPal information to facilitate payment
- Checking your email for the Zoom link to join the class
- A few minutes before the class, simply clicking the link within the email to be sent straight to our meeting room
To facilitate the benefits of such a virtual community practice at home, below we have provided some helpful hints:
- Set up your mats at least 3 giant steps from your device.
- Elevate your device 21-24″ from the floor and have it tilted forward slightly.
- Have your props nearby.
- Although not required, having a headset or ear buds to listen when the singing bowls are playing may enhance your listening pleasure.
- Please know you will not need to have your audio/video camera on during the practice. If you would prefer to reduce the number of distractions or increase the sense of privacy, we invite you to turn off your audio and video once the class starts.
Restorative Yoga Tips and Props
On the day of the class, here are some additional recommendations to create a more sacred space in advance for your practice:
- Make sure you’ll be in a space where there won’t be any background noises, distractions or interruptions.
- Adjusting the lighting in the room to your liking, perhaps turning off any overhead lighting and minimizing outdoor light and instead turning on a room lamp or lighting your favorite candle(s).
- Wear warm, comfortable clothing including socks.
- If available, bringing your favorite deck of intention cards and essential oil to your mat.
- Placing your props (see below) to the side of your mat so they are within an easy reach during the class.
In home prop ideas:
- Bolster: couch cushions or a tightly rolled comforter, towel, or blanket (can be secured with 2 ties, scarfs or belts)
- Pillows: couch, chair or bed pillows will do
- Blankets: your favorite blanket to cover yourself and either 2 additional blankets or bath or beach towels (no sheets)
- Yoga blocks: books, either paper back or hard cover, stacked
- Eye pillow: hand towel, tie or scarf
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Microplastics in Your Life
/in Newsletter/by LindaIn preparing for a screening colonoscopy this year, I met with my gastroenterologist recently to schedule the procedure. I told him I was on the “every 10 year plan” since I had changed my diet. He said “You can do everything right” like reducing the amount of red meat you are eating, avoiding processed foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, etc.; however, you cannot avoid ingesting microplastics. He offered that recent research suggests that we consume the weight of a credit card’s worth of small plastic particles every week and microplastics “have even been found in lung tissue”, implying we are breathing it in as well as eating it!!! Hearing this was scary and had me feeling a little helpless and hopeless.
This information came my way at the same time as Jupiter and Neptune were aligning in Pisces (on 4/12/22) for the first time in 166 years. This planetary alignment is known to support new creations and insights. Shortly thereafter I heard about Harvard University’s work to address sustainability at a systemic level by creating sustainable plastics, supporting the release of my fear and opening my heart once again to hope.
In honor of the recent work by students and staff at Harvard, below are intention-setting ideas for you to consider as you reflect on your relationship with our Earth and how you might reduce your carbon footprint as we await the mass production/distribution of these new bioplastics:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Summer Sacred Sound Baths
/in Events/by LindaBenefits of Integrating Yoga Into Postgraduate Mental Health Curriculums
/in Yoga/by LindaAs we find ourselves in a bit of a lull in the Covid-19 outbreak here in southern California, I have found my way back to teaching yoga in-person in a local yoga studio. My heart is full as I have greatly missed the opportunity to bring this healing modality back in-person to a larger audience. Yoga, including all of its contemplative practices, has been the largest tool in my self-care tool kit, even becoming my way of life over the years, and it is truly what kept me grounded in gratitude through the pain and chaos of the past two years. Although I may not have found myself on my yoga mat regularly, especially for those yummy 90-minute classes that include an extra long savasana shape at the end, I know how important these practices are for supporting our mind-body-spirit health. And, as a mental health provider, I know it is mission critical to prioritize our self-care practices in order to be fully present and prevent burnout. With increasing rates of burnout in mental health providers during the pandemic, the question becomes is it possible to integrate yoga into postgraduate curriculums for mental health providers to ensure the long-term wellbeing of such providers?
A recent research study took a look at including yoga into the curriculum for first-year mental health students to test the feasibility of such a proposal. Introducing such tools to all students in this setting ensures all mental health providers would have the first-hand knowledge and experience of the impact on their well-being before actually moving into the space of providing services to clients, where the stress level of the role only increases. Although the results of this research advocates for such a change to the curriculum, it only provided a brief, 15-day offering. It is my belief that offering longer curriculum based yogic interventions would not only provide more sustained self-care tools to the mental health provider but it would also equip the mental health provider with the skills to bring such self-care tools to their clients.
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Reduce Stress
/in Newsletter/by LindaApril is Stress Awareness Month!
The month of April, among other things, has been designated Stress Awareness Month. The first step to making any change in our life is awareness. Without awareness, we tend to continue on our journeys doing the same old things, repeating old patterns, all while hoping the results will be different. The pandemic has brought additional sources of stress, so it is perhaps even more critical now for our health to consider the impacts on our lives.
With awareness comes understanding, which leads to compassion and choice. One of the best habits we can develop for our body/mind/spirit health is learning our personal triggers and noticing when and where we feel stress. To this end, below are some ideas to consider to support this healthy habit:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Hybrid (On-site/In-person and Online/Virtual) Reiki-infused Sound Healing and Meditation Class!
/in Events/by LindaOn-site/In-person Community Gathering Practice Tips
We understand that, during this transitional time, some of us are more ready than others to slowly re-enter into the experience of small social gatherings. For this reason, we have created a hybrid service model, where a small number of (no more than 4) participants will be able to join us in-person. If you are interested in this option, let us know and we will provide further guidance, including:
Virtual Community Gathering Practice Tips
For those that would prefer to stay in the comfort of home – whether due to physical distance, family participation and/or even the enhanced sense of privacy – we will continue to provide the option to connect with us through Zoom.
Once you let us know that you are interested in attending, we will send you an email that will include details around what is needed from you, including:
To facilitate the benefits of such a virtual community practice at home, below we have provided some helpful hints:
Restorative Yoga Tips and Props
On the day of the class, here are some additional recommendations to create a more sacred space in advance for your practice:
In home prop ideas:
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Celebrate a World of Flavors
/in Newsletter/by LindaMarch is National Nutrition Month!
As the weather begins to warm up, we begin to feel called outdoors more. The crocuses, daffodils, pansies, and violets begin to bloom inviting our sense of sight to enjoy the colors. As the fruit trees blossom, the sweet smells floating in the air remind us of the delicious bounty to arrive soon. As our senses become enlivened, our mouths begin to water in anticipation of tasting our favorite fruits and vegetables right from our own gardens or our local organic farmer’s market!
With the renewed energy of Spring, we can devote some of our self-care to celebrate National Nutrition Month this month. Below I provide intention-setting ideas to consider this month. It is my hope you will consider trying one!
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Honor Friendship
/in Newsletter/by LindaFebruary is International Friendship Month!
Friends are our family of choice and this month we get to celebrate that family! Over the past two years, we have needed our friends more than ever, whether they speak, bark or purr. Such connections can warm our hearts and calm our minds. And the power of these connections goes beyond the individual level to our communities and to our nations, bringing security and comfort to all.
Below are intention-setting ideas to honor the friendships in our lives this month. It is my hope you will try one and lean into the feelings that arise from such connections!
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
5 Intention-setting Ideas to Manifest Radical Self Acceptance as Your New Year Intention
/in Newsletter/by LindaPerhaps, with the advent of the pandemic, this is THE year that we stop setting New Year resolutions that set us up for failure and challenge our mental health and, instead, consider the only intention that will support lasting health, mind, body and spirit – self-acceptance.
When we can truly accept ourselves, both our light and our shadow as a human being, we are in a balanced space to fertilize the soil for continued growth. Self-acceptance will not bring on a superiority complex or make us vain, as those spaces are ones of imbalance, leaning into only our gifts and ignoring or defending our imperfections or limitations. Self-acceptance will lead us away from self-doubt, low self-esteem, low self-worth, and any other spaces that suggest we are less than other. Learning self-acceptance will land you in a place of humility, where you are able to recognize yourself as perfectly imperfect, allowing you to move into spaces of vulnerability to deeply connect with yourself and others. It is in this fertile soil where we can identify parts of ourselves that currently live in the shadows and invite them to sit with us in the light, creating opportunities for growth.
Below I offer ideas you might want to try to support your new year intention of radically accepting yourself exactly as you are now:
As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you. Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!
Hybrid (On-site/In-person and Online/Virtual) Reiki-infused Sound Healing and Meditation Class!
/in Events/by LindaOn-site/In-person Community Gathering Practice Tips
We understand that, during this transitional time, some of us are more ready than others to slowly re-enter into the experience of small social gatherings. For this reason, we have created a hybrid service model, where a small number of (no more than 4) participants will be able to join us in-person. If you are interested in this option, let us know and we will provide further guidance, including:
Virtual Community Gathering Practice Tips
For those that would prefer to stay in the comfort of home – whether due to physical distance, family participation and/or even the enhanced sense of privacy – we will continue to provide the option to connect with us through Zoom.
Once you let us know that you are interested in attending, we will send you an email that will include details around what is needed from you, including:
To facilitate the benefits of such a virtual community practice at home, below we have provided some helpful hints:
Restorative Yoga Tips and Props
On the day of the class, here are some additional recommendations to create a more sacred space in advance for your practice:
In home prop ideas:
Recovery from alcohol use disorder is a crooked road – can direct neurofeedback help ease the journey?
/in Neurofeedback/by LindaThe high levels of stress, loss and isolation due to the pandemic have been challenging to everyone’s mental health, but perhaps much more so for those of us that suffer from symptoms that accompany alcohol use disorder, specifically craving and consumption. With no end in sight for the continued spread of the virus, what options might be available to calm the fear centers of the brain beyond virtual meetings? What if there was a painless, non-invasive treatment that could reduce these symptoms and create more ease on the road to recovery?
Recent research did a systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 direct neurofeedback studies and the findings suggest that bilateral direct neurofeedback and multiple treatments have positive effects on reducing the symptoms of cravings. It might not be a magic pill, yet direct neurofeedback just might reduce the bumps in the road and the detours on the path of recovery.
If you might be interested in learning more, click on the link below: