Samaritan Evergreen Hospice will offer a safe and empowering mind, body and medicine skills group this summer especially for caregivers on Monday afternoons, from July 8 through Aug. 26. Each session will run from noon to 2 p.m.
The sessions will be held in the conference room at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House, 4600 Evergreen Place SE in Albany. The series is open to anyone involved in caring for a loved one.
Each session will focus on a self-care technique proven to reduce tensions and fatigue and increase resilience, calmness and joy. Participants will discover a variety of ways to decrease feelings of hopelessness, depression and anxiety and to increase well-being, control and joy.
All discussions will be confidential, open and respectful with times to work on restoring energy. Through a supportive group of others who know well the demands of caregiving, we’ll practice ways to relax and cope with the demands of life.
Each group will start with a basic breathing meditation and a check-in. There is a short lesson, followed by time to practice together and share about everyone’s experiences. Caregivers will be able to participate at their own pace and comfort level.
The series is based on the self-care model developed by Dr. James Gordon, founder of The Center for Mind Body Medicine. Since 1991, Dr. Gordon and his faculty have empowered thousands of people worldwide to take charge of their own health and healing.
Using these skills in small groups, individuals can safely grow in their own self-confidence into supportive communities of hope and healing. More information is available at cmbm.org.
J. Anna Looney, a certified CMBM facilitator and founder of Insight Journeys, LLC, will facilitate the series. Looney combines her training in social interaction and facilitation with a lifelong passion for communications, holistic health and humanism to share mind/body techniques for stress reduction and self-care.
The series is free, but registration is required, email Looney at annalooney22@gmail.com.