Welcome to our Blog and Newsletter Links !
“Your intelligence is always with you,
overseeing your body, even though
you may not be aware of its work…”
– Rumi
“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies.”
– Friedrich Nietzche
Spring Workshop for Yoga Teachers !
Join Erica April 26-28 2019 for a workshop at the Freyja Project in Highlands:
Trauma Aware and Inclusive Yoga: An Immersion for Yoga Teachers
This workshop is designed specifically for yoga teachers looking to learn more about creating an environment in yoga classes that is more inclusive and sensitive to trauma survivors.
-Learn how to make any yoga class more sensitive and inclusive for trauma survivors.
-Understand the latest neuroscience and how yoga helps people heal from trauma.
-Understand practices and sequences that bring about neurological balance.
-Practice new teaching tools for teaching in a trauma sensitive and inclusive manner.
-Explore how the path of becoming a teacher of trauma sensitive yoga may fit for you.
Early sign up is encouraged !
This workshop is capped at ten students
Investment $250.00
Sign up at the Freyja Project
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Past Newsletters
Yoga and Mindfulness in Psychotherapy- Consultation Group 4/8/14
Yoga and Mindfulness in Psychotherapy:
Yoga and Mindfulness in Psychotherapy- Consultation Group Starting 4/8/2014
Dear Colleagues and Yoga Teachers,
I’ve had the opportunity in recent years to meet so many of you who are forging a new path in integrating yoga and other mindful awareness practices in psychotherapy. Many of you who I have met through training and consultation relationships have expressed an interest in having a consultation group focused specifically on the integration of yoga, mindfulness and other mind body self regulation practices within your psychotherapy work.
So many of you are doing groundbreaking and valuable work in the area. You are inspiring- and have so much to offer each other !
I’m happy to be scheduling an initial Yoga and Mindfulness in Psychotherapy Consultation group where we will explore the following:
· Consultation on clinical work, group work, classes or other endeavors you may want feedback on.
· Opportunity to share and learn somatic practices that can be implemented in various mental health settings
· Learning from the expertise and creativity of the group.
Please bring your ideas for the consultation group, your experiences integrating mind body practices in your psychotherapy work and your passion ! Based on Interest, decisions can be made about future meetings
Topics that May be Relevant to Discuss:
- Navigating Boundaries and Approaches in various roles:
· Teaching as a yoga teacher
· Practicing as a Psychotherapist integrating yoga or mindfulness
· Practicing as a Yoga Psychotherapist
· Teaching a Trauma Sensitive Yoga class
· Teaching Public or Mainstream classes
· Facilitating Yoga practice as a clinical intervention
- Integrating Yoga and Other Mind Body practices in psychotherapy in a “safe and sound” manner
- Skills Tools and Techniques for individual talk therapy individual yoga psychotherapy
- Skills Tools and Techniques for providing trauma sensitive classes or groups
The Group is Open to:
- Psychotherapists at any level of experience with yoga and other mindfulness based interventions
- Psychotherapists Dually Trained as Yoga or Mindfulness Instructors
- Yoga Teachers trained or experienced in working with special mental health populations
Please email me directly if you are interested in attending and bring your questions, ideas, work and passion !: Erica@Integrativelife.net. Click here for more about Erica’s background and work
April 8th, 6:30pm-8pm
Denver, CO 80218
$30
Savoring Summer 2013
Intelligence is present everywhere in our bodies . . . our own inner intelligence is far superior to any we can try to 
substitute from the outside.
~Deepak Chopra
July 2013
Dear Mindful Living Friends,
It’s been too long since I’ve reached out to you and I’m grateful to have had a busy and productive year.
In response to your requests and fantastic suggestion, I’ve scheduled 3 gatherings to discuss the book Eating Mindfully – How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food by Dr. Susan Albers.
Susan Albers is one of my favorite authors on mindful eating and I really respect her work. This book and the practices suggested can teach us how to rediscover the wisdom of our body and allow us to develop a healthy and balanced relationship with food.
In each session we will discuss a section of the book and I will guide several associated mindful eating and self awareness practices.
Please visit our meetup for more information and to register for one, two or all three sessions.
I hope you’re enjoying the beauty of summer and hope to see you soon.
All my best,
Erica
Upcoming Events- Summer 2012
Nourish Yourself from the Inside Out !: Mindful Eating and Yoga for Body Acceptance
Join us for a workshop with Erica and Katy DeJong
Saturday 8/11/12
1-4pm at Pearl Street Yoga
$55 before 7/11/12
$60 (includes materials and practice food)
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June 2012
Dear Mindful Living Friends,
Summer is upon us and I’m so excited to be collaborating with some inspiring talented yogi colleagues for workshops this summer !
To kick it off, please Join me and Andrea Briggs this Friday for a Free Summer Solstice Yoga class in Platte Park, compliments of Pearl Street Yoga. See details below, and mark your calendar 6/22/12 5:30 pm. Or visit www.pearlstreetyoga.com
There’s also details below in our newsletter for August workshops I’ll be offering with yoga teachers Katy DeJong and Dr. Ann Bortz.
Best and Warmest Wishes,
Erica
What is Mindfulness ?
Our favorite definition of mindfulness comes from Jon Kabbat-Zinn: “Paying attention ‘on purpose’ in a particular way”. In our busy modern lives most of us spend the vast amount of our time on “auto-pilot” going through the tasks and activities of our lives without much, if any, awareness or connection with the senses and feelings within our bodies. We’ve been told to “pay attention” all of our lives but has anyone really taught us how? Many modern problems, from every day stress to medical illness and mental health problems, can be linked to this disconnection or “forgetting” about our bodies.
We become more mindful by purposefully taking time to do one thing at a time, noticing what we are experiencing through our senses of smell, hearing, feeling, seeing and tasting. We practice bringing an attitude of non-judgment to what comes up in our thoughts when we pay attention, and this allows us to observe our habits more clearly. Our senses are gateways back to our body, which is always in the present moment. Our body holds the gateway to relaxation, greater levels of well being, and the ability to more fully experience the full spectrum and richness of our lives.
Since we can do almost anything more mindfully, mindfulness as a practice can take an endless number of forms- though some practices are more formal and structured. Mindfulness itself is not religious but mindfulness practices have evolved in most spiritual traditions. The most practical examples of mindfulness awareness practices that can help us improve our sense of health and well being most directly are:
- Sitting Mindfulness, often called meditation
- Moving Mindfulness, as practiced in traditions such as yoga and tai chi
- Lying Down Mindfulness, such as a body scan, progressive relaxation or yoga nidra
- Eating Mindfulness, a focused way of eating where you allow yourself to experience food and eating with all of your senses.
- Walking Mindfulness, walking with attention to the feet and the senses
We can bring mindfulness into literally any wakeful life activity. Integrative Life Services teaches mindfulness to adults and young people predominantly through the practices of yoga, tai chi, sitting mediation, the examples above and others.
In the last ten years mental and physical health practitioners have been incorporating mindfulness based approaches into many already effective methods of treating psychological and physical conditions. This work and related research has lead to a proliferation of new approaches that have already proven to be effective in helping people grow and strengthen their ability to thrive. We also help youth and adults with special needs use mindfulness therapeutically to heal from life challenges and health conditions.
How have you become more mindful in your life ? What would you like to do more mindfully ?