Listen To This First

 Discussion - anxiety and coping  (00:00-10:38)3-Minute Breathing Space Described  (10:38-13:30)3-Minute Breathing Space Meditation - Guided   ( 13:30-16:50)                                  *scroll down for guided scriptDebrief (16:50-22:00)Claire Weiner, LMSW, RYT-200 - BIOPsychotherapist, Mindfulness Teacher; AACFM Leadership Team and Founding MemberClaire teaches: Mindfulness Meditation to cancer patients and their supporters.Claire has a mindfulness-based psychotherapy practice in downtown Ann Arbor. She has advanced training in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and taught MBCT groups at UM Department of Psychiatry. Claire provides individual, couples and group psychotherapy and has taught and supervised social work trainees and post-graduate fellows.She was a founding member of the PsychOncology Clinic at the UM Cancer Center, seeing individuals and groups. She volunteers at the Cancer Support Community in Ann Arbor, where she teaches meditation. In 2013 Claire completed her Registered Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 200), furthering her understanding and appreciation of mind-body connections.In her spare time, Claire enjoys choir, writing poetry, and traveling.claire.weiner@gmail.comAnn Arbor Center for Mindfulness Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy  The Three-Minute Breathing Space PracticeStep1. Pay attention to whatever is present- physical sensations, emotions,  thoughts, without any need to change it. Step 2. Pay attention to the breath in a very focused way. Step 3. Pay attention to the whole body and any sensations that are present along with the breath. You might visualize an hourglass with a wide opening for attention as the first step, a narrow opening or focus for the second step and a wide base for the third step. Like any new skill, simply practice. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapseby Segal, Williams & Teasdale

Poem in this episode: Stillness Shows the WaySitting still is hard to do.We want to do something, somehow change thingsand help someone.But the journey may be long,and we cannot see where the path is leading.Great patience is required.Stillness shows the way.In the stillness we plant the seedfrom which the tree may grow.We stop and notice the only essentialstep in the journey of a thousand miles..the next one.  ~Wiliam & Nancy MartinCaregivers Tao Te Ching: Compassionate Caring for Your Loved Ones and Yourself. 

Discussion with Michelle (0:00-5:38)Introduction to a brief gratitude practice (5:38-9:42)Gratitude Meditation (9:42-21:10) Michelle Barclayhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mbarclay East Coast Center for Mindfulness  (at Brown)https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/home 

Mindfulness of the breath (MOB) or mindful breathing is a classic practice and there are so many simple, straight forward, while also nuanced ways to practice.  This is an introduction to mindful breathing as an anchor.  Metaphorically, an anchor of attention is where you place your attention, intentionally, during meditation (or drop your attention, like the anchor of a boat.)  It is something we can locate easily at anytime so we never feel adrift or lost.  An anchor is always in the present moment and  something we can reliably return to over and over again to re-inhabit the present moment.  All of the senses can be also an anchor (more on this later). The breath happens to be  one of the easiest because it's often the most accessible and contains so much tailored information  about our wellbeing in any given moment. The breath is also transportable and thankfully, happening without our conscious  awareness or control most of the time.In my own practice,  I like to think of the breath as the key to the doorway of my awareness, or the key to the quality of my attention.  Each breath is an opportunity and an invitation back to myself. Beginning again, by noticing the sensations of breathing, is like standing on my own doormat in the doorway of the present moment.  From here, I can enter the next moment with  great awareness and  responsiveness to whatever happens next. (spoiler alert: we are rarely where our body is physically located.  We are time travelers and we have sneaky, clever and -and sometimes important -reasons for leaving, fleeing and ignoring the moment we are in...more on this in another episode).  Have a listen...

About LauraLaura Rice-Oeschger, LMSW, leads the Wellness Initiative at the University of Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center where she designs, implements and evaluates wellbeing and mindfulness-based programming. She is a founding member of the Ann Arbor Center for Mindfulness and serves as CEO for the Presence Care Project where she trains new facilitators in Mindfulness-based Dementia Care (MBDC).Laura holds advanced professional certifications in aging, dementia and contemplative clinical care. As a long-time meditator she began teaching mindfulness meditation in 2010 and has extensive professional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care (MBDC).  She is a national and state presenter on memory loss and caregiver wellbeing.  She is committed to co-creating and sharing contemplative programs assisting care partners, adults living with memory loss and community members in their desire to live meaningful, connected and healthy lives. Masters of Social Work Degree:                                                                        University of Michigan School of Social Work  (1997)Specialist in Aging; Advanced Cert in Dementia Care:                            University of Michigan School of Social WorkAdvanced Certification in Contemplative Clinical Care:                           Smith College of Social Work B.A. – Sociology & Music: Alma CollegePresence Care Project                        https://www.presencecareproject.com/Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center  https://alzheimers.med.umich.edu/Ann Arbor Center for Mindfulness                                                                https://www.aacfm.org/ Jon Kabat-Zinn,  PhD                                                                          https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/pages/about-the-author Mindfulness Center at Brown                                                                        https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/home *artwork Chair - a painting in my home by Candace Compton Pappas  (2008) - acrylic, ink, clay on board  https://www.comptonpappas.com/This is an entirely  homespun podcast. Any sound issues or gaffes are completely my doing.  Recording, editing and music are mixed in-house using a Tascam DR-40X recorder, various microphones, speakers and Logic Pro X for editing and production.   All efforts will be made to edit out lip smacking, chewing, heavy breathing, swearing and the dog barking in the background.  All complaints can be directed into a pillow at any volume of your choosing.