• Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
  • Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
  • Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
  • Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
  • Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
  • Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
  • Awaken Wellness Resources can help with Resiliency, Resilience Training, Stress Reduction, Mindfulness, Awareness Training, Change Management, Corporate Training, Personal Development, Mental Health, Neuroscience, Anxiety Relief, Meditation, Acceptance, Emotional, Intelligence, Self-regulation, Wellness
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CATALOG OF OFFERINGS

Seminars, Retreats, Courses and Individual Sessions

The programs at AWAKEN Wellness Resources are carefully crafted around proven practices that encourage calm, promote a state of optimal well-being and cultivate our individual and collective flourishing. Drawing from the  principles of mindfulness, positive psychology and the latest in human development, you will find inspirational content and powerful tools for growing: at work, at home and in the wider world .

The word “authentic” traditionally referred to any work of art that’s original, not a copy. When used to describe being yourself in the workplace, it’s a little more complicated.  We human beings are always changing, evolving and discovering new facets of ourselves. And authenticity is definitely not about always saying what’s on your mind, disclosing every thought and feeling. It’s about knowing ourselves and responding genuinely to people and circumstances that promote positive outcomes.  It’s about stretching our limits – doing new things that may make us uncomfortable but teach us through direct experience who we want to become. Such growth doesn’t require a radical personality makeover. Small changes- in the way we carry ourselves, the way we communicate, the way we interact- often make a world of difference in how effectively we show up at work. Join us for an interactive and worthwhile hour of personal development.

Blind spots can be the Achilles heel of leadership. By definition, these are aspects of ourselves that we don’t even know are there but limit the way we act, react, or believe, and therefore limit our effectiveness at work.  There are lots of reasons that we humans are bad at seeing our weaknesses clearly, but a lot of it has to do with our brains sometimes just not being very trustworthy. We distort or create memories that support a particular viewpoint, we overestimate our own strengths, we believe self-reinforcing things despite contradictory evidence and much more.  In this session, we will look at the top ten ways that blindspotting shows up at work (and in life) and 7 steps to identify and shed light on the hidden parts of ourselves that obstruct a panoramic view of situations, relationships and goals.

Each of us has the capability to adapt and to overcome challenges and adversity. We can manage stress while minimizing its impact on our overall well-being. We can actually thrive, not just in spite of our circumstances but because of them.  Resilience is not an inherent quality or trait that some people do not have.  It involves behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone. Discover proven and powerful methods to enhance your ability to be flexible. Learn to be open and receptive to ever present change.  Practice cognitive and behavioral shifts that greatly support how we interpret and integrate our life’s experiences. Engaging with content based on the successful Master Resiliency Training Program employed the U.S. military (over 60,000 participants), this session will provide tools to develop and utilize a personal strategy for encouraging resilience.

The 21st century is one of dramatic and fast-moving change. This is reflected globally, in every aspect of our lives, from continually shifting work demands to the unknown effects of AI and how best to respond to the constant change. In this three-part series, you will find strategies to manage change and yes, even invite it.

Change intelligence is defined as the awareness of one’s own change leadership style and the ability to adapt one’s style to be optimally effective in leading change across a variety of situations. This is whole-brain thinking that considers our right and left-brain leanings, (relationships/big ideas), along with those who tend toward acting swiftly towards well-defined goals. All have their strengths and weaknesses. With a survey to determine your leadership style- head, heart or hands (or a combination of the three), we’ll uncover your strengths and challenges in leading change lie and devise a plan for best practices.

Change arrives at our doorsteps daily, whether welcomed or feared, in small shifts and seismic ones too. How we deal with these changes, knowing that we have the power to shift our behaviors and beliefs towards change, reduces anxiety and empowers us to feel confident that we can deal with whatever is happening in the moment. We’ll learn how positive change includes knowing the necessary questions to ask, the importance of preparation, and the vitality of our own stances which are all needed to ensure a greater chance of success in articulating, initiating and integrating change.

Appointed leaders are not the only ones who can serve as positive change agents or coaches.  There are many who act as examples to their colleagues and encourage them during change. Perhaps you can name those who demonstrate this ability to lift and support others during change, and even get them on board. No matter the organizational status, age or role, if a trusted colleague uses new tools and recommends them, it’s more likely that you will try it too. Whether your role, there are skills to cultivate your own ability to be an ambassador for change. And, of course, managers do have a major role, so we’ll cover how to notice, cultivate, and applaud these champions of change.  Don’t underestimate of peers to make an enormous difference.

Coaches and mentors use many of the same approaches in the process of encouraging self-development in others.  The aim of the former is more often task specific, to gain a level of proficiency over necessary skill sets and strategies towards a particular area of expertise. Mentoring, on the other hand, typically implies a longer-term relationship where the mentor acts as role model and advisor in a broader range of situations, providing wisdom, insight and guidance as the mentee navigates their work path. And yes, there may be times when you are donning both hats.  Your role in either capacity, is to foster growth and positive change through connection with the people who are “under your wing.”  This includes offering advice, knowledge and practical skills to assist in that process. In this presentation, we will discuss how to best develop and master the ‘doing’ skills AND ‘being’ skills vital as a coach or mentor.

Research has shown that, at its best, collaboration ignites employee engagement, increases overall workplace retention and creates a vibrant learning environment where a variety of different perspectives can be heard. This dynamic fuels innovation and provides ongoing skill-building across teams. It sounds good-but how do we do it? Especially when collaboration is often seen as an idealized but vague goal with no concrete terms or rules. This session is about strategies to make collaboration clear, specific, compelling AND something to be achieved. The content includes bringing clarity to individual objectives and accountability and articulating the benefits of collaboration while maintaining an orientation towards action and desired results. All of this in an effort to widen the circles of relationships and trust within a team or organization.

As a manager, you probably have participated in your share of corporate training programs-which statistically have provided varying degrees of helpfulness. It’s likely you’ve enjoyed some of the best workplace education- applicable, insightful, and inspiring. The question is: does it translate into transformational habits shifts or a temporary burst of motivation?  In order to integrate innovative ideas so that they make any quantifiable, consistent positive change within yourself and for your team, one singular ingredient is vital to the mix: PRESENCE. Cultivating ‘conscious leadership’ is modeling presence in all our encounters. It’s a game changer. As we learn how to become deeply aware of ourselves and our surroundings, we are able to curb our minds’ tendency to make swift judgments or to react instead of thoughtfully responding. This is the moment to discover practical tools and tips to enhance a lasting ability to embody full engagement as a leader.

How do we speak up when something at work or someone at work is creating a negative or destructive environment, but we’re worried about the ramifications?  How do feel like we’re making a difference and show up steady and assured when change is underfoot?  Courage is not a heroic personality trait limited to the few. Courage is a human quality, fundamental to growth, change and survival. It can be strengthened and developed with deliberate effort and practiced skills. Courage at work displays itself, to one degree or another, every day, if we are awake to seeing it.  This presentation illustrates ‘competently courageous’ behaviors, including showing up for others and for your own ideas, whether popular or not, knowing the time to speak and the time to remain silent, and always, managing the emotions in the room. Using case studies and research reflecting a variety of work environments and examples, find concrete strategies that work. Whatever challenge is calling for courage, we have within us the power to show up with heart.

When it comes to managing performance, knowing when it’s time to support or direct a member of your team or when the moment has arrived to let go a bit, is both an art and a science. Effective delegation is a critical skill that allows us to take control of our time, engaging in the projects and initiatives that are most important instead of spending your day putting out fires.  Discover the reasons behind why we don’t delegate as often as we would like. Learn how to change the sometimes fraught dynamic between those who provide directives (the manager) and those who receive them (the ones being managed). Understand the steps necessary for wise and successful delegation with clear objectives. This is a practical professional development for you and those you work with.

Dave Evans, who led the team that designed Apple’s first mouse and cofounded the video game giant Electronic Arts and Bill Burnett from Stanford’s Design Program who created award winning designs for Apple’s PowerBook and the original Star Wars action figures, have been teaching a popular course at UC Berkeley (now a bestselling book, entitled Designing Your Life ).  Using Silicon Valley innovation thinking, they have imagined a way of navigating life after college and beyond, responding to the question, “How do you build a life that works for you?” With case studies and research tested in the real world, join us for this interactive seminar where we use the tenets created in this course to build your own toolkit to actively engage the perennial process of designing your life. Bring your notebook. We’ll be brainstorming with exercises to get you started. Unconventional, practical and wise, Designing a Life is not a problem to be solved but an adventure to be explored.

The hallmark of a growth mindset is the conviction that human qualities like intelligence and creativity or even your relational capacities like love and friendship, are not fixed and determined but are carefully cultivated with intention and practice. By embracing every experience through the lens of learning vs. winning or losing, we continually gain new understanding and perspective; we grow. In the fields of business, education, professional sports and relationships, Growth Mindset programming continues to be instrumental in taking individuals and organizations to the next level. Instead of challenges being something to be avoided, they are the necessary springboards for your own growth potential.  Based on 40 years of large-scale research with Stanford’s Carol Dweck and her colleagues, thousands of participants have participated in this evidence-based program with consistently positive results. Discover practices that provide a framework for growth mindset, increasing your motivation, enjoyment and success at work…and in life.

Difficult conversations are any conversation you don’t want to have. Inherently stressful, difficult conversations are the ones we know are necessary, but they stir up aversion in us. We may often avoid the issue hoping it will resolve itself or go away. This often ends up making matters worse. Feeling confident that you can get your message across calmly and thoughtfully is made easier when we have tools that have been proven to facilitate more productive and yes, even happy outcomes. In this presentation, you will be provided with practical strategies, addressing specific steps for engaging more skillfully.  Difficult conversations can be opportunities to learn about ourselves, the other and a chance to emerge with something new, containing the seeds of possibility for growth and transformation.

Here’s a staggering statistic around personal productivity: the average person is distracted or interrupted every 40 seconds when working in front of their computer. In other words, we can’t work for even a single minute before we focus on something else.  Sometimes it’s easy to get back on track.  But in the course of a day, our attention often gets derailed and it can often take 20 minutes or more to refocus.  We all would like to accomplish more, and the first order of business is to become less distracted. We do this by focusing on today’s scarcest resource and the secret to high performance and fulfillment: attention. Using the latest research in neuroscience and guiding principles outlined in Daniel Goleman’s classic Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence and other experts in the field of Business Consulting and Management, join us as we discover strategies for overcoming distractions and staying in the zone.

Effective Communication is the cornerstone of every successful relationship, at work and everywhere else Your ability to thrive in all areas of your life rests squarely on communicating, clearly and authentically.  As we know, this is not always an easy task. Many of our human tendencies make both speaking with clarity and listening with presence challenging at best. The ability to communicate so that we feel we are fully understood AND so that we have truly listened is enhanced with tools and practice. An effective communicator doesn’t have to use a lot of words (actually, that’s often a hindrance). They do, however, need to engender trust. We persuade others by our effectiveness on the job and the way we show up at work and for those we work with. From the simplest of interactions to the most challenging conversations, we’ll learn to notice what’s actually happening during communication, how to become aware of our own habits, lessening misunderstanding, enhancing connections, and enjoying greater shared success.

Empathy, the ability to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experience of others, is an ability that is fundamental to effective leadership and motivation in any organization. Empathy is more than simple sympathy; it’s being able to understand and support others with compassion or sensitivity. Transformational leaders need to demonstrate care for the needs and achievement of those they serve. Research by the Center for Creative Leadership has shown that the nature of leadership is shifting, placing a greater emphasis on building and maintaining relationships. Leaders today need to be more person- focused and be able to work with those not just in the next cubicle, but also with those in other buildings, or other countries. Empathy is integral to successful collaboration, crossing cultural boundaries and creating shared direction, alignment, and commitment between groups with different perspectives and values. This presentation engages and fosters ways to enhance empathy and propel motivation and understanding in the workplace.

We are not judged at work by just how smart we are- or by our training or expertise- but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other.  This includes managing feelings appropriately, our own and others and adapting to change.  Experts in organizational management, education and science have collected 30 years of data demonstrating that emotional intelligence (EI) is perhaps the most crucial determinant of success in the workplace. The data among CEOS and leaders in Higher Education, is that it is now a must have. And EI can be developed and dramatically increased over the life span.  In this lively and engaging seminar, you will discover how your own personal and social competencies are vital for creating a fulfilling work life and everywhere else. And, whether a skeptic or a devotee of “soft” skills, we will take a dive into the latest research and science, making it clear why emotional intelligence matters so much and how you can grow it across the life span.

Whatever part of the feedback loop you find yourself on, it can often be fraught with negative anticipation. Yet, timely feedback and regular evaluations can be welcome opportunities for cultivating positive relationships at work, including mentoring, engaging with new ideas and job growth. Here, we will explore best practices for offering and seeking feedback.  There are skillful ways to manage the process and express yourself assertively and diplomatically.  It all begins with how we are and the attitudes and energy we bring to the interaction.  We look at ways that our brains receive information and what sticks in our minds and acts as catalyst for motivation and engagement.  And we learn the methods necessary for the maximum benefit of both the giver and receiver of feedback.

The mindfulness approach to time management.  Most time management systems quite rightly focus on goal setting, prioritizing and interruption management.  There is a lot of good in this strategy.  And yet, it doesn’t allow for the certainty that everything doesn’t often go according to plan!  Many of us wish we had more time to get it all done.  While adding more hours to our day may not be possible, there are proven methods to help you utilize your time more effectively.  As well as tips for managing interruptions and change, we will also explore recent studies that demonstrate mindfulness practitioners experience time as passing more slowly and feel less rushed as a result. Remarkably, they saw this effect after just a single 10-minute mediation. In this presentation, we will also be discussing how varying perceptions of time influence our experience of our day.

his popular seminar is based on recent theories of well-being and the tenets of Positive Psychology from UPENN’s and founder of PP, Martin Seligman. Drawing on character strengths; this training has received much positive feedback from participants (wonderful feedback for Flourish at Harvard). Flourish is about moving beyond our limitations. Using qualitative and quantitative studies that underpin the science of wellbeing, we will incorporate a variety of practices and interventions that have been consistently shown to actually work.  This hour is packed with tools that you can begin to use now. We will identify positive traits and strengths in ourselves and others and learn how to practice them more often in order to vibrantly grow.  Similar training has been used in the military with excellent results. Each participant can opt to take the VIA survey before the presentation, it’s fun, free and makes the discussion lively.

In our roles at work, all of us want to be thought of as givers and not takers.  Yet we know that these notions are not so simple or clear cut, especially when it comes to achieving goals, performance and results. The famed Wharton professor Adam Grant, an influential management thinker, in his book Give & Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, demonstrates that important pillars of effective leadership are the principle of reciprocity and generosity.  Using quantitative studies, research, factual information and exercises like the 5-minute favor, discover how you can radically enhance success by understanding how generosity and collaboration are ignited in the workplace. Engage in this lively and thoughtful hour-long discussion of how you can begin the process of positive reciprocity today.

We are thankfully living in an era where we can measure scientifically how our attitudes and habits actually create our happiness, or lack thereof. One of the keys discovered vital for our well-being is the cultivation of gratitude. Dr. Robert Emmons at UC-Davis, author of Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, finds that those who practice gratitude are more resilient, less isolated, have more fulfilling relationships, are more energetic, sleep

better, and experience joy on a regular basis. You may know this is true from your own experience.  But chances are, like most of us, these moments of gratitude are fleeting and happen only once in a while: when we by chance remember to be thankful, on a special holiday or when something really big happens, like the birth of a new child, or a long-awaited promotion. And being thankful is not Pollyanna. There are things which we can’t be grateful for, a difficult illness, an untimely loss…but within every moment, you can be grateful.  How are both of these true?  How can we encourage ‘an attitude of gratitude’ on a daily basis so that joy and connection are regular visitors instead of occasional guests? In this hour together, we’ll discover practical, proven methods to help you get started today. (*Video included)

These are wonderful opportunities for your organization to recharge, refresh, become inspired, and come together as a group without distractions. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from business teams all over the country who have attending these retreats.  Management and creative groups, administrators,  have all reported insights, inspiration and a sense of well-being  Topics such as leadership, resiliency, the importance of practicing deep awareness of yourself and your surroundings and how to do it, positive psychology and core stress reduction methods are often the focus of this off-sites.

Individual sessions are available for support in areas of personal development. Much of the work is focused on leaders and professionals in business and education who are looking to grow in their work and personal and as a means to discover creative insight into ongoing challenges. The approach and length of time will be determined by the particular goals and needs of each client. The first session is 1 ½ hours long and further consults will be for an hour.

1-4 hours. An introduction with a brief history of mindfulness and what it is. Providing an overview of the effects of stress on our mind and body and how the practice of mindfulness counteract these effects. Part lecture/part experiential. Participants will leave with an initial glimpse of the powerful results one can notice with these simple exercises.                          

We often think of intuition as at odds with decision making in the workplace. Along with data, policies and protocol, using our thinking mind and those of our colleagues is the accepted standard practice when choosing a course of action.  Critical thinking is indeed vital AND it is only part of the equation. Intuition can provide important information.  Your brain is able to connect the dots of the information it receives in a way that’s subtle and the signals it sends as a “feeling”, are often the brain and body’s way of picking on signals or patterns that you have consciously missed. As leaders, as colleagues, in all of your roles in life, your “gut”, your intuition is an essential resource for responding to the complex and often ambiguous challenges you face.  Join us as we uncover what is intuition anyway as we explore ways to expand and foster our intuition and trust our ability to make wise decisions.

When it comes to managing performance, knowing when it’s time to support or direct a member of your team or when the moment has arrived to let go a bit, trusting that the training wheels are not necessary is largely a matter of wise effort on our part. Wise or right effort is a stance that cultivates action which doesn’t push too hard or react too quickly, but rather acts positively from a place of insight.  It does this, in part, from stepping back, getting still and seeing clearly.  In this presentation, we’ll explore the four steps that foster the wisdom of right effort AND right motivation, which focuses our energy on “we”, not “me.” Group delegation exercises will be included to help illustrate the elements of effective delegation while building community. And in doing so, we become more intuitive, more present to what is the best course of action in any given moment for those we lead, so that they can grow, gain self-efficacy and flourish.

Eight weekly classes open to all levels (As we are all beginners!). From sixty to ninety minutes.  Here we cultivate the foundational elements of mindfulness and introduce a variety of approaches to meditation.  These weekly courses run from 3-8 weeks, and emphasize daily engagement with stress reduction methods, guided meditations and bringing awareness into our everyday lives. We also learn to recognize the individual habits that contribute to our stress.

Over 4000 research studies and neuroscience findings provide compelling data that practicing mindfulness actually changes the brain in positive ways and harnesses resources for strengthening our resiliency “muscles.”  The data shows that mindfulness has been proven to play a powerful role in these areas of our lives: 1. Stress Reduction, Physical and Emotional Health 2. Strengthening Attention and Focus 3. Improving Performance and Productivity 4. Happier Relationships at Work…and at Home. Hundreds of corporations, sports teams, and even our school kids are practicing.  So, what’s it all about? In this introduction, you will learn what mindfulness really is, how it changes the brain, and practical exercises that you can begin using in any moment to experience calm, clarity and be able to respond more skillfully and optimize your sense of well-being.

Multitasking has become a way of life in the 21st century.  Many of us are lauded, compensated and even promoted for our ability to do many different things at once.  While this appears to be reality for most of us, we are not actually doing several tasks at once but thinking and moving very quickly from one task to the next. Multitasking is a word that was invented to describe how computers (not humans) process several requests. Research in neuroscience tells us that our brain can’t really perform tasks simultaneously, as we thought (hoped) it might. We do them one at a time. And we are having to do more and more of them, faster and faster. This construct has many consequences to our overall health and our performance at work. How do we consciously manage the effects of multitasking in our lives (both at work and at home?) How do we shift how our approach? We explore the science behind what is happening when we multitask, the idea of context switching, how to focus on the most important tasks, find clarity, and enter the state of flow more often.

These classes are comprehensive in nature, focusing on stress reduction and health optimization. They are anywhere from a one-time introduction to a six to eight weeks program (with an optional all-day retreat). Much of the favorable findings in current research regarding mindfulness are based on participants enrolled in this curriculum. Each week allows for in-depth exploration and understanding of several practices (including mindful eating, mindful walking and movement and a deep relaxation body scan. With extensive practice, active and engaging class participation, a solid foundation is built.

Can you imagine what it would be like if when you looked in the mirror each morning, you saw your best friend? Not looking for flaws, but seeing yourself with an abiding good will, nonjudgmental and caring? Compassion training is a particular component of mindfulness that has gotten a lot of interest lately in the world of science, as it changes our brains…and our hearts. Distinct from other forms of meditation, compassion training, and in particular self-compassion training, involves a recognition of the wish to relieve suffering, our own and others, and utilizes specific practices to do just that. Stanford researchers have demonstrated that compassion training decreases the tendency for the mind to wander into negative states, calm the sympathetic nervous system, and increasing feelings of contentment and well-being. Join us to foster the practice of self-compassion.

Every child deserves the experience of wellbeing and inner resilience. This begins and is sustained with learning. The core of all learning is the capacity for sustained attention, and the awareness, discernment, and curiosity that grow out of learning the “how” of paying attention. We are seeing what happens when kids don’t learn how to explore their own inner life and how this affects them in lots of ways. In order for each child to develop in their own unique way- emotionally, cognitively and physically, they need to learn calm self-awareness that helps them balance and regulate their emotions, have empathy and compassion for others so that resonance with others grows.  These skills also expand working memory, enabling concentration, increasing creativity, innovation and performance in different domains of their life.  All of this cultivates resiliency.  This sets the stage for a lifelong love of learning, experimenting, taking intellectual risks, and feeling at home in the process, and in one’s own skin. Exercises for children of all ages for school and at home are provided.

Intentions are commonly defined as strong purposes or aims, accompanied by a determination to produce desired results. There is great potential available in becoming aware of how you want to be and where you want to get to. However, as we all know too well, our intentions, which are often good, don’t always lead us to our goals. We get busy, sidetracked by other projects and return to the all too familiar behaviors and habits. We need daily action steps, fueled by motivation to go the distance in achieving the good we would do. It is contemplation and action, in a perennial cycle, that lead to positive transformation.  Consciously and consistently checking in with how we are aligning with our values and recognizing our motivations, that are both known and unconscious. We begin to habitually fill our days with purpose, strengthening the power of our intentions.

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is a workplace issue that spills out in the whole of our lives. When you’re feeling the impact of burnout – ongoing exhaustion, detachment from your job and perhaps even weight gain or illness from stress – it’s a sign that the demands on your body exceed its ability to keep up.

A surge protector attempts to limit voltage to an electric device by either blocking or shorting any unwanted voltages above a safe level.  We will devise our own surge protectors with many options and practices to prevent the kind of excessive and prolonged stress that often leads to this state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, aka burnout.  We look at ways to reduce the energy depletion associated with burnout and facilitate restoration by prioritizing three universal core needs: sleep, eating and moving. We’ll also learn how to recognize more skillfully the signs of healthy vs. unhealthy stress and be proactive before it becomes “too much.” Your body is designed to repair and restore itself- let’s give it a hand.

We all have our own list of priorities at work, our manager has their agenda, and our colleagues hold another set of what’s most important.  Sometimes these overlap, others are opposing, and all are challenging to juggle without at times feeling overwhelmed or like we’re letting someone down.  It is isn’t easy either to identify or find time for your priorities. In the busyness of it all, we are often giving a lot of our time to what seems urgent yet doesn’t move us any closer to our goals.  This leaves us feeling exhausted and often frustrated. And we hold the key to change this dynamic. Join us as learn strategies to stay focused amidst the many other tasks calling our attention and know when it’s necessary to shift gears.  We receive lots of requests from other people, pulling us in different directions: when do we say yes? How do we frame a response that gives us space and accomplishes the task? We’ll address these questions. Finally, we’ll unpack the integral tenets of time organization, so we can most wisely spend our time each day.

Your ability to recognize and show appreciation for the good results AND the good efforts of those around you is a superpower.  Use that power responsibly: this means using it often and liberally. When you sincerely praise someone, it generates a wellspring of positive emotions, in both the giver and receiver. And besides good feelings all around, employees or team members who are recognized regularly are more productive and satisfied in their jobs.  This has a ripple effect throughout the organization. Join us as we integrate awareness practices, the tenets of positive psychology and on-the-job examples to the successful where, when and how of the art of recognition.

Risk taking can be defined as: “undertaking a task in which there is a lack of certainty or a fear of failure.” The problem at the core of risk taking is fear; fear of failure, fear of success, fear of looking like a fool or seeming too impulsive.  Taking risks means confronting the fears/challenges that go with them and having the courage to move ahead.  Awareness practices can be enormously helpful in these moments. Experience whatever fear or discomfort that may be here and feel it, know it for what it is. Once we can recognize and be with the fear, it loses its power to rule our decisions.   This approach can serve you well.  Without trial and error- and risk taking- you can become stagnant, predictable, and at times, with even realizing it, complacent.  The risks that push you until you’re operating outside of your comfort zone- made with sound judgment of course- might feel uncomfortable at first, yet are the building blocks to your growth and realizing your full potential.

Mindful eating has been shown to work more effectively than every diet out there.  Weight Watchers has included some of its principles in their latest app.  Choosing to be more aware of what you’re eating is not just about weight loss and vibrant health (though those are excellent reasons for committing to this practice.)  Mindful eating brings more enjoyment of your food and your whole experience around food-preparing, surroundings, etc. In this course, we learn how to nourish the body and mind by turning our full attention to eating, what we are eating and why we are eating it! With vital information to aid us from the fields of nutrition, medicine, and psychology, we begin to see how our behavior and habits may be no longer serving us. We begin to reduce or eliminate mindless and emotional eating and make healthier, wiser choices for ourselves.

Creating boundaries around our work life is critical and it’s also tricky business.  We want bosses, colleagues and clients to respect our personal boundaries AND we don’t want to worry about any negative ramifications for doing so.  In this one- hour session, we’ll explore methods for identifying our own particular boundaries, how we want to be treated, and what are skillful means to communicate that. The focus will be on concrete examples and strategies, we’ll look at what having healthy boundaries actually looks like on the ground, in real time.  Join us to craft an action plan that sets into motion the kind of shifts necessary for ongoing and successful boundary setting, at work and in the whole of our life.

Knowing and employing your signature strengths matters.  When things are going well, we can use character strengths to help us see what is best in ourselves and others.  When things are challenging, we can use our particular strengths to give balance to the struggles we face, to shift our focus from the negative to the positive, to avoid becoming overly self-critical by thinking about our strengths instead of what’s wrong with us. We practice amplifying and growing the positive while learning from and reframing, the negative. Enacting any number of our character strengths can help us notice the good things around us, discover how we might do things differently, and catalyze positive, vibrant, healthy and more balanced behaviors.

Every day, whatever your role may be, you are working with individuals who possess a variety of skills, personalities and external life circumstances.  Some people are easier to deal with others to be sure.  We all have good days, bad days and just normal days. And, as we’re human, there are also disagreements, feelings and dissatisfactions and the occasional pettiness.  Do we react in a way that makes the matter more uncomfortable?  Do we hold on to anger or resentment, do members of our team? How can you respond in the moment so that some event doesn’t have to morph into a real problem? What does “problem-solving on your feet” really mean?  We will look at office scenarios (yours and others) to get some helpful insights to increase your resourcefulness in dealing with others.

These classes are comprehensive in nature, focusing on stress reduction and health optimization. They are anywhere from a one-time introduction to a six to eight weeks program (with an optional all-day retreat). Much of the favorable findings in current research regarding mindfulness are based on participants enrolled in this curriculum. Each week allows for in-depth exploration and understanding of several practices. With extensive practice, active and engaging class participation, a solid foundation is built.

In this introductory session, we’ll look at the ways stress effects our minds and bodies and identify the major triggers (i.e. multi-tasking, being online 24/7, and the many demands on our time and attention). And we’ll discover proven practices that are readily available in any given moment to alleviate the well-known feelings of “too much” AKA the stress response. Mindfulness practices are at the core of this training- we’ll define it, delve into the neuroscience data that demonstrates its efficacy and experience it for ourselves. This is training for your brain. Here we engage in basic core methods that help to build awareness (self-awareness and social awareness), encourage relaxation, and bring calmness and clarity to the busyness and stress of daily life. Foundational seminar.

Creating trusting relationships at work begins and ends with transparency. Your ability to successfully lead and thrive rests squarely on communicating, clearly and authentically. And the price of not being not transparent?  Others can experience a disconnect and a sense of inauthenticity when interacting with you. Members of your team will go above and beyond your shared goals and expectations if you consistently exhibit transparency with them. They come to know you as trustworthy, a person of integrity. Learn the vitality and challenges of open communication, how vulnerability is one of our greatest strengths, and how mindfulness supports this ongoing commitment to promoting dynamic and fulfilling teams.

You may have heard a lot in the news lately about neuroscience and the neuroplasticity of the brain.  The research is exploding!  And there’s good reason for this- we used to think that the brain stopped growing at age 25 to 30 and then it was a slow but steady decline after that. We now know that the brain is ‘plastic’ (it’s malleable) and is able to change throughout the life span. We can make positive and lasting changes to our brains by training it.  We go to the gym to train our muscles.  The Destination: You program trains our brains!

In these 6 interactive and highly engaging sessions, you’ll be guided through a variety of awareness practices (including mindfulness methods and resiliency training) and be inspired by the latest in personal development. By choosing this opportunity, you are charting your own course toward growth and well-being.

Discover the proven benefits of this training including:

  1. Be present: for yourself and others
  2. Strengthen focus, encourage calm and mental flexibility
  3. Shift self-defeating habits and thoughts
  4. Manage difficult emotions without getting overwhelmed
  5. Develop empathy and effective communication with others
  6. Cultivate patience and self-compassion

All of our sessions or classes are tailored to the needs of the individual, group or company. A consultation will determine the exact price, based on time, location, course materials, and the number of participants.