Yesterday, I attended a conference with Rev. Dr. Ken Downes, a transition management consultant who spoke to various providers in the Vermont area on helping youth who are experiencing difficult transitions. Throughout the duration of this conference I reflected and was reminded on how difficult change and transition can be and that it is an experience that we need to pay more careful attention to.
Downes encouraged us to think about...
When I, (Anne Martin) first saw this photograph by Gregory Colbert I was mesmerized, losing myself in the magic and mystery of this photograph. The reverence that was expressed between animal and man left me in awe and lingered with me, as I set out to learn more about this amazing artist. To see more of Gregory Colberts work go to www.ashesandsnow.org
“When I started Ashes and Snow...
When I woke up this morning, a cool breeze coming through my window pleasantly greeted me. In this moment I was reminded that a new season is indeed approaching us sometime soon. You may have had your own reminders of this change – preparing your children getting back to school or you may be looking forward to that last weekend summer getaway.
It seems, that sometimes when reminders force us to take...
When I began practicing mindfulness meditation formally 4 years ago, it was on a whim. A classmate of mine, who led meditation at the UVM Mindfulness Practice Center, invited me to join him during their drop-in hours. I began to attend regularly and also took a few mindfulness-based courses that contributed to my psychology degree. The positive effects mindfulness can bring to our minds and spirits quickly fascinated me.
I currently work in...
We are pleased to announce that Young Living Essential Oils will be available for sale at the center!
Please click below for more information!
https://www.youngliving.org/oils4wellness
Also, we are pleased to announce that Dr. Julieta I. Rushford-Santiago will be running a workshop at the center where she will explore the various uses of these oils!
http://vtcit.com/calendar/event/the_anatomy...
We are pleased to announce dates for the Pratyaagati Eating Disorder Group.
More information coming soon!
11/10 11/17 12/1 12/8 12/15 12/22 1/5 1/12 1/19 1/26 2/2 2/9 2/23 3/1 3/8 3/15
Time is precious. Most of us spend our days balancing and managing the multiple roles and tasks we just have to do. Often times, because we prioritize our multiple roles, we limit the time we spend on ourselves. Just take a moment and reflect upon the time you do dedicate to yourself. Is it enough? Do you wish you had more? Maybe you are thinking of all the things you want to spend your...
This Sunday May 15th, 11am - 12:30pm, I will be running a group that explores the book Women, Food and God, by Geneen Roth.
This group will meet once a week for six weeks, and will explore the concepts and practices discussed in the book. This is a group for all women seeking a positive group experience that focuses on developing self-awareness and intuition. Along with yoga/meditation, journaling, and group process,...
This is a FREE event! Thank You Vermont for all your support!
10:15 - 11:15 AM: Nutrition presentation,"Creating a Pharma-Foodie Kitchen" with a focus on Boosting Immunity in the Winter Months, with Kimberly Evans RD, CD and Leslie Langevin MS, RD, CD
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Chair Massage with Anne Martin (First come, first serve!) http://vtcit.com/practitioners/view/anne_martin
11:30 AM - 12:45 PM: Stress Reduction Yoga with Tisha...
There are thousands and thousands of apps out there to use on your smart phone iPod, or iPad and one was recommended to me that I would like to share. It is called Track & Share and is a tool to track contributing factors connected to maintaining good health.
Track & Share has different applications to track various ailments and habits. There is a Track & Share for gratitude, mood,...
The benefits of yoga are being recognized in schools and mental health facilities across the U.S.A. Here at VTCIT, we are holding our second Yoga for Anxiety and Addiction series. This series explores the union of body, mind and breath to ultimately bring ease to one's self. Our series starts Weds, April 10 - May 29 from 5:15 - 6:45pm. To register for this series, please visit our Calendar & Events page.
...
Taken from Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening -
"The emotional patterns of our lives are very strong. They often come into being because we’ve needed them to survive. But sooner or later, we all arrive at moments where the very thing that has saved us is killing us, keeping us from truly living. Being invisible once kept us from being hurt, but now we...
Science Blog reports that Developmental and Psychopathology journal published a study in their October issue led by Yale researchers investigating the effects of chronic stress on parenting. Chronic stressors such as poverty and depression were looked at more closely. Stress changed the way parents responded to their children due to the psychological and biological responses their bodies were having to the stressors, which can lead to negative parenting patterns that include hostility or neglect.<...
Regular physical activity has endless benefits to the body and mind. Studies have shown that consistent activity helps with weight management, reduces the risk of chronic diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), reduces the risk of some cancers, strengthens and builds bone and muscle tissue and improves mental health and mood. The natural release of “feel-good” brain chemicals during exercise can be an effective coping mechanism for depression and anxiety. The...
Mindful Monday
For today, think before you eat. Our bodies are an amazing tool of communication when we allow them to really talk to us. Three to four times a day we have an opportunity, at meal times, to check in with our bodies to learn more about ourselves. Our bodies hold information that often gets communicated through our eating habits. And as habits go, they become assimilated...
Many individuals practice yoga for stress relief or to establish balance in their life. Here at the Vermont Center for Yoga & Therapy, yoga is utilized to treat many ailments including anxiety, depression, PTSD, or chronic stress. So why is yoga helpful for treatment?
Streeter, Gerbarg, Saper, Ciraulo, and Brown (2012), researched the effects of yoga below the surface. They found that yoga works to balance the autonomic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system,...
Kombucha is an ancient fermented tea that is becoming increasingly popular due to its many health benefits. The use of Kumbucha dates back to 221 B.C. during the Chinese empire of the Tsin-Dynasty, in which they referred to the drink as “The remedy for immortality”. It then spread to Japan and throughout Europe, and is now known worldwide. People everywhere are benefiting from the properties of this ancient health...
Jennifer was puzzled. A friend had recommended Ayurveda for Jennifer’s son who had been diagnosed with, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She thought ADD, ADHD are such new diseases, how can Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old science, have a solution for it?
What Jennifer did not know was that Ayurveda is an energy science. Energy controls all actions and functions in the body. Disease is a manifestation of an imbalance in...
It seems that this time of year, there’s often as much stress in the air as there is holiday cheer, if not more. From frightful weather to last-minute shopping and jam-packed schedules, it’s not hard to go from feeling jolly one moment to overwhelmed the next.
Come and join Anne as she shares with you ideas for making your holiday season less stressful. Anne will cover aromatherapy...
I often see people, whether they are new to yoga or seasoned practioners, place the fingers of each hand in Chin Mudra – a common yogic hand gesture, where the thumb and the index finger touch, while the other three fingers generally face the earth. When I considered introducing a regular yoga group geared toward stress reduction; I reflected on the ease and symbolism of this simple Mudra. This gesture represents the connected nature...
I grew up in a home where dinner meant sitting together as a family around the table. We talked about our day, we occasionally argued, but we always anticipated this time together. It was a part of our family culture.
After I graduated college, I began working at the NFI Hospital Diversion Program, where the daily schedule honored the importance of sitting together for meals and breaking bread. It’s surprising...
I am excited to announce that Dr. Claudia Welch will be coming to Burlington for a one-day workshop focusing on women's health on June 11th. Claudia is a doctor of Oriental Medicine and a practitioner of Ayurvedic Medicine.
Claudia offers a unique perspective on how we, as women, can stay healthy and balanced in today's world. She will explore the delicate dance of women's hormones, talk about common...
I am excited and looking forward to facilitating Mindfulness for Teens and Mindful Parents starting a week from today, March 5. I am also pleased to offer these groups to the community for no charge.
Mindfulness for Teens provides opportunity for Teens to learn and practice mindfulness based practices that includes formal meditation, mindful eating, mindful movements, and mindful listening in a group setting. Teens will also discuss areas in which mindfulness...
Every year massage therapists and body workers nationwide lend their hearts and hands to raise awareness of the benefits of massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies. The 2012 event will be held the week of July 15–21. Join the Celebration.
Vt. Center for Integrative Therapy body-workers will be participating in this event. The massage/energy therapists at VTCIT are offering their services, their time and hands by donation , during the week of...
Do you ever notice a shift in your mood or energy level as the days grow short, it gets darker earlier and earlier and if you are living in VT the sun seems to disappear for the entire season of winter? Researchers suggest bringing some light into your life during the long dark winter months for a mood boost. According to an article in the New York Times, plugging in a light box...
Dear friends, yogis, and colleagues,
It’s been a full and exciting fall! I’ve been delighted to rediscover a love of photography, which has proven to be very relaxing and rewarding, as it’s another opportunity to slow down and be present.
This Thursday evening, I begin a six-week healing series to address seasonal affective mood fluctuations or distress (Yoga for Winter Blues) at the...
Check out this article on meditation!
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/11/meditations-positive-residual-effects/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11.15.12%2520%281%29#.UKT3Ol0o_MY.email
Bree Greenberg-Benjamin will be speaking at this FREE event next week at the Flynn Center! Please click the link below for more information! Presented by UVM's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).
http://www.flynncenter.org/performances-events/amy-e-tarrant-gallery/archives/2011-alice-murdoch-exhibit.html
As we move through hectic and busy lives it is important to take time to “smell the roses.” I know as a parent of a seven year old there are many things to remember; school lunch, forms, baseball stuff, play dates, birthday parties…. The list goes on. Most parents I know hardly have time to breathe during the day, let alone find time for a mindful practice. Here are some...
Are you wanting to know more about Healing Touch energy therapy? I invite you to take a few minutes to watch this lovely and informative video produced by the Healing Touch Program. I hope it will inspire you to explore the benefits that Healing Touch energy therapy has to offer you. I offer individual Healing Touch sessions weekly at the Vermont Center for Yoga and Therapy.
http://www.youtube...
Workshops
Self-Compassion: Taming the Inner Critic with Isabeall Logan Tuesday’s starting November 8th, 5-6:30 p.m.
Pratyaagati…Journey Home with Bree Greenberg-Benjamin Thursday’s starting November 10th, 4-6:45 pm
Women, Food, and Self-Love [Half –day Retreat] with Tisha Shull & Laurinda Poirier-Solomon Saturday, November 12th, 9:30 am – 3pm.
For more information on the events above, please see our events page...
Monday, September 12th 6:30- 7:30 pm at the Vermont Center for Yoga and Therapy. FREE.
ADD & ADHD remain controversial despite psycho stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, Dexedine, Focalin & Strattera).
Regardless of your beliefs about what ADD & ADHD really mean, there are several holistic tools that can be helpful to stressed out children and adults. In this Dharma talk I will introduce you to natural remedies to help create a...
Chronic stress can cause a fight-flight-freeze response. The effects of fright/fight/freeze can take a long time to wear off.
Muscles that have tensed are left shortened and do not automatically go back to their former length. On the contrary, spinal reflexes make them contract if they begin to lengthen. After the danger has passed and the brain lets the muscles relax a little, the spinal cord immediately tells them to...
The New York Times reports that being grateful has been linked to many positive benefits such as decreased experience of anxiety and depression and increased satisfaction in our relationships. Looking to create some space to bring gratitude into your life? Simply begin keeping a gratitude journal. Research has found that writing down what you are grateful for (it can be anything) can increase one’s happiness and optimism. Follow the link below...
We all know that getting a good night’s rest is essential for maintaining balance in our lives and can improve our overall health. However, we may also experience times when we do not get the highest quality sleep that we intended for. Recently I read on Eating Well’s website that dietitians are now looking towards food and how it can improve one’s sleep. The dietitians and physicians consulted...
Reiki healing is a hands-on energy healing art. It was originated in Japan in the early 20th century by Mikao Usui, who had a life-changing experience of light and energy that he recognized as reiki--sacred life force--and that awakened his innate healing abilities. He developed a system of practices that enabled others to become effective healers. In a reiki healing session, the practitioner, trained to access and serve as a channel for the life...
Feeling stressed, tired, or burnt out? It may be helpful to take a walk, or if you are lucky enough to be living in the beautiful state of Vermont, take a moment and take in a spectacular scene of the Green Mountains or Lake Champlain. Being in nature, researchers understand, has restorative power to nurture our selves.
In an article featured on the Miller-McCune website, researchers found that being in nature, even...
As we start back into the hectic school year there are many ways to still ensure your family is consuming healthy foods. Often times families get stuck in the habit of take out because there is simply not enough time in the day. Here is a list of 10 suggestions to make planning meals a cinch.
1) Portion out baggies of dry goods on the weekends for snacks. This can include trail mix, nuts,...