It's easy to feel stressed or overwhelmed even on a good day, and especially during this pandemic. So, we wanted to provide some mindfulness techniques shared with us by ACHS graduate student Jennifer Langsdale to help promote calm. Jennifer is a 15 year yoga and wellness professional earning her Master of Science in Aromatherapy at ACHS, and this month we were lucky enough to have her host three live Mindful Monday sessions on Facebook where she shared some actionable mindfulness techniques. We're sharing the recordings here for anyone who missed them and is looking for a little stress relief.
1. The Body Scan
In her first Mindful Monday session, Jennifer gave us an introduction to the body scan. If you're not familiar with the term, read below before trying it out for yourself by listening along with the video recording.
- Lasts for about 10 minutes
- You can do it seated (with good posture) or lying down
- The goal is not to fall asleep, even if you may want to
When you’re in the body scan, what you really want to do is notice the kind of experience you’re having in a non-judgmental way. Instead of saying "I like this experience," or "I don’t like this experience," notice the sensations you’re having in that experience but do not make a judgement.
Jennifer says to remember that learning to stay in the moment and not judge yourself during a body scan can take practice. So when you’re laying on the floor or seated in a chair, 10 minutes might feel like a lifetime to you, or to others it might feel like a click of the fingers. It all depends on where you are in this moment.
The body scan portion of the this Mindful Monday video begins at 19:40, for those who want to skip ahead. To view the video in full screen size, click the symbol in the bottom right with 4 arrows pointing outward.
2. Diaphragmatic Breath
3. Learn To Enjoy Quiet
In week 3 on October 19th, Jennifer will teach us how to sit with silence and appreciate it, while using some simple tools to get our minds to slow down. You can sign up for Mindful Mondays week 3 on Facebook here.
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This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. This article has not been reviewed by the FDA. Always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.
About American College of Healthcare Sciences
American College founded in 1978, is a fully online accredited institute of higher education specializing in holistic health. Based in Portland, OR; our goal is to make research-driven and science-based holistic health education taught by industry-leading experts accessible to anyone anywhere while still giving students a hands-on experiential learning experience like a traditional college and a strong sense of community, school pride and student bond.
This commitment to our students and graduates reflects in our current survey results that reflect 98% of our students would recommend ACHS to a friend or family member.
We believe education is the most powerful tool for changing an individual and the world around us.
When a person enrolls as ACHS, it is vitally important that they graduate with tools they need to forge their own holistic and sustainable missions, build up their communities confidently and changing the face of healthcare with knowledge.
