Mindfulness Workshops
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
- T.S. Elliot
Mindfulness
“Paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, to what’s actually happening in the present moment, with an attitude of non-judging.” - Jon Kabat Zinn
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Calm Compassion Connection Clarity​
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Mindfulness is a practice which can be incorporated into your life in many different ways. Research has shown that mindfulness can improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, emotion regulation, focus, concentration, sleep, and immune function.
Any of these feel familiar?
Disconnected
Overthinking
Mind racing
Auto-pilot mode
Reactive
Difficulty concentrating
Reactive
Stuck in the past or the future
Multi-tasking mode always on
Struggling to feel joy
Numbing from stress
Self-critical
Consumed with guilt
"Other" focused
Feel like you can't put your stress down
Introduction to Mindfulness Workshop
This 4-day workshop will be a combination of brief presentations, guided mindfulness practices, and instructor led group discussions.
What will you learn?
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What is and is not mindfulness.
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Benefits of mindfulness: What does science say?
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Informal and formal practices
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How to meditate
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Incorporating mindfulness into daily life
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Mindfulness for reactivity
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Self-compassion and kindness
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Practicing detachment from our thoughts and judgments
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Stress response in the body; Mind/body awareness
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5 Hindrances
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Working with mental resistance
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How mindfulness supports stress management
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Navigating thoughts, feelings, and distractions during practice
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Support and resources for maintaining practice
Your
Investment
4-Day Workshop Series
Dates: October 9, 16, 23, 30
Times: 9-10:30am CST on October 9
9-10:00am CST on October 16, 23, 30
Location: Virtual - Zoom
Cost: $85
What's included:
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Presentation material on mindfulness
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Guided practices
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Handouts
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Resources for maintaining practice and learning more on the subject​
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Registration:
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Use the register button or QR code to access the Google Registration Form with a few brief questions and payment options.
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Registration will close September 30th.
About Megan John
Welcome! I am so excited to see you curiously exploring mindfulness! Everyone finds their way here for different reasons, and I would love to hear about YOU!
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My life started with a rather significant unfortunate event. As a young child I was part of fatal car accident. Navigating unexplainable tragedy, impermanence, grief and loss as a young child who was also coping with physical scarring, brain injury and emotional traumas all while trying to just be a "normal" kid was no small feet.
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Fast forwarding into adulthood I found my passion was in serving and guiding others. I achieved my Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, specializing in Psychiatric Rehab from Illinois Institute of Technology in 2009. From here I began my career at the VA Hospital where I spent 9 transformative, and fulfilling years serving our nation's Veterans. In 2020, I opened my private practice, Oak Savanna Counseling, where I provide individual and couples therapy to my community. I have been practicing mindfulness, yoga, and meditation for about 12 years reinforced with retreat experiences. Since beginning my mindfulness journey I attended the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, and most recently completed the MBSR Foundations course to become a Mindfulness Facilitator. My intention is to continue on this track with the goal of being able to guide the full MBSR program as well.
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I am inspired to bring mindfulness to my community because of the ways in which it changed my life and how I witness it support others. Between trauma and my list of accomplishments, there is a lot of life in there! Much of which I spent unskillfully navigating. Mindfulness is a practice. It is a way of showing up in your life, intentionally, curiously, compassionately. It is a way of being with yourself, your loved ones, your foes, your emotional states, and experiences. Mindfulness is uniquely experienced by everyone who practices, so my gains and challenges may look different then yours - and that's okay. That said, I will share that mindfulness has been healing, transformative, and connecting for me. It has also been supportive to skillfully navigate difficulties in my life as well.
I welcome you to reach out with any questions or curiosities about this workshop or the practices. I enthusiastically challenge you to try on something new and see what comes up for you. To those of you already familiar, I encourage you to strengthen your practices with sangha (community).
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"If this is your life, why not show up for all of it!" - Jon Kabat Zinn
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