Mindful Monday - Coming to Pensacola in August 2017

Starting August 2017: 

Introducing Mindful Monday: Group Counseling + Therapeutic Yoga 

Three different yoga therapy groups available every Monday, all designed to improve mood, self care, coping, support, mental health, and functioning.  Choose from a variety of group types including chair yoga, hot yoga, and restorative.  Read on for more information about each:

Chair Yoga for Chronic Pain

Enjoy being guided through gentle and engaging movement, postures, and breathing sequences, designed to promote a healthy balance between activity and rest.  Topics practiced in this supportive yoga group include healthy coping with chronic pain, fatigue, and physical limitations.  In chair yoga, we use chairs, straps, and blocks to practice both seated and supported standing poses. (No getting up and down from the floor!)

10:30 - 11:30, Mondays

Hot Yoga for Depression & Anxiety

Bring your water bottle!  Get ready to sweat as we work to replace negative thought and behavior habits that get in the way of enjoying life.   In this group, we practice open level yoga in a heated room to encourage personal reflection, cultivate focus and concentration, and yolk our mindful intentions with a physical practice.  Topics covered in this engaging yoga group include managing depression and anxiety by improving self-talk, self-esteem, and self-expression.  At the end of our session, be rewarded with a cold lavender towel and guided relaxation.

2:00 - 3:15, Mondays

Restorative Yoga for Stress

Indulge the senses in this candle lit restorative yoga group, designed to provide a safe place to rest, reflect, and restore the mind and body.  Restorative yoga is especially gentle and practiced primarily on the floor with a variety of props including bolsters, straps, blankets, and eye pillows (provided).  Topics explored in this restorative yoga group include recognizing and managing stress triggers, chronic overwhelm, and emotional burn-out.   A variety of therapeutic modalities are offered in this group, including guided muscle relaxation, aromatherapy, gentle and restorative stretching, mindful breathing exercises, and an (optional) shoulder press. 

4:00 - 5:15, Mondays

Location: 

Uru Yoga, 955 Nine Mile Road

Pensacola, FL, 32514

Please visit the services page to register for Mindful Monday sessions: 

Relaxation for mindfulness: Calming the body and mind

Relaxation — and how we achieve it — is personal. Nattu/Flickr

We garden. We put on headphones. We fold ourselves into an overstuffed chair with hot tea and our favorite author.

Relaxation — and how we achieve it — is personal. Here at Self-Haven, you’ll find resources to help you unwind, from simple, soothing photography to professionally guided relaxation sessions. Mindfulness often means time for quiet reflection, and there is calming support in this space.

When we’re relaxed, whether it’s from an enjoyable activity, sleep or simple peace of mind, our body changes. The effects are similar to what happens during a massage, where the release of physical tension finds its way to the entire body. 

The University of Minnesota’s massage therapy school breaks down what happens: Our heart rate slows, the body increases production of serotonin, a chemical that promotes positive emotions, and our blood pressure drops. That’s what it feels like for stress to melt away.

Sometimes, however, life throws us circumstances that make it difficult to get there. How do we cast away our cares when they seem so present? When we clear our mind with yoga, meditation or music, for example, we center our perspective. Certain techniques as fundamental as paying attention to the rhythm of your breathing can have a calming effect. The result is often that we cut through the noise.

Deep breathing is a great place to begin alleviating stress, and here’s a technique courtesy of WebMD. Put your left hand on your abdomen and your right hand on your chest. Slowly fill your lower lungs with air so that your left hand rises when you breathe in, and your right hand remains still. Now, slowly exhale, and repeat the process eight to 10 times.

That’s just the beginning. There’s so much more to see, hear and feel, and we invite you to explore.

Get to know yourself with these self-assessments

Challenging unhelpful thoughts

Changing self-talk from negative to positive

Recognizing your emotions