Change Your Breath…Change Your Anxiety?: Rewiring Your Brain & Body to Reduce Anxiety
Friday, June 10th
12-1PM
We have all heard the advice to “calm down and take a deep breath,” but what does that actually mean?
Our day-to-day breathing mechanics have a big impact on our baseline anxiety. The muscles we use, the position of our torso, breathing with mouth or nose (and even which nostril) affects the signals that tell our brain whether we are anxious or calm. Learning to change small things can have a big impact on how quickly we can deescalate from panic or how anxious we feel on a daily basis.
Want to learn more? Join us for this workshop as an introduction to breathing biomechanics.
Change Your Brain…Change Your Anxiety?: Rewiring Your Brain & Body to Reduce Anxiety
July 10th
12-1PM
Some of us are more anxious than others - that’s not your fault! Our minds & bodies may be wired that way for a variety of reasons. The great news is you can work to change how you are wired!
In this workshop, we’ll learn how our brains are wired towards anxiety. For instance, the alarm center of your brain might be larger, so when it gets set off, your response might be quicker and bigger. We’ll learn skills that you can practice to begin to change how your brain & body respond in times of stress.
Learning to Meditate To Change Your Brain: Rewiring Your Brain & Body to Reduce Anxiety
August 12th
12-1PM
Meditation is the ability to be relaxed and aware. It is the practice of letting our spinning thoughts settle so that we can find clarity. There are lots of types of meditations and certain ones may be easier to access depending on your learning style and how your brain operates.
In this workshop, we will learn a bit about the science of meditation and try some different types. Whether you’re totally new to meditation, feeling stuck in your practice, have tried it and hated it, or just want to learn more, you’re welcome to join!
Recovering from Compulsive Exercise: Learning What Your Body Really Needs
September 9th
12-1PM
Compulsive exercise is hard to quit because our bodies need to move. Movement is designed to balance our brain and body systems by regulating energy level and emotions. But sometimes, we’ve become too dependent on exercise to do the balancing. And it starts to get in the way of living our life with chronic injuries, taking time from friends & family, or it just starts to feel too driven and not fun. Like any addiction, recovering from compulsive exercise involves understanding how it helps our body find balance.
This workshop will explore the ways that we use movement to balance our brain and body systems. We will look at physiological needs as well as emotional/cognitive needs. Understanding what our body is getting from our movements can help us replace those needs in a way that is more effective or in line with our values/priorities.
Gender Dysphoria & Eating Disorders
October 14th
12-1PM
Gender dysphoria and eating disorders are deeply intertwined, and often misunderstood in eating disorder recovery. An extremely high proportion of gender expansive humans report using eating disorder behaviors. Changing your body size or shape through food and exercise may be a way of shaping your body so that it feels more congruent to your internal mirror. But sometimes this process increases anxiety because you find yourself living in constant fear of small body changes. Or you might find that crafting your body gets in the way of living the life you want. The struggle is real and you are not alone.
If you are navigating the reality of living in a body that does not feel like home and/or if you want to better understand how to support others on this journey, please join us for this workshop as we delve into this important topic.