Mindfulness for Stress Reduction

Submitted by Karen Johnston

The clenched stomach, the racing heart, the aching head, all those nagging physical manifestations that sometimes manifest themselves after a stressful event, whether an argument with your child or a misadventure at work. Yes, how you feel and what you think does affect your physical body. Come learn about "Mindfulness", a psychological discipline designed to change your relationship to stress, by listening to your body and your mind and living in the here and now.

This workshop will cover the current research on the efficacy of mindfulness for stress reduction, and then will present coping skills to reduce stress and to enhance the quality of life at home and at work, including specific meditation practices to use in daily life. The workshop will be presented by Vickie Chang, PhD, who comes to us from The Parents Place. Dr. Chang is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Menlo Park and on the Clinical Faculty at Palo Alto University. She has conducted research on depression prevention at Stanford University and on mindfulness and positive emotion programs at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Her area of expertise is improving wellness and self-care using mindfulness and positive emotion interventions. Middle-school and high school students are welcome to attend. Sponsored by the PTSA. Contact Karen Johnston for more information.