Heather Stang will present at Chesapeake Life Center’s conference: Grief in the 21st Century. The conference is on Friday, September 23, 2016 at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland.
Grief in the 21st Century will feature professionals sharing expertise and current research about complex issues of grief, loss, aging, and more. The audience, according to the official event page, is clergy, counselors, crisis responders, mental health providers, nurses, school professionals, social workers, substance abuse counselors, and therapists. The keynote address is “Grief: The Story of Love after Loss,” given by M. Katherine Shear, M.D. She is the the Marion E. Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia School of Social Work.
See the full conference schedule to get more information. Panel summaries and conference objectives can be found there.
Heather’s session is “Mindfulness & Yoga Based Interventions for Grief.” This session will delve into how mindfulness-based techniques, including meditation and yoga, “are powerful antidotes to human suffering.” She’ll also review current evidence-based literature and discuss real-life examples of how these methods work. Heather explains what she looks forward to sharing with her fellow professionals: “For many people it feels like an out of body experience. Yoga can bring us back home to our body—and release the physical tension and stress that accompanies grief. Mindfulness meditation can press the reset button on a scattered and anxious mind—empowering us to witness our grief as an artifact of love, rather than be overwhelmed by ruminating thoughts and worry.”
Full Presentation Description: “Mindfulness & Yoga Based Interventions for Grief” Presented by Heather Stang, MA, Mindfulness Speaker and Author
Facing the reality that a loved one has died is overwhelming. Bereaved people also have to cope with physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual suffering. Mindfulness-based techniques – including meditation and yoga – can help bereaved clients reduce unpleasant side effects while learning powerful coping skills. The inward focus cultivated during these practices validates thoughts, sensations and emotions. This leads to a greater self-efficacy and may foster post-traumatic growth. During this session, Heather Stang, author of Mindfulness & Grief, will review evidence based literature and offer case examples to illustrate how mindfulness and yoga can be applied as grief interventions for acute symptoms including anxiety, depression, insomnia and somatic disturbances. Best practices for developing partnerships with yoga and mindfulness teachers in your community will also be explored.
