Anxiety: It's Not All in Your Mind (Skillful Means to Approach the Mind and Body) (JS1C25)

Registration will close at 9:00am (US Pacific Time) prior to the LAST class on Friday, April 25, 2025. A waiting list will be created if the program fills early. A recording* will be available within 48 hours following each class. Continuing Education Credits? (see details below).**

Description:
Sensing and cognizing are two sides of our conscious awareness coin. The body senses before the mind cognizes, so discovering aspects of anxiety in the body is just as important as investigating thoughts in the mind. When it comes to anxiety, thinking about it tends to exacerbate it, whereas sensing it in the body can work to calm our thoughts by clearing the body of tension and contraction.

Using a variety of skillful means, together we will create a more open, calm frame of mind which will expand our capacity to examine the thoughts and beliefs that are often behind our anxiety.

Each session includes:

• Breath practices from Buddhist traditions to balance the nervous system
• Releasing the vagal nerve for a feeling of connection
• Mindfulness and meditation for deeper insight into habits of mind that prevent clarity
• Investigating sensations and their patterns to more quickly discover when they begin
• How to apply these practices throughout the day

Online Only: We are offering this program online via Zoom.

Class dates are: March 28, April 4, April 11, April 18, April 25; all classes are held on Fridays from 10:00am – 12:30pm US Pacific Time.

Sliding Scale: Our sliding scale options for this program include financial support for our teachers. Please consider paying at the highest rate that you can afford: your generosity supports the teachers as well as Spirit Rock and your fellow practitioners who need to pay less.

Benefactor – $600
Sustainer – $300
Basic – $150
Scholarship Rate (BIPOC, M/K) – $75

All are welcome! No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. For more information, please email Registration@spiritrock.org.

*Recording Note: If you would like access to the recordings, you must register by the deadline above. You will have ~90 days from the original program date to view the recordings of this program.

**Please Note for CEC participants: If you are interested in receiving continuing education credits (CECs), you must register and pay for CECs prior to the start of the program (no retroactive CECs will be given) and you must attend the live program. Please review the CEC information below.

Teachings are appropriate for health care professionals as well as the general public. This program equips healthcare providers with tools to manage anxiety by teaching body-based practices that regulate the nervous system, which can improve both their well-being and patient care. By integrating mindfulness, breathwork, and somatic awareness, providers can enhance their ability to remain calm and focused during stressful situations, reducing burnout and improving clinical decision-making. Additionally, the techniques taught in this program can be shared with patients as practical interventions for managing anxiety and fostering emotional resilience.

Learning Objectives for participating health care professionals-
At the end of the program you will be better able to:

• Describe the relationship between bodily sensations and cognitive awareness in the context of anxiety regulation;
• List physiological signs of anxiety in the body and the corresponding cognitive processes that exacerbate anxious thoughts;
• Describe strategies for early detection and reduction of anxiety based on patterns of sensations in the body that signal the onset of anxiety;
• Describe how breath practices can be used to regulate the nervous system and enhance emotional resilience;
• Analyze the role of vagal nerve stimulation in creating a sense of connection and reducing anxiety symptoms;
• Describe mindfulness techniques that can be used to foster insight into habitual thought patterns contributing to anxiety and tension;
• Describe the impact of sensing bodily sensations on reducing anxious thoughts, tension, and cognitive contraction.

Continuing Education content level: Introductory

Attendance Requirements:To be eligible for Continuing Education Credits, participants must attend at least 4 of the 5 classes, live, in full, and fulfill all requirements stated on the CEC information page.

***Please note:

• For full Provider information, and additional CEC information, including attendance requirements, cancellation, and grievance policies, please visit our Continuing Education Credit information page.
• For those with a different license than listed above, or with a license from a different board or association than listed on our CEC info page, please contact your licensing board or association directly to request pre-approval/acceptance of CE credits offered at Spirit Rock. Spirit Rock does not confirm the applicability of credit for those with licenses different than those listed.
• Spirit Rock is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16905 for 10 contact hours.
• Credit is awarded for instructional time only and does not include extended silent meditation, if offered.
• Potential Conflict of Interest Statement: This instructor may have authored publications relevant to the subjects covered in this course. The instructor might reference these publications during the course, and they may receive financial compensation if these publications are purchased.