Gray Matters Take II: An Experiential Journey of Self-Care Through The Connection of Mind, Body, and Spirit Practices

During this experiential training we will present a number of simple mind-body practices which can be used in any setting, on the job or off, to reduce the effects of stress and return to a calm, balanced state. Attendees will be invited to engage in these practices firsthand during the workshop, so they will leave with new tools they can use themselves as well as share with others. Why take this workshop? It is common knowledge today that mind, body, and spirit are inextricably connected, and that whatever affects one aspect of ourselves also affects our whole being. Sometimes the demands of our work can be daunting. We desire to achieve goals, meet deadlines, and improve outcomes while at the same time often feel inundated with the demands of overflowing email inboxes, situations that must be addressed, and tasks that must be accomplished as we catapult our way through the days. As a result, our brains end up in overdrive, accessing the states required for such demands while not being given room to visit other critical brain states required for rejuvenation and creative thinking, which are also so very critical for our overall productivity and satisfaction. We know today that our brains need to regularly visit all states for proper functioning, and that staying in overdrive only results in burnout and inefficiency. Entities world-wide have begun to introduce mind-body practices as a way of encouraging individuals to return to a state of balance, which they now realize has an exponentially positive impact on not just the individual but the culture of the whole organization.