Life can often present us with challenging situations and people that can test our ability to remain positive, peaceful and healthy. Our Positive Living classes teach helpful tools for strengthening our minds and spirits, teaching us how to thrive amid the challenges of everyday life. In the process we learn to feel better not only about ourselves, but to also feel better about the very situations and people that once seemed insurmountable.
All programs are available in-person or by video (except Aromatherapy)
All programs can also be done outdoors in nice weather or with overhead cover
- Aromatherapy for Balanced Health – Essential oils can give us extra energy, calm our minds, help us sleep better, improve our memory, and provide relief from other imbalances. Learn how aromatherapy can help you, sample some essential oils, and make a customized body scrub and a body lotion to keep. (1 hour class plus $5 per person for materials) *Not suitable for people with allergies or sensitive skin.
- Handling the Stress of Interpersonal Relationships – Our relationships with family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances can be the source of particularly difficult challenges. Learn healthy ways of communicating and managing expectations, to help you get through these situations and improve your relationships. (1 hour class)
- Humor As a Life Plan – Smiling and laughing has scientifically-proven health benefits, including reducing stress and improving stress-related illness. Learn the many ways that you can bring more humor into your life. You’ll also get to try some fun games and groan through a few corny jokes! (1 hour class)
- “Dear Abby” – A group discussion program led by a grief and loss survivor. We will talk about the things that we wish were different in our lives, and offer advice for changing what we can and thriving anyway in spite of what we can’t. All group members will be invited to offer positive advice to each other from their own life experiences. (1 hour class)
- The Power of Intention: Creating and Living a Life that Expresses Your Authentic Self – Sometimes we feel like we have fewer options in life, and more limited ability to choose and follow those options. We are also sometimes dependent on others to let us know what our options are, and help us to achieve them. This can lead feeling like we have no control over the content and quality of our own lives. Learn how to determine your options and decide which options you want to follow. We will talk about setting goals, planning steps to achieve the goals, noting obstacles you might face, and planning steps to get past the obstacles. You will leave with a plan you can follow to create a self-determined life that is authentically your own. (1 hour class)
- Making Lemonade From Lemons – This class helps participants learn how to maintain peace and happiness despite the challenges they are facing in their lives such as grief over the death of a loved one, decline in cognition or mobility, increasing health issues, loss of independence, and moving from their home. They will learn different methods for coping with these issues through positive thinking, empowering speech, and a gratitude-focused approach to life. (1 hour class)
- Introduction to Holistic Health Care – Students will learn about the physical benefits and stress-relieving benefits of yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, Reiki energy therapy, and Feng Shui. We will discuss how these different techniques help to improve breathing, balance, flexibility, and strength; as well as promote relaxation and peacefulness. We will have a short meditation demonstration at the end of the class. (1 hour class)
- The Amazing Benefits of Gratitude Journaling – Keeping a daily journal of things that you are thankful for is a life-changing experience. By noticing and focusing on the good things in your life, bad things don;t seem so overwhelming, and you end up with a much happier outlook on life. Gratitude journaling can help to elevate mood, increase optimism, alleviate depression, and cope with sadness. Your group will learn how to start a journal, what to include, and all of the ways that gratitude journaling can benefit them. We will also have a short discussion about Mindfulness Meditation (1 hour class)
- Every Day Stress Relief – This class teaches methods for staying peaceful amid the typical challenges of life. We will discuss relaxing breathing techniques, an introduction to meditation, methods for being accepting of ourselves and others, and ways to approach challenging situations in a healthy way. We will have a short meditation demonstration at the end of class. (1 hour class)
- Meditation Made Easy – Meditation helps to quiet the mind and release us from worry. For many people, though, the goal of clearing our minds of thoughts seems impossible to attain. This class teaches easy methods to meditate, and incorporate it into everyday life. We teach exercises that help the body and mind to become relaxed and centered. The relaxation and peace of mind students learn in this class will help them gain a more positive outlook on their daily lives. We will practice different types of meditation throughout the class. (1 hour class)
- Nature Meditation – Nature meditations help to calm our mind, balance our energy, and lift our mood. Taking the time to appreciate and connect with the beauty, stillness and constancy of nature is a very healing practice. We will go outdoors to be in the beauty of nature and learn standing and walking nature meditation practices. (1 hour class, and can also be done as an ongoing series) This is a year-round class. In case of rain, we will still meditate outdoors, with umbrellas. In case of uncomfortable weather, we can meditate under a porch or portico, or inside near a window. Please provide staff assistance as required for safety. We also suggest folding chairs for those unable to stand for the one hour class.
- Good Health Through Balanced Energy – Students will learn how energy imbalances can affect our physical health, our thinking and our personality. We will discuss the difference between yin (passive) and yang (active) energy, the concept of chakras (the seven energy centers located within our bodies), methods to balance our own energy, and methods for interacting in a healthy way with other people who have a different type of energy than we do. (1 hour class)
- Create Your Own Good Fortune – We’ll snack on fortune cookies and tea while discussing goals and dreams that we have for our lives. We’ll talk about ways that we can make our fortunes come true, and how we can overcome obstacles that we might face. We’ll write down our fortunes as a way to remember and help manifest our dreams. (1 hour class plus $1 per person for tea and cookies)
- The ABCs of ZZZs: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep – Our bodies and minds need adequate sleep for good physical, mental and emotional health. But falling asleep and staying asleep is hard for many people. Learn the facts about good sleep, techniques for relaxing your mind and body, and how to create an environment that helps you sleep. (1 hour class)
Click on the categories below for a full program list
