STEPS Resident Health Promotion Project
Managing Stress and Finding Joy and Ease in the Time of Covid-19 Caroline Peterson, MA Much of what we love and love to do has been changed in 2020 with the onset of Covid-19; and whatever side we each may be on; the political year continues to be extraordinary and complex. The stress of 2020 for each of us, our families and communities, is ongoing as we move into 2021. Personally, I wondered how to take heart and find encouragement as Covid-19 continued to bloom. The answer was clear, to increase my practice of mindfulness meditation, a health practice that has supported my well-being for years. I also went on Zoom to engage with others in this heartfelt practice. I began to explore meditation around 1990, later taking a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, and subsequently in 2004 received advanced professional training to teach MBSR with Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The title of Jon’s first book “Full Catastrophe Living” says it all. Integrating teaching mindfulness skills into my work as an Art Therapist and Licensed Practitioner, working in hospital settings, allowed me to witness persons experiencing distress with life change and loss increase their capacity for joy and ease as they brought mindful attention and creativity to the challenges they faced. Having retired and moved to South Seneca in November of 2016, I was very lucky to start volunteering for STEPS in Jun 2017, meeting many wonderful South Seneca residents in the process. With recommendations from Karel Titus, on whose STEPS committee I served, and in dialog with the Lodi Whittier Library’s encouraging staff; a collaborative team emerged, and we applied for a STEPS Resident Health Promotion Project Grant to offer a Mindfulness program on Zoom for South Seneca residents. I have so much gratitude for STEPS’ mission in our community and our RHPP team. We are very happy to begin our program Finding Joy and Ease in the Long Winter to begin this month. Eight-Session Program - Lodi Whittier Library via Zoom Registration is Required: Call or email 607-582-6218 or director@lodilibrary.net January 23rd - March 6th Weekly Saturday Sessions, 11:30 am - 1 pm January 27th - March 10th Weekly Wednesday Sessions, 5:30 - 7 pm |
Noticing the Good Stuff
Are you feeling disconnected? Would you like to focus on more positive things? You can join STEPS Media & Outreach Specialist and resident Kristin Parry on Facebook for a weekly check-in/chat. You can join our chat live on our Facebook page, NY STEPS Project. Just print the check-in sheet to guide our discussion and tune in or even just tune in. We will be chatting on Monday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. 1/25 at 1:30 p.m. 2/1 at 1:30 p.m. 2/7 at 1:30 p.m. 
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