Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga for Mental Health
Meditation can take many forms. |
There are 8 rhythms of meditation that tend to show up when we enter into meditation, no matter what the practice is |
Overwhelming. Too difficult. Takes too much time. I don't know how. I'm not flexible enough. I've already tried that. What other reasons do you have for avoiding a mindfulness or yoga practice? It's okay to admit it. We all have them! What are yours?
Our suffering is a function of the way we think about or hold a belief about a situation. Sometimes, we are wishing things are different. Many of us worry about the future. Obsessing, comparing and grasping for control are all things that pull us out of the present moment. Mindfulness, meditation and guided yoga practice can help you reduce suffering and live a better life.
Our suffering is a function of the way we think about or hold a belief about a situation. Sometimes, we are wishing things are different. Many of us worry about the future. Obsessing, comparing and grasping for control are all things that pull us out of the present moment. Mindfulness, meditation and guided yoga practice can help you reduce suffering and live a better life.
You can meditate. You can practice yoga.
Everyone can meditate! We simply have to find our doorway to meditation. Meditation can be nourishing and something we look forward to. For you, the practice of meditation could be filled with mindful activities like:
- sitting with your breath
- walking
- chanting
- journaling
- eating meditation
- knitting
- dancing
- being in nature
- running
Cultivation Through Mindfulness Meditation
Imagine bringing these attitudes into your daily life? You can learn how.
Meditation is a practice, a journey, never the same. We use the principles of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Lorin Roche, Pema Chodron, Jeff Foster and more. To learn more from these incredible teachers, please visit the resources listed below.
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Mindfulness meditation is all about cultivating certain attitudes that we can bring out into our daily life. Meditation can help with depression, anxiety, concentration, physical health, sleep, mindful eating to name just a few areas.
In our work together, we want you to feel:
more nourished, less stressed, more grateful, more curious, more grounded, more focused, more accepting of the changing seasons of life, more connected to a full range of emotions without feeling overwhelmed by them.
Visit the Commit to Sit Facebook page for ongoing tips related to mindful living and upcoming workshops by Dr. Nathalie Edmond.
The more we practice, the more we develop tools we need to feel better |
Meditation and Yoga Workshops with Dr. Nathalie Edmond, yoga teacher and psychologist
Guided Meditation:Check out 7 days of videos here
Meditation and Self-Exploration: 
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Gentle Yoga Series with Michelle Gerdes, RYT-200Free gentle yoga class on second Fridays of the month at 7 pm (except July and August) Register here
Yoga class recordings availableLearn strategies to regulate your nervous system. If you have periods of negative thinking, low energy, hopelessness, shame, freeze response (difficulty moving into action). Yoga practices take a trauma informed approach.
Explore yogic practices such as: pranayama (breathing exercises to move energy), asana (movement on the mat including slow flow, yin and restorative yoga), the energetic body and understanding our nervous system, chanting, meditation, self-inquiry, yoga nidra (yogic sleeping), balancing rest and movement. |
Guided Meditation Recordings by Dr. Edmond
- 6 minute breathing space (quick way to check in with self)
- Going with the flow in uncertain times (19 minutes)
- Breath awareness (noticing the breath as it is)
- Observing Thoughts (shamata meditation)
- Observing Sensations (riding the waves of sensations)
- Awareness of Sensations when distressed (distress tolerance)
- Categorizing Thoughts (noticing thought stream)
- Welcoming Meditation (focusing on intention and present moment)
- Loving Kindness Meditation (mantra; wishing yourself and others well)
- Welcome Gratitude (gratitude practice)
- Irest for sleep (17-18 minutes- guided practice for sleep based on Richard Miller's work)
- Compassion practice (for yourself and others- 26 minutes)
- Imagining a store of protection (guided imagery for dealing with triggers- 6 minutes)
- Tonglen meditation (building compassion for self and others)
- Mountain meditation (feeling grounded and rooted through different seasons of life)
- Raisin meditation (using 5 senses to experience a raisin)
- Lake meditation (observing and letting go of thoughts)
- RAIN meditation (recognizing and accepting difficult emotions)
- Bedtime meditation (helps unwind from the day to aid with sleep)
- Morning compassion meditation (body scan and loving kindness to start day)
- Befriending Fear (tolerating uncomfortable emotions)
- Body Scan 22 minutes (building awareness of body sensations)
- 32 minute practice (noticing breath, body scan, loving kindness)
- Self care meditation for BIPOC individuals (25 minutes- inviting in ease, yoga nidra, compassion)
- Loving Kindness in community after election (42 minutes)
Additional Resources Recommended for Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
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Recommended Apps:
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Free Self Guided Course: palousemindfulness.com/ UCLA Meditation Resources: www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations |
Recommended Books:
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