Tai Chi Fusion:
Tai Chi, Qi Gong, & Self Care Classes with Jennifer
Where: High Point Regional High School Library
299 Pigeon Hill Road, Wantage, NJ
When: Wednesdays 6 - 7:30 pm
Session 1: 6 Weeks - January 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, and 18, 2015*
Session 2: 5 Weeks - March 4, 11, 18, 25, and April 1, 2015 *
Who: All levels welcome
Investment: $15 per class
RSVP: jensteffener@gmail.com - Be sure to include your name, phone number, and which session(s) you will be attending.
Please wear comfortable clothes (layers in case you get too warm or cold), bring water to drink, and a towel. Feel free to bring your journal or notebook for notes and inspirations. Handouts will be provided. No previous experience is necessary.
*You will be notified by phone and/or email if class is cancelled due to inclement weather.
Potent Health Elixir: Gratitude
Medical research shows that incorporating gratitude as a daily virtue instead of a temporary state of mind will improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health.
We all know stress is linked to several leading causes of death such as heart disease and cancer. Stress is also the main reason for up to 90 percent of all doctor’s visits! Cultivating an attitude of gratitude will help us better manage our stress and thus reduce stress related illnesses and pain.
Some other significant benefits to exercising daily gratitude include:
- Create a More Optimistic Attitude
- Boost Your Immune System
- Cope More Effectively with Daily Problems
- Feel Better About Your Life and Your Future
- Grow a Deeper Appreciation of Yourself and Others
- Re-frame Your Adversities Into Life Lessons
- Increase Your Inspiration to Take Better Care of Yourself
- Improve Your Emotional Resiliency
Here are some simple and powerful tools you can implement to create more gratitude in your life and improve your health:
Journal - Keep a weekly gratitude journal and write down all the things you are grateful for no matter how insignificant they may seem at the time. Don’t forget to refer to your journal any time you are feeling blue to cheer yourself up or if you just want to increase your joy.
Daily Meditation - Every day upon awakening and/or retiring to bed acknowledge 3 -5 things you are grateful for in your personal life AND 3- 5 things you appreciate about your career and/or the community you live in. If you have a day when you're not feeling very grateful, as we all do, don’t forget to remind yourself of the small yet profound things. You actually woke up to breathe in a brand new day in a world full of beautiful mountains; meadows; oceans and beaches; rivers; lakes; animals and birds; trees, plants, and flowers; the moon and stars; and sunrises and sunsets. Enjoy!
Acknowledge Your Life - Write down a list of benefits in your life, reflect on them, and ask yourself if you take them for granted. Refer to this list whenever you experience difficulties that are troubling you or you fall into the "compare and despair" trap.
Positive Self- Talk - “Talk to yourself in a creative, optimistic, and appreciate manner", suggests Sam Quick, PhD, of the University of Kentucky. “This could entail simply reflecting on things for which you're grateful or, if you're facing a challenging situation, seeing how it can ultimately be beneficial. For instance, having to cope with particularly difficult people in your job or neighborhood can improve your patience and understanding.”
Think Outside the Box - Re-frame a situation by considering more positive reasons. Maybe that difficult person you are dealing with is actually a lovely person going through a terrible time in their life such as the loss of a loved one, an illness or a painful injury. So instead of taking their behavior personally, open your heart and feel compassion for them.
Creating a few moments daily to reflect on what you are grateful for will cumulatively increase your gratitude and positive outlook. This increase of gratitude will crowd out moments of self-pity and resentment over what you feel is lacking or disturbing you.
Practicing gratitude is easy, free, and you have nothing to lose. It's a win-win opportunity that will improve your health and quality of life as well as those around you.
Thank you for reading!
“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” Helen Keller
Customized Therapeutic Massage and Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Meditation Instruction provided in the comfort of your home or office.
Since 1996
Monmouth and Ocean County, NJ
By Appointment Only
Jennifer Steffener,
Licensed Massage Therapist
Certified Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Meditation Instructor
973.670.4064
www.jennifersteffener.com
jensteffener@gmail.com
