Serenity Now!

• Are you easily ‘stressed out’?
• Do you find it difficult to quiet your mind?
• Thoughts racing? Lose focus easily?
• Difficulty sleeping? Too much or too little?
• Easily angered with your kids or spouse?
• Do you experience panic attacks?
• Digestive difficulties?
• Do you worry about your health a lot?

Imagine living with a greater sense of ease, more peace in life, more resilience, and the ability to deal with stress effectively, with less anxiety. Our “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Week Retreat” is the program that cultivates that skill. Traditionally an eight-week program, this week-long retreat will include all the same curriculum in a condensed time frame, allowing you to deepen your practice throughout the week and decide what form of mindfulness suits you best.

Learning to pay attention to the present moment, on purpose (vipassana meditation) is a skill which is cultivated and anyone can learn.  We call meditation a practice, because we are never done; it is a skill to continue to develop. The lovely side effects include reducing stress and diminishing many problems associated with a busy lifestyle and stressed out mind, which will allow you to stop spinning mentally.  You can greet your life with awareness, acceptance and a calm response to whatever comes your way. 

New to meditation? The goal is not to have your mind go blank and feel blissed out, unaware of life around you. Rather, it’s a skill to cultivate awareness, noticing everything, and choosing what, when and how to respond.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a way of cultivating awareness of whatever is happening in your life and invites you to be present, moment to moment. As you become more aware of the subtleties of thoughts, emotions and actions, you naturally become less reactive to emotional situations and better able to respond to events from a place of calm perspective. Sugar Ridge’s MBSR program incorporates an educational component with the experiential learning of mindfulness meditation and yoga, in a way that enables you to apply what you learn to your daily life. There is no goal of having your mind go blank or feel blissed out; the goal is to learn ways of being in the present moment with a calmer state of awareness. 

Would you benefit from…

• Reduced anxiety & feelings of panic
• Increased coping with feelings of depression, anger, or other strong emotions
• Improved sleep patterns
• Improved immune system
• Lower blood pressure
• Opening doors to new ways of `seeing’
• Increased ability to manage chronic pain
• Taking time just for you
• Understanding how stress manifests physically and emotionally

If so, the MBSR retreat is for you!

About MBSR

MBSR was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn in 1979.  Since then it has been offered at over 200 clinics around the world and has been researched in medical settings with over 40 peer-reviewed articles in scientific literature.  Hundreds of doctors refer their patients to this program when medicine is not able to meet all their needs in dealing with life issues such as chronic pain, stress-related conditions, and emotional turmoil.  It can be a complement to modern medicine.

What to Expect at the MBSR Retreat

This week will balance time between learning new skills, group discussions, and plenty of free time to relax and enjoy the natural setting here.

Side effects of a regular meditation practice include elevated self-esteem, self-confidence, better communication skills, better relationship dynamics, improved immune system functioning, lower blood pressure and at times walking around with a smile for no apparent reason.

Participant Feedback

I was interested in learning more about mindfulness as a way to treat anxiety. I can say with pure honesty that the MBSR retreat far surpassed any of my expectations. Not only did I learn several styles of meditation, by the end of the week I was very much aware of my thoughts and the control that I have over them. Understanding what makes you anxious is a precious gift.

Liz is an amazing teacher. She allows every student to learn at their own pace, offering thoughtful suggestions along the way. I never felt judged or ashamed. When I left the retreat, I had an overwhelming sense of calm. Thank you for your guidance, Liz!

The accommodations were very cozy and comfortable. However, the highlight was the incredible food! Liz told us that each meal is made with love and I believe it.

I would recommend this course to everyone! – Tammy, MBSR Participant October 2017

RETREAT SCHEDULE: