In times of turmoil, our minds race, and our hearts swell with emotion. We get overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings and lose our footing and sense of stability. Right now, as we witness the war in Ukraine, a country being violently destroyed and innocent people being killed we can go into overwhelm. In this talk and guided practice, experience a 3- part mindfulness meditation for “steadying in” during turbulent times and includes a loving kindness meditation for the Ukrainians.

Dr. Suzanne leads you in a brief meditation and reflection on being kind to yourself. 12 minutes.

Awareness of teen mental health and suicide increased during the pandemic due to the alarming rise in teen depression, anxiety, and suicide. However, teen mental health has been a significant health issue for decades – it just wasn’t talked about. After losing her son to suicide in 2014, Suzie Bartel, has been passionate about raising awareness of teen mental health and suicide prevention. Join me as Suzie shares her knowledge, story and her work with the Ryan Bartel Foundation she co-founded soon after Ryan’s passing.

Spiritual seekers are those who follow a path of self-discovery. They embark on a journey searching for experiences of connection and meaning with the two-fold intention of discovery the authentic self and developing a philosophy of how to live life. Greg White, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, university professor, and student of Thich Nhat Hahn, began his spiritual journey as a teenager and now a ripe senior, shares his experiences, wisdom, and the practical path of living a mindful, awakened life. 

Give yourself a few minutes, to stop and pause from the activity of your day.  In this brief guided meditation, I invite you to welcome rest and discover the calm within. 

Functional Medicine is a medical/healthcare approach that investigates the roots of illness and disease. This includes our mental health, for our biology effects our mood states, just as our psychology effects our physical well-being.  Join me as Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Nazaneen  Nassiry explains this mind-body connection and offers ways you can support your mental well-being.

We yearn to feel relaxed, to be at ease, and to flow more and stress less in our day-to-day living. Cultivating a state of relaxation begins by tuning into our bodies and simply becoming aware of sensations, vibrations, tensions, and movements alive within.  Join Dr. Suzanne as she guides you in a gentle, soothing body scan meditation to help you become more aware, present, and relaxed.

When feeling stressed out, distraught or in need of healing, people often take refuge in nature.  They leave the confines of their homes and seek walking paths, gardens, hiking trails, river banks or head to a favorite destination - the beach, the lake or the mountains. That is because nature is restorative and, nature is our home.  Cathy Norman, a Virginia Master Naturalist, mindfulness meditation teacher, registered yoga teacher and steward of the earth, shares her wisdom about the healing aspects of nature and restorative practices to help us reconnect to ourselves. 

Teens want you to understand them, their experiences, and the roller coaster ride of adolescence.  Their journey is one of separating from parents and finding themselves. Experiences and connections with peers are critical and serve as the foundation for self-discovery and individualization. In 2020 their natural journey of exploration was thwarted. The COVID-19 pandemic struck them like a lightning bolt and rocked their world.  Fourteen-year-old, Mahsa Riar, a young, accomplished woman beyond her years, shares with us her experiences living through the pandemic and the impact it has had on her generation.  Teen’s well-being is dependent on adults listening, understanding, accepting, and loving them. Tune in today.

Meditation and poetry are natural dance partners. They invite us to go within and come into awareness with what is in the present moment.  Join Suzanne for a brief meditation and two soulful poetry readings, one by Mary Oliver and one by Vera Agnes.  Rest in the silent, still dance.