The Practice of Mindfulness

For health professionals and the Indiana community

Presented by: Dr. Katherine Hammond Holtz, Psy.D.

Licensed clinical psychologist

Friday, September 24, 2010

9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (Registration from 9:00–9:15 a.m.)

College Lodge
200-236 College Lodge Road, Indiana, PA 15701

Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment. It is the continuous practice of touching life deeply in every moment of daily life. To be mindful is to be truly alive, present and at one with those around you and with what you are doing.
—Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness is also a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is happening in your life, a way of taking charge of your life, a way of doing something for yourself that no one else can do for you—consciously and systematically working with your own stress and the challenges and demands of everyday life. Research has shown that a regular practice of mindfulness meditation can result in these benefits:

An increased ability to relax
Greater energy and enthusiasm for life
Improved self-esteem
An ability to cope more effectively with both short- and long-term stressful situations
Lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms, including reductions in pain levels and an enhanced ability to cope with pain that may not go away

—Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, University of Massachusetts

Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction is based on a form of meditation known as mindfulness. Mindfulness is a basic human quality, a way of learning to pay wise attention to whatever is happening in your life that allows you a greater sense of connection to your life inwardly and outwardly. Mindfulness is also a practice, a systematic method aimed at cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding.

—Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, University of Massachusetts

Our Day of Mindfulness will include an orientation to mindfulness and mindfulness practices, including sitting and walking meditation, body scan/deep relaxation, eating meditation, and mindful movements. One purpose of the workshop is to form the basis for further exploration of mindfulness and its adaptation to clinical practice and expert performance.

What to Bring

Dress comfortably and wear clothing that can be used in layers, as we will be both inside and outdoors. Bring a mat and meditation cushion if you have them, and bring a blanket for guided lying down meditation, known as body scan/deep relaxation. Chairs will be provided. Bring a brown bag lunch, any utensils you may need, and a cloth napkin. Beverages will be available, although you may wish to bring your own water bottle.

Intended Audience

Although the primary audience is health professionals and students in psychology and counseling, all are welcome. Whether you are new to mindfulness practice or have practiced for many years, you are invited to attend this workshop.

Presenter

Dr. Hammond Holtz graduated from the Psy.D. program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) in 1992. She formally began practicing mindfulness in 1986. In 1991, she became a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and established Laughing Rivers Sangha in Pittsburgh, Pa., a community for mindful living. In 2002, she received ordination into his lay order. She has organized and led mindfulness practice at retreats for ten years, including local and national retreats. She has integrated mindfulness practice and psychotherapy for nearly fifteen years, having adapted mindfulness practice to address a wide variety of clinical disorders. She participated in the teacher-training intensive program for Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR) that was founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., through the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and she is now an identified MBSR Instructor. She currently teaches mindfulness and works with clients in her private practice in Pittsburgh.

Location and Directions

The workshop will be held at IUP’s College Lodge, 200-236 College Lodge Road, Indiana, PA 15701

View the location on MapQuest.

Space is limited, so register early. Please complete the following:

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Registration deadline is September 15, 2010

$50 for non-students, $10 for students

Make check payable to IUP/CAP and send with registration form to:

IUP/CAP 1020 Oakland Ave., 238 Uhler Hall, Indiana, PA 15705-1087

Name ______________________________________________________________

Mailing address or e-mail _______________________________________________

Primary profession:____________________________________________________

If you are interested, but unable to attend on this date, and would like to be notified of future workshops, please complete the form, mail it, and mark here: ________.

Please check all that apply:

I am new to the practice of mindfulness _______

I presently have a dedicated mindfulness practice _______

I have attended a mindfulness retreat(s) in the past ______

If yes, approximately how many _______
If yes, in what tradition(s) __________________________________________

I am familiar with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh ______ I am familiar with MBSR _____

I am familiar with another approach to mindfulness ______

If yes, what approach ______________________________________________