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Generosity in the Season of Giving
by Elizabeth Venart
 Generosity is a big part of the holiday season. Movies often highlight the theme with humor and poignancy. In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is a curmudgeon who never cared for anyone but himself, yet, by the end of the film, he is transformed into an openhearted, generous, and kind man. It’s a Wonderful Life shows an entire community coming together to help save the beloved main character, a giving man who, in his desperation, had doubted the value of his own life.
Invitations to be generous in December are numerous. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are celebrations with distinctly different origins and traditions – yet all include the exchange of gifts. Toys for Tots collection sites are scattered along our commutes to and from work. Men dressed as Santa greet shoppers as they enter stores, ringing bells and asking for money for the Salvation Army. Adopt-a-Family programs like the one organized by the Kelly Ann Dolan Memorial Fund invite us to buy clothes, presents, and other needed items for struggling families in our community.
Nonprofits count on people being willing to do a little more for others this time of year. And, consistently, we prove them right. What prompts us to be more generous now? Is it simply the season? Does the month of December (like the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future) have the power to make us a little softer, a little kinder, and a little more willing to give?
» Read more on our blog
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Staying Relaxed During the Holidays?
by Delia Nessim
It seems ironic that on Thanksgiving Day we give thanks for all the riches and bounty in our lives, and then the very next day is the “biggest shopping day of the yearâ€. If we truly believe we are blessed, why the mad dash to keep buying more?
While we may enjoy holiday shopping and even derive satisfaction from choosing the perfect gifts for friends and family, this time of year can also bring tremendous stress. There are the crowds, the extra time required for cooking and shopping, holiday-themed school activities, and the financial strain of extra money being spent. Add to the list all the expectations we have to make everything perfect for the holidays – undoubtedly strengthened by Hallmark movies featuring a large, happy family gathered around the table enjoying each other’s company. Given all this, the holiday season can certainly take its toll on us physically and mentally.
» Read more on our blog
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Periscope View
by Dean Solon
sitting, with an unfolding to a wider view, to a larger, broader, more extensive perspective of landscape, of mindscape.
sitting…rising above the easily seem…is a spacious view of big sky stretching to distant horizons…is a view of a vastness of ocean, opening expanding reaching out to distant shorelines…is a view that fills, and spills of the banks, the barriers and the boundaries of our limited awareness; is a view that transcends belief and logic and scientific theory.
ripples in the sunlit pool.
you are seeing ripples in the sunlit pool…ripples streaming from left to right…
» Read More on our Blog
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FREE Fall Resiliency Series
Resiliency is the ability to weather the inevitable storms of life. The strategies for strengthening our resiliency are as plentiful and diverse as we are. They include mindfulness, play, movement, and connection with others. We are here to support you on your journey.
Support your resiliency with our December programs
All events take place in our new home in Flourtown Commons.
» Sign up here
December Programs
Wednesday, December 3 with Tracey Smith
Resilient Energy & Wellness in the Workplace,
12-1 pm
The Resilient Spirit: The Power to Make Work Style Changes, 5-6:30 pm
This two-part series is a great way for you to learn to maximize your work style and manage outcomes! Come to one or both events and learn wellness strategies to help make sustainable work life changes.
Tuesday, December 9 with John Muraco
Creativity to Support Resiliency, Wellness, & Reduce Stress with John Muraco, 4-5:30 pm
Participants will personalize a container for items that are meaningful to them using decoupage and collage while discuss self-care in the winter months, and the benefits of creating meaningful expressive outlets for stress reduction and empowerment.
Wednesday, December 10 with Delia Nessim
Resiliency through Tapping (EFT) for Kids Ages 4-12, 4-5 pm
Delia Nessim will use pictures and music to teach kids that it’s natural and normal to sometimes get sad, angry, or worried and how EFT can be used as a tool to help them let go of those feelings and start to feel better on their own. EFT is easy to learn and fun for kids to practice.
Resiliency through Laughter & Poetry, 7-8:30 pm
Join Resiliency Center Director and Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Elizabeth Venart for an evening of laughter yoga, deep relaxation, and spiritual inspiration.
Resiliency through Balance & Breath, 7-8:30 pm
This workshop with utilize breath and bodymind awareness tools to explore what you need for support during the holidays and as you transition into the New Year.
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Laura Gambrel Featured in Mindfulness Article
We are excited to share that Laura Gambrel, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Beginner’s Mindfulness Instructor at The Resiliency Center, was recently interviewed for a newspaper article on the benefits of mindfulness.
» Check out the article!
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