Caring for Our Body (COB)
Class

Is this Class Right for You?

If you answer yes to any of the following, this program may be right for you.

1. Are you looking for ways to manage stress related to your health condition (e.g., chronic pain, sleep, fatigue, MS, cancer, obesity)?
2. Do you often feel overwhelmed by your symptoms and want to cope more effectively?
3. Have you tried mindfulness or self-compassion practices before, or are you curious about how they might benefit you?
4. Are you interested in connecting with others who also live with chronic health conditions?

How Do You Care for Your Body?

If you answer false to any of the items, you may benefit from this program.  

1. I make time to take care of my body each week and have a positive relationship with my body (vs ignore my pain, pretend there is nothing wrong, or push through discomfort)?
2. I tend to be loving, kind, and gentle with myself when in pain or discomfort (vs beat myself up, criticize, or be strict and harsh on myself)?
3. I accept that being human means being imperfect, making errors, and facing challenges (vs isolating, feeling alone, and disconnecting from people or life)?
4. I try to be aware of my emotions, thoughts, and body reactions in a moment of suffering (vs over-identifying with my thoughts and emotions, ruminating, or overthinking)?

What is Caring for Our Body (COB) Class?

Health complications can make us feel alone, unheard, and invalidated. You don’t have to live like this. Drawing upon 30+ years of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) science and practices, we invite you to come and learn a practice that taps into your body’s inner wisdom to enhance rest, rejuvenation, and physical and psychological growth. This class is specifically designed to support individuals living with chronic health conditions. It aims to foster a sense of peace, enhance well-being, and improve quality of life. You will learn and practice various meditations and concepts from MBCT, MBSR, and Self-Compassion in a short, yet intensive class. The goal of this class is for the participant to gain exposure to various practices in a formal class. MBCT, MBSR, and Self-compassion have been empirically shown to improve vitality, depression, anxiety, trauma, communication, restful sleep, reduction in physical discomfort, chronic pain, and weight.

Suggested Readings:

    Required Reading:

• Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabit-Zinn

    Optional Reading:

• The Body Keeps the Score By Bessel van der Kolk 
• Mindful Path to Self-Compassion by Chris Germer
• Present Perfect by Samov 
• Mindful Way Through Depression by Zindel Sigel
• Feeling Good by David Burns
• The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
  

What Will You Learn?

• How to care for your mind and body
• How to speak and understand your mind-body language
• How to navigate physical flare ups and pain
• How to handle difficult emotions with greater ease during physical discomfort
  
• How to stop being critical to your body and self
  
• How to practice mindful movements 
• How to prevent over doing activities and worsening pain
• How to become your own friend and wise teacher
  

Session Outline:

• Timed-Based Sleeping, Eating, Activities (Timed-Pacing), and Gastrointestinal Movements
• Mindful Eating, and Gut-Brain Health and Foods
• Experience the Compassionate Body Scan
  
• Holding Opposites Simultaneously in Awareness: Mindfulness of Pleasant, Unpleasant, and Neutral Sensation in Awareness
• Practicing Self-compassion in a Time of Emotional and Physical Pain
• Soften-Sooth-Allow Practice with Difficult Sensation and Emotions
• Mindful Movements and Releasing Pain and Emotions from the Body
• Nine Mindful Attitudes: Beginner’s Mind, Non-judgement, Patience, Trust, Acceptance, Letting Go, Non-striving, Gratitude, and Generosity

Each Week:

• Home practice is a major part of this class. Each week you will receive emails, handouts, worksheets, and/or audio guided mindfulness and self-compassion practices.

Who Can Benefit from This Class:

Instructor(s): 

• Amir Ramezani, PhD is a Certified MSC Teacher, Certified MBSR Teacher, Trained MBCT Teacher, pain psychologist, and neuropsychologist who enjoys creating a warm, supportive, and nurturing class. With years of clinical experience working with chronic medical conditions, including his own pain, and mindfulness teaching experience in various settings, such as classrooms, retreats, and academic centers, Amir brings a unique blend of expertise and compassion to his classes. He’s had the privilege of learning directly from the pioneers of MSC, MBSR, and MBCT, including Christopher Germer, Kristin Neff, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Zindel Segal. Alongside a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, he was one of the credited contributors to the “Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher Guide” book. Beyond teaching, Amir is an active researcher in the fields of chronic conditions, mindfulness, and self-compassion, with several publications in scientific journals and books. Amir’s passion shines through in his teaching, and he takes joy in sharing his personal and professional meditation practices with his students. Sometimes, there might be other instructors or assistants in this program to support everyone along the way.

Registration:  

• $475 to register for the class. Click here to register. After payment is received, you will be sent a TEAMS video link one week prior to the start date.
• Please download Microsoft TEAMS before class starts. Practice entering a video call and using the on-off audio and camera feature.

Paying it Forward? Sponsor a Person to Attend this Class (e.g., a student, person in need, friend, or family): 

• Ever wanted to support another person’s wellbeing? Ever think of inviting or sponsoring someone to attend the class who really needs it? “Paying it Forward” – This idea is more than being generous with your money; it’s about igniting a chain reaction of positivity and kindness that ripples through society. Imagine the joy that comes from sharing knowledge and opportunities with others, knowing that your gesture, not only brings happiness to both you and another, but also enriches goodness in our community and the world. When you “pay it forward”, you’re not just investing in individuals; you’re investing in the collective well-being of society. By extending a helping hand, you’re empowering individuals to access transformative experiences they might not otherwise afford.