Send Stephanie to the Art of Living Retreat Center
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Hi, my name is Stephanie, and I am a survivor. As I near the 15th anniversary of being hit by an SUV working for Verizon as I crossed through an intersection on my Terry bicycle on a green light, in a bike lane, I am celebrating being alive by dedicating my time and energy to learning to teach trauma-informed yoga and meditation. Some of you have witnessed how living with C-PTSD has impacted my body: I have a TBI and Function Neurological Disorder, which has caused me to have uncontrollable tremors that look like seizures and defy all medical explanations.
There's a book called The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. that everyone should read. It inspired curiosity in the message of the tremors instead of trying to make them disappear. Being an observer and not resisting any feeling or sensation that comes up isn't easy. That's why I need your help.
I want to attend a retreat at The Art of Living Center in Boone, NC (June 30–July 4) and while the cost seems impossible on my own, with the support of my community I'd like to travel to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's retreat center to take a meditation course (Shakti Kriya) that helps one discover their full, powerful self and tap into a limitless source of energy and thrive. I have taken the three courses that are prerequisites and today is day 80 of my 100-day meditation journey. I am starting to feel like a normal human being again!
If I can move all of the extra energy stuck in my body from being hit by a '96 Bronco, I can be a better yoga instructor and learn how to teach meditation to others, so others don't have to suffer endlessly from trauma, depression, and anxiety. If you can contribute to support this journey, I'll be your personal yoga/meditation teacher for life!
Significant Health Benefits Documented in Independent Research and Published in Peer Reviewed Journals
Mental Well-being:
- Restoration and Enhancement of Vibrant Mental Health:
- Relieves anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms and stress levels
- Significant reductions in anxiety are found in many populations, including a 73% response rate and 41% remission rate in individuals for whom medication and psychotherapy treatments had failed
- Multiple studies demonstrate that depressed patients who learned SKY experienced a 68-73% remission rate within one month.
- Significant reductions in PTSD symptoms were found in 4-6 weeks and were sustained at 6 months and one year, with no follow-up after 1 month
- Reduces impulsivity and addictive behaviors
- Improved emotional regulation
- Increased levels of self-esteem, optimism, joviality (e.g. joy, happiness, energy), serenity, life satisfaction and quality of life
Enhanced brain functioning:
- Increased mental focus / heightened awareness
- Faster recovery from stressful stimuli
Improved Quality of Sleep:
- Restoration of time spent in deep restful stages (stages III and IV) of sleep.
Physical Well-being:
- Enhanced biochemical status
- Enhanced immune function:
- Enhanced Cardiovascular and Respiratory Function
Organizer
Stephanie Cox
Organizer
Portland, OR