Wellness Retreat
Mindfulness, with Kristin Pittman
Our retreat will open with a half hour of Mindfulness practice. Mindful Breathing will be our core tool for our first session. We will work towards building a practice of focusing on our breath which can be applied to our daily life and will help to guide us to create a sense of well-being.
Next, we will have a brief discussion of the benefits of Mindfulness which will then lead us into a few moments of journal writing to set our intentions for the day ahead.
At the end of our first half hour together, we will close with a Compassion practice. This practice will serve as a reminder to be kind to ourselves as we learn ways to cultivate a greater balance of wellness.
We will close our retreat as we began, with Mindfulness. We will share an open conversation of how the day went, what was noticed about oneself throughout the day, and taking time together to be curious about what we are more aware of after the day. We will create a goal that will take our newly gained knowledge and incorporate it into a daily self-care routine. Finally, we will close out our day with a practice of gratitude.
"Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves." -Thich Nhat Hanh
Kristin Pittman has 18 years of teaching experience with grades Pre-K through 6th in both public and private school settings. After discovering and creating a personal Mindfulness practice in 2016, she decided that she wanted to bring Mindfulness to the children she taught. Clearly seeing the benefits that it had on her personal life, she was determined to guide as many people as she could to see the benefits for themselves.
She began taking various courses through Mindful Schools where she acquired a K-5 and a Middle-High School curriculum. After completing the courses, she decided to continue by diving into the Mindful Schools year-long certification program. Her passion for Mindfulness created a desire to learn as much as she could.
Currently, Kristin works with elementary classrooms, Girl Scout troops, parent-education classes, businesses, and individuals providing Mindfulness practices. During the practices, adults and children are guided through various lessons which have been shown to increase attention, aid in emotional regulation, help with personal awareness, calm, and increase compassion. These benefits have been shown to reduce stress, increase work/academic performance, athletic performance and increase the overall quality of life.
Yoga, with Janet Clancy
Our yoga session will begin with Pranayama (breath work) and meditation, followed by various Asana (Yoga poses). The girls will explore a blend of standing, jumping, balancing and restorative postures.
We will discuss benefits of yoga for the young body which can include courage, flexibility, energy, and focus, which can ultimately lead to better learning.
This session will be lively and interactive and will allow for all voices to be heard.
Essential oils will be incorporated for our restoration and Savasana, with the goal that students will feel refreshed and ready for the remainder of her workshop experiences.
Janet Clancy began practicing yoga when she was pregnant with her first child over 25 years ago. Years later, her practice led her to teacher training, and she now is a 500 RYT certified yoga instructor. She has completed additional training in Restorative Yoga, Urban Zen Integrated Therapy, and Essential Oils. Janet is also a level 2 Reiki therapist.
For her final practicum during yoga teacher training, Janet developed a Mindful Meditation program for Middle Schoolers. She has taught this program to several local girl scout troops. Her teaching experience also includes yoga instruction for physical education at Mayfield Senior School, and yoga for private clients.
Janet, a busy mom of three girls ages 15 to 25, has personally experienced and witnessed how yoga can truly help to heal a person inside as well as outside of their body. Janet loves working with young girls and teaching them how to slow down, focus on the present moment, and to be kind to themselves.
Skin Care, with Judy Rivera
In this fun and interactive session teens and tweens will learn about their individual skin and how to properly care for it. As a licensed Aesthetician (skin therapist), I provide a different perspective to skin care than what teens and tweens may be learning from beauty bloggers, TV commercials, and social media.
Some topics we will cover include basic skin care practices, skin types vs. skin conditions, acne causes, types, and how to manage it, sun damage and protection, popular skin care myths.
The hands-on portion will include determining their skin type, understanding the purpose and benefits of different types products, experiencing how their skin feels and appears after gentle exfoliation and hydration.
In this session, girls will acquire the skills to develop a daily practice of basic skin care and a health and wellness approach to self-care. They will learn the scientific aspect of how skin functions and how key ingredients work. And they will gain confidence about the appearance of their own skin.
Judy Rivera is a California State Licensed Aesthetician, with a skin care practice in South Pasadena, California. Judy’s wholistic approach to skin care is based in health and wellness with a foundation in science. As a skin care expert, Judy specializes in corrective treatments and has extensive experience helping people of all ages and ethnicities to improve the health of their skin.
Educating her clients is Judy’s top priority in and out of the treatment room. She also continues her own education and has taken over 30 post graduate advanced skin care classes. She recently completed Christine Clinton’s Cancer Care Therapy course and is now able to treat people who are in cancer treatment or survivorship.
Family life also keeps Judy busy with a husband, two dancing daughters, two cats and two guinea pigs. Judy is passionate about skin care and loves the opportunity to teach young people how to care for their skin.
Cultivating a Positive Body Image and Building Healthy Relationships with Dr. Ginger Bercaw
How we view our bodies can affect everything from self-esteem to how we interact with others. In this session, girls will learn how to cultivate and maintain a positive body image. Skills taught will include learning how to appreciate what your body can do vs a sole focus on appearance and needing to be a “certain size and shape” in order to feel good about themselves. Additionally, girls will learn positive self-talk to facilitate a healthy body image. We will also cover how to discern the vast messages that girls and women receive about their appearance and body from social media and other sources.
Building healthy relationships is a vital part of health and wellbeing at any age. In this session girls will learn foundational skills that can be used in all relationships including with parents, peers, and teachers.
We will cover the hallmarks of healthy relationships and the skills to achieve them. Girls will develop the ability to set boundaries, clearly communicate their needs, and be able to make requests. They will also identify what characteristics they value the most in others and for themselves in relationships. Identifying red flags in relationships will also be covered.
Learning these skills will allow girls to make positive and safe social connections where they can feel a sense of belonging while also maintaining their independence and their own identity.
Girls will have the opportunity to participate in a group discussion on both topics.
Dr. Ginger Bercaw is a Clinical Psychologist, relationship expert, and author. She is in private practice in Pasadena and is the Co-Founder of the California Center for Healing. She earned her Doctorate in Psychology from Pepperdine University. She is a certified sex therapist and certified sex addiction therapist. She has authored two books on developing emotionally and sexually healthy relationships and has spoken to professional and non-professional audiences around the United States on the same topic. She is passionate about giving parents the tools they need to help their children develop healthy sexual selves and strong relationship skills. Ginger is also a mother of an 8th and 6th grader.