I record on computer like poorest and then stop recording. We are now recording a lifetime. So how is everyone today? I would like to welcome you to a great opportunity I'm going to share a special person who is also a social worker and she used to be an amazing intern intern at at the the Mental mental Health health Health Project. Project. project. Urban Urban Urban Justice Justice Justice Justice Center Center. Center Center where. where where I I am am the the community, community. health and Justice. oh oh. I didn't. Introduce myself, I miss me and today I'm going to introduce you to Alexa and she's so awesome to be joining us this morning from Utah High Electric miss me. Hi everyone. Thank you so much for joining us. so we'll go ahead and get started. Let me share my screen and I'm gonna mute myself. Okay. So this presentation is on mindfulness and a crisis so these tools can be used at any point in your life but it's particularly useful right now during Coveted 19. we're all experiencing a crisis right now some of us more so than others, but nonetheless, it's it's definitely a very trying time so these tools can be used to help you out. So we're gonna start out with an envisioning mindfulness exercise and this one and tells floating on a cloud to help release some anxiety and get us grounded so that we feel comfortable starting with the presentation. so if you feel comfortable find a relaxed position and if you want, you can close your eyes, although you can keep them open if you feel more comfortable and we're gonna get started so find a relaxed position and get comfortable first relax your body. And starting at the top of your head, allow a feeling of relaxation to begin to fill the relaxation grow with each breath you take inhale. and feel fill your neck and shoulders relaxing as you exhale, let all the muscles in your neck and shoulders release their hold relaxing fully continue to breathe in and fill the relaxation continuing to your arms and hands and breathe out the tension Breathe in relaxation, allowing your chest and upper back to relax and release the tension as you exhale now that you're feeling deeply relaxed begin to create a picture. In your mind and imagine that you're floating on a soft fluffy White clouds fill the surface beneath you becoming softer more cloud like and fill the cloud rising out of the surface that you're on surrounding you and its protective support soon, you're just floating on the clouds. Let it rise a little further taking you with it and see the walls and selling around you disappear as you float into the sunny sky drifting on the cloud. Let the quad beneath you or fill the club beneath you. It is soft but supportive fill the cloud supporting your whole body start to create an image or mind of where you are. you might be floating just barely above the ground. you can choose to float wherever you like the sky above. you is bright, Blue sunny and inviting you feel warm and comfortable warmed by the sun's Rays shining down peacefully. See the side surround you as you're floating on a cloud. Imagine the Green grass blue. Gently blowing in the wind, the grass receives further away as you rise into the sky from here, the grass looks like a soft carpet, the wind creating gentle waves in the grass as if it were water. How does it feel to be floating on a cloud? Does it sway gently like a boat in almost booth water? Does it drift in the breeze? Can you feel the movement as you gently flow on the cloud? you feel so comfortable so relaxed floating on a cloud. now it is time. Return to your day, Let your cloud take either fill your quad flying toward through the sky back to where you need to go. Let your cloud lower you down back toward the ground and float back to where you started this exercise, let the clouds mild with the bed chair or whatever surface you're on fill the quad slowly disappear as the real surface becomes more solid beneath you notice your surroundings and gently come back to the present fill the surface beneath. And hear the sounds around you become more and more aware and alert continue to rest for a few moments longer, but open your eyes and look around so your surroundings. wiggle your fingers and your toes filling your body, real waken and shrug your shoulders. move your arms and legs and turn your head and when you're ready, you can return to your day feeling refreshed and alert after your journey on the cloud. so thank you so much for following through that exercise with me. I really. This one because it helps to relax your body and put you more at ease so we can go get on with the presentation. so this presentation is broken up into three components so the first component is what is mindfulness. So we're gonna learn about what mindfulness is and how you can use it in your daily lives and then we're gonna transition into how you can use mindfulness and in a crisis especially right now with Kobe 19 and implement ways that you can use it while staying at home and trying to stay safe. and then lastly, we're gonna learn some exercises that you can use right now, but you can also use at anytime in the future when you feel stressed out or feel like you're. A crisis so what is mindfulness mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present aware of where we are and what we're doing and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us. We all have the ability to practice mindfulness and it does not require any means whatsoever or intense practice. Meditation can be one practice of mindfulness, but there are many different ways that you can practice being in the hearing now simply put mindfulness. Is being in the present and focusing on the here Mindfulness also Intel using acceptance, meaning that no thoughts that you have are right or wrong and mindfulness is a lifestyle while it might be hard at first to develop a practice practicing a little bit each day will help you to develop tools and insights to incorporate mindfulness into your daily lives. so this is a video by John Cabin Zen, he's actually one of the fine founders of modern day Mindfulness well specifically here in the US and he also created a Mindfulness-based Stress reduction program, which helps to reduce stress. but I think he kinda breaks down what mindfulness is really well and this is just about a one -minute video clip that we're gonna Alexa there's no sound. There's no sound. That's so weird. I can hear it well, maybe that's why cuz you're in Bardstown on let me try this connecting. I'm just gonna be one second. Wearing yes, you can hear cultivated definition of mindfulness is it's it's the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment and nonjudgmental. so it's awareness and the awareness is cultivated by paying attention. In a particular way on purpose, in other words, intentionally in the present moment, which is the only moment we ever have to be alive in and then most challenging of all non judgmentalism. and that means, of course we have judgments about everything but to not be caught in those judgments so that we color everything through our likes and dislikes So that sounds pretty simple. Okay paying attention. I can do that, but actually when you start to pay it. How much we pay attention A lot of the time our minds are all over the place and we have a very hard time sustaining attention and our attention is not very vivid and it's not very stable and teachers go out of their minds, screaming and yelling at the class of their classes of students pay attention pay attention pay attention, but nobody learns to pay attention by being screened that to pay attention. so, but it's something that we can teach teach people people people how how how to to to pay pay pay attention attention attention and and and it's it's it's very. very very very very powerful. powerful. To learn how to sustain attention moment by moment by moment by moment by. So this is a okay, so why is mindfulness beneficial so mindfulness is as good for our bodies as it is for our minds. A study found that when mindfulness is a practice, it can boost our immune system and improve our sleep quality by helping to improve our stress management and mindfulness is very beneficial for our minds and helps to improve stress levels and mental health concerns. Mindfulness has been shown to be effective for for psychological psychological psychological well-being, well-being well-being, self self self self compassion compassion compassion compassion. compassion and and and and improving improving improving improving. overall overall overall health. health. health. mindfulness can also help. With a variety of things including anxiety, depression, substance use disorder and borderline personality disorder. mindfulness can help us focus and tune out distractions, and it's also been shown to improve our memory and cognition mindfulness has been shown to improve our relationship with ourselves and to improve our self esteem and body image mindfulness can help us become more resilient and help and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and and mindfulness mindfulness mindfulness can can can also also also help help help help those those those those impacted impacted impacted impacted by by by by the. the the the criminal criminal criminal legal legal legal system. system system. as stated. Helps improve resiliency and Aids and self regulation and in some areas of the country, Mindfulness is being used as a healing practice to start to repair some harm done to those involved in this system so mindfulness it benefits every aspect of our lives our body our minds and during this time in covid- 19, when we're all trying to stay safe and healthy. I think it's definitely a really great strategy that we can so so these these are are a a few few tips tips that that we we can can use use for for mindfulness mindfulness in in our our daily daily lives lives and and this this was was created created by by Melly Melly O O 'Brien. 'Brien. I I will will go go ahead ahead and and link link the the website website to to this this page page in in the the resources. resources. So So if if you're you're interested interested in in learning learning more, more, you you can can definitely definitely check check out out Mellie Mellie the the website website so so the the first first strategy strategy that that we we can can use use is is one one minute minute of of mindfulness. mindfulness. So So that's that's all all you you need need is is one one minute minute a a day day. it It doesn't doesn't take take like like 30. 30 minutes to an Of meditating to get the benefits just be mindful for one minute, we'll give you the same exact benefits as if you're being mindful for two hours so just try to implement at least one minute a day if you can and if you feel like you would like to try it out for longer, you can definitely start with five minutes 10 minutes as long as you need the next one one is is mindful mindful listening listening listening and and and active active active active love. love love. love. So. So So so how how how many many many times times times have. have have you you been? been talking with your friends? your your your your family family. family. family and and you've you've. kinda. Turned out what they're saying, Maybe you're thinking about what you're gonna eat later that day. Maybe you're worried about something that you have going on just being in the moment and really listening to who you're talking to is an active love, but it also helps you to be mindful in the moment and it helps you to improve your relationships with others. The next one is transformational chores so so so we we we all all all have have have to to to do do do chores. chores chores whether whether we like. Or don't like em, it can be doing the dishes brushing your teeth cleaning your kitchen sweeping mopping what whatever it may be so next time you are doing some chores. try to be mindful in the moment. So if you're doing the dishes, you can feel the water on your hands. you can see if it's hot or warm or warmer cold, you can smell the soap if you're sweeping, sweeping, you you you can can can pay pay pay attention attention attention to to to what's what's what's. being. being swept up. Just being in the present moment, and that's another way that you can incorporate mindfulness in your life. the next one is eating with awareness. so next time you sit down for a meal or a snack just sit down and just focus on what you're eating and you can feel the texture of it. You can feel if it's hot or cold salty sweet spicy whatever it may be just try to savor it and be with what you're eating in the moments and number five is slow. Down so Indiana, our daily lives we try to do a million things at once. we're always trying to get more and more done but just slowing down and focusing on what you're doing is an act of mindfulness that can really help you incorporate what you're doing and put your full attention on that task and then along with that is one thing at a time. So if you're able to, I know it's not possible for everyone because we're always incorporating a million things at once but if you're. Maybe just once a day try focusing on one thing at a time and putting your complete mind into it, and that's definitely going to help you become form more mindful. The next one is watching the minds and it's one that I find myself doing a lot so next time you find your attention going somewhere else. So maybe you're talking with someone and you feel your attention attention going going on on to to something something in in the the background. background you're watching your. That moment, so the fact that you are realizing that you're not being mindful, you're actually being mindful because you're putting yourself back into the present. so whenever you find yourself having thoughts just try to keep your mind in the present and just focus on what's going on in the here and now the next one is doing nothing time. so I know it's easier, said than done, but if you're able to just find five to 10 minutes for yourself of doing absolutely nothing, that's definitely gonna help you become more mindful in the. and the next one is mindful walking, so this one is a little tricky right now with Covid- 19, because we're supposed to stay inside as much as possible, but if you're able to take a walk outside, just make sure that you're keeping a safe distance of six feet and that you have a face covering on if you're able to but the next time you go for a walk just take in everything that you see. Maybe you see the beautiful flowers blooming. maybe you see the the trees trees you you see see birds, birds whatever whatever it may be. Just pay attention to where you're walking and what you see and that's really gonna help you be mindful in the moment and number 10 is coming to your senses. so maybe next time you feel out of control. you can definitely focus on what you're sensing in that moment. so it can be what you hear what you see what you smell what you taste and just focus on what you're sensing and that's gonna help you come back to being mindful and the number 11 is urge surfing so the next time you have. Urge to do something that may not be as as beneficial for you just try to focus on why you're feeling that way and just take a few minutes to to think about it and if you still feel like doing it, then definitely you can. but before you just go into urges, I would definitely recommend being mindful with yourself and and thinking about it And then how can I use mindfulness in a crisis? so a crisis is a time of intense difficulty trouble or danger, and we've all experienced a crisis at some point in our lives. We're actually currently in the midst of a worldwide pandemic with Covid- 19, going on right now. so in these times, it's critical to remain mindful during these times to help ease feelings of anxiety and like I said at the the beginning, beginning, Mindfulness Mindfulness can can can be be be practiced practiced. practiced absolutely absolutely absolutely anywhere anywhere so so right right now. While we're trying to stay at home as much as possible, these can be implemented at home, but in the future when it's safer to go outside, you can use that at the hospital, a social service office, the grocery store Community Center school work wherever you go, you're able to use it. The important thing is to be aware of what is going on in the present moment and try to implement exercises at the first sign of crisis and continue to check in with yourself. so this is. Video that I found specifically for Covid- 19, and it's actually an exercise that you can do while washing your hands. It's just about a two -minute video. so I'm gonna go ahead and Although we can't control the stress of what's happening around us with the Corona virus, we can help our body to better control and manage its own stress and one very simple and effective technique for doing that is the technique of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the experience of being aware of what you are doing. While you are doing it, I was known as being around in the present moment instead of worrying about the future or thinking about the past being aware of what you are doing. While you are doing it, why aren't really effective. His technique for all of us to be doing at the moment is paying attention to washing our hands. We know that we have to wash our hands on a regular basis right now to prevent the spirit of the Corona virus. Why not as you're doing that use this as a moment for mindfulness? what we would do is give extra special attention to what it feels like when the water drinks on our hands, what it feels like as we're giving ourselves a little head, massage and and rubbing rubbing the the disinfected. disinfected. So. so what it feels like when. Petting or drying out hands together when we engage in mindfulness through washing our hands regular times each day, but we're actually doing is giving our brain in our heart and emotional holiday in that moment where we're not worrying about Corona virus without worrying about the future, which is present in the feeling of washing our hands wearing juicing a mindful state, the benefit of anything mindful you can brush your teeth in a mindful way. You You can can wash wash the the dishes dishes in in a a mindful mindful way way you you. there are many men. Mindful apps out there for you to download every time you practice that technique of mindfulness just tuning into what am I doing in the present moment. What am I thinking? What am I feeling what is my body doing in the present moment you are giving your brain the gift of an increase of serotonin Serotonin is a neurochemical that is responsible for helping us to feel calm and helping us to feel happy so intentionally bringing in small moments moments of of mindful mindful practice practice practice during during during your your your your day day day day through through through through through the. the the the the Corona Corona Corona Corona virus. virus virus virus crisis. crisis crisis in in those those moments. moments of. Locked down slowly but surely building up a little Bank account through these little injections of this positive happy serotonin. Okay, I really like that exercise, then it's something that I personally been practicing since Covid- 19, and since we've all been on lockdown for the moments and I think it's really beneficial to keep yourself Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out how to get to the next slide. Sorry, everyone just bare with me. this is Super new for me, so I'm still trying to learn and figure out how to do everything electronically like I feel like a lot of us are right now. Okay. so these are some exercises that we can use in times of crisis. personally, I use this all the time they're very discrete and you can use them at any moment in your life so you can use it right now at home and once we're passed this pandemic, you can also use it in the future. they're very discrete and no one will know that you're using them. So the first one is the 54321 grounding grounding technique technique technique and and and and this this this. this is is is gonna gonna gonna be be be be using. using using using your your your senses senses senses to. to to help help you you move move back back to. to the present moment. so so what what you you wanna wanna. do. Stay in a comfortable position with your eyes open and you wanna identify five things that you can see four things that you can feel three things that you can hear two things that you can smell and one thing that you can taste and you'll wanna take a deep breath after completing the exercise and continue to breathe in and out for as long as possible. and what this does is it connects your body with your senses, so you're actually putting yourself off back into your body and in the present moments and it really help. To use anxiety, the next one is listening to your surroundings, so taking a few moments to pay attention to the sounds around you and doing so will help you come back to the present moment. the next one is practicing self kindness. Okay. So these are exercise. Okay. I'm so sorry about that everyone. yeah. I'm definitely still learning how to do everything electronically so I'm so sorry for the delays but let me start again with the. Presentation back up And I'll just go back to the slide I was on. Okay. Okay. so so yeah, yeah, these these are are the the exercises exercises that that we we can can use use in in time time of of crisis. crisis. I I already already went went through through the the five, five, so so these these are are exercises exercises that that you you can can use use apps. apps. Okay. Okay. I'm I'm so so sorry sorry guys. guys. okay. okay. Yeah. Yeah. So So these these are are the the exercises exercises like like I I said, said, so so I I already already went went through through the the 54321 54321 but but it it will will be be available available to to you you in in this this presentation presentation so so you you can can go go ahead ahead and and read read through through it. it. like like I I said said the the next next one one is is listening listening to to your your surroundings surroundings so so taking taking a a few few moments moments to to pay pay attention attention to to the the sounds sounds sounds around around around you you you and and and doing. doing doing so so will will help help you you. come by. To the present moment, the next one is practicing self kindness, so repeating kind mantras to yourself that resonate with you and you can and practicing self kindness can help you focus on the present moment and alleviate some feelings of anxiety and depression. You can recite these mantras to yourself out load or you can recite them in your head but it it helps to boost your self esteem and the next one is one of my favorites. This is mindful tapping so tapping on parts of your body that feel comfortable person. I usually top on my knees when I feel myself not being very mindful and continuing to tap when you feel overwhelmed or out of control doing so will bring your awareness back to your present moment and this can be done absolutely anywhere and it's completely disagree and quiet and there is some research to state that doing so can stimulate acupuncture and helps you access your body's energy and reduces stress in the brain and then the next one is visualization so what we did in the first exercise. Visualizing your happy place. This can be a real place or it can be completely imagined, but focusing on somewhere that brings healing thoughts and energy to yourself. And then so lastly, we're gonna add we're gonna end with a 60 -second loving kindness meditation so just as we did at the star if you wanna get into a comfortable position and if you feel comfortable, you can close your eyes but this is going Okay, but this is going to be extending self compassion to ourselves and to others around us. so bring your attention to yourself without any parameters or exceptions. you are you in this moment and with this awareness of you repeat to yourself May I be at ease May I be open to what arises May May I I know know that that I'm I'm enough enough and and may may I I. love my. Just as I am and we're gonna repeat that a few more times so may I be at ease May I be open to what arises May I know that I'm enough and may I love myself just as I am. May I be at ease May I be open to what arises May I know that I'm enough and may I love myself just as I am and we'll take a few seconds to just breathe out. you can continue to repeat that to yourself or you can just breathe, but we'll just take a few seconds right now. Okay. Okay. Thank Thank you you so so much much okay. okay. So So we're we're gonna gonna end end the the prep prep okay okay and and that that is is the the end end of of my my presentation. presentation. these these are are the the references references that that I I use use throughout throughout the the presentation presentation and and I'll I'll go go ahead ahead and and make make this this accessible accessible so so that that you you can can go go through through it it again. again. If If you you feel feel like like you you need need to to or or want want to to there's there's also also voice voice overs. overs. If If you you feel feel like like you you would would like like to to listen listen to to that that and and then then I I also also created created a. a real. Sky but I'll go ahead and go over with you all and I'll also make that accessible as well so that you can reference it in the future. but this is the resource guide and I broke it down into live sessions recorded meditations mental health resources and then coded 19 resources so the live sessions are sessions that people do every day over zoom. Some of them are on Facebook Live and they're at specific times every day. there's ones throughout the world. There's also one specific specific to to to New New New York York York York in in in in each each. each each each borough, borough borough. borough, and and. and there's there's also. also once. Held over Facebook live, but we have the links here so that you can go ahead and click on it. if you're interested these ones are free online courses and meditations. so it's broken down between actual courses that you can take to learn more about mindfulness if you're interested and also recorded exercises if you're interested in that as well and then we also have some mental health resources. I tried to make them specifically for New York, but I think you can can also also access access access them them them if if if you're you're you're elsewhere elsewhere. there may just be. Time difference And then this one is for Covid- 19 crisis resources and it's from the city limits, but it's a very comprehensive list that goes over resources that are available to you and what you can do if you're struggling so yeah, I'll be sure to keep make this accessible so that you can all access it and thank you so much for coming to my presentation. I really appreciate you listening and yeah thank you so Wow. Thank you. Alexa. Thank you for coming here today and just blessing us with so many useful tools resources references you can prepare. Oh let me take my You definitely came prepared so I appreciate that and thank you for actually breaking the resources up into categories. So if I don't have a certain issue I and I know exactly what I'm going for. I can go narrow it down to exactly the tools all the the the Organization that can assist me. I appreciate that I appreciate you helping us serve the community of New York City and beyond because this is online online now now right. right. so so it's it's it's it's all all over over. the place. I don't wanna keep the recording too long, so I just wanna thank you again on behalf of the Mental Health Project. Register Center. I wanna thank you for coming back and just giving us your time to bless our population and the people that we serve and I hope you and your family are staying safe out there. Thank you. I hope you all are too and thank you so much again and I'm sorry for the technical difficulties difficulties likewise, likewise, likewise, likewise, likewise, likewise, likewise for for for for yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, thank thank thank thank you you. you you all all all so so so much. much. much. Thanks.