Mindful Parenting : San Francisco Zen Center May 3, 2010

Mindful Parenting

May 3 - June 14 (will not meet on May 31)
Mondays, 10 am - 12 noon
In the Conference Center
with Wiveka Ramel, Ph.D., and Jen Burk Reynolds

Becoming new parents is probably one of the most turbulent times of one's life, when everything seems to be in a state of flux, from hormones and sleep to identity and relationships. This state of change is fertile ground for learning about oneself and cultivating mindful awareness, psychological flexibility, compassion, and understanding of one's values. In the Mindful Parenting group, mothers and fathers come together to share their experiences and learn mindful approaches to relate to themselves and to their children. We will use meditation, exercises, yoga, discussion, and readings to help parents move toward enhancing their awareness, acceptance/willingness, inner trust, curiosity, flexibility, and connection with the child.

We welcome parents of children up to age 3. Parents are encouraged to arrange care for their children outside the group, as no childcare will be provided at SFZC. Please register early as space is limited.

Fees: 6-week series for a total of $150 ($25 per two-hour class)

To register: Please call the City Center office at 415.863.3136.

Wiveka Ramel, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in San Francisco and a researcher at Stanford University and the Palo Alto VA (see sevitar.com for more info). She became influenced by Buddhist philosophy and practice when she was 20 years old and did volunteer work in India. She has since applied it in her personal life via mostly Vipassana and Tibetan Buddhist practice and in her professional life by integrating mindfulness-based psychotherapy approaches into her clinical work and research. When her daughter was born two years ago, she found another avenue for integrating Buddhist practice and would like to extend this opportunity to other parents.
Jen Burk Reynolds has been falling in love with yoga over the past few decades and has had an opportunity to study with many wonderful asana teachers over the years. However, she has been most deeply influenced by her Vipassana teacher Jack Kornfield and her studies at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Jen recently completed Spirit Rock's first mindfulness yoga teacher training and cherishes the silence and stillness she has experienced there. Aside from the Dharma, Jen cites her relationship with her husband; their travels through India together; the birth of their son; and, most recently, turning forty as some of the other major transformational experiences that most directly inform her teaching.

Official Website: http://www.sfzc.org/cc/display.asp?catid=&pageid=2217