Have You Heard About Mindful Parenting? First-Ever RVA Conference Slated for June

One of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in life is parenting. Parents know that this job can be difficult and not always intuitive in our overstimulated 24/7 connected life of today. The world in which kids are being raised is very unlike the one that their parents knew as children. Parenting literature abounds, but what tools and practices are helpful and well-tested?

Chrysalis Institute created a day-long Mindful Parenting Conference (the first ever conference on mindful parenting on the East Coast) in order to deepen our own mindfulness practice, build confidence in our parenting, and explore the great strengths mindfulness offers for our relationships, including that of parent and child. This unique gathering of mindfulness teachers, practitioners, and parents will deepen the learning of mindfulness practices for each developmental stage of childhood and impart practical application of techniques to support parenting and help put this knowledge into action.

The conference is geared toward both new and experienced mindfulness practitioners, who are also parents or playing a big role in a child’s life. Our keynotes and workshops will offer substantive, evidence based practices that parents can implement immediately. Morning break out sessions will focus on different age groups and afternoon break out sessions will focus on concrete tools that can help parents and kids to have happier, healthier relationships.

Sunday, June 25
8:00am – 5:30pm

Collegiate School Campus
103 N. Mooreland Road
Henrico, VA 23229

Schedule:
8:00 AM – Optional Movement: Gentle Vinyasa Yoga Class With Extended Relaxation and Meditation
9:00 AM – Registration/Refreshments : Coffee and Assorted Muffins
9:30 AM – Opening Plenary – all participants

Kay Davidson, Ph.D., is actively engaged with mindfulness practice for herself, as a coach, mentor, teacher and student. With her husband, Philip, she leads several Mindfulness Practice Groups in Richmond and has completed a two-year Meditation Teacher Training Institute offered by Tara Brach’s Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC.

10:30AM – 12:00PM – Morning Breakouts

Session 1 – Practicing Mindfulness w/Infants to 2 yrs old
Session 2 – Practicing Mindfulness w/Children 3 to 10 yrs old
Session 3 – Practicing Mindfulness w/Tweens-Teens 11 and older
Session 4 – Parenting when You are Not the Parent

12:00PM- 12:20PM – Lunch
12:20PM – 1:20PM – Keynote Speaker – all participants

Alex Peavey, M.Ed., is an Upper School Counselor and assistant coach at Collegiate School. In addition to counseling during the day, he teaches an introduction to mindfulness-based stress reduction class to the freshmen as a part of their health and wellness curriculum. Alex has also offered a similar class to the faculty and staff at Collegiate for their professional development, with the intention of cultivating an environment of mindful educators. In the 2011 – 2012 school year, mindfulness classes were also opened up to parents and the extended community. Outside of Collegiate, Alex has spoken on the topic of mindfulness in education and society to the faculty of various area public school systems. Alex’s educational background includes a BA in Psychology from UVA, an MS in Sports Leadership from VCU, and most recently an M.Ed in Counselor Education from VCU.

1:30 PM-3:00 PM – Afternoon Breakouts

Session 1 – Journaling as a Mindfulness Practice
Session 2 – Mindful Conflict Resolution: A 6 Box Drawing Method
Session 3 – Movement as a Mindfulness Practice for Parents
Session 4 – Parent Self-Care/Unpacking Your Stuff

3:15-4:15 PM Panel: Sharing the Lived Experience of Mindful Parenting
4:30-5PM – Optional Meditation with Erin Hawkins

Cost
$50.00 – choose this level if you need financial assistance
$75.00 – requested registration
$100.00 – registration plus scholarship for another participant

Register at Chrysalis Institute.

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