However, as we looked at each other, reacting to these statistics with our own emotions, we felt they We offer a trigger warning for you prior to reading as some of these numbers may bring up painful emotions Our society rewards the stuffing and numbing of big emotions. Our difficult emotions and personal struggles become inhabitants inside our bodies and minds. yourself to find the space to clear the mind, be connected to your body and spirit, and to process emotions

Written by Molly Schreiber, Founder and CEO of Challenge to Change At a conference in San Antonio with Jordan Turner on the day of my diagnosis “I’m sorry, I know this is not the news you want to hear. It is cancer. I am so sorry. Here is what I suggest you do….” These were the words spoken to me on October 27, 2022. I was in San Antonio, Texas at a conference. Away from my family. Disconnected from all of my comforts of home and life lines of support. Was I scared? Yes. Did I cry? Yes. Did I pull the covers over my head? No. I sat with myself, and began to form a plan. A plan to ground me in peace for the unknown road ahead. My husband, who is a medical doctor, always gives his patients the book Radical Remission when they receive a cancer diagnosis. I knew enough to pick up the book and absorb the words into every pore of my body. This amazing read empowered me to form a positive mindset involving NO FEAR and take ownership of my cancer journey. I called upon my resources near and far. I called friends and family to share the news and begin receiving the greatest resource: LOVE. Love in the form of words, quotes and actions. This feeling of love and support helped me to form a plan for these uncharted territories. I knew I needed to create a vessel of peace and calm. I knew cancer had chosen my body as a home and the last thing I wanted was for the home to be one it could grow in. While filling my mind with positive words from “Radical Remission," and filling my heart with LOVE from my community, I knew the most important practice was how I was going to fill MY soul. How was I going to stay steady deep in the core of my being? I knew the answer. It was so simple. Meditation. Sitting in stillness. One of the most simple, but hardest practices. All the beauty and grace I have created in my life has been because of my practice of stillness. A practice that had faded with time. You see, as my business grew, my practice became sparse. As my calendar filled, my practice lost its time slot. I knew with this news, I needed to go back to the tool that always catapulted me forward. A practice that helped me TRULY turn inward and access what is going on at the TRUE CORE OF MY BEING. Meditation. So I began. Day one was October 28, 2022. I sat in stillness. Was it hard? Of course! Did my mind wander? Absolutely! Did I give up? Heck no! I came back the next day, and the next because meditation is a practice, not perfection. We will become really good at it eventually, but never perfect. I decided to name this practice, “Meditation With Meaning.” This important tool of sitting upright in stillness had a whole new meaning for me: to keep my mind, heart and soul steady and connected as I navigated my cancer journey. I also began an Instagram story solely dedicated to the practice. Everyday I would sit and document something that came up for me in the practice for my own accountability. If I was going to put myself out there for the entire world to see, I knew I had to follow through everyday. What I found from this discipline was astounding. People began to reach out- to comment on how posts resonated with them. I began to receive gifts and tools to aid in my mediation practice. Others would ask: “How do you do it?” Once again, I sat with myself in stillness and it came to me: begin a meditation with meaning practice to share with others. And so it began… I would like to personally invite everyone to participate in this journey. It consists of a daily video/meditation practice with me, a digital journal and a private Facebook group - PLUS an immense amount of gained peace :) Meditation With Meaning: A 21 Day to Developing a Personal Practice was born. It begins April 1st! I am excited to help many people come to a sense of peace. The reason for wanting peace can be simple and add to your already thriving life- it does not need to be as big as a cancer diagnosis. Having a solid meditation practice will only prepare us for what is to come in the beautiful journey we call life. Thank you and Happy Meditating :) - Molly #blogpost #blog #recovery #wellness #wellbeing #connection #cancer #cancerjourney #empathy #breastcancer #meditation #radicalremission #mindfulness #medical #trauma

Throughout the year, however, I learned ways to work through these thoughts and emotions.

and energy Movement videos and yoga sequences Guided mindfulness audio tracks Mindful games + social-emotional You will walk away feeling empowered to utilize these yoga and mindfulness techniques to regulate emotions

I was in it for the physical aspect- and yes, thought it would be an easy credit - but left with emotional same things to work through as me- anxiety, depression, a lack of belonging or purpose and all the emotions

Written by Guest Blogger, Jullietthe Santa Maria, Outreach Specialist at The Recovery Village in Columbus, OH This blog post comes from guest blogger, Jullietthe Santa Maria, outreach specialist at The Recovery Village in Columbus, Ohio. It illustrates how yoga and meditation can help to curb addictive impulses as well as create connection both in and outside of our mind and body- whether we are in recovery officially or personally. Addiction. We all know this term and view it with various feelings. In fact, I bet you can name at least one addiction you have every day at this moment. Sometimes, we can name these things and smile, laugh, or may also be tempted to try not to think about it. Pretend it doesn’t exist. So how does addiction, yoga and meditation intersect? As an Outreach specialist, I work with the community to promote health and wellness, developing initiatives and tracking progress, making sure to provide accurate information about mental health and substance abuse. As a part of our initiatives of spreading awareness, we found Challenge to Change, which promotes the benefits of Yoga, sharing our mission to give support for people who are in need. Yoga and meditation are two practices that are becoming more accessible than ever. In addition to studios, there are classes offered in gyms and community centers all over the country. The popularity of both practices is growing at a rapid rate as people learn about their benefits. Both have been around for thousands of years and have been proven to increase mental clarity, reduce stress, and promote relaxation. This blog post details the benefits of practicing both yoga and meditation while in recovery. Yoga in Recovery There are many ways yoga can help someone in recovery. Yoga is an ancient practice created for everyone, regardless of health condition or ability level, making it accessible to anyone. It has been proven to encourage better focus and can help those in recovery be less impulsive. It is also a great way to connect with nature, which can help soothe the soul and ease anxiety. One of the best things about yoga is that there is no wrong way to do it. There are many benefits of yoga, but these are some of the most helpful to those in recovery: Yoga can help manage stress and anxiety in those who practice it. Because of this, it can also help those in recovery manage cravings for substances that may act as an escape from their feelings. More information on this can be found on the Recovery website based in Columbus, Ohio. Yoga is also a great way to connect with friends and loved ones who are also in recovery. Having those who support you involved in your practice is a great way to meet others in your situation and feel more connected with people who understand your challenges and triumphs. Meditation in Recovery Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind on one thing, such as a word or a breath. Many types of meditation exist and you can practice them anywhere and at any time. Meditation has been proven to: reduce stress improve self-awareness promote a feeling of connection with oneself It's a great way to connect with oneself and quiet the mind from overanalyzing and worrying. Additionally, meditation can be a great way to get in touch with your feelings and release them without having to perform another action. This can also help those in recovery be less impulsive, which is especially important during early recovery. Meditation is a great way to connect with yourself and lower your stress levels. This article is a great resource for seeking various types of meditation as well as listing its benefits and connection to recovery. While some may be skeptical about how beneficial these activities can be for anyone dealing with the pressures of recovery from addiction, research shows that these activities help in a variety of ways from relieving stress to improving self-worth in addicts who practice them regularly. Each of these practices can help someone in recovery feel more connected to themselves and their needs. Has yoga or meditation aided someone in your life? Leave a comment below. We love hearing from our community! #blogpost #blog #guestblogger #yoga #mindfulness #meditation #recovery #addiction #wellness #wellbeing #mentalhealth #connection #stress #focus #impulse

Co-Authored by: Liz Jendra & Paige Griffith For many, there is a common misconception that yoga is just a physical workout, moving through a sequence of poses on your mat. Usually, during a one-hour class, students move through a series of Downward Facing Dogs, Warrior Poses, and so much more. These sequences of poses usually build heat, work up a sweat, and build strength and flexibility throughout the body. So many yogis have reaped the benefits of the way that the physical practice of yoga has changed their bodies. Because of this, one may be intrigued to try yoga for the first time to bask in those benefits. But what these new yogis will soon find out is that yoga is so much more than physical practice. Yoga can be finding stillness. Yoga can be connecting to your breath. Yoga can create space in your mind and body. Yoga can be self-care. Yoga can be healing. Yoga can be lessons learned on and off your mat. Yoga is a connection to self and others. Yoga is not just what you do on your mat, it becomes who you are. Yoga creates oneness. Yoga is unity. Everyone experiences yoga differently. We took the time to listen to people across all unique walks of life and asked them what yoga means to them. These are their stories. Click below to watch. Special thanks to videographer and editor, Trent Hanselmann. Huge gratitude to all participants: Amy Jenkins, Anne Funke, Bobbi Kelley, Brennan Kreimeyer, Chase Kreimeyer, Chris Nugent, Hanna Reese, Jeff Wright, Jordan Turner, Jose Reinoso, Kevin Turner, Krissy Mueller, Mae Hingtgen, Maggie Schreiber, Maria Schreiber, Megan Gloss, Megan Kuennen, Molly Schreiber, Paula Purcell and Rachel Harwood.

Trauma is any event or series of events experienced by an individual that is physically or emotionally Trauma impacts our physical body, energetic body, our mental/emotional body, our ability to access our

Five Parts of Practice At Challenge to Change, we follow the Five Parts of Practice when we are teaching children our Yoga and Mindfulness program. These Five Parts of Practice are: + Seated Practice + Movement + Heart of the Lesson + Guided Mindfulness Practice + Close of Practice Molly, our Founder and the CEO of Challenge to Change, created these Five Parts of Practice when she was receiving her certification to teach children’s yoga. As a former classroom teacher, Molly was aware that children learn best when there is structure and routine in their lessons. While Molly learned many wonderful strategies and ideas for teaching yoga to children in her training, she felt that the missing piece to making her lessons most effective was a consistent structure to her practice. Hence, the Five Parts of Practice were born. This series of articles is designed to inform our readers what each part looks like and why we include it in our teaching. Close of Practice At the end of a lesson comes the close of practice. These activities are designed to gently wake the children up from their guided mindfulness practice, or Yoga Nap, and bring the lesson to a final conclusion. The close of practice activities are songs or chants cited in unison in order to build classroom community. Many often also include hand movements that require fine motor skills and possibly even jump the midline of the brain in order to promote cognitive development. Let Peace Begin With Me, in which the children manipulate opposite fingers, is one such practice. One of the most popular close of practices is Sa-Ta-Na-Ma, which translates to I Am Awesome. We tell the children we chant this mantra over and over again to remind ourselves that each one of us is incredibly wonderful and unique, and each one of us has gifts that help make the world a more awesome place. As participants recite each syllable, they touch a finger to each thumb, starting with their pointer fingers and ending with their pinkies. The students follow along to sing the word three times, whisper it three times, and then just think the syllables in their minds three times each. The word is then whispered three times again, and finally sung three times again to bring the activity to a close. And now, as we end this five-part series on our Five Parts of Practice, we will bow to you and say the word, “Peace!”

The word “gratitude” comes up frequently in classroom conversations about Mindfulness. This is because thinking about all that we have in our lives helps us to feel happier, safer, and kinder. When we feel happy, safe, and kind, we are more likely to be calm and behave in a thoughtful manner. Gratitude is like a muscle that must be exercised regularly. The more often you practice gratitude, the stronger its presence becomes in your life. Gratitude is a wonderful activity to engage in with your family in order to increase feelings of happiness, positivity and overall well-being. Here is a list of a few activities focused on gratitude that we think you might enjoy. Gratitude Stones Gratitude stones are a unique way for your children to record the many people, places, and things in their lives they are grateful for. Give your children smooth decorative stones (available in the floral department of any craft store) and paint pens in several different colors. On each stone, have your children write words or draw images of the people or things in their lives that make them feel happy, loved, or safe. Your children can place these stones in their bedrooms, around the house, or as decorations in the garden as reminders of the many things in their lives they have tor which they are grateful. Materials needed: smooth stones (large enough to draw or write on) and paint markers. Gratitude Rampage or Walk Sit with your child and take turns sharing people and things you are grateful for. Make it a challenge by timing yourselves to see how many objects of gratitude you can share in one minute, then do it again and see if you can name even more in the second round. The only rule of the game is that you cannot immediately repeat something the other said….even if you are grateful for the same thing, you must wait a turn before saying it as well. Another option is to take a Gratitude Walk. Designate a short walking route and take turns sharing your gratitude with each step you take. This will require you to walk deliberately and slowly as you move down your path. This could also be done from a parked car on the way into a store. Before beginning your Gratitude Rampage or Gratitude Walk, you might find it helpful to each write out a list of what you are grateful for. While you do not have to stick exclusively to this list during the activity, it is a helpful tool for helping you get started or to draw on for inspiration. CLICK HERE for a link to the Challenge to Change Gratitude Rampage worksheet. Mail a Hug Have your child think of special people in his life to whom he’d like to send some love. Ask your child to share why he feels lucky to have these people in his life. For each person that is being sent love, your child needs to trace both hands on construction paper. Have your child hold his arms out wide and cut a length of ribbon or string that measures from wrist to wrist. Cut out the traced hands and glue them on each end of the ribbon or string. Your child can write a message of love and gratitude on the hands, or can include a kind note along with his “hug”. Mail your hug as soon as possible Materials needed: construction paper, yarn or ribbon, scissors, hot glue. Gratitude Scavenger Hunt Give your children something they can take pictures with and send them on a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt around your home to find things they are grateful for. They must take a picture of at least one person or object for everything on the scavenger hunt list. Once they are done, you can turn their images into a digital presentation to share with family and friends. CLICK HERE for the scavenger hunt list. We hope you have fun engaging in some or all of these activities centered on the practice of gratitude. As always, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your families’ lives! Namaste, The Team at Challenge to Change