Penny Cook is a fierce advocate for older adults who has dedicated her career to changing the aging experience. Penny’s past efforts were focused in Colorado, through her leadership with the Colorado Culture Change Coalition and Colorado Access.  In the past nearly three years she has expanded her influence as the president and CEO of Pioneer Network, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the culture of aging and enhancing the quality of life for those who live and work in long-term care communities. For over 28 years Penny has provided education, training, and advocacy related to the care and support of elders. Penny’s greatest passion is helping us all value and respect our own aging as well as those that we serve. 

In this episode, Penny Cook shares with us the evolution of long-term care communities, and how team members and residents of organizations are working together to implement policies that both maintain the rights of individuals, while also minimizing risk due to Covid-19. She also gives a case for celebrating long-term care workers, who are working tirelessly to support residents while keeping people safe. 

Learn more...
Pioneer Network: https://www.pioneernetwork.net
eMail Penny Cook: penny.cook@pioneernetwork.net

Advocating Change: An Interview with President and CEO of the Pioneer Network, Penny Cook

Studies suggest that Loving-Kindness meditations can support feelings of wellbeing, a greater sense of connection to others, better self-awareness, more compassion for self and others, and greater empathy, while also giving our immune system a boost. This variation on a traditional loving-kindness meditation was led by Danielle Palli as part of Masterpiece Living's mindfulness group. Mindful practices are included in the Peace & Fulfillment pillar of wellness because they are powerful contributors to our overall sense of wellbeing.

Master-PEACE Circle Meditation on Loving-Kindness (July 8, 2020)

Optimistic people live 7 1/2 years longer than pessimistic people. In this episode, Dr. Roger, Teresa and Danielle discuss the benefits of positive thinking and living, and learning to adapt to life's curveballs in a healthful way.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:
Why Thinking Positive Thoughts Won't Get You What You Want
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201502/why-thinking-positive-thoughts-wont-get-you-what-you

Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028M9EZK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Self-Fulfilling Prophesy: How Perceptions of Aging Affect Our Later Years
https://www.matherinstitute.com/senior-living-professionals/free-industry-information/self-fulfilling-prophecy/

Episode 10: Great Expectations (How Our Outlook Shapes Our Future)

In this meditation, led by Danielle Palli, the group practices an open-monitoring meditation for greater awareness of our thoughts and feelings, and how they affect us. Mindful practices are included in the Peace & Fulfillment pillar of wellness because they are powerful contributors to our overall sense of wellbeing and self-awareness.

Master-PEACE Circle: Movie Screen Meditation (July 10, 2020)

In this Master-PEACE circle, Danielle Palli leads a breath-synchronized movement activity followed by a brief single-point-of-focus breathing meditation (where we focus on the breath.) Mindful practices are included in the Peace & Fulfillment pillar of wellness because they are powerful contributors to our overall sense of wellbeing and self-awareness. This meditation also supports greater relaxation and improved concentration.

Master-PEACE Circle: Breath-synchronized Movement and Focus Meditation

By: Cera Meintzer

This relaxation visualization is to calm and relax the body, mind, and spirit, and become curious about your sensory connections to color. Mindful practices are included in the Peace & Fulfillment pillar of wellness because they are powerful contributors to our overall sense of wellbeing and self-awareness.

Other Meditations You Might Like:
Ocean Breath: https://www.spreaker.com/e/5YpJ24JaBsw
Three-Part Breathing: https://www.spreaker.com/e/YpAuTjynvHs
Moving Through Emotions: https://www.spreaker.com/e/8STPyTbnrUa
Mindful Relaxation Activity: https://www.spreaker.com/e/RKVTQvtwwuw
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Video): https://vimeo.com/409810967/13003bed19

Master-PEACE Circle: Color Journey (July 17, 2020)

Ocean Breathing (with Variations) 
By: Danielle Palli 

Ocean Breathing, or Ujjayi breathing, as it is referred to in yoga, is an extremely helpful technique, regardless of whether or not you do yoga. And, it can be added to many meditations for enhanced relaxation, deeper breathing, and a calmer mind. It is also intended to improve concentration, sleep and mental clarity. Today, I’m going to walk you through an exercise to introduce Ocean Breathing as a practice, and offer a visualization as an added component. Remember that this is your practice, so if any part of this meditation doesn’t resonate with you, you are free to change it or disregard it altogether. The main purpose is to train our minds for meditation or deepen an existing practice. 

Reminder: If you feel light-headed or have trouble breathing, at any time, stop this technique and allow your breathing to return to normal. 


The Process:

1.    Find a quiet space where you will be undisturbed for at least ten minutes. Sit comfortably, either cross-legged or with your feet on the floor. Lengthen your spine as if there is a string that runs up from the base of your spine, through the crown of your head and reaching up into the ceiling, encouraging you to sit tall. Your hands can be rested on your knees or in your lap. 

2.    For part one of this practice, I’d like you to bring the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, behind your upper teeth. Some people choose to flatten the front of their tongue against the front ridge of their mouths. This may take a little adjustment on your part until you find what feels most comfortable for you. You should still be able to breathe fully in and out through your nose. Try to breathe comfortably as I talk for a moment. Remember to keep your mouth closed and jaw relaxed.  

3.  Ocean Breath requires us to gently constrict the back of our throat so that the air is guided to that space in the back of the throat and into the chest and belly. If you can imagine someone snoring, or Darth Vader’s voice from Star Wars, you’ll get a sense of where the breath is going. Too much constriction will dry out your throat and make it difficult to breathe, but a light contraction will deepen your breath. You may hear the sound of your breath, which will sound much like the ocean, in your head. To practice this, I’d like you to take a deep inhale through the nose, pulling air to the back of your throat and all the way down into your belly. Pause at the top of that breath and hold it for just a moment. Open your mouth, drop your tongue and exhale a long and forceful sigh out of your mouth in a “hah” sound … Let’s try this one more time together … inhale through your nose … pause when you cannot inhale anymore … open your mouth and exhale a “hah.” I will pause here, while you do this a couple of more times on your own. 

4. Now, let your breathing return to normal for a few moments … Next, we’re going to do the exact same exercise, but on the exhale, imagine you are sighing through your nose … Inhale through the nose … pause … exhale a forced sigh through your nose. Do that just a couple of times for practice. 

5. Now we’re ready. Bring the tip of your tongue behind your upper teeth. Close your mouth but allow your jaw to be relaxed. Gently constrict the back of the throat slightly. Inhale slowly through the nose, pulling the air to the back of the throat. Imagine it swirling there for a moment before continuing down into your belly … Pause after you’ve inhaled fully … Slowly exhale through your nose. Pause at the bottom of the breath … Keep going. As you do so, see if you can lengthen the inhale slightly, still keeping the breath smooth and flowing. On the exhale, you may notice that you can slow the breath down even farther so that your exhale becomes longer than your inhale … I’m going to be quiet for a minute while you practice this. If you find that your mind begins to wander, bring it back to your breath as if you’re watching it on the inhale and exhale. If it’s helpful for you, you may imagine your breath as a color, and watch where the color flows in and out of your body as you breathe. Another option is to imagine that you are standing in front of the ocean, and as the wave crests, you are fully inhaled, and as it descends, you are fully exhaled. In this visualization, you are matching your breath with gentle waves on the ocean. Choose which method works best for you, simply being aware of your breath, turning it into a color and watching it, or picturing ocean waves in your mind and matching your breath to it…

6. Slowly let your breathing return to normal … When you are ready, open your eyes.  


Quick Version: As a “quick start” reminder about Ocean Breathing, try this… 
1. Bring the tip of your tongue behind your upper teeth and gently constrict the back of your throat. Inhale through your nose, filling your lungs and belly. Pause. 
2.Exhale through your nose. The air also flows to the back of your throat on the exhale. You may find that the exhale is almost twice as long as your inhale. Pause. 
3.After a few minutes, allow your breathing to return to normal. 


OTHER MEDITATIONS YOU MIGHT LIKE: 
Color Journey: https://www.spreaker.com/user/masterpiece_living/colors-meditation
Mindful Relaxation Activity: https://www.spreaker.com/e/RKVTQvtwwuw
Moving Through Emotions: https://www.spreaker.com/e/8STPyTbnrUa
3-Part Breathing (with a Twist): https://www.spreaker.com/e/YpAuTjynvHs
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Video): https://vimeo.com/409810967/13003bed19

Ocean Breath (with Variations)

In this meditation, Danielle Palli guides the group through an autogenic relaxation activity. By using words and phrases such as "warm," "heavy," "cool," and "soft," we can systematically relax muscles in the body in preperation for sleep or simply to de-stress.

Master-PEACE Circle: Autogenic Relaxation (Aug. 17, 2020)

This self-awakening practice is led by Master-PEACE Circle co-facilitator, Cera Meintzer. It invites participants to tap into their inner wisdom to solve challenging situations through mindful reflection and journaling. 

Helpful Guidance: 
Carve out a quiet time where you will not be disturbed. Maybe light a candle and put on soft music. Have a journal (or paper) and a pen. Begin by closing your eyes, putting your hands on your heart and taking at least five deep breaths to bring yourself into the present moment, out of your head and into your body with access to your whole self (thoughts, emotions, spiritual insight, etc.). 
 
As you pose the following questions do so with wisdom, compassion and truth. This exploration will open doors of awareness and choice. Be gentle.  No self-judgment. As you go along notice what arises in your Body… your Emotions… your Heart… and your Mind. Journal about that.
 
Bring to mind a difficult situation and ask:
•How have I reacted to this difficulty so far? Once you answer, ask… what else?
•How have I suffered by my own response and reaction to it? What else?
•What am I wanting? What else?
•What does this problem ask me to let go of? What else?
•What suffering is unavoidable… simply something I must accept? What else?
•What great lesson might this difficulty teach me? What else?
•What might be the gold, the value hidden in the situation? What else?