Eight-Week Mindfulness and Meditation Training and Practices for Latinx Immigrants. This is an interactive bookclub style program.
The overall goal is to allow practitioners to manage stress and leave with a sense of belonging to themselves, their families, their communities, and their country.
Criss Cuervo
Lead Facilitator
Criss has practiced meditation and mindfulness for over 10 years. She is the Founder of AlmayEspiritu. She is the author of PERTENÆCER: Eight-Week Mindfulness and Meditation Training and Practices for Latinx Immigrants in the US.
OBJECTIVES
- Understand the importance of mental health hygiene
- Understand the mind
- Understand stress and self-regulation
- New perspective on life
- Develop culturally-attuned Meditation and mindfulness practices
- Understanding of our basic emotions: Fear, Anger, Sadness, and Joy
- Cultivate compassion and empathy
- Build a strong sense of belonging
WHY?
Being an immigrant is not easy... we are supposed to achieve the “American dream” therefore be successful at work and at home while staying optimistic and acting like we are making it! However, life in a new country with a new language and culture is not that easy. On top of all this we have don’t feel like we belong here or back “home”, we manage to take care of our family and deal with money, politics and health problems. At the same time we are taking care of our children, aging parents, a disabled family member, or our relatives overseas. There are many moments when we feel lost and don’t know how to cope, and no one acknowledges that life as an immigrant can be hard!
What can we do? What tools might make it better? How can we feel like we belong? How can we feel a sense of life and work balance?
Research has shown that mindfulness and meditation practice can help. These are some of the benefits of practice:
Decreased stress & anxiety
Emotion Regulation
Decreased reactivity
Faster recovery after negative experiences or emotions
Enhanced self-insight, morality, intuition, and fear modulation
Improved well-being
Increased ability to focus
Greater Empathy and Compassion
Sources: Varied can be found at the American Mindfulness Research Association
HOW?
READ AT YOUR OWN PACE!
Each week has a topic and a theme, after each week, the reader has seven (7) days until the next chapter to:
- Practice assigned mindfulness activities
- Practice guided meditations
- Optional: Keep a personal Journal
Week 1 - How are you?
- Mental Health and the Mind
- Mental Hygiene and Mental Health
- What is Stress? What is the flight or fight or Freeze mode?
- How does stress manifest in our bodies?
- What is acculturative stress?
- The Power of Breath
Week 2 - Connecting with My Story, My Ancestors, and My Culture
- Immigration Circumstances
- Balancing and Negotiating Cultural Values
- What is a collectivist culture?
- What is an individualistic culture?
- Learning a New Language
- Battling Feelings of Isolation and Not Belonging
Week 3 - Embracing a New Perspective
- What is Mindfulness?
- What is a Mindfulness Practice?
- What is Meditation?
- Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation
- Mindfulness and Meditation as Mental Hygiene Tools
- Mindfulness of Body
Week 4 - Reigning the Mind and Body
- What is Mental Health Stigma?
- Identify Mental Habits and Patterns
- What is a Stressor?
- Self-regulation
Week 5 - Getting to Know Emotions
- What is an Emotion?
- Understanding Fear, Anger, Sadness, and Joy
- Mindfulness of Emotions
Week 6 - Belonging in Me, My Family, and My Community
- What is Compassion?
- Compassion in Spirituality and Religion
- Cultivating Compassion
Week 7 - We are One World
- What is Interconnectedness?
- Interconnectedness
- Understanding Empathy
- Cultivating Empathy
- Transforming Shame
Week 8 - Belonging in Life Mindfully
- What is Hope?
- What is Optimism?
- The Power of Mindfulness and Meditation in Everyday Life
Bring Pertenæcer to your organization or teams!
Fill out this form and someone will be in touch with you soon.
WANT TO BECOME A CERTIFIED TEACHER?
Visit our One on One mentoring page and select “Pertenæcer Teacher Certification” to apply.
Requirements: Be enrolled or have previously completed a Mindfulness certification or degree.
FEATURED IN:
