Cobb >> Local mindfulness teacher, author and life coach JoAnn Saccato, M.A. is the guest speaker for the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County, 3810 Main St., Kelseyville on March 6 at 11 a.m., and the Unity Clearlake Center, 15898 Kugelman St., Lower Lake on March 13 at 10:30 a.m. Saccato will speak on using compassion-based mindfulness as one of many tools for recovery from stressful situations, including disasters such as the 2015 Valley Fire.
“Is there anyone you know in our community that wasn’t affected by the Valley Fire in the Fall of 2015?” she asked. “While we all were impacted in varying degrees, everyone has had a physical, emotional, spiritual and cognitive response.”
Saccato will share some common patterns of reaction and helpful coping skills that can benefit both the individual and the community at large. “When we recognize how all of us our operating in response to this disaster, we are more likely to bring a little more compassion to ourselves and those we interact with on a daily basis,” she said.
Mindfulness is a body-based practice that invites one to purposefully pay kind, non-judgmental attention to one’s experience moment by moment. Studies indicate that mindfulness can help reduce stress and stress-related illnesses; increase focus and attention; decrease incidences of and relapses with depression; reduce anxiety; aid with addictive and compulsive disorders; aid the immune system; and aid in sleep and digestive disorders.
Saccato stated, “My own experience and response to the fire has created the perfect opportunity for me to see that compassion-based mindfulness is a valuable and practical tool for anyone’s recovery.”
Saccato, a native of Lake County, lives in the fire-affected area and is the author of “Companioning the Sacred Journey: A Guide to Creating a Compassionate Container for Your Spiritual Practice,” and a forthcoming book, “Compassion-based Mindfulness for Peace, Clarity and Freedom”.
For information on Saccato, visit www.compassion-basedmindfulness.com or call 350-1719. Contact the Unitarian Universalist Community of Lake County at www.uuclc.org or 587-4243. For information on Unity Clearlake Center, visit www.facebook.com/unity.clearlakespiritualcenter or call 995-1419.
