Lakeport >> St. John’s Episcopal Church is hosting mindfulness teacher, author and life coach, JoAnn Saccato, on June 15 at 6 p.m. Saccato will speak on using compassion-based mindfulness as one of many tools for recovery from stressful situations, including disasters such as the Valley Fire, in a talk titled “Personal and Community Resilience With Mindfulness and Compassion.” The talk is free and will be held in the St. John’s Community Room, 1190 North Forbes St. in Lakeport.
“Is there anyone you know in our community that wasn’t affected by the Valley Fire in the Fall of 2015?” Saccato asked. “While we were all impacted in differing degrees depending on our experience, everyone has had a physical, emotional, spiritual and cognitive response.”
Saccato will share some common patterns of reaction and 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 not only to ourselves, but to 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 their moment by moment experience. 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, 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, “A Life Well Lived: Compassion-based Mindfulness for Peace, Clarity and Freedom.”
She said, “My own experience and response to the fire has created the perfect opportunity for me to see that compassion and mindfulness are valuable and practical tools for anyone’s response to this disaster.”
St. John’s helps those affected by the fire with monetary and other support. This talk is part of their ongoing effort to help support Lake County recover from the devastating event.
For more information on St. John’s Episcopal Church, visit http://www.saintjohnslakeport.org/ or call (707) 263-4785.
For more information on Saccato visit www.compassion-basedmindfulness.com or call (707) 350-1719.
