Compassionate Couples BEtreat

A Mindful Relationship Retreat with the Healing Garden

Relationships take us on a wild ride of experiences that give life meaning and present challenges. All couples have moments of uncertainty, conflict, connection and deep love – even more so when we face struggles such as a cancer diagnosis and treatment or chronic illness. As both patients and caregivers, how do we cope with conflicts while cultivating loving kindness?

Simply put, we choose to try, experimenting with new ideas, and trying again. Join Lara Wilson, stage III cancer survivor, mother of four who recently celebrated 30 years of marriage, and founder of 501c3 mindful wellness non-profit Be Well Be Here, for this Compassionate Couples BEtreat, an online retreat that explores the path of partnership through mindful communication and connection.

Compassionate Couples is for partners struggling with cancer care, chronic illness or Covid. Through The EPIC Way process (see below), we’ll discover why we show up as we do, work toward being “unstuck” as a couple, and re-ignite the reasons we chose to Be in it together. Discover simple ways to shift habits and learn daily micro-actions that settle the nerves to co-create more contentment and wellBeing.

Compassionate Couples BEtreat

online through Zoom

Saturday, March 13 at 9:30 am - noon

(includes breaks)

9:30 am  Where Are We Now?

Welcome to the Compassionate Couples Retreat, and thanks for showing up! We’ll begin by exploring your natural way to Be Present without pressure. Step away from past baggage and future worries to observe yourself and your partner in the moment with a caring, open mind. 

10:00 am   Compassionate Couples and The EPIC Way REPEAT Practice

How might I find a way to feel heard and show I care when life gets complicated?

Humans evolve every minute of the day. From our cells to our mindset, we sense this process of change and renewal. REPEAT Practice returns us to innate states of being through personal and interpersonal connection. Experiment with this mindful wellness process as you:

·      awaken your ability to sustain attention

·      develop natural resilience skills as you stay in the game

·      enhance your window of tolerance to feel less irritated by others

·      experiment with reframing the story of your relationship

·      learn micro-actions to respond rather than react

·      communicate with kindness and compassion

The EPIC Way invites us to explore new ways to communicate clearly and compassionately. After examining the mind / body connection through REPEAT Practice, we’ll try some simple journaling to privately express our story of Self. By understanding and even befriending our identity as storytellers, new narratives arise as we re-imagine the Why behind our relationships.

11:30  Compassionate Couples Guided Meditation

Time to relax! Experience a simple way to rejuvenate and release what is no longer needed. As you let go of stress, learn mindful wellness prompts that can be added to daily life. We’ll conclude with loving kindness meditation (Metta), and step forward with a new sense of ease and possibility.

$48 per couple. Please complete BWBH’s Scholarship Application if you need financial assistance.

The EPIC Way REPEAT Practice

The EPIC Way REPEAT Practice somatically returns us to innate states of being through personal and interpersonal connection. This mindful wellness methodology awakens our natural ability to Be present, access resilience skills, tolerate challenges, and communicate with compassion.

1. Release – Let Go of Excess Energy

2. Experience – Situate in the Moment 

3. Pause – Simply Notice

4. Explore - Engage Curiosity

5. Attend – Embody Awareness

6. Trust – Listen, validate, respond

REPEAT! The EPIC Way process shares evidence-based practices that inculcate a deeper felt sense, which leads to greater intuitive understanding, authentic shared values and the evolution of cultural consciousness. With The EPIC Way, participants develop deep compassion for the self and others to build caring, connected communities and enhance our collective wellBEing.

For personalized practice, please email Lara@BeWellBeHere.org or call 978-203-2825.

As a 501c3 non-profit, we gratefully accept DONATIONS.

May You Be Well, Safe and Peaceful in the midst of this.

Join Be Well Be Here in collaboration with the Healing Garden Cancer Support Center for FREE Restorative Yoga and Meditation in honor of World Cancer Day!

Gently bring your body into alignment by engaging in restorative poses led by experienced yoga therapist Nicole Grant of Yoga Mandala. Soothe yourself at the end of yoga practice with mindful meditation guided by Lara Wilson, Be Well Be Here founder and stage III breast cancer survivor. Give yourself the gift of compassionate practice to Be Well and Be Here in a welcoming space of loving kindness. Suitable for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers - everyone - at any level of experience.

Nicole Grant is a senior Yoga Instructor and Yoga Therapist certified by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT), the Yoga Alliance (ERYT-500), Reiki Master in the Usui methodology, and certified Journey DanceTM Facilitator. She founded Yoga Mandala in October 2001, and played an instrumental role in co-creating 501c3 non-profit mindful wellness educational collaborative Be Well Be Here. Nicole is the author of Yogini’s Dilemma: To Be or Not To Be A Yoga Teacher (2020), which explores the philosophical and experiential underpinnings of yoga practice through the lens of a yogini, female yoga practitioner, and longtime guide. Nicole is also committed to bringing awareness to the financial stresses of cancer through her fundraising efforts for Reach Athletes and the Family Reach Foundation. She can be reached through her website www.yogamandala.com

Lara Wilson, founder and executive director of Be Well Be Here, has been a writer, teacher and meditator for over 35 years. She has co-created integrative mindful wellness practices with cancer patients, struggling students, teachers, parents, school communities, young athletes, disabled individuals, architects, celebrated authors, medical professionals, bankers, CEOs, children, artists, even horses. Lara holds a Master's Degree in English & American Literature, a Graduate Certificate in Mindfulness Studies, and certification in Restorative Yoga (RYT-200) and Reiki Level II. Lara is a stage III breast cancer survivor whose embodied mindful wellness practices are integral to her continued wellBeing. Her positive experiences with integrative healing have been published in medical case studies, and were featured in an article about cancer, connection and community in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine written by a core faculty member of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.

Feeling overwhelmed by how the coronavirus crisis impacts cancer care, either your own or that of a loved one? Join stage III breast cancer thriver, lifelong meditator and Be Well Be Here founder, Lara Wilson, MA, GCMS for a compassionate conversation about mindful well-being in the midst of chaos. Discover simple mindful healing practices that can help us feel grounded and supported in trying times. This session is open to anyone touched by cancer at any phase of the process.

Please sign up to receive the Zoom link at Be Well Be Here Cares

May you Be Safe and find moments of peace on your path.

About your guide:

Be Well Be Here’s founder, Lara Wilson, has been a writer, teacher and meditator for over thirty years. She has co-created mindful wellness practices with cancer patients, struggling students, teachers, school administrators, young athletes, disabled individuals, architects, celebrated authors, medical professionals, bankers, CEOs, children, artists, even horses. Lara holds a Master's Degree in English & American Literature, a Graduate Certificate in Mindfulness Studies, and certification in Restorative Yoga (RYT-200) and Reiki Level II. She continually trains in a variety of meditative fields such as mindfulness studies, qigong, breath work, equine experiential learning, and dance. Following a two-year cancer journey, Lara deepened her personal practices through principles of experiential integration, learning from expert mindful wellness teachers. She has shared this wisdom at conferences, wellness centers, corporate retreats, yoga studios, libraries, and public and private schools. Lara’s personal experiences with integrative healing have been included in medical case studies, and were featured in an article about cancer, connection and community in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine written by a core faculty member of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.