Welcome message
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” — Socrates
I am happy to announce that I will begin teaching classes in Fall 2025 with the Levan Institute for individuals 55 years and older! All classes are focused on wellness and have limited spots available!
You can learn more and register for these classes under "Fitness, Health and Wellness" at https://levan.asapconnected.com/
health and wellness
HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Ways to Keep Yourself Healthy and Happy (dates TBA)
Do you want to keep your mind more engaged? To increase your balance and flexibility? To stay engaged with others? To build satisfaction, enrichment, and meaning while working and in retirement? In this class, you will learn strategies and resources meant to improve your overall quality of life by focusing on physical, mental, social, occupational, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional wellness.
Class Components
Physical Wellness:
- Importance of nutrition, exercise, sleep and health management.
- Ways to improve strength, flexibility, and balance.
- Practical tips for managing health issues and promoting healthy aging.
Mental Wellness:
- Education on stress management and cognitive health.
- Mindfulness and relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and enhance mental clarity.
- Cognitive stimulation activities, such as puzzles, games, and brain exercises, to maintain cognitive vitality.
Social Wellness:
- Discuss the impact of social connections to combat loneliness and isolation.
- Building and maintaining meaningful relationships.
- Community engagement, including volunteer opportunities to promote social participation and belonging.
Occupational Wellness:
- Personal satisfaction in your job/career.
- Building satisfaction, enrichment and meaning during retirement.
- Contribute unique skills and talents toward activities that are meaningful and rewarding.
Spiritual Wellness:
- Discussion of one’s purpose and meaning in life.
- May include the belief in a higher power, or no religion.
- Discussion of how spiritual healthy can cultivate hopefulness, positivity, and feelings of peace.
Intellectual Wellness:
- Brain health and growth via thought-provoking mental activities.
- Recognize one’s creative abilities and find ways to expand knowledge and skills.
Emotional Wellness:
- Education on emotional resilience, self-awareness and coping with life transitions and loss.
- Maintaining self-care practices and promoting a positive mindset.
- Workshop on emotions, validation and empathy.
Financial Wellness:
- Evaluate one’s knowledge and skills of financial planning and managing expenses.
- Ability to live within one’s means and manage money in a way that gives one peace of mind, such as balancing income and expenses, staying out of debt and saving for the future.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Mindfulness - Promoting Health Through Meditation (dates TBA)
Learn about and practice meditation and mindfulness which can help reduce stress, promote emotional resilience, and improve mental clarity. Various meditation styles and traditions will be presented. Sessions will be adapted to meet your specific needs as you receive guided instruction on breath awareness, body scan, loving-kindness, and mindfulness meditation practices.
Class Components
Educational Workshops:
- Introduction to meditation: Understanding the principles and benefits of meditation for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
- Basic meditation techniques: Guided instruction on breath awareness, body scan, loving-kindness, and mindfulness meditation practices.
- Exploring different approaches: Exposing participants to various meditation styles and traditions to find their preferences to meet their needs.
Guided Meditation Sessions:
- Weekly group meditation sessions, providing a supportive and structured environment for practice.
- Adapting sessions to address specific concerns or challenges commonly faced by older adults, such as pain management, sleep disturbances, or anxiety.
Application:
- Integrate meditation into their daily routines through guided home practice assignments and other exercises.
- Providing resources and support for establishing a sustainable meditation habit, including tips for overcoming common obstacles and maintaining motivation.
- Education about the relationship between meditation and overall well-being.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS: Ways to Keep Your Brain Active (dates TBA)
How do you know if your or a loved one’s mental functioning is declining as a normal process or if it is something that must be addressed clinically? Learn about how the brain functions including memory, attention, problem-solving, and decision-making. This class provides an opportunity to talk about the emotional impact of increasing cognitive struggles on yourself or a loved one, how the brain functions and what you can do to keep your brain active. You will leave with an individual plan for improving your cognitive skills and overall well-being.
Class Components
Cognitive Training:
- Interactive sessions covering various aspects of cognitive functioning, including memory enhancement techniques, attentional strategies, problem-solving exercises and decision-making skills.
- Videos to provide expert insights and practical advice.
- Hands-on activities and group discussions to facilitate learning and application of acquired knowledge.
- Utilization of cognitive training exercises.
- Progress tracking to monitor improvements and address challenges.
Social Engagement:
- Discuss how group outings, social events, and recreational activities can promote social interaction and cognitive stimulation.
- Peer support to help facilitate knowledge exchange and emotional support.
Emotional Impact:
- Discussions about emotional responses experienced due to cognitive difficulties – such as anxiety, frustration, depression, shame.
- General impact on well-being – such as decreased self-esteem, social isolation, reduced quality of life.
- Education about available resources.