Are you feeling frustrated over things you cannot do?
Are you spending time wishing your body was different?
Do you find yourself comparing to others or what your past self can do?
Are you struggling to figure out what exercising may look like now?
Are your emotions making you feel tired and contributing to fatigue?
Acceptance of chronic illness or a disability can be really tough. It is a complex, multi -layered journey and directly impacts your relationship with your body and with exercise.
Radical Acceptance (RA)
Dr. Jessica Renz will be teaching a skill called 'Radical Acceptance' across a 4 week course (skills adapted from DBT Skills Training Handouts (2nd Edition by Marsha M. Linehan, 2015). Each session will guide you through the components of RA followed by putting into practice what we have learnt through a movement session by Zoe.
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RA is about learning to accept where you are. It doesn't mean you have to be positive all the time. Instead it is about trying to reduce suffering related to the experiences and uncertainty of living with Chronic illness. RA can help your approach to exercise and help you spend time in your body without battling your own mind.
Course Structure
Week one: What is Radical Acceptance (RA)?
We will discuss RA and how and why we can incorporate this skill into our lives. Specifically we will cover how and why we can work towards accepting our bodies as they are, without fighting reality. This can allow us to move forward with less frustration, upset, and even a new outlook on exercise. We will then observe our thoughts and emotions as they come up during the Pilates section of the session.
Week two: Practicing Radical Acceptance Step by Step
We will review the specifics of how to use RA. We will discuss how to practice accepting our whole body, how to cope ahead for future challenges, and how to let emotions be present as they are. We will also discuss how to not let your feelings overtake you or get in the way of your exercise goals. We will then apply specific parts of the skill during the Pilates section of this practice.
Week three: Turning the Mind
We will discuss how to stop rejecting reality ("I don't want to feel this way!" and "My body never works the way I want it to!") and approach our challenges with openness and willingness. In this supportive environment, we will challenge ourselves to apply willingness to our exercise practice led by Zoe.
Week four: Practicing Mindfulness of Thoughts
Learn to remind yourself that you are not your thoughts and that we do not have to block or suppress our thoughts either. Together, we will go through some practice exercises for mindfulness of thoughts. We will then use the final Pilates element to bring everything together and you will have time to set your intentions for future exercise practice using what you have learned in this course.
What is included in this course?
Workshop includes 4 online sessions
Week One - Wednesday 19th July at 8.30 am AEST/ Tuesday 18th July at 6.30pm EST
Week Two - Wednesday 26th July at 8.30 am AEST/ Tuesday 25th July at 6.30pm EST
Week Three - Wednesday 2nd August at 8.30 am AEST/ Tuesday 1st August at 6.30pm EST
Week Four - Wednesday 9th August at 8.30am AEST/ Tuesday 8th August at 6.30pm EST
100 AUD = Approx. 66 USD/52 GBP/ 60 EURO
Presented by Dr. Jessica Renz and Zoe Mckenzie
Zoe is a physiotherapist, personal trainer, and pilates instructor with a thriving practice focused on helping people integrate movement with chronic illness. She is passionate at helping others balance activity and rest and find joy in what they can do whilst working with their body, not against it. Dr Jessica Renz is a psychologist and NYC practice co-owner, with a focus on helping women manage mood disorders and life transitions. She has been on her own personal journey in accepting her body with a number of health issues, and helps others be compassionate and mindful when trying to exercise with illness, anxiety, depression, or health difficulties of any kind. After the success of our first workshop around Mindset and Movement, we decided to work together again and cover this huge topic in more detail.
FAQ
What do I need for the sessions?
You need any device you can zoom on. For Pilates, you just need a mat or something soft on the floor and have a cushion or pillow. Wear anything you feel comfortable to move in.
Do I need to have my camera on?
You are encouraged to have your video on for both sessions (the sound will be muted for the Pilates class). If you do not feel comfortable having the camera on you have the option to have it off.
What if I cannot make it live?
We will be recording the sessions which will be sent out after each live session. You will have access to this for 6 months after the course finishes.
How much time do I need to commit?
Each live session will be 45 minutes which will include Jess covering the topic for that week, along with a Pilates session where we put that topic in practice. Following this we will have time for discussion or questions. The workbook follows along each week. It is up to you how much you then put into using the techniques themselves.