The following mindfulness, meditation and complementary resources are provided to support anyone in their search for information and tools to support their mindfulness, meditation and yoga practices. Emily Moody is based in Montreal, thus you will find many of the recommendations are specific to Montreal, Quebec and Eastern Canada.
General Mindfulness Exercises:
- 3 Minute Breathing Exercise – and other useful mindfulness exercises
- Free Mindfulness Project: an assortment of many different mindfulness meditations
- Center for Mindfulness Guided Meditations: body scans & seated meditations for the MBSR
- Tara Brach – mindfulness talks and meditations, with a new podcast added every week.
- Guided Meditations with Dr. Rick Hanson – author of Hardwiring Happiness (2013)
- Breethe – easy and free meditations that you can download onto your phone, good for adults and children
Mindfulness for Anxiety:
- Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety – companion site to the book the Mindful Way through Anxiety
- Tara Brach Video: Hands off the Control – how to let go of control
- Tara Brach Video: Finding the juice inside the fear – how to lean into the fear versus avoid or run away
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ABCD worksheet – how to identify beliefs and search for more helpful alternatives
- Anxiety Happens – Chad Lejeune’s companion site to his book The Worry Trap, includes explanation of how anxiety works and exercises on how to free yourself from worry and anxiety.
- Passengers on the Bus Video – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) video demonstrates how to not let anxiety take over your bus.
- Guest at a Party Video – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) video demonstrates how to welcome the unwanted guest of anxiety.
Mindfulness for Depression:
- How Does Mindfulness Reduce Depression? – Article by Dr. John Teasdale
- Mindfulness-Cognitive Based Therapy for Depression – free meditations that compliment the book
- Video on Depression as a Black Dog by World Health Organization
Self-Compassion Exercises:
- Self Compassion.org: Guided self compassion exercises and meditations by Dr. Kristen Neff, scroll down for her interesting Ted Talk that describes the difference between Self Esteem and Self-Compassion.
- Self Compassion Test – Find out your level of self-compassion with this on-line survey by Dr. Kristen Neff.
- Seeking Approval : Tara Brach Video: – How judgement of ourselves and others creates separation and self-protection, this podcast has a great meditation on seeking approval
- How to show yourself some Self Compassion – short video with good reminders and practical tips
Mindfulness Podcasts, talks, etc:
- www.dharmaseed.com – Wonderful site with free podcasts from Buddhist meditation teachers in English, french and other languages from all over the world.
- NPR Invisibilia podcast – the secret history of thoughts and how mindfulness helps us to accept rather than change or resist our thoughts.
- Fake it Till you Make it – Social psychologist Amy Cuddy’s Ted talk on how body posture can affect and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.
- All it Takes is 10 Minutes – Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe describes the transformative power of doing just nothing.
- Values vs. Goals: Short video by Russ Harris describing the ACT therapy notion of focusing on values vs. goals
- Sharon Salzberg: How Mindfulness empowers us, animated video on mindfulness and compassion (great for kids!)
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Tara Brach – Learning to Respond and Not React
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Jack Kornfield – Podcast on Forgiveness
Mindfulness Apps:
- Insight Timer – this wonderful app offers a range of guided meditations, allows you to set a meditation/ yoga timer, keep track of your meditation practice and connect live with thousands of meditators around the world.
- Head Space – Practice the basics of meditation and mindfulness with Take10, Headspace’s free introductory meditation series.
- Stope, Breathe & Think – A friendly, simple tool to guide people of all ages and backgrounds through meditations for mindfulness and compassion.
- Mindfulness Training App – This app offers a selection of interactive audio, video, and written instruction, along with special features to support a growing mindfulness practice.
- Gratitude Journaling – Research has shown that purposely bringing our attention to what we are grateful for can shift our mood and attitude. This app gives you reminders and guides for a daily gratitude practice.
- Unstuck – This app is designed to help individuals feeling stuck in a life situation or with a major life decision and offers a life-coaching style approach to take action and make a plan.
- Mood Kit – This app was developed by two clinical psychologists and draws upon the principles and techniques of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). MoodKit’s innovative design enables it to be used on its own or to enhance professional treatment.
Mindfulness Self-Tests:
- Values shopping mall – This exercise will help you identify your core values.
- Self Compassion Test – Find out your level of self-compassion with this on-line survey by Dr. Kristen Neff.
- Signature Strengths – This site at the University of Pennsylvania allows you to test your personal strengths and areas of happiness. These tests are free, you just need to register and then can retake them at any time. For an explanation of the 24 signature strengths you can visit Dr. Martin Seligman’s site.
- Life Trap Test – Find out which of the 18 main early maladaptive schemas (EMS) you may be following in your life.
- Happify: Mindful coaching site that guides you to take a happiness level test and then recommends certain podcasts and mindfulness exercises based on your results.
Mindfulness in Your Relationships:
- The Couple Dialogue – How to practice mindful listening
- Non-Violent Communications – Explanation of the 4 Steps (with a video at bottom)
- Stop, Wait, Go article by Susan Chapman
Weekly Meditation Groups:
- True North Insight: a nonprofit center for the practice of insight meditation in English and French in Eastern Canada. TNI’s programming includes residential retreats, day-long retreats, non-residential daily life retreats, and weekly sitting groups in the regions of Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Kingston. Weekly sits in Montreal in English and French, see website for schedule.
- Presence Meditation : This is a new studio in the Mile End dedicated exclusively to meditation. They offer guided and silent classes, in English and French, drawing from many different traditions and techniques.
- Montreal Institute of Applied Mindfulness (Thich Nhat Hanh tradition)
- Sivananda Yoga Centre: (Weekly satsang sittings on Wednesdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm)
- Zen Montreal: workshops and weekly sittings
- Shambala Buddhist Centre of Montreal: meditation courses, weekly sittings
Meditation Retreat Centers:
- http://www.suttama.dhamma.org (Vipassana Meditation in the Goenka Tradition based out of Montabello Quebec: 10 days of silence for starting retreat)
- http://www.sivananda.org/camp – Sivananda Yoga Camp in Val Morin. There is a shuttle that leaves every Friday evening from the Montreal center and returns Sunday afternoon.
- http://dhyana-ananda.ca/index.php – Meditation center in Val Morin with short and longer retreats
- http://www.eomega.org – Yoga and wellness center based out of Rhinebeck, NY
- http://www.kripalu.org – Yoga and wellness center in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts
- http://www.dharma.org – Insight Meditation based out of Barre, Massachusetts
Massage:
- Albert Lee & Jessie Quon (Mile End) – Thai Yoga Massage and Ayurvedic treatments (massage & n.d. receipts): 514.246-0875
- Jasmine de Jager (Outremont) – therapeutic massages; lomi lomi, deep tissue, sports massage, thai yoga massage, pre-and post natal, myo fascia, as well as Swedish. (massage & n.d. receipts): 514-569-2006. dutchtreat05@yahoo.com
- Claudette Au-Soon (Rosemont, Plateau) – Shiatsu, yin, Yoga, Qi-gong, Taiji
- Noah Browman (Plateau/Montreal)- Swedish massage, Massokinesitherapy, fascia, deep tissue, chair and passive mobilization techniques. FQM member. Treatment available at clinic or in your home by appointment. 514-813-2800 or browmanmassagetherapy@gmail.com.
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Gordon Young (Montreal) – Thai Yoga Massage, Shiatsu, Swedish, Hot Stone
Massage & Homeopathy:
- Sonia Osorio (Mile End) – Master’s level training in homeopathic medicine (DHom), massage therapist and a certified yoga instructor
Naturopathy:
- Melanie Kusznireckyj – BSc, ND, Naturopathic Medicine, Ville ray area. Specializes in pediatrics, perinatal, emotional balance, digestion, pain, stress and energy.
- Jennifer Sierzant – Naturopath and Health Mentor, Lasalle and Pointe-Claire. Specializes in Lyme Disease, Chronic Illness, anxiety/depression, digestion issues.
Osteopathy:
- Espace 212 (Outremont) ; a multidisciplinary health clinic providing treatment in Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Kinesiology and Shiatsu, as well as classes in Qi Gong and the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education.
- Jennie Anstey (Westmount / NDG) : Visit her website for weekly movement workshops and week-end courses that integrate movement, fluidity and osteopathic concepts.
- Heather Barton (Plateau) : certified athletic therapist CAT(C) with over 15 years of clinical experience
- Osteoplus: (Plateau) Mathilde Henninot: 1851 Sherbrooke, Est. 514.509.9123
- Equisense (Downtown)
Yoga:
- Naada Yoga (Plateau/ Mile End) : thriving yoga community with a range of restorative yoga, to classes on the Yoga Wall , to vinyasa classes and yoga with live music.
- Sivananda Yoga (Plateau/ Mile End) : traditional hatha yoga in a sunny studio that has been operating for 60 years, emphasis on meditative experience, pranayama (breathing exercises) and long relaxations.
- Equilibrium Yoga (Plateau/ Mile End) : Hatha yoga, kundalini, yin yoga, with vegan café and frequent yogic concerts
- Bhavana Yoga (Plateau): Specializes in adapted, restorative, therapeutic, Yin and Vinyasa classes.
- Moksha Yoga (Plateau & NDG): hot vinyasa yoga that stretches, strengthens and tones the muscles while helping to detoxify the body and calm the mind.
- Sivananda Yoga ashram (Val Morin) : 1 hour outside of Montreal, beautiful and affordable get away in the country with a weekly shuttle from the Montreal center.
- Shri Yoga – (Westmount) : alignment-based, heart-centered hatha yoga to engage body, mind and spirit.
- Wanderlust Yoga (Plateau/ Mile End) : unique vinyasa; harmonizing creative sequencing, physical and spiritual challenge, and precise alignment, integration of music during the class.
- Integral Yoga (Mile End) : gentle, steady poses and meditative approach. Classes often also include breathing exercises (pranayama), chanting, kriyas, meditation and can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age, size and ability.
- Art of Living Montreal: community yoga, weekly Saturday satsang sittings and community dinners
- Mindbody App: offers a GPS to find and reserve a local yoga and fitness class wherever you are in the world.
Pre and Postnatal Care:
- Nurture Yoga Therapy (NDG)- pre and post natal yoga classes with Jayme Hernandez as well as Couples Birthing Classes
- Equilibrium Yoga (Plateau) – Yoga and meditation for Conscious Pregnancy, Parent & baby yoga classes up to 20 months
- Sivananda Yoga (Plateau/ Mile End) – prenatal classes
- Mother Wit – pre and post natal doula care, courses and training. Millie Tresierra (514 961-1766) also runs Postpartum depression groups
- Montreal Birth Companions – Doula services, pre and postnatal groups
Yoga Online:
- https://www.doyogawithme.com – hundreds of free yoga videos to match your style and level.
- Yogaglo.com – Online yoga classes that allows users to select a practice for the heart, body or spirit – to find a practice that reflects what you need in the moment. The first month is free, $18/ month thereafter
Mindfulness & Yoga for Kids, Tweens and Teens:
- Cosmic Kids Yoga – great and fun site that turns yoga into an adventure for your kids!
- Yoga video for youth – 20 minute intermediate yoga class designed for adolescents or young adults
Speech Therapy:
- Speech Express: JoAnne Wilding and Christina Lattermann, working with children and adults, Outremont:
Life Coach:
- Vesna Antwan, Personal and Professional Coach, www.coachvesna.com, vesna@coachvesna.com, (514) 871-0764 |
Mindfulness:
- Wherever you go, there you are (1995), by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (2002), by Pema Chödrön
- It’s Easier Than You Think: The Buddhist Way to Happiness (1996), by Sylvia Boorstein
- A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook (2010), by Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein
- Radical Acceptance (2003) and True Refuge (2012), by Tara Brach. www.tarabrach.com
- Loving Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (2002), Sharon Salzberg
- Rewiring Happiness by Rick Hanson (2013)
- Insight Meditation Society (IMS) Reading List organized by teachers and/or topics
- IMS audio resources: (teacher talks, guided meditations, podcasts)
Self Compassion:
- The Mindful Path to Self Compassion (2009) by Christopher Germer
- Self Compassion (2010), Kristen Neff
Mindfulness for Anxiety or Depression:
- A Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself From Chronic Unhappiness(2007), by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn. (companion site with free mindfulness exercises)
- A Mindful Way Through Anxiety (2011), by Dr. Orsillo and Dr. Roemer (companion site with mindfulness exercises)
- The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety (2007), by John Forsyth & Georg Eifert
- The Worry Trap (2007) by Chad Lejeune (companion site with free exercises)
Couple Therapy & Mindful Communications:
- Right Here with You: Bringing Mindful Awareness in our Relationships (2011), Edited by Andrea Miller
- ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) with Love (2009), by Dr. Russ Harris
- The High Conflict Couple: A Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Guide to Finding Peace, Intimacy and Validation (2006), by Dr. Alan Fruzzetti
- Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love (2008), by Dr. Sue Johnson
- Non-Violent Communications (2003), by Dr. Marshal Rosenberg
Mindful Parenting:
- Whole Brain Child (2011), by Daniel Siegel
- Mindful Parenting (2014), by Kristen Race
- The Conscious Parent (2010), by Shefali Tsabary
- Child’s Mind: Mindfulness Practices to help our Children be more Focused, Calm and Relaxed (2010), by Dr. Christopher Willard
- Hold Onto Your Kids (2004), by Gordon Neufeld
- Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children (2011) by Thich Nhat Hanh, Chan Chau Nghiem and Wietske Vriezen
- The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress (2010), by Gina Biegel
- Sitting Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids and their Parents (2013), by Eline Snel; comes with CD
Mindful Parenting for Anxious Kids:
- Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children (2013) by Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons
- http://playingwithanxiety.com – Free on-line companion book to Lynn Lyons’ parenting book. Great for tweens and teens, to teach strategies to handle normal worries of growing and the tricks of anxiety
- Parenting Your Anxious Child with Mindfulness and Acceptance: A Powerful New Approach to Overcoming Fear and Panic (2009), by Dr. Christopher McCurry and Dr. Steven C. Hayes
