The ABC's Of Autumn
"Every leaf speaks bliss to me. Fluttering from the autumn tree." - Emily Brontë
As we currently find ourselves transitioning into the autumn season, emotional health deserves our attention. Not everyone is excited to see fall arrive. Some may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), while a great many others may simply feel a bit “down” as the hours of daylight shorten and the sun becomes a less-frequent visitor to our days.
No matter how you personally welcome the new season, there are a few things you can do to help your mind and body adjust:
Align with the Season
The change in season is a perfect time to give yourself permission to make different choices and changes in lifestyle. The shorter days and longer nights are a great excuse to take the time to really take care yourself. Feel free to hibernate a bit, giving yourself time for you. Catch up on your reading, drink some nice tea, practice a few minutes extra each day…allow what comes.
Boost your Immune System
Autumn is the time to begin taking extra-good care of our immune systems. First, be sure to include the foods of autumn in your diet. Take advantage of the bounty Mother Nature is offering including, pumpkin, yams, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips and apples. Generally, the more colorful the fruit/vegetable, the better it is for your health. Fall provides us with foods in beautiful, earthy colors such as vibrant orange, deep yellows and brilliant greens. As always, plenty of water in your diet is beneficial no matter the season.
Carry on your Practice
While it may not be possible to maintain all of the outdoor activities you enjoy, don’t let the cooler temperatures stop you from moving your body. Seek opportunities to bring your activity inside. The gentle movements of Tai Chi and Qigong can be done nearly anywhere, anytime. There are evidence-based, mental and physical health benefits to both of these heart-mind-body practices. Spend some time each day focusing on awakening your Healer Within!
Autumn can be a positive time of internal reflection and a wonderful excuse to slow our pace. Embrace this seasonal pause…allow the autumn season to be a chance to nurture yourself. Align. Boost. Carry on.
Be Well,
Your friends at the Healer Within Foundation
5th Saturday Gathering: October 30th
Join us on Saturday, October 30th, for an informative presentation which highlights new HWF educational programs!
Our host, HWF Past President Emeritus, Josie Weaver, will offer a preview of upcoming HWF programs which explore multiple applications of Qigong and Tai Chi - from movement and fitness - to healing and building emotional and spiritual health. It is said that there are 10,000 forms of Qigong and many ways to share. Josie will also share some brief updates on scientific research of Qigong and Tai Chi in addition to this brief tour of upcoming HWF educational programs. Everyone is welcome!
 Gatherings on the Cloud begin at noon PST/3:00 pm EST and last for approximately 60-90 minutes.
If you haven't already, please sign up now to RSVP for this special series of meetings to make friends, get support, and stay in touch with others who lead practice and care about health and wellness! 5th Saturday Gathering On The Cloud will be held on Facebook LIVE. However, Zoom access and replays of the 5th Saturday presentations will be made available to those who sign up on the RSVP list. Secure your spot on the cloud today!
*NEW* The Qigong Of The Animals Course
 Join Instructor, Jill Robinson, to learn this practice inspired by our animal friends!
The Qigong of the Animals draws on qigong animal forms, combining these movements with breathing, posture awareness, and visualization to shift the nervous system from the fight, flight, or freeze response to the relaxation and rejuvenation response. The program draws on current research and writing in the fields of neuropsychology as well as somatic therapy.
This 90-minute program guides attendees through practices which seek to improve tension, mobility, flexibility, agility, balance, and joyfulness.
Click HERE for more information or to register.
*NEW* TAKE 5 Teacher Certification Program
 TAKE 5 is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln research based program designed for educators, wellness professionals, parents, grandparents, community leaders, and anyone interested in guiding youth to better social-emotional wellness.
Join TAKE 5 Developer, Sheila Palmquist E-RYT500, RCYT, RPYT, YACEP®, for this live, online course.
Certified TAKE 5 Teachers guide youth to:
• Learn techniques to self-regulate behavior and emotions
• Develop peace and stillness in the midst of chaos
• Quiet the mind to become more receptive to learning
• Build self-awareness and self-responsibility
• Improve confidence and self-esteem
• Reduce anxiety, depression and anger
Through the use of breathing practices, concentration techniques, drawing/journaling, and exercise/movement, we bring greater awareness to body, mind, and internal conflict. Young children become more able to navigate the demands of our ever-changing environment and learn techniques to self-regulate behavior and emotions. For more information or to register, please click HERE.
Educational Program Proposals Being Accepted
Have you authored or do you lead an educational self-care and/or wellness course? Offer a unique presentation or class related to Tai Chi, Qigong or other body-mind-spirit practices? Maybe you are in development of such a curriculum and are seeking a partner to help get your course in front of potential students? If so, the HWF Programs Team is currently calling for Educational Program Proposals and would like to hear from you!
Proposals will initially be accepted on a continuous basis. Proposals submitted by the 15th of each month, will be reviewed by the end of that month.
The Healer Within Foundation Mission: Healer Within Foundation advances Qigong/Tai Chi and other self-healing, body/ mind/spirit practices, through collaboration with individuals, and organizations to sponsor trainings, community practice groups and research.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, HWF strives to produce accessible, engaging and effective educational content which may assist individuals in achieving improved health and well-being.
HWF Educational Program Goals:
- Dissemination of effective Self-Care and Wellness Programs/Presentations
- Alignment with HWF Mission
- Identified Audience/Need (e.g. children's health, general health & wellness, chronic pain, substance abuse, etc.)
- Competitively-priced offerings of high quality with feasible implementation cost
Access the Program Proposal Form at: www.HealerWithinFoundation.org/programapp
The HWF Programs Team welcomes your application submission and look forward to reviewing your program offering!
Empowered Relief™ Course: November 20th
 Join instructor Josie Weaver (pictured left), on Saturday, November 20th at Noon PT/3:00pm ET, for a powerful 2-hour LIVE interactive presentation focused on relief from chronic pain. Josie will feature Qigong breath and movement exercises rooted in the Empowered Relief™ pain skills course developed by Stanford University pain scientist, Dr. Beth Darnall. Click HERE for an informative article entitled, Empowered Relief: Meeting the Needs of a Nation in Pain, written by Dr. Darnall and featured in Psychology Today.
If you are alive, you will at some point experience pain in your life. How you think and feel about pain will, in many ways, determine your pain experience. This presentation will explain why this is so and provide you tools to handle pain or support others in your life, who may be experiencing prolonged or chronic pain.
Cost for this informative and empowering presentation is only $47. Course space is limited. Click HERE to register today!
Still Time To Register! ONLINE Tai Chi Easy™ Training!
Early Bird rates have been extended for our October/November online Practice Leader Training event! This training will be our final ONLINE Tai Chi Easy™ training of 2021!
This highly anticipated training will take place via live online sessions being held between October 30 and November 21, 2021 and will be conducted by IIQTC Certified Senior Trainers, Lorrie Formella, Cynthia Maltenfort and Anuja Bakshi (pictured above, top to bottom).
Click HERE for more information or to register. Use promo code LIVE to obtain the Early Bird rate! Learn more about what Tai Chi Easy™ can do for you through our informational VIDEO or enjoy meeting the trainers through this video REPLAY from a recent Facebook Live.
21 Nursing Contact Hours Included! This continuing nursing education activity is approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA), an accredited approver of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Program #1488.
Healer Within Foundation is also a Professional Development Activity (PDA) Provider through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM®). This Tai Chi Easy™ Practice Leader training approved for a total of 24 CEU's issued by NCCAOM. We are excited to offer this new benefit for the NCCAOM members of the HWF community!
Research Corner
Please consider being part of important, active research currently being conducted! If you will be leading or participating in at least 6 weekly class sessions (in-person or virtual), we invite you to be a part of the HWF research initiative. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the effectiveness of dissemination and benefits of a replicable Tai Chi and Qigong program for the general public.
The research is done through the completion of a short baseline survey along with answering a few simple survey questions, before and after each class. Completing the responses also gives participants a chance to observe their own reactions to the practice and track their personal progress, too.
Interested? To learn more - or to access online survey links or printable survey documents - click HERE or contact HWF Research Team Chair, Ping Yang, for assistance.
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 A recent ARTICLE published in Medical News Today entitled, "Qigong Benefits, Types, and How To Get Started," cites no less than 9 current, relevant research papers which focus on the practice of Qigong and Tai Chi.
This is a wonderful resource to share with those new to Qigong and may answer many questions - backed by research - commonly asked by individuals who are just becoming familiar with the practices.
New Colors Just In Time For Fall!
Whether you lead others in practice or simply practice good self-care, YOU are a HEALER! This popular shirt design along with rich fall colors will be available through October! Click HERE or on the image below to order yours today.  See all HWF designs available at Bonfire. Every order helps to support the HWF mission! Thank you!
HWF Website Login Instructions - Please Read!
We'd like to invite you to explore the Healer Within Foundation website! We continue to add new content, most recently launching the HWF Blog, which we hope you will read and add your comments, too. To login, you will first need to set up your password. Click here to update your Password. Once updated, you can login here, using your Username - - and new Password.
While you are logged in, please complete your profile (it is searchable to help other HWF community members find you)! Logging in allows you to make a donation securely, see our community member-only content such as the files on the Organize an Event page and to sign up for events such as the Gathering in the Cloud meetings.
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