Come and be encouraged!
Presented in partnership with the Harvard Center for Wellness, all Self-Care @ A.R.T. events are free and open to the public. A series of hands-on, skill-building events ranging from healthy living to mental and spiritual resiliency, inspired by Eve Ensler’s new autobiographical play, In the Body of the World.
Please contact A.R.T. Education & Community Programs for more information: education@amrep.org
In the Body of the World: Self-Care @ A.R.T.
Past Events
Massage 101
Saturday, May 14, 2016 @ 4 – 4:30PM
About this Event: Simple touch can provide calming and nurturing to those we care for. Learn the basics of giving a comforting and relaxing backrub. Focus will be on correct use of the body, basic precautions, and specific strategies for treating the back, neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Many of these techniques can also be used for self-massage in addressing muscle tension and trigger points.
This event is hosted by A.R.T. Education & Community Programs and led by Farris Ajalat, LMT, of the Harvard Center for Wellness.
Location: Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Free Chair Massage
Saturday, May 14, 2016 @ 4 – 6PM
About this Event: Chair massage is a style of seated massage that focuses on your back, shoulders, neck and arms and promotes an overall feeling of well-being. Enjoy a relaxation break that will leave you with a calmer, clearer mind and a rejuvenated body. Research suggests that “mini-massages” can help individuals cope with the stress and strain of daily life.
This event is hosted by A.R.T. Education & Community Programs and led by Massage Therapists from the Harvard Center for Wellness.
Location: Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Storytelling for Health
Saturday, May 21, 2016 @ 4:30PM
“The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other’s memory. This is how people care for themselves.” – Barry Lopez
About this Event: Since health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, telling a story for health can mean many things. There are experiences like recovering from illness to running your first race, as well as moments of spiritual enlightenment and other matters of the heart. In this workshop, participants will find, craft and tell stories from their life experience, all while fostering healing and community building.
This event is hosted by A.R.T. Education & Community Programs and led by Shanae Burch, a digital and performance storyteller, and health activist, studying Arts in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Location: Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Compassion and Caring for Self and Others
Sunday, May 22, 2016 @ 11:30AM – 12:30PM
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness
About this Event: This workshop is an introduction to mindfulness practices including guided breathing, meditation, and visualization. The seeming dichotomy of caring for self and others is really about interconnection and compassion. In an airplane emergency, the oxygen mask drops down, and the caregiver is asked to put this on first. Is this caring for self, or for others, or actually both? We can notice, nurture, and grow compassion in our hearts and extend this to the world in good and in difficult times. Mindfulness and meditation practices allow us to pause, connect, reflect, and more genuinely embrace our lives and ourselves, with greater wisdom, kindness, clarity, and calm. Simple mind body practices can help us to develop compassion, peace, and greater wellbeing no matter where, when, or how we find ourselves.
This event is hosted by A.R.T. Education & Community Programs and led by Laura Carmen Arena, Wellness Consultant at the Harvard Center for Wellness.
Location: Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Harvard Square Urban Herb Walk
Saturday, May 28 @ 11AM
About this Event: Plant walks are a wonderful, experiential way to familiarize yourself with the abundance of plant life that we tend to overlook, especially in the modern cityscape. In our walk we will discuss the medicinal and edible uses of a variety of common plants — many of which are considered “weeds” – and many of which have been used in the healing arts for centuries. We’ll also touch upon basic identification skills, responsible harvesting, and preservation techniques of herbs.
This event is hosted by A.R.T. Education & Community Programs and led by local herbalist, botanical educator, ethnobotanist, and a life-long student of the plant world Steph Zabel: www.flowerfolkherbs.com
Location: Group will meet at Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Events are free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.