Examples of Inner-Strengths Topics in Ellen's Classes and Inspirational Talks
Growing grit!
Courage, determination, confidence, resilience, and patience are all qualities of grit. These are some of the inner-strengths essential for sticking with a task and working toward an aspiration. This class is for anyone who aspires to fulfill a heartfelt wholesome goal or deeply held longing – whatever it may be! Learn simple mindfulness practices to cultivate inner-strengths important to you. Overcome fears that often hold us back from living life fully. Explore how to aspire toward goals without sensations like “This better happen or else!” or “clinging and attaching” to outcomes. Reframe unconstructive “I should…” self-talk into supportive inner-guidance. The presentations, discussions, and guided practices will enable you to live life more fully!
Cultivating Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is a key inner-strength that supports an overall sense of well-being and buffers us from effects of life’s inevitable challenges. Many people have difficulty cultivating self-compassion. We are often much more harsh on ourselves than we would be to a friend or loved one. Psychological research indicates that harsh inner-criticism can be debilitating over-time wearing us down and making it harder for us to progress toward goals. In this class we explore ways to grow a sense of being on your own side and practicing self-nurturing. We will learn how to silence an over-vocal inner-critic and create an enriching voice of inner-guidance. As we cultivate self-compassion we become more resilient to the ebbs and flows of life and live with greater ease and contentment.
Cultivating lasting happiness
Learn to cultivate inner strengths to create a lasting sense of happiness. Whether you desire enhanced confidence, ease, resiliency, gratitude, compassion, patience, or other healthy traits, this class explores teachings and simple mindfulness practices to create a foundation of well-being. We’ll learn to train our attention to “take in the good” of our lives and hardwire our brains away from what neuropsychologists call the “negativity bias of the brain.” We inherited from our Stone Age ancestors a brain that tends to over-focus on the bad, exaggerate threats, minimize our capabilities, and judge ourselves and others. The good news is we can create neural structure inclining our brains toward happiness. Classes include teachings, discussion, and simple mindfulness practices that can be done in the everyday flow of life to grow inner-strengths.
Courage of an open heart - embracing fear
When we cultivate compassion, gratitude, resiliency, and inner peace we reframe sensations of fear and anxiety, thereby enhancing our well-being and the lives of all beings we encounter. The “courage of an open heart” sessions explore the evolutionary psychology behind why the human brain is predisposed to over-exaggerate threats, undervalue our capabilities, and be susceptible to judging ourselves and others. We learn how with simple mindfulness practices done in the everyday flow of life we cultivate inner strengths that lay down positive neural structure and tilt our brain away from what neuroscientists call the human “negativity bias.” Loosen the grips of anxiety, fear, anger, and judgment in lasting ways.