The NICU journey is a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. Managing stress is a challenge and yet so important for families navigating the NICU experience. Having several stress management tools in your back pocket is helpful, not only during your time in the NICU, but for years beyond. On this episode, Teague O’Malley will walk us through several practices to help us as we navigate life’s challenges, especially in the NICU.

Teague O’Malley is a meditation teacher and contemplative artist, weaving together evidence-based methodology with his creativity and open heart. Teague is a qualified teacher of the “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction” (MBSR) program, through the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and training at the Penn Program for Mindfulness at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. He is also a certified teacher of the “Cultivating Emotional Balance” (CEB) and “The Breathing Class” programs.

Teague teaches meditation workshops, courses and retreats in health care, education, corporate, and community settings around the world.

To all of our practices for Stress Reduction & Emotional Support, please visit: https://www.todayisagoodday.org/stress-reduction-and-emotional-support-tools

On this episode you will hear:

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• Starting with relaxation practice, Teague will explain how these practices can help you during times of stress.
  
• You will hear about some of the relaxation techniques parents can find on the site.
  
• We will discuss which practice would is the most essential for busy parents (especially if you are a parent navigating daily trips to the NICU and home life).
  
• We will do a short relaxation breath-work practice and discuss what Martha noticed.
  
• You will hear about what mindfulness is and how this practice can support NICU parents.
  
• Many people say “I can’t meditate, I can’t turn my thoughts off,” if that is you, you will hear Teague’s tips for people that have tried to practice mindfulness and have not felt comfortable.
  
• Teague’s advice on the best time to practice mindfulness.
  
• We will do a short awareness practice and discuss what Martha noticed.
  
• We will then talk about the “Heart Opening” practice.
  
• If you have never heard the term before, we discuss what “Heart Opening” means.
  
• We will talk about exploring gratitude as a practice.
  
• You’ll hear about some ways you can practice gratitude.
  
• We discuss the heart opening practices that will be available on the todayisagoodday.org website.
  
• We will perform a short heart opening practice and discuss what Martha noticed.
  

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Please also consider making a donation to Today is a Good Day, at www.todayisagoodday.org, to help support families with a NICU baby.

This episode was produced and directed by Tony Lopes, of SoftStix Productions LLC (www.softstixproductions.com), in collaboration with co-producer and director of photography Michael Leary, of One Fifteen Films LLC (www.onefifteenfilms.com) and editor David DeLizza.

Copyright 2020 to 2021, SoftStix Productions LLC.