Mindfulness Grad Online Community (MGOC)
with Rebecca Eldridge and Cheryl Shah

When: 6:45-8:45PM US Eastern, the second Sunday of each month
Join as few or as many monthly sessions as you like
NOTE: Can’t make it to a session? Each session will be recorded and shared with all who register.
Cost: A donation of any amount. Suggested donation amount: $12-$25/session.
Next session: Sunday, January 12
Stacks Image 4506057

The Mindfulness Grad Online Community (MGOC) will gather monthly under the guidance of MBSR Teacher and Teacher Trainer Rebecca Eldridge, and MBSR and MSC teacher Cheryl Shah, for continued learning, practice, and community.

During each session, we will explore various mindfulness topics through teachings, practice, silent reflection, and speaking & listening.

As members of the MGOC, we all will—

  • Participate. Your presence and participation matters. Our live interaction and in-the-moment bonding will provide the buoyancy for good learning, good community, and good care-taking of ourselves and each other. Each session will also be video-recorded and shared with everyone who registers. Each session's recording will be available for review until the next month's session.
  • Speak & listen. We will show up ready to truly wonder; to speak from direct experience about what we know, as well as what we don't know or aren't sure of—and to listen deeply as others do the same.
  • Practice between sessions. We will each maintain a personal practice that fits our life, and consider how formal and informal practices of mindfulness are informing our life.
  • Explore between sessions. We will explore various topics both during and between sessions—through our day-to-day experiences, through contemplation and practice, reading and studying, and more.
Prerequisites
  • You graduated from any organization's 8-week Mindfulness-Based course (such as MBSR, MBCT, MSC, and so on) that was held live either in person or online.
  • You want to be part of a community of mindfulness practitioners willing to be seen as human—perfectly imperfect and totally okay.
The Weekly Process:

Engaging a process at each session will provide a structured freedom to move us toward understanding, acceptance, action, further wondering, connection, and other things we can’t possibly name until they arise in our midst.

The process, with approximate times—

  • Landing & welcome: 5 min.
  • Brief check-in from each person: 10 min.
  • Introduction of topic, brief teaching: 15 min.
  • Mindfulness practice: 20 min.
  • Silent reflection on topic: 10 min.
  • Speaking & Listening: Small & Whole Group: 20 min.
  • PAUSE: 5 min.
  • Gathering: What do we know now? 20 min.
  • For next time: 10 min.
  • Closing: 5 min.

NOTE: Everyone (those present and those who registered but have to miss) will receive an email after each session, with 1) a link to the recording of that session, 2) a link to donate, and 3) what to focus on for next time.

Stacks Image 4505540
Rebecca Eldridge

Rebecca served as an MBSR Teacher and MBSR Teacher Trainer at the Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School, creating and training their teaching faculty to deliver their first online MBSR course in 2016. She is certified as a calibrated rater for assessing MBSR teaching, and is a member of the International Mindfulness Integrity Network, a worldwide group of teacher trainers exploring ethics and standards of mindfulness training programs.

Beyond teaching MBSR and training MBSR teachers, Rebecca works with organizations to develop and deliver mindfulness programs for living with more authenticity, resilience, and joy; and meditation guidance for promoting restorative rest and sleep. Her personal practice is guided by her teacher, Pema Chödrön, and she was featured giving meditation instruction in two courses taught by Pema Chödrön: Making Friends with Yourself and How to Live with Compassion and Courage. She also loves growing things—from fruits, vegetables, and flowers; to a personal meditation practice that doesn’t fizzle out; to communities that welcome and encourage people as they are.

Stacks Image 4506079
Cheryl Shah

After serving as a leader in corporate Finance for almost 30 years, while also raising 2 daughters, Cheryl learned firsthand the role that mindfulness can have in turning around work-life imbalance and burnout. Cheryl left her corporate job and is now a certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and certified Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Teacher. She also serves as the Co-Director of Workplace Programs for University of California San Diego’s Center for Mindfulness and is the founder of Simply Pause, through which she offers programs to help people in organizations “Pause” before responding on autopilot to overwhelming work situations.

Beyond teaching MBSR and MSC, and offering mindfulness programs to organizations, Cheryl enjoys playing tennis, traveling, hiking, and spending time with friends and family. And she continues to work regularly with a mindfulness and self-compassion mentor for her own continued growth and learning.

Required Technology and Preparation:

  • High-speed internet connection

  • Please, no phones

  • Join on a computer that has a full-sized screen on which you can see at least 25 Zoom participants, without having to scroll

  • Ensure that your computer is situated on a stable surface (instead of resting on your lap, etc.)

  • Video and microphone capability (so that you can be seen and heard)

  • A place for practice that allows for being undisturbed

  • Current version of Zoom installed

Schedule Register for the next session

All times shown are US Eastern:

Dates Times Theme
Sunday,
September 8
2024 		6:45-8:45PM Establishing & Re-establishing Practice
Sunday,
October 13
2024 		6:45-8:45PM Self-Compassion
Sunday,
November 10
2024 		6:45-8:45PM 4 Foundations of Mindfulness
Sunday,
December 8
2024 		6:45-8:45PM Loving-Kindness Meditation
Sunday,
January 12
2025 		6:45-8:45PM Body Scanning
Sunday,
February 9
2025 		6:45-8:45PM
Sunday,
March 9
2025 		6:45-8:45PM
Sunday,
April 13
2025 		6:45-8:45PM
Sunday,
May 11
2025 		6:45-8:45PM
Sunday,
June 8
2025 		6:45-8:45PM
Sunday,
July 13
2025 		6:45-8:45PM
Sunday,
August 10
2025 		6:45-8:45PM

January's Theme: Body Scanning

We will focus on body scanning meditation, exploring opportunities and drawbacks that lying down to practice offers. Each registrant will receive a link to a brief body scan audio for continued practice.

To register for the Sunday, January 12, 2025 session of the MGOC:

  1. Please make your donation (suggested donation amount: $12-$25).
  2. You'll receive an email from East Coast Mindfulness containing a link to a short form to complete.
  3. Once you submit the form, you will receive an automatic response from East Coast Mindfulness containing the Zoom link for the session (please check your Junk/SPAM folder in case you do not see this arrive). The Zoom link will be valid only for that month's session.
We would love to have you join us!

Your donation makes it possible for us to continue offering this ongoing program.
Suggested donation: $12-$25 per session
Thank you!

You can make your donation via PayPal or Stripe (both accept credit cards and do not require you to have a PayPal or Stripe account).

PayPal:

Stripe:

Connect with East Coast Mindfulness on our social channels:

© 2024 East Coast Mindfulness

Questions? Contact us!