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Community Conversations - 6/30/2025 - Stillness Amidst the Summer Surge: 12 Zen-Inspired Practices to Sustain Your Work with People, Animals, and Communities

  • 1.  Community Conversations - 6/30/2025 - Stillness Amidst the Summer Surge: 12 Zen-Inspired Practices to Sustain Your Work with People, Animals, and Communities

    Posted 16 days ago

    Updated 6/30/25 at 2:13 pm PT:  Recording now available to watch on-demand!

    Please note: All views expressed on these calls are not necessarily endorsed by Maddie’s Fund.

    We hope to see you on the final Community Conversation before our summer break on Monday, 6/30/25 at 11am PT for a special presentation on "Stillness Amidst the Summer Surge: 12 Zen-Inspired Practices to Sustain Your Work with People, Animals, and Communities" with Dr. Jyothi Robertson, Veterinarian and Consultant, JVR Strategies and Journey You Own. 

    As the pace of summer picks up, finding stillness can feel out of reach-especially for those working with people, animals, and communities. Stillness Amidst the Summer Surge offers 12 Zen-inspired practices to help ground yourself in the moment, reconnect with your purpose, and move through the season with greater clarity and self-care. Each practice will be shared in a way that's accessible for our fast-paced, compassion-filled sector. Dr. Robertson will guide us through techniques that support balance and intention-even during our most challenging times.

    This conversation is designed to send you into the summer months with a renewed sense of connection to yourself, your work, your community, and the animals you care for. Whether you're navigating the intense summer surge in animal sheltering or simply seeking a moment to breathe, this experience is meant to nourish and uplift you.

    Let's come together to reflect, restore, and refocus before leading into our next chapter.

    We will be back on August 4th for a new year of Community Conversations!  Register for the new season via this form. 

    If you are unable to make it live on Monday, this thread will be updated with the recording and resources so you can watch and share whenever you'd like.  After you watch the recording on-demand or attend the call live, be sure to complete this new June 2025 entry form to enter for a chance to win up to a $5,000 grant.


    #EducationandTraining

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    Maddie's Pet Forum Admin
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 2.  RE: Community Conversations - 6/30/2025 - Stillness Amidst the Summer Surge: 12 Zen-Inspired Practices to Sustain Your Work with People, Animals, and Communities

    Posted 12 days ago

    Thanks to the 124+ people and paws that joined us on today's Community Conversations call! The recording is now available to watch on-demand. 

    Call Recap

    • Welcome from Hosts
    • Question of the Day: What practices do you have in your life that gives you a sense of calm?
      • "My wife and the cats (:" - Sebastiaan Bol
      • "Acupuncture" - Mary Ippoliti-Smith
      • "Morning yoga" - Lisa Pearce
      • "Taking a few deep breaths" - Irene Chansawang
      • "Audio books during commutes" - Marci Reynolds
      • "Morning exercise" - Jordan Craig
      • "Walking my pup in the country!" - Elkie Wills
      • "Ocean waves" - Alison Gibson
      • "Yoga" - Christy Schilling 
      • "Prayer" - Lisa Wiehebrink 
      • "Walking my dogs" - Shannon Parker
      • "Coloring after work" - Kris Holland
      • "Massage" - Paula Pagos
      • "Daily body scan, pausing before a meeting" - Robin Vincent
      • "Box breathing, Intention Setting" - Raye Taylor
      • "Cycling" - Sam Maurice
      • "Morning beach walks" - CherylAnn Fernandes
      • "Walking in the woods." - Ann McCague 
      • "Watering the garden." - Kristen Petrie
      • "I'm doing 10 days of yoga!!" - Irene Chansawang
      • "My sense of calm is daily walking with my dog. Hopefully in the woods." - Jennifer McCormack
      • "I love to do crossword puzzles!" - Michelle Pease
      • "Walking the local park trails" - Paula Freehling
      • "Plants? Yes! Catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian (:" - Sebastiaan Bol
      • "Crafting with my hands. I make cards, paint and mixed media art." - Sharon Fletcher

    • Special Message from @Mary Ippoliti-Smith, Maddie's Fund Executive Leadership Team
    • Highlights from the Chat
      • "This food is the gift of the whole universe. The earth the sky and much hard work. May we live in a way that makes us worthy to receive it." - Adriane Blaesing 
      • "Somehow when I make myself smile, even if I don't feel like it, it makes me feel better." - Ann McCague
      • "Does a nap count? 🫣😉😃" - Kim Jackson
      • "I've been working on nerve-wracking accreditation paperwork - this has been a nice break!" - Janis Albert
      • "The Dutch have a verb for sitting doing nothing." - Sebastiaan Bol
      • "Stay positive and keep your head up and remain focused! What I live by 😊" - Teresa Yoder
      • "Peace be still." - Kim Jackson
      • "These messages are so important and practical. And your voice is so soothing that this whole presentation has made my brain slow down." - Paula Freehling
      • "Our board uses a group chat to communicate. So easy for someone to spew negativity about people when an animal has been treated badly. I point out compassion for others and we don't know everyone's full story. Other members respond the chat is a safe space to air grievances. Anger and frustration are legitimate human responses. How do you suggest extending these practices to help a group of board members?" - Adriane Blaesing
      • "Thank you for this 🙂" - Lisa Nelson
      • "Begin with intention is so important and impactful for me!" - Shonyae Johnson
      • "Lisa Bodell is an incredible thought leader on cultivating simplicity.  She is an Inspiring speaker and writer." - Allie Coronis
      • "Peace is Every Step - I highly recommend this book by Thich Nhat Hanh" - Irene Chansawang
      • "Honor time for what's important. Big one." - Sebastiaan Bol
      • "Listen" - Christie Fuentes
      • "Let go of the unnecessary!" - Robin Vincent
      • "Let go of the unnecessary. Helps the simplification process." - Elaine Edington
      • "Erika is the best!" - Kristi Brooks
      • "Intentional consciousness is more needed and important these days than ever! Many thanks from Claudia of the Humane Society of Sumter County!" - Claudia Labbe
      • "This has been a fantastic presentation and a wonderful season overall! Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to put these talks together." - Kristen Petrie
      • "Love the fact that these are all photos with meaning to you!" - Elkie Wills
      • "Thank you for sharing the details of the pictures, Jyothi!" - Kristen Petty
      • "Great information and links. Thank you!" - Carmen Ames
      • "Thank you, Maddie's Team, for this space!" - Robin Vincent
      • "Very grateful to have found this resource and be a part of the meeting!" - Maria Putnam
      • "These meetings and all the resources are incredibly beneficial. Many thanks to everyone!" - Claudia Labbe
      • "It's nice to be a part of a network!" - Paula Pagos
      • "Thank you, Maddie's, for creating a community of safety and lifesaving animals. I appreciate it so much. I'm a one-person department and I need to see you all." - Lisa Pearce
      • "I love this family!" - Janette Martin
      • "#ThankstoMaddies wholehearted love" - Raye Taylor
      • "The Book of Joy is one of my favorites!" - Shoshana Mostoller
      • "Great summer reading/listening recs!!" - Irene Chansawang
      • "Free with the public library Libby app or Hoopla! No subscriptions needed. Listen or reserve books." - Lisa Pearce
      • "Thanks for all you do!" - Ann McCague



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    Sheila Kouhkan
    Senior Education Specialist
    Maddie's Fund
    CA
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    Original Message


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