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An Improviser's Guide to
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Did you have big plans to relax and rejuvenate this summer? How's that going?
Even when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, life continues to be so dang lifey. (And it feels like life is being even more extra these days!) We don't need a fancy beach house to take a vacation from life for a chance to mindfully reground, recenter, and reconnect with ourselves and others.
In this daylong retreat, Head of Happiness Pam Victor offers you a variety of mindfulness-based activities for you to take part in building your most supportive - and fun! - life vacation, such as mindfully playful improv exercises, connection-rich guided discussions, sitting and walking meditations, journaling, and periods of prolonged silence to deepen your experience. You're invited to choose the activities that feel most restorative and replenishing at each moment of this retreat.
Following the retreat theme of "A Vacation from Life," the main focus of our practice is strengthening the muscles of staying in the present moment, resisting from mentally time traveling into the unchangeable past and the unknown ahead. Gift yourself a day to step off of the busy wheel of go, go, go to pause and refill your energy and positivity tanks with the perfect presence, so at the end of this mini-vacation you can re-enter your life feeling reenergized to face whatever lifey-ness lays ahead.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
– Anne Lamott
PREREQUISITE: Completion of any weekly class at HVC,
or permission from the instructor
Even when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, life continues to be so dang lifey. (And it feels like life is being even more extra these days!) We don't need a fancy beach house to take a vacation from life for a chance to mindfully reground, recenter, and reconnect with ourselves and others.
In this daylong retreat, Head of Happiness Pam Victor offers you a variety of mindfulness-based activities for you to take part in building your most supportive - and fun! - life vacation, such as mindfully playful improv exercises, connection-rich guided discussions, sitting and walking meditations, journaling, and periods of prolonged silence to deepen your experience. You're invited to choose the activities that feel most restorative and replenishing at each moment of this retreat.
Following the retreat theme of "A Vacation from Life," the main focus of our practice is strengthening the muscles of staying in the present moment, resisting from mentally time traveling into the unchangeable past and the unknown ahead. Gift yourself a day to step off of the busy wheel of go, go, go to pause and refill your energy and positivity tanks with the perfect presence, so at the end of this mini-vacation you can re-enter your life feeling reenergized to face whatever lifey-ness lays ahead.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”
– Anne Lamott
PREREQUISITE: Completion of any weekly class at HVC,
or permission from the instructor
alternating between periods of interactive and personal practice,
you'll get to choose from these opportunities:
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Comfortable, stretchy, layered clothing is recommended. Bring your lunch, snacks, and beverages. Yoga mats, blankets, meditation cushions and anything else that makes your experience more joyful and easeful are welcome!
though this course is entirely secular, the material - like all of mindfulness practice - derives from buddhist and hindu traditions and is based on Zen, Vipassanā, and Tibetan meditation techniques. we honor and are grateful for the wisdom of the teachers who have come before us.
About Your Teacher: Pam Victor is the founder and Head of Happiness of Happier Valley Comedy, where Pam performs regularly and teaches improv to the best students in the world. Pam is the creator of The Joy & Ease of Improv curriculum and The 30-Day Happiness Experiment. She brings the power of improvisation to the workplace in Happier Valley Comedy's professional development and wellness & wellbeing programs. Pam is the author of the children's therapeutic fiction book "Baj and the Word Launcher: Space Age Aspergers Adventures in Communication." Along with improv greats TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi, Pam co-authored of "Improvisation at the Speed of Life: The TJ and Dave Book." A Smith College graduate with a Master's in Elementary Education from Iona College (NY), Pam received improv training from iO Theater (Chicago,) Annoyance Theater (Chicago,) Improv Boston, and Second City Chicago teachers. She is a member of the CloudSangha community. Pam has meditated regularly for over 2,538 (mostly) consecutive days and counting! Pam is a nice person and she likes you already.
Small but Important Fine Print:
*Please note that once you make your purchase, your place in the class is NON-REFUNDABLE unless we have 48 hours notice before first class AND we can get someone to fill your spot.
*Students must be 18+ years. (In actual years, not maturity. ;-)
*Some improv exercises involve some standing, physical activity; however, we can accommodate all physical abilities. Please let email us to let us know how we can best fit your needs or if you have any questions about accommodations.
Masks are not required at HVC, but they are always welcome. Click here for our COVID policy!
*Please note that once you make your purchase, your place in the class is NON-REFUNDABLE unless we have 48 hours notice before first class AND we can get someone to fill your spot.
*Students must be 18+ years. (In actual years, not maturity. ;-)
*Some improv exercises involve some standing, physical activity; however, we can accommodate all physical abilities. Please let email us to let us know how we can best fit your needs or if you have any questions about accommodations.
Masks are not required at HVC, but they are always welcome. Click here for our COVID policy!
Appreciation from our students:
"I was really blown away by how profound the lessons of improv actually are. I assumed it was about trying to be fast and funny and witty. I learned that it's about really paying attention, accepting what others are doing and trying to help them succeed."
"Pam shines her refreshing light onto her participants and leads with honesty and openness conveying that she is well studied in mindfulness and in this happiness space but is also a student who joins participants in the journey and experiment too." |
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"Pam is a skilled improv teacher who brings depth and breadth to her workshops. She helps walk us through assumptions, misperceptions and judgment and helps us land in openness, insight, laughter and greater ‘ease fullness’ Highly recommend."
Dr. Rob Smith, DO, Director of Baystate Health’s Mindfulness Program
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
The Happier Valley Comedy School admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, age, ability, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, age, ability, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
The Happier Valley Comedy School admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, age, ability, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, age, ability, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.
