<h4 class="has-text-align-center" style="text-align: left">If you’re feeling a constant level of stress, join the <a href="https://interintellect.com/series/tools-for-stress-resilience/">“Tools for Stress Resilience”</a> series. It is hosted by <a href="https://interintellect.com/humanreason/">Interintellect host</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/humanreason_co">Mariya Hoffman</a>, a somatic mindfulness instructor with a specialty in Focusing and Polyvagal Theory.</h4>
We all get knocked down by life at some point. A serious health issue might impact us or someone we love. People and pets we care about pass away. Financial setbacks, work-related challenges, or difficulties in relationships can chip away at our sense of security. In those moments, we might yearn for certainty — some sign that things will eventually be okay. Perhaps it is the pinnacle of the phrase "life's unfair" to acknowledge: life is full of uncertainty, whether or not we feel equipped to deal with it.

In this salon series, we will explore the VAST toolkit for stress resilience: Values, Awareness, Spotlight, and Taking the Long View. Rather than rigidly fighting for how things “should” be, the tools help us foster psychological flexibility. This allows us to flexibly navigate obstacles, cope with difficult circumstances, and make space for recovery.

This framework is a blend of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (a psychotherapy that teaches psychological flexibility by accepting inner experiences), Polyvagal Theory (which proposes, among other things, that the way we subconsciously perceive danger and safety influences our thoughts, emotions, and behavior), and parts psychology (the idea that our psyches are a complex system of parts that can either work together or get stuck in stressful interactions).

Come explore tools designed to help you tame some of life’s chaos. The goal of this series is to equip participants with the confidence and tools needed to regain balance when life goes off the rails.

The topic for our first session is Values--Who You Are.

~If we were to look at ourselves like a kaleidoscope of parts, how are the values of each part of us different? Do those values sometimes clash?
~How can we use challenging experiences as pointers to what's most important to us?
~What role does compassion play in helping us balance our values?

This is a bi-monthly series, occurring on the first and last Saturday of each month. You can join the entire <a href="https://interintellect.com/series/tools-for-stress-resilience/">series</a>, or explore individual tools that resonate with you.

Recommended resources:
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQO0kMdzPU">How To Identify Your Core Values: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)</a></li>
</ul>
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