We’d love to promote your business in our programs and on our sites! Check out our Corporate Sponsorship opportunities and learn how you can show that you understand the value of supporting resilient activists while you nurture The Resilient Activist organization!
Nonprofit Partnership Opportunities
We are delighted to collaborate with Nonprofit and Grassroots organizations within our new Online Interactive Community! Learn more here about partnership opportunities and how they can provide community-building, content, and resilience for your organization.
“The best way to take care of the environment is to take care of the environmentalist.”
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Sun My Heart
Participate!
We’d love to have you join us at our upcoming events.
Is the latest IPCC report keeping you up at night?
Join our next Climate Café for a safe space to process it.
May’s program will include a conversation with Laura Huff Hileman with Fire by Night Dreamwork who will give us tips from her work for the Pachamama Community Climate Action Training cohort.
Dreams, however outrageous, come in the service of healing and wholeness. They arise from the deep unconscious, speaking the language of image and emotion. Dreams carry wisdom not only for the dreamer but for all of us. Sharing our dreams is one way to sustain ourselves with life-giving energies and practical insights.
Come learn how dreamtending can serve the activist community and explore a dream image using “The Six Magic Questions.” Bring pen and paper to practice this simple, profound way to listen to the wisdom of your dreams.
Laura Huff Hileman is a Jungian-oriented dreamworker and spiritual director who believes dreamwork offers us the wisdom, community, and perspective we need for soulful thriving in challenging times. Through her practice, Fire by Night Dreamwork, Laura facilitates dreamwork for groups and individuals. She teaches at The Haden Institute in North Carolina. Fire By Night
The Resilient Activist offers our own interpretation of these gatherings, based on training we have received through the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America, and other resilience practices we incorporate into our programs including short meditations, journaling, nature connection, and breakout rooms. This is your best opportunity to connect with a community that gets you, with folks who are experiencing many of the emotions that climate change has brought out in your heart and mind. There is nothing for you to commit to except to gather your favorite beverage, a journal, find a comfortable spot with your Zoom window open, and just be you. Each session will include facilitators from The Resilient Activist as well as a Climate-Aware Therapist to guide the conversations in ways that are supportive and nurturing. Here’s the overview from the Climate Café’s website:
Meet your friends. Speak your #ClimateTruth.
The idea is simple
Meet with other people and take turns expressing how climate and ecological breakdown makes you feel.
What is a Climate Café?
A gathering of people meeting with facilitators to share their responses to the climate crisis – a thinking and feeling space.
A confidential, warm, friendly, hospitable occasion – involving cake, hot drinks, maybe a glass of wine or beer.
Talking about what our changing climate means for us, exploring whatever feelings we have.
No lectures, no advice, no commitment, an action-free space. Come to one Climate Café or several.
The focus is our thoughts and feelings about climate change, rather than what we’re doing about climate change.
Guidelines for a good Climate Café
Take risks. Say what you really, actually feel. Whatever that is. This is the most important rule.
We take it in turns to speak – be mindful of how much space you are taking up, and try not to interrupt others.
Confidentiality.
We listen and are interested in each other’s views, and we don’t try to impose our own.
Silence is fine. So is rage, and tears also have a place.
Research Study: Becoming a Resilient Activist – Mindfulness and Resilience Training (MRT) @ Online via Zoom
for a new trauma and resilience research study and intervention for climate activists.
This research study is offered at no cost to participants.
The 9-week research study will be held on Zoom from May 17th – July 12th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm Central.
The Resilient Activist believes that the world needs inspired, visionary activists who have the resilience to see us through these unprecedented times.
This course will incorporate resilience training, trauma and grief support, mindfulness practices, body relaxation, breathwork, and nature immersion.
Watch the informational session that gives all the details:
Learn more about the study from the lead investigator Tyler Staples and mindfulness professionals Erik Hulse and Julia Grimm:
Tyler D. Staples, MS is a Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist in the state of Kansas, and a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Kansas City University. He has been practicing psychology since 2015, both in inpatient as well as outpatient settings. In addition to his doctoral studies, Tyler currently works as an adjunct professor at Avila University. His dissertation research is on psychological resilience training in healthcare professionals.
Erik Hulse retired from the Overland Park Police Department in 2016, after 25 years of service. He is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and teaches for the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness (MAM), the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, and Pause First Academy. Erik is in a 2-year chaplaincy training program through Upaya Institute and Zen Center.
Julia Grimm, LMLP, CMT-200,RYT-200 is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher, a therapist, and a trained yoga teacher. She specializes in trauma-informed care & teaching mindfulness to children and adults. Julia graduated with an MSc in Clinical Psychology from Leiden University in the Netherlands. She teaches at Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness and works as a Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist at Jewish Family Services.
Sami Aaron, Founder/Executive Director, The Resilient Activist is a Climate Reality Leader, an Extension Master Naturalist, a yoga and meditation teacher, and an environmental activist working on the restoration of pollinator habitats.
Tobi Holloway is a former group fitness instructor and is enrolled in the 200-Hour Mindfulness Teacher Training Program with the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness. She is passionate about taking good care of ourselves, each other, and our planet. She is on the Board of The Resilient Activist, teaches meditation and resilience, and is a presenter for the speakers’ bureau.
Aims/Hypotheses
The aim of the proposed project is to determine the extent to which resilience training improves resilience and coping flexibility, and reduces perceived stress, as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC; Connor & Davidson, 2003), the Coping Flexibility Questionnaire (COFLEX; Vriezekolk et al., 2012), respectively. It is hypothesized that there will be changes in scores on all three measures. In particular, there will be increases in resilience and coping flexibility and decreases in perceived stress from pretest to posttest. It is further hypothesized that follow-up resilience and perceived stress scores will decrease compared to completion of the training paradigm, but not back to the original pretest level of resilience perceived stress scores.
Significance
The significance of the proposed research project is one of application. The current state of political and/or community activism is one of significant anxiety and profound uncertainty, which has further been driven by the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Given this, cultivating resilience is of paramount importance by means of reducing compassion fatigue and burnout, as well as promoting overall mental well-being. The efficacy of such a program would have outstanding implications for all individuals. Resilience programming could be expanded to any number of community-based programs, the hope of which would be to improve resilience and cognitive flexibility, as well as reduce stress, for entire communities.
Procedure
Recruited participants will complete the PSS, COFLEX, and CD-RISC prior to the outset of the training program. For ethical reasons, training group assignment will be on a first-come-first-served basis, and thus random assignment will not be possible. Assessment will be repeated upon training completion and on 3-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned a participant number with which to identify the repetition of assessments while keeping them anonymous. Participants will be given a card on which to write their number.
Curriculum
The first four weeks focus on developing characteristics shown by research to influence resilience development. These include developing an understanding of what resilience is (and isn’t) as well as practical skill development in the areas of:
Constructing achievable goals
Planning for distressing situations
Addressing unhelpful thinking patterns
Handling emotional crises
Developing acceptance
Defining realistic optimism
Introducing relaxation training basics
The second four weeks will introduce participants to the key principles of mindfulness, instruction for formal and informal practices, and group discussions. With a commitment to involvement, both within and outside of class, participants will understand how integrating mindfulness into their daily life can play a significant role in transforming their experience with troubling emotions and even physical pain.
The final session will introduce participants to Visionary Activism, a practice that melds mindfulness practices, heartfelt activism, and profound nature connection as tools to develop a personal activism plan that nurtures resilience and joy.
What will the Study Look Like?
Participants in the proposed study will be community activists asked to attend a 9-week resilience training program offered by The Resilient Activist non-profit organization. Sessions will be held from May 17, 2022, thru July 12, 2022, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm Central. Attendees enrolled in the training program will then be recruited into the study itself from the training group. The training group will be limited to 35 participants.
The training paradigm is informed by prior training programs modeled around concepts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness. Also built into the paradigm are opportunities for social connection to peers. Each session will take place on Zoom within The Resilient Activist’s online Community Platform. The sessions will be 90 minutes in length.
for a new trauma and resilience research study and intervention for climate activists.
This research study is offered at no cost to participants.
The 9-week research study will be held on Zoom from May 17th – July 12th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm Central.
The Resilient Activist believes that the world needs inspired, visionary activists who have the resilience to see us through these unprecedented times.
This course will incorporate resilience training, trauma and grief support, mindfulness practices, body relaxation, breathwork, and nature immersion.
Watch the informational session that gives all the details:
Learn more about the study from the lead investigator Tyler Staples and mindfulness professionals Erik Hulse and Julia Grimm:
Tyler D. Staples, MS is a Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist in the state of Kansas, and a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Kansas City University. He has been practicing psychology since 2015, both in inpatient as well as outpatient settings. In addition to his doctoral studies, Tyler currently works as an adjunct professor at Avila University. His dissertation research is on psychological resilience training in healthcare professionals.
Erik Hulse retired from the Overland Park Police Department in 2016, after 25 years of service. He is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and teaches for the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness (MAM), the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, and Pause First Academy. Erik is in a 2-year chaplaincy training program through Upaya Institute and Zen Center.
Julia Grimm, LMLP, CMT-200,RYT-200 is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher, a therapist, and a trained yoga teacher. She specializes in trauma-informed care & teaching mindfulness to children and adults. Julia graduated with an MSc in Clinical Psychology from Leiden University in the Netherlands. She teaches at Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness and works as a Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist at Jewish Family Services.
Sami Aaron, Founder/Executive Director, The Resilient Activist is a Climate Reality Leader, an Extension Master Naturalist, a yoga and meditation teacher, and an environmental activist working on the restoration of pollinator habitats.
Tobi Holloway is a former group fitness instructor and is enrolled in the 200-Hour Mindfulness Teacher Training Program with the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness. She is passionate about taking good care of ourselves, each other, and our planet. She is on the Board of The Resilient Activist, teaches meditation and resilience, and is a presenter for the speakers’ bureau.
Aims/Hypotheses
The aim of the proposed project is to determine the extent to which resilience training improves resilience and coping flexibility, and reduces perceived stress, as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC; Connor & Davidson, 2003), the Coping Flexibility Questionnaire (COFLEX; Vriezekolk et al., 2012), respectively. It is hypothesized that there will be changes in scores on all three measures. In particular, there will be increases in resilience and coping flexibility and decreases in perceived stress from pretest to posttest. It is further hypothesized that follow-up resilience and perceived stress scores will decrease compared to completion of the training paradigm, but not back to the original pretest level of resilience perceived stress scores.
Significance
The significance of the proposed research project is one of application. The current state of political and/or community activism is one of significant anxiety and profound uncertainty, which has further been driven by the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Given this, cultivating resilience is of paramount importance by means of reducing compassion fatigue and burnout, as well as promoting overall mental well-being. The efficacy of such a program would have outstanding implications for all individuals. Resilience programming could be expanded to any number of community-based programs, the hope of which would be to improve resilience and cognitive flexibility, as well as reduce stress, for entire communities.
Procedure
Recruited participants will complete the PSS, COFLEX, and CD-RISC prior to the outset of the training program. For ethical reasons, training group assignment will be on a first-come-first-served basis, and thus random assignment will not be possible. Assessment will be repeated upon training completion and on 3-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned a participant number with which to identify the repetition of assessments while keeping them anonymous. Participants will be given a card on which to write their number.
Curriculum
The first four weeks focus on developing characteristics shown by research to influence resilience development. These include developing an understanding of what resilience is (and isn’t) as well as practical skill development in the areas of:
Constructing achievable goals
Planning for distressing situations
Addressing unhelpful thinking patterns
Handling emotional crises
Developing acceptance
Defining realistic optimism
Introducing relaxation training basics
The second four weeks will introduce participants to the key principles of mindfulness, instruction for formal and informal practices, and group discussions. With a commitment to involvement, both within and outside of class, participants will understand how integrating mindfulness into their daily life can play a significant role in transforming their experience with troubling emotions and even physical pain.
The final session will introduce participants to Visionary Activism, a practice that melds mindfulness practices, heartfelt activism, and profound nature connection as tools to develop a personal activism plan that nurtures resilience and joy.
What will the Study Look Like?
Participants in the proposed study will be community activists asked to attend a 9-week resilience training program offered by The Resilient Activist non-profit organization. Sessions will be held from May 17, 2022, thru July 12, 2022, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm Central. Attendees enrolled in the training program will then be recruited into the study itself from the training group. The training group will be limited to 35 participants.
The training paradigm is informed by prior training programs modeled around concepts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness. Also built into the paradigm are opportunities for social connection to peers. Each session will take place on Zoom within The Resilient Activist’s online Community Platform. The sessions will be 90 minutes in length.
With the NE Kansas Beekeepers Association’s Fun Day!
This is an all-day event featuring everything you ever wanted to know about beekeeping.
Sami Aaron with The Resilient Activist will offer a one-hour presentation from 11-noon central on Creating Pollinator Habitat At Home.
This presentation offers simple ideas on how your home garden can be modified to support not just honeybees, but solitary bees, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators! Attracting a wide variety of pollinators will bring more birds at the same time. You’ll learn step-by-step gardening information from planning to implementation and maintenance.
Take a look around your yard before the Fun Day and have an idea of an open, sunny area that might be suitable for some pollinator habitat!
Connect with the ground beneath our feet and spring’s emergence from the soil, followed by a picnic at noon, during which we will enjoy the Earth’s bounty in community.
Join us for a three- hour teacher-led outdoor mindfulness retreat focused on connecting with one of the natural elements. Dedicating more continuous time to silent reflection and meditation is a great way to deepen or jump-start your practice. Connecting with the outdoor world can be an especially healing experience and can provide a bridge between formal and integrated practices. During this retreat will alternate between stillness practice and mindful movement while maintaining silence. Meditation instruction will be given and all experience levels are welcome.
Dress according to the weather and bring shoes suitable for walking in nature. Bring a hot/cold beverage container for tea or water for hydrating, and a portable chair, blanket, and/or cushion for sitting. You may also want to consider having sunscreen and insect repellent on hand depending upon the location.
Cost: Purchase your ticket for $40 (MAM members use 20% discount code MEMBERS20 at checkout):
Pre-registration is required so we can plan accordingly. No refunds on the day of the event or thereafter. The teacher may choose to cancel the retreat in the event of inclement weather or under-enrollment – if this happens registrants will receive a full refund.
Bring Deep Nature Connection to Outdoor Interpretation
Join KACEE and MEEA for a conversation with Sami Aaron of “The Resilient Activist: A Joyful, Nature-Connected Community” on managing mental health in the face of environmental issues.
This workshop offers simple tips and tricks for those who engage others in experiencing the awe and majesty of the natural world. You’ll learn:
mindfulness practices and nature-connection activities;
the ecopsychology perspective on more than our five senses in nature;
proactive ways to alleviate fears of nature;
techniques that use nature to support those experiencing ecoanxiety and climate grief.
Research Study: Becoming a Resilient Activist – Mindfulness and Resilience Training (MRT) @ Online via Zoom
for a new trauma and resilience research study and intervention for climate activists.
This research study is offered at no cost to participants.
The 9-week research study will be held on Zoom from May 17th – July 12th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm Central.
The Resilient Activist believes that the world needs inspired, visionary activists who have the resilience to see us through these unprecedented times.
This course will incorporate resilience training, trauma and grief support, mindfulness practices, body relaxation, breathwork, and nature immersion.
Watch the informational session that gives all the details:
Learn more about the study from the lead investigator Tyler Staples and mindfulness professionals Erik Hulse and Julia Grimm:
Tyler D. Staples, MS is a Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist in the state of Kansas, and a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Kansas City University. He has been practicing psychology since 2015, both in inpatient as well as outpatient settings. In addition to his doctoral studies, Tyler currently works as an adjunct professor at Avila University. His dissertation research is on psychological resilience training in healthcare professionals.
Erik Hulse retired from the Overland Park Police Department in 2016, after 25 years of service. He is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and teaches for the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness (MAM), the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, and Pause First Academy. Erik is in a 2-year chaplaincy training program through Upaya Institute and Zen Center.
Julia Grimm, LMLP, CMT-200,RYT-200 is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher, a therapist, and a trained yoga teacher. She specializes in trauma-informed care & teaching mindfulness to children and adults. Julia graduated with an MSc in Clinical Psychology from Leiden University in the Netherlands. She teaches at Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness and works as a Licensed Master’s Level Psychologist at Jewish Family Services.
Sami Aaron, Founder/Executive Director, The Resilient Activist is a Climate Reality Leader, an Extension Master Naturalist, a yoga and meditation teacher, and an environmental activist working on the restoration of pollinator habitats.
Tobi Holloway is a former group fitness instructor and is enrolled in the 200-Hour Mindfulness Teacher Training Program with the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness. She is passionate about taking good care of ourselves, each other, and our planet. She is on the Board of The Resilient Activist, teaches meditation and resilience, and is a presenter for the speakers’ bureau.
Aims/Hypotheses
The aim of the proposed project is to determine the extent to which resilience training improves resilience and coping flexibility, and reduces perceived stress, as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC; Connor & Davidson, 2003), the Coping Flexibility Questionnaire (COFLEX; Vriezekolk et al., 2012), respectively. It is hypothesized that there will be changes in scores on all three measures. In particular, there will be increases in resilience and coping flexibility and decreases in perceived stress from pretest to posttest. It is further hypothesized that follow-up resilience and perceived stress scores will decrease compared to completion of the training paradigm, but not back to the original pretest level of resilience perceived stress scores.
Significance
The significance of the proposed research project is one of application. The current state of political and/or community activism is one of significant anxiety and profound uncertainty, which has further been driven by the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Given this, cultivating resilience is of paramount importance by means of reducing compassion fatigue and burnout, as well as promoting overall mental well-being. The efficacy of such a program would have outstanding implications for all individuals. Resilience programming could be expanded to any number of community-based programs, the hope of which would be to improve resilience and cognitive flexibility, as well as reduce stress, for entire communities.
Procedure
Recruited participants will complete the PSS, COFLEX, and CD-RISC prior to the outset of the training program. For ethical reasons, training group assignment will be on a first-come-first-served basis, and thus random assignment will not be possible. Assessment will be repeated upon training completion and on 3-month follow-up. Participants will be randomly assigned a participant number with which to identify the repetition of assessments while keeping them anonymous. Participants will be given a card on which to write their number.
Curriculum
The first four weeks focus on developing characteristics shown by research to influence resilience development. These include developing an understanding of what resilience is (and isn’t) as well as practical skill development in the areas of:
Constructing achievable goals
Planning for distressing situations
Addressing unhelpful thinking patterns
Handling emotional crises
Developing acceptance
Defining realistic optimism
Introducing relaxation training basics
The second four weeks will introduce participants to the key principles of mindfulness, instruction for formal and informal practices, and group discussions. With a commitment to involvement, both within and outside of class, participants will understand how integrating mindfulness into their daily life can play a significant role in transforming their experience with troubling emotions and even physical pain.
The final session will introduce participants to Visionary Activism, a practice that melds mindfulness practices, heartfelt activism, and profound nature connection as tools to develop a personal activism plan that nurtures resilience and joy.
What will the Study Look Like?
Participants in the proposed study will be community activists asked to attend a 9-week resilience training program offered by The Resilient Activist non-profit organization. Sessions will be held from May 17, 2022, thru July 12, 2022, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm Central. Attendees enrolled in the training program will then be recruited into the study itself from the training group. The training group will be limited to 35 participants.
The training paradigm is informed by prior training programs modeled around concepts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness. Also built into the paradigm are opportunities for social connection to peers. Each session will take place on Zoom within The Resilient Activist’s online Community Platform. The sessions will be 90 minutes in length.
Part Four of a series of courses on meditation, this course will focus on deep nature connection for stress, clarity, and joy.
Guided Mindful Nature Visualizations: Meditations, Journaling, and Discussion
Through meditations, journaling, and discussion – featuring visualizations of natural surroundings – we will come together as an activist community. You won’t want to miss the experiences of floating meditation, walking meditation, forest bathing, and more.
From June 8 – 29, Shane Ledford will be teaching these principles through guided meditations, journaling, and lively discussions.
Every Wednesday from noon to 1:15 pm CT.
Course Fee
4-Week Course Fee: $60
Minimum enrollment: 5.
In the event of course cancellation, fees can be transferred to other courses offered by The Resilient Activist, offered as a donation, or refunded.
A limited number of half-price and free scholarships may be available. Email info@theresilientactivist.org to request a discount.
Waiver
Participants are required to have completed The Resilient Activist’s Meditation and Mindfulness Course Waiver and Release of Liability Form within the previous 12 months before the start of this course.
Shane Ledford is a nature lover who has devoured countless books on mindfulness and attended mindfulness workshops with prominent teachers including Jack Kornfield, and a weeklong retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn. As a certified 200-hour yoga teacher, Shane has been teaching yoga and mindfulness since 2014. In 2020 he received his 200-hour Mindfulness Teacher Training certification from the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness. He has received advanced training in Yin Yoga as well as walking meditation (“Kinhin”) and Forest Therapy (“Shinrin-Yoku”). Additional information is at this link.
This presentation offers a guide for engaging in our political system to effect positive change in a joyful, self-caring, and sustainable way.
We present activism as part of self-care, and self-care as part of activism.
Activism is often perceived as a negative, frustrating, and angry way of being. As such, people do not want to become activists or even adopt the changes that activists are promoting.
We are presenting a different paradigm!
We believe that we will draw more people to our cause if we are energized, engaged, and joyous in our activism. Anger, sadness, and frustration are natural responses to our broken and inequitable world. However, by cultivating joy, self-care, and connection, we can focus our negative emotions into positive, sustainable, and resilient activism.
This presentation is intended for two audiences:
Those who want to meaningfully engage in our political system to support, nurture, and protect what they hold dear, but aren’t sure where to begin.
Those who are already taking political action and want to add resilience, but are not sure how.
Anne Melia
Environmental Scientist/Chemist
Political and Environmental Activist
Native Plant Enthusiast and Gardener
Serial non-profit board member/volunteer
Recent yoga and meditation practitioner
Tobi Holloway
Retired enterprise data architect with wellness side-gigs
Board member, presenter, and resilience and meditation teacher for The Resilient Activist
The Resilient Activist’s Speakers Bureau offers educational and inspiring presentations and workshops designed to help audiences better understand how they can be a part of creating a healthier planet in ways that also support our well-being. Check out our Speakers Bureau Presentations page for a detailed list of topics.
Speaker Sami Aaron: Reconnecting to nature
“Activism is the art of taking action to support, nurture, and protect what we hold dear.” ~The Resilient Activist
Join The Resilient Activist and others for 
Shane Ledford is a nature lover who has devoured countless books on mindfulness and attended mindfulness workshops with prominent teachers including Jack Kornfield, and a weeklong retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn. As a certified 200-hour yoga teacher, Shane has been teaching yoga and mindfulness since 2014. In 2020 he received his 200-hour Mindfulness Teacher Training certification from the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness. He has received advanced training in Yin Yoga as well as walking meditation (“Kinhin”) and Forest Therapy (“Shinrin-Yoku”). Additional information is 
