THE 'ART' OF STOPPING

TO SMELL THE ROSES

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A former Southington High School student is teaming up with one of her favorite former teachers to help people incorporate meaning into their hectic lifestyles in a workshop slated for next week.

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Lisa Pedersen, Class of 1983, is working with retired Southington High art teacher Cheryl Jankura in organizing "Recreate Yourself," an event that "focuses on meditation and the concept of visualizations, imagining goals as a motivational tool," according to today's Southington Observer.

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"We're always going and going; we don't stop to ask if we like what we're doing and we can operate almost robotically," Pedersen tells The Observer. So those who participate in the workshop will choose a goal which will be incorporated into an art project. That's when Jankura takes over.

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Various media will be involved, Jankura told The Observer, anything from drawing to painting. "It's however they want to express the thoughts that been provoked," she said. The art project offers participants a permanent reminder of the goal.

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Pedersen is a licensed social worker who has a counseling and psychotherapy practice in California. Jankura was a teacher in the Southington school system for 35 years, retiring in 2005. She was a class advisor to Pedersen's Class of 1983.

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The "Recreate Yourself" workshop will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Fri., July 30, at the Southington Athletic Club, 151 Queen St. For more information or to register, e-mail Pedersen at lisa@mindfulbeginnings.com.