Breath Brake Seminar
Presented by Kids Kicking Cancer Canada | Heroes Circle
Help Manage Your Stress with the Heroes Circle signature Breath Brake® Meditation.
Breath is the one part of our autonomic and involuntary nervous system that we can easily control. Regulating one’s breath is the key to stopping the body’s stress response from a message of “flight or fight, to one of calm and relaxation. When we inhale, we “lift ourselves up.” As we exhale, we can release the tension in our muscles and any darkness in our bodies. Putting that all together, we have a “Breath Brake,” an instrumental tool to combat stress.
Join our Powerful Martial Artists and Martial Arts Therapists for this inspiring session and breathe out your stress.
Kids Kicking Cancer Canada | Heroes Circle
Kids Kicking Cancer Canada (KKCC) is a registered Canadian charity whose mission is to ease the pain and trauma of children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The Heroes Circle is a global healing and wellness initiative inspired by the children of Kids Kicking Cancer. We offer evidence-based martial arts therapy to kids. Our focus is on pain and stress management for pediatric patients, as well as creating resilience and support for otherwise healthy children. Backed by research, our non-contact martial arts therapeutic program gives kids the tools to self-regulate when they encounter stress or are experiencing a pain crisis. The program teaches meditative breathing, mindfulness and movement, engaging children’s imaginations while teaching them how to work through overwhelming emotions like pain, fear and anger allowing them to be a part of their healing. When we empower children, we lower their stress levels and the impact of childhood trauma. In several studies, our methodology has been proven to reduce pain and distress among children with chronic health conditions, as well as their otherwise healthy siblings.
Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg launched Kids Kicking Cancer and the Heroes Circle program more than 20 years ago in Detroit, Michigan. In 2010, Canada’s first Heroes Circle program was piloted in Windsor. The program expanded to London, Ontario in 2012 with service at Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, and community programs. Today there are in-person programs in London, Ottawa, and Windsor, and school programs in three First Nations schools in southwestern Ontario anchored by local children’s hospitals and community partners serving children and youth experiencing chronic illnesses, neurological conditions, disabilities, trauma, violence, and other adverse childhood experiences. In addition, digital programs are being delivered through partnerships with community partners in the Greater Toronto and Vancouver areas. We have delivered 17,727 instances of service to 4,011 Canadian children to date.
Presenters
Ollie Acosta-Pickering, Powerful Martial Artist
Ollie is 11 years old and has been a Heroes Circle student for three years. When Ollie was 7 years old, he was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). After two rounds of chemotherapy, Ollie relapsed in his central nervous system, causing him to become permanently blind due to damage on his optic nerves. Aggressive chemotherapy and several other treatments. including radiation, continued including a stem cell transplant from his then 11-year-old sister Abby. While in recovery he joined the Heroes Circle and got stronger physically and mentally. Today he is completely well, remains in remission, has adapted so well to blindness, learning Braille and how to navigate the world with his mobility cane and his CNIB Buddy Dog, Hope. He is currently a Heroes Circle orange belt and is determined to one day becoming a Sensei.
Jill Osborne, National Executive Director
Jill has dedicated her career to helping children. As the National Executive Director of Kids Kicking Cancer Canada, she provides strategic leadership expertise to the organization. Jill earned an honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Wilfrid Laurier University and a post-graduate certificate in Fund Development at Fanshawe College.
Liam Brennan, Martial Arts Therapist
As a black belt, Liam brings four decades of martial arts experience to Kids Kicking Cancer Canada. Liam is a 32-year veteran with the Ontario Provincial Police teaching defensive tactics and is a court qualified Subject Matter Expert for the officers in the province of Ontario. Liam enjoys volunteering his time at a local wildlife rehabilitation & education center. He is also an established skydiving instructor logging over 8,300 skydives and training over 1,000 students along with obtaining world championships and breaking world records.
Lyne Poirier-Lorusso, Martial Arts Therapist
Lyne has been training in Karate for more than 10 years and currently holds the rank of second-degree Black Belt. During this time, she has been volunteering at her dojo helping teach children karate. Her entire family including her three children and husband, are all black belts and live by the motto, “a family that kicks together sticks together”. In addition, Lyne has spent over 25 years in the restaurant/catering sector successfully managing restaurants and was highly sought after for her catering services.
DATE: Thursday, October 12, 2023, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Webinar registration now open :
- FREE to CAPO Members.
- $25 for non-members
Webinar access details will be provided in your registration confirmation email. Pending quality of recording, this webcast will be available within 30 days of the live webinar.
If you are not a current member of CAPO, find out more about membership by going to https://capo.ca/apply
