"Through a series of wonderful events and connections on the topic of self-care and mindfulness, I was given the name J. Robin Albertson-Wren as an expert in the area of self-care and mindfulness. Robin’s teacher background and knowledge of mindful practices were the combinations we needed to kick off teacher appreciation week! Robin’s presence and compassion brought an instant connection with the staff. She combined strategy with emotional connection. She brought an awareness of where we were emotionally in our jobs and personal lives. We were all impacted by the work, and because we were “at peace” and “regulated,” we were able to carry the work into the classroom and meetings for the rest of the week. This experience, and her presence made a difference."
~Anna Hebb, Ed. D., L.C.S.W. Hopkins Elementary, Chesterfield County
Something We Have Been Missing
"We Presbyterians proudly bear our moniker – “The Frozen Chosen” – under most circumstances. Relaxing, meditating, emoting in a corporate setting is not natural for us. But you broke through that reticence and put us in touch with something we have been missing for these long pandemic months. Thank you!!” ~ Retreat Organizer and Member of Falls Church Presbyterian Church
Bringing Calm
"We are so grateful that Robin has brought mindfulness and meditation into our home and family. As a therapist I am aware of and in awe of the evidence based benefits of mindfulness practices. With two very active boys I was seeking for a way to bring calm to their systems and help them to gain tools for coping and self-regulation. Robin created sessions for us that were so engaging, with books, activities, reflection moments, and a sense of peacefulness. With each session we were building up our physical and mental bins of calming and self-soothing techniques. As a mom I was able to see and understand more about what “stillness” and mindfulness might look and feel like for a child. For my children, in the simplest form, they were doing what children do…playing, learning, and exploring more about these concepts. Several of the “games” have become part of our weekly, if not daily, activities. One of the most amazing things is to see my boys engaging in calming mechanisms of their own accord and seeking their own sense of peace.
The other morning was a bit chaotic to say the least. I was on perhaps the 15th time of asking my four year old to put clothing on and then I turned around to see my six year old in “mindfulness seat” with his eyes closed and just breathing. How amazing! Not only to see him doing this on his own but also a reminder to our family to just pause for a moment and breath."
~ Holly Kennedy, LPC (Therapist and mother of two boys age 4 & 6)
Artfully Crafted
"The Virginia Discovery Museum was fortunate to host Robin Alberston-Wren as a guest speaker in the museum’s Thought Leadership Parent Discussion Series. In her thoughtful, focused and well-crafted presentation, Robin seamlessly combined scientific research with anecdotes from her experiences as a classroom teacher to demonstrate how mindfulness can help reduce stress and instill balance. Her presentation resonated with parents, grandparents and not yet parents alike, and left the audience with actionable tools for practicing mindfulness in everyday life."
~ Janine Dozier, Executive Director, Virginia Discovery Museum
"Stepping into Robin’s Mindfulness presentation is a gift to oneself. Her presentation is artfully crafted and brilliantly delivered so that becoming aware of the body mind connection is pleasant and renewing. The afterglow of her practice remains for hours to days and allows one to put aright the important parts of life while not letting the small stuff get in the way. Robin has presented at several Virginia Association of Independent Schools workshops and has been a popular session for many educators and administrators in member schools."
~ Peggy Nuckols, Director of Accreditation and Faculty Professional Development VAIS (Virginia Association for Independent Schools)
Beginning the Journey "Robin Albertson-Wren's workshop, at Shrine Mont retreat center, hit so many important practices in a short amount of time! Thank you for helping me travel the road to mindfulness." ~ Workshop Attendee Falls Church Presbyterian Congregation
Profound Experience
"I was practicing mindful movement, focusing on walking with intention. I felt the rhythm of my movement and the wind rustling the world around me. I had made my way down the hill and through the dark onto a certain path that led me to turn around, and I fell upon a profound sight: up on the hill, standing tall and strong and facing the wind, my teacher stood illuminated by the lamppost, high above me on the hill. She was looking out on the dark horizon, embraced in her own practice. I saw her in a way that represented everything about the mindfulness journey we were on. There she was, in the light on a dark night high on a hill, where she waited patiently for her students to make it through the darkness to her, the same way as she waits for us to understand what the practice entails, and how to find connections within it. And I was below my teacher and far away in the night, surrounded by nature, trying to find a mindful path back to where she stood. The wind used its strength to blow me towards her, so I made my way through the dark, so she could show me a world that is nearly forgotten."
~ Abby Taft, Student at the University of Virginia (Reflection from weekly mindfulness session at Hereford Residential College)
Tools for Awareness "One morning, our daughter realized that the plate we had served her breakfast on was not the color she had hoped for. For whatever reason that morning, this was a very upsetting realization! She quickly descended into a tantrum but also walked over to a chair in the living room and sat down. Things then quieted and when I looked around the corner she had her hands held together and was very clearly doing a breathing exercise. She was still whimpering a bit, but nevertheless clearly working on her own to settle her emotions. She eventually popped up and came back to the table and moved right along with the morning! We are very thankful, and very proud, that she is learning the tools to help her be aware of her emotions and make decisions to overcome them when needed. " ~ Testimonial from father of a 4-year old
"My four year-old daughter is in Ms. Robin's pre-kindergarten class. Robin's mindfulness practice has made a significant impact on her and, I think on our family as a whole as well. The other day as we were eating family dinner, I was expressing a bit of anger and frustration because I had not been able to get the leaf blower to start that afternoon. My daughter stopped me in mid-sentence, and very patiently and sweetly explained that If I was feeling frustrated, I needed to find my "anchor spot" and practice some deep belly breathing. My wife and couldn't help but smile at this helpful advice from our preschooler! Mindfulness instruction has given our daughter (and our family) both new vocabulary to describe the way we feel and what we need, and helpful tools to deal with challenging moments in our home." ~ Geoff Reed, parent and Middle School English Teacher
Family Tools for Coping
Our family recently went through a trauma. My husband had an aortic dissection, an unexpected tear in his aortic wall. It has a good survival rate if the patient makes it to surgery, but 90% of cases do not. We were lucky. That said, our family also had another medical trauma two years ago when my son had a JPA brain tumor. Both my husband and son have recovered from their life threatening surgeries; however, our family has taken some emotional hits.
In October, when my husband had his surgery, I was looking for something as a mother to help myself, my 16 year old son and my 11 year old daughter. My daughter, like me, had experiences two surgeries from the side-lines, as a caregiver and support. We were drained and scared. I tried to schedule family therapy and individual counseling for my children, but trying to line up schedules and budgets were overwhelming, especially in the face of caring for my husband after surgery.
I turned to my friend, Robin Albertson-Wren, who knew my children and had just started her mindfulness coaching practice. Not only did Robin make it easy to schedule sessions, but the cost of the sessions were reasonable, especially for all three of us. My children and I gathered with Robin to learn about stress reduction, practice mindfulness, journal about thoughts, think about mindful eating and gratitude. Robin facilitated conversation with us that I never could have done on my own. The children were able to focus on something else besides the surgery, but also focus on a topic that would perhaps give them some tools for coping.
As a teacher, Robin was masterful at working with a wiggling 11 year old and a silent teen. She was able to accommodate all our needs in her sessions. I do not know what we would have done without her during that healing time.
We are so grateful for the tools she provided and the safe space she created for us as a family to heal after our trauma. I had been recommended to try mindfulness by my primary care physician who said that mindfulness can provide brain support for trauma victims.
Thank you Robin for helping us! ~ Victoria Redfearn-Cave
Workshop Recommendation
"I highly recommend Robin's mindfulness workshop! I knew very little about the practice before attending, but was compelled to go in order to learn better stress management techniques for myself and my kids. Not only did the session immediately help me relieve some tension, but I learned new ways to decompress my mind and body that go beyond the old advice to just "take three deep breaths." I've found it effective with my preschoolers too-- I've used the body scan technique to calm one down after a tantrum, and tried a listening exercise to settle the other for sleep.
But the most unexpected outcome is that it has helped me to be a better friend. About a week after I attended the workshop, my best friend learned that her brother had died unexpectedly. I wanted to support her, but was nervous I would say or do the wrong thing. Once I was at her side however, I realized she just needed me to be fully present. My usual tendency is to interrupt with advice or share my own stories, but this time I stayed quiet and used the deep listening techniques that Robin had taught us. I sat with my friend and listened for over an hour and a half while she opened up to me in her grief. Afterwards, she thanked me repeatedly for listening and said it was exactly what she needed. It was remarkable to me that such a relatively simple change in my behavior could have such a big impact. I hope to learn more and keep practicing mindfulness because I think it can help me be the kind of mother and friend that I want to be." ~ Megan Carter, mother of preschool age twins
Stress-Reduction During the Work Day
“I greatly look forward to Robin's Mindfulness Moments each week. I believe attending these sessions has had a tangible impact on my overall well-being. It has helped me to learn to slow down and pay better attention to myself and to the world around me.” ~ Middle School Teacher, St. Anne's-Belfield School
“As someone who periodically struggles with handling my stress and anxiety, mindfulness gives me tools to help keep my anxious mind in-check. Participating in mindfulness once a week has helped me to be more productive at work and more present, both at work and at home.” ~ Maria Gall, Annual Fund Manager, St. Anne's-Belfield School
“During the weekly 10-minutes mindfulness sessions, at the beginning of the session my body is tense: tight muscles, fast breathing, and scattered thoughts. After going through Robin’s guided exercises my body finally relaxes: shoulders fall, breathing becomes even and slow, whole body becomes relaxed and pliable with a smile and sigh of happiness. This time instills a new freshness, lightness to the mind, ability to focus. I always come away being able to concentrate so much better on my work.” ~ Penny Schwagerl, Administrative Assistant, St. Anne's-Belfield School
“I very much look forward to Robin's Mindfulness Moments each week at work. It is a time for me to re-center myself and be comfortable in the present moment. I come back to work refreshed and stress free after taking just 15 minutes out of my day to practice mindfulness.” ~ Leah Lindaur, St. Anne's-Belfield School