Cultivating Compassion Education Series March Gatherings |
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Shock In The System
Supporting the Body and Nervous System After an ALS Diagnosis—and Beyond |
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presented by Julie Brown Yau, Ph.D.
Sunday, March 22, 2026 2:00 p.m. ET |
Receiving an ALS diagnosis is not only life-changing, it is a shock that moves through the entire body and being. Shock doesn’t end when the doctor’s appointment is over. It lives in the body, in sleep patterns, in relationships, and in the wider family system. In this gathering we will explore:
- How shock affects the body, the brain and nervous system
- Why fear can feel constant and overwhelming
- How trauma responses (freeze, fight, flight, collapse) can quietly take hold
- How the diagnosis impacts not only the individual, but partners, children, caregivers, and community
Most importantly, we will practice simple, accessible tools that help:
- Calm the nervous system
- Reduce the fear spiral and bring the body back into the present moment
- Support self-regulation during uncertainty
- Create small islands of safety inside the storm
- Find meaning and connect spiritually if that is part of your life.
The tools you will learn can strengthen resilience so that decisions, connection, and love can emerge from steadiness rather than shock. We can’t always control what happens, but we can support the body and the nervous system, that must live through it. Regulation changes how we inhabit the diagnosis, and potentialities for healing. |
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About the Speaker
Dr. Yau is an expert in the field of healing complex trauma. She specializes in the resolution of relational, complex, and intergenerational trauma. She is a master NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) practitioner, and an authorized teacher of the Shri Vidya tradition. Using a unified approach, Julie’s work addresses the challenging psychobiological dynamics of trauma, and includes the latest neuroscientific findings, contemplative, and somatic psychologies. Julie supports those living with ALS by addressing the multi-layered impact of a terminal illness diagnosis and the complexities that emerge, she also assists individuals to open to deeper dimensions within the body/mind.
Julie studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism extensively with Rohab Rinpoche, Dan P. Brown, and Maa Uma-Parvathi Natha. Other teachers she studied in-depth with include Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Allan B. Wallace, and Roshi Joan Halifax.
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Beyond ALS
March 5, 6:30pm ET |
Join a welcoming group of men and women who have lost a loved one to ALS. Share openly with others who are rebuilding their lives after profound loss. This interactive gathering will highlight where we are now and what may feel different: our identity, our values, our approach to spirituality, and more. We will listen deeply to each other’s stories about the new experiences of building relationships, contentment with solitude, or challenges as a single parent. But, most importantly, come to enjoy and appreciate the company of others who have come to experience the precious nature of human life. |
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Caregiver to Caregiver
March 12, 3:00pm ET |
Join the informal gathering designed to offer genuine support for those engaged in ALS caregiving. Enjoy the opportunity to be with other folks who have an intimate understanding of ALS and share your unique point of view as a caregiver. It is truly a meaningful experience to sit in council with ALS caregivers, to practice heart-centered listening, bear witness to our journeys and those of others, and to support and be supported without judgment. |
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Sons and Daughters of ALS Guided by Ron Hoffman, CCALS Founder
March 12, 7:00pm ET |
Sons and Daughters of ALS, hosted by CCALS Founder and Director, Ron Hoffman, is designed for those 18 years to 30- somethings who have experienced a parent, or close loved one, struggling from symptoms, diagnosis, decline or death with ALS. Growing up with the intensity and complexity of ALS in our family can shake us to the very core. It is often hard to comprehend or describe the ways that this disease shapes our past, present and future. If you are living with, or have lived with, the impact of a parent with ALS, you are invited to join our zoom gathering for Sons and Daughters of ALS. With deep listening, in the company of others who know the similarity of the uninvited path of having a parent with ALS, we will gather in council to share our experiences with the broad motivation to bring heartfelt connection, awareness and healing. |
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Men of ALS Guided by Ron Hoffman, CCALS Founder
March 19, 2:00pm ET |
Join us for a time of brotherhood and belonging for men living with ALS, or men caring for someone with the disease. This group operates as a council circle that encourages deep listening, acceptance, and an invitation to be genuine about what is going on in your life. |
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Women of ALS
March 19, 3:00pm ET |
Enjoy the connection and unique perspective of other women living with ALS, female caregivers of persons living with ALS, daughters of those with ALS, or any woman touched by the disease. We will gather in council to share our experiences with the broad motivation to bring heartfelt connections and healing to the ALS journey. The Women of ALS gatherings create a safe space to explore the rich feminine perspective on lineage, sexuality, the role as caregiver, and the experience of compassion. |
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Mothers of ALS
March 23, 1:00pm ET |
CCALS offers this informal gathering specifically for mothers who have been impacted by ALS. This disease shines a unique and challenging spotlight on the relationships between mothers and their children. We will join with each other in council to listen deeply and bear witness to our experiences as we connect and discover new pathways through the intensity of an ALS experience. |
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