Melanie Pensak

Melanie Pensak is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher with an interest in trauma-sensitive mindfulness and teaching meditation in nature. She leads healing circles in the spirit of Council and is in Grief Educator training with David Kessler. She is heavily influenced by the teachings of the Buddha and the Earth. You can find her online as facilitator of the Chronic Illness and Disability Affinity Group for Sangha Live and working as a Certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Melanie is currently recovering from CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) caused by biotoxin exposure from living in water-damaged buildings. She offers weekly meditation, grief circles and one-on-one support to those recovering from CIRS and/or experiencing chronic illness who wish to process their journey through the lens of mindfulness and compassion. She is a Shoemaker Proficiency Partner Diplomate and founder of The Heart of CIRS Podcast.

Articles:

Grief During Chronic Illness

Grief During Chronic Illness I remember when I started to hear the word “chronic” from the mouths of people that were involved in my health. I recall the acupuncturist who asked how long my symptoms had been happening. She nodded knowingly at my answer, “Oh, so this is chronic.” I hear the doctor who seemed pleased with himself when diagnosing me with something that was simply repeating what I said I was experiencing, “Ah hah! Sounds like chronic fatigue.” I was surprised to hear this word reflected back to me. When I looked at my health deductions and expenses for […]

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