Mindfulness on the Rocks: Meditation Solutions for Maximum Life Impact

07/31/2026

As we welcome this August long weekend, we are reminded that autumn is approaching. If you have been considering making more space for yourself, this could be the ideal opportunity.

Join our Autumn 2026 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 8-Week Program and learn evidence-based mindfulness practices to help you navigate stress with greater ease and balance.

Registration is now open. Please visit mindfulnessontherocks.ca for full course details and to sign up. We hope that you will join us!

07/21/2026

We are now accepting registrations for our upcoming Autumn 2026 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program! Here’s what three recent participants of the program say about their experience! Visit mindfulnessontherocks.ca or send us an email at [email protected] to sign up today! Gary and Sheila

“This MBSR course was well worth the time, cost and commitment. Whether you are new to minfulness meditation or have an active practice, this course will deepen your knowledge, understanding, and engagement. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is curious about finding stillness, quiet, and curiosity through meditation. The full day silent retreat will especially stick with me; its impact has been indescribable.”

“I recently participated in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program facilitated by Sheila and Gary. It was an intense course, but it helped me immensely to reduce my stress. I feel that the course gave me many tools to get out of my head, talk myself off the ledge and return to the present moment. The program was easy to follow and everything was very well explained. Sheila and Gary are very kind and approachable. I feel like this course brought me back to myself and I can highly recommend this program to anyone who feels stressed or overwhelmed by daily life!”

“Participating in the spring sessions with Mindfulness on the Rocks was a valuable experience. Gary and Sheila are excellent teachers. They are patient, kind, and model the behaviors we are there to learn. One feels very comfortable in their classes. I am convinced that meditating daily is a healthy way to live and I am committed to practicing for at least 45 minutes a day. I continue to strive for better focus and balance in my life and my goal is to improve daily through meditative practice. Thank you so very much Sheila and Gary!”

06/26/2026

Mindfulness on the Rocks has been offering Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) nationally for the past 14 years. Mindfulness on the Rocks recognizes women at all stages of life, from caring for families and building careers to supporting others and navigating life’s transitions. Women who attend our classes report that the most meaningful gift they give themselves is the opportunity to pause, breathe, and reconnect, without judgment.

MBSR is an evidence-based program that assists in reducing the physiological and physical impact of stress and anxiety, improving emotional well-being, building resilience, supporting better sleep, sharpening concentration and focus, and fostering self-compassion and balance.

We sincerely hope you will consider registering for our Autumn 2026 8-Week MBSR Program, commencing Tuesday, October 13, 2026. This course offers participants practical mindfulness skills that can support you now and for years to come.

Thank you to Melissa Cotesta and Roberta Heale for spearheading The Whole Woman Project and recognizing that mindfulness practices can empower women in today’s demanding world.

We look forward to meeting you this autumn. Visit mindfulnessontherocks.ca for full course details or contact us via email.

Sincerely,
Sheila and Gary
Mindfulness on the Rocks
Certified and Qualified MBSR Teachers

06/17/2026

Congratulations to our current cohort of graduates from the Spring 2026 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction eight-week program! Thank you for your authenticity, your perseverance, and your dedication to learning mindfulness practices that will sustain you even beyond the eight weeks. This is just the beginning. You have just dipped your toe in the lake! We hope that these practices bring you calm, equanimity, and joy in your daily life. Warmly, Sheila and Gary
* Now accepting registrations for our upcoming Autumn MBSR In Person program! Visit us at Mindfulnessontherocks.ca for full details

06/15/2026

🍂 This Autumn, give yourself the gift of mindfulness.

Join our 8-Week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program beginning October 13, 2026, on Tuesday evenings in Sudbury. Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn and grounded in decades of scientific research, MBSR helps participants manage stress, anxiety, chronic pain, sleep challenges, and the demands of everyday life.

Learn practical mindfulness meditation and movement practices that can help you cultivate greater calm, focus, resilience, and well-being.

✨ Taught by certified and qualified MBSR teachers Gary Petingola and Sheila Damore-Petingola
✨ Tuesday evenings, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
✨ In-person at St. Peter’s United Church, 203 York Street
✨ Limited registration

Take a pause. Reconnect. Discover what is possible when you pay attention to your life, one moment at a time.

For details and registration: mindfulnessontherocks.ca

06/13/2026

Summer

Summer is a gentle invitation to reacquaint ourselves with the body. It invites us to engage all of our senses and experience the body in a unique relationship with the world around us.

The sand between our toes. The sensation of the tongue taking that first taste of ice cream. Hands touching the earth. The feeling of gently submerging the body in water—the warmth, the coolness, the enveloping embrace.

The sounds of waves, gulls flying overhead, and children playing in the sand at the beach. The sun on the skin. The light that stretches the day. The pressure points of a lawn chair supporting us—metal, canvas, cloth.

The scent of freshly cut grass. Basil, oregano, rosemary, lilacs, and strawberries. That first summer tomato. Leaves moving in the wind. Crickets and cicadas. A lone bumblebee lingering nearby. The touch of wind on hair and skin.

Summer is a feast of sensory experiences, a season rich with opportunities to awaken, notice, and discover.

Gary Petingola, MSW, RSW

06/05/2026

Love this….

Your phone may distract you, but it doesn’t restore you. Here’s what does.

05/26/2026

Thank you to Joanne Chow, Peer Support Coordinator and Lynda Flintoff, Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association Sudbury and District for the opportunity to meet and present to members of the Peer Support Group. We discussed how mindfulness practices can support individuals living with brain injury. It was a privilege to connect with such a thoughtful, welcoming and inspiring group.