“The single most important thing that can happen right now in this pandemic is that we feel our collectivity — that we’re here to help each other move through this.” -TARA BRACH

Schurig Center is pleased to share this list of resources and activities to help brighten our lives and help us all navigate these unprecedented times together with peace, resilience, and strength. Check back as more resources will continue to be added daily.

Creativity

• Mandalas for Relaxation …
  **Recommended by Midge, Schurig’s Art Director** Keep your creativity flowing in these difficult times! Research shows coloring mandalas has the power to reduce stress and anxiety by way of mindfulness and even lift negative moods. If you find that you really like your finished mandala you can hang it up and continue to enjoy it. It’s also a great way to connect with others socially in these times of isolation. Share your awesome mandalas with others online or through video chatting. Find blank mandalas for coloring here.
• Color Your Stress Away … Coloring is a simple activity that can boost your mood and help you relax. It’s a fun and creative activity for people of all ages and abilities. Find free printable coloring pages here.
• Classic Marin County Scenes Turned Into Coloring Pages … Marin Magazine’s art department is making free printable coloring pages based on classic Marin County scenes for your coloring pleasure. Tag @marinmagazine when you share your creations online for a chance to be featured on the magazine’s social platforms! Check out the first installment here.
• Visit 17 Famous Art Museums from Your Home … Most major art museums around the world offer virtual tours and resources for free. Art from around the world has never been closer to home. Start your tour here.

Exercise Your Brain

• Word Puzzles … Word puzzles, like word searches or crosswords, are enjoyable and can help keep your brain sharp. Find free printable large print puzzles here.

Practice Your Speech & Communication

• One Aphasia Action a Day … Social distancing can be particularly difficult for people with aphasia. Isolation is not a friend of communication, and it can be frustrating to have your routine derailed. National Aphasia Association has compiled a month of small, actionable activities you can do from home each day that will help you retain speech progress. Get started here.

Meditation, Mindfulness & Yoga

• Yoga for Your Brain & Mindfulness-based Yoga … Stress Management Center of Marin (SMC) is offering an online chair yoga class, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am. Join in! Just download the Zoom app (it’s free) and click the link below. Class will be in chairs, so no extra props or space required. $10 donation to SMC suggested, but no one will be turned away. JOIN ZOOM MEETING: https://zoom.us/j/877193029 Or call in to listen only: +16699009128, 877193029# US
• Six Daily Questions to Ask Yourself in Quarantine … The physical isolation and sudden departure from familiar routines of the coronavirus shelter-in-place can be jarring and disorienting for many of us. Here are few simple questions to help structure your days and check in with yourself. Ask the questions, but don’t stress the answers. They are just meant to support self-care and help cope with feelings of isolation, disconnection, and worry.
• How to Keep the Greater Good in Mind During the Coronavirus Outbreak … In the midst of our panic around COVID-19, we must look to each other to help us get through it. Beyond good hygiene, follow these tips to help others with the way you think, feel, and communicate.
• “Our calm is contagious: How to use mindfulness in a pandemic” … Meditation teacher Tara Brach offers some tips for calming your coronavirus anxiety — so you can better care for others.
• 5-Minute Guided Meditation: Arriving in Mindful Presence

Arts & Entertainment

• The Metropolitan Opera: Nightly Met Opera Streams … Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.

Hangout Groups

• Put the SOCIAL in Social Distancing … The Mighty is offering a series of online events to put the SOCIAL in social distancing, from Tarot Reading, DistractMe Hangouts, journaling, art workshops, and more. Find the full schedule here.

Travel & Nature

• UNESCO World Heritage Site Virtual Tours … Need an escape? Take a break and do some virtual world traveling with some virtual tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Torres del Paine, Venice, and Mont St. Michel. Start your tour here.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams … Relax, take a deep breath, and connect with the wonders of Monterey Bay. The Aquarium offers several online live cams with soothing music, including Kelp Forest, Sea Otter, Coral Reef, Aviary, Jellies, Sharks , Penguin, and Open Sea.

Learning from Home

• Free Audiobooks on Audible … During the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon has made hundreds of its Audible audiobooks available for free. The collection, aimed primarily at children and families, also includes many famous literary classics. It is accessible from all devices, through a web browser, and does not require users to enter any credit card or personal details.
• Yale’s “Happiness” Course … Audit Yale University’s wildly popular “The Science of Well Being” course for free online through Coursera.
• Enjoy the Library From Home … Marin County Free Library has a vast collection of digital materials and online services that you can access from the comfort of your own home – from eBooks and audiobooks, to digital magazines and news, as well as streaming movies and TV, and online learning services – all free with your library card!