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Upcoming Events
Understanding Childhood OCD: For Caregivers and Professionals
It’s not just about cleaning and handwashing
October 24 • 8:30–11:30 AM at Central Iowa Center for Independent Living, Des Moines. Hosted by River Roots Mental Health & Wellness Center
Who This Training Is For: Caregivers, loved ones, mental health providers, & school staff
What You’ll Learn
How OCD shows up in kids and teens
A brain-based understanding of OCD
Practical tools for home and school
View award-winning documentary Unstuck: an OCD Kids Movie
Live Q&A panel after documentary
Guest Panelists will share their personal experiences with childhood OCD and answer questions from the audience.
Andrea Brown – Des Moines author of OCD Hiding in Plain Sight
Tatum Vermeer – Therapist at River Roots & former Aspire Academy tutor
Cost:
$20 One adult caregiver; $30 Two Family members attending together
$20 Professionals; $40 Professionals requesting CEU certificate
Extras
Andrea’s book available for purchase & signing
Prize drawing for a free copy + additional giveaways
Payment instructions will follow. Registration is complete once payment is received.

Lymphatic Flow & Release: A Yoga Flow for the Lymphatic System + Lymphatic Self-Massage
2-hour session, Saturday November 7th, 4- 6 pm
Lymphatic SelfMassage + Yoga Integration (2Hour Workshop)
Class Description
This gentle, educational, and deeply restorative 2-hour workshop is designed to help participants support their lymphatic system through mindful movement, breathwork, and hands-on self-massage techniques. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in immune health, detoxification, and overall vitality, yet most people don’t know how to care for it. This class blends yoga and self-massage to create a full-body experience that is both grounding and empowering.
What Participants Will Experience
Opening Yoga Flow (20–25 minutes) A slow, accessible sequence focused on diaphragmatic breathing, gentle stretching, and rhythmic movement to stimulate lymph flow. Expect grounding postures, light twists, and breath-led mobility to warm the body and prepare the tissues.
Guided Lymphatic Self-Massage (60 minutes): Participants will learn:
How the lymphatic system works and why it matters
Key lymph node “stations” and how to safely stimulate them
Gentle techniques for the face, neck, abdomen, arms, and legs
How to combine breath, pressure, and direction for optimal flow
Daily practices to reduce puffiness, support immunity, and ease stagnation
This portion is hands-on, step-by-step, and designed for all bodies and experience levels.
Closing Restorative Yoga + Breathwork (20–25 minutes): A calming sequence to integrate the massage work, followed by supported restorative postures and lymph-supportive breathing techniques. Participants leave feeling lighter, clearer, and deeply relaxed.
Take Home Tools Included
Each participant will receive: I think you said you were giving them a brush & the tennis balls, but correct me if I am wrong.
A soft lymphatic massage brush
A small massage ball for at-home lymphatic release
A printed (or it could be digital) quick reference guide to continue the practice
Who Should Attend
Perfect for anyone experiencing stress, inflammation, sluggishness, chronic tension, or simply wanting to support their body’s natural detox pathways. No yoga or massage experience required. Recent research is drawing a much clearer line between inflammation and mental health, showing that chronic or elevated inflammation can worsen symptoms such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, and cognitive fog. Several large studies now suggest that reducing inflammation in the body may help reduce the intensity or frequency of these symptoms. Inflammation and the Brain: How Immune Activity Can Alter Mood and Fuel Anxiety | Harvard Medical School
SelfInvestment: $45 (includes class + take-home tools). A $15 nonrefundable hold fee is required to reserve your space for this class. This fee supports the purchase of take-home tools for the lymphatic massage portion of the session and the additional time needed to prepare the space. If you need to cancel and another participant is able to take your spot, the $15 hold fee can be refunded.
Classes are designed for adults; however, teens ages 13 & up can participate with an adult present. Classes are limited in size to provide a safe and nurturing space. Signing up is required to ensure we have your information & waiver signed when you attend your first class. You may drop in after your first class, but we cannot guarantee a space without a sign-up, and the sign-up will help us contact you in case of weather- or illness-related cancellations. Payment will be made directly to the instructor through Venmo or cash – please try to bring the exact amount if paying in cash. Directions, instructions, and payment information will be provided to you before the session.

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