June 25, 2025

Small group class connects participants to mind, body and each other

Shelly Naughton has an impressive pitch for the classes she’s hosting at the Amanda the Panda offices this summer.  “I really don’t know anybody who can’t benefit from these classes,” she says, and “once they come one time, most of the time they don’t really want to miss.” 

The class is called ‘Mind-Body Connections’.  Using evidence-based techniques she learned in training at the Center for Mind Body Medicine, Naughton leads small groups through a litany of coping techniques and strategies to deal with everyday problems in our lives. 

“We do what I call ‘The Toolkit’ because not everything lands with everybody,” says Naughton, “We do different types of breathing exercises and practices, we do mindful drawings, we do a session on mindful eating.  We do guided imagery, guided meditations – those kinds of things. 

Find Care With EveryStep

“We do a session called ‘Shaking and Dancing’ that is based on indigenous practices of moving your body before you rest in the stillness.  A lot of people think meditation is all being quiet and keeping your mind perfectly clear.  But we’re human, that’s not going to happen.  Sometimes people can go from being active to then settling down and being more mindful.” 

Naughton says she’s taught a similar curriculum online and in large auditoriums with dozens taking part, but the biggest personal breakthroughs come when working in small groups like the ones she’s leading at Amanda the Panda. 

“There are two parts to the magic. There is learning and practicing the skills and bringing them into your life.  And then there is connecting with a small group of people who are supportive in an environment that is safe,” Naughton says. 

Volunteer With EveryStep

“They kind of get connected to each other,” she says, “They get really close really fast.  It’s a group where everyone is having their own journey and learning and practicing these skills and figuring out what works for them but also they are supporting each other.” 

Naughton says participants are sometimes hesitant to open up to a group of strangers.  “That’s one of the most common questions I get: ‘Do I have to share all of my most deepest darkest secrets and every bad thing that ever happened to me?’  Absolutely not. 

“We have an “I pass rule”.  If, when we get our minds quiet, some stuff comes up that we’ve been trying not to think about.  We might do an exercise where something painful comes up and we’re just not ready to share about it.  So all you have to do is say ‘I pass’ and they don’t have to participate. 

More EveryStep Resources

Once that initial barrier is overcome, the positive results of the classes immediately become clear. 

“I can often see visually the changes in these people.  They’re calmer, they’re more open; they’re connecting with other people.  They’ll even share that they have less anxiety or they are able to handle their children being rowdy more easily. 

“I did a group like this a year ago,” she says, “some of the things that they said were: ‘I feel like I can do this better.  Not only can I take a little pause instead of reacting right away – which is one of the main things, being aware of the behavior and making another choice, but also these are skills that they can share with their children, their family, their partners, their friends in their lives.” 

While the group is open to all those seeking help with problem-solving in their personal lives, she says she sees a lot of expecting mothers registering. 

Donate to EveryStep

“Some of the people in this group are new or expecting moms and they come to the group and say they want to be a better parent, they want to be able to better handle the stressors that come along.” 

She hopes the lessons learned can create generational change in families.  “I just dream of these children growing up and having these skills from a very young age instead of like me who learned them after 50,” she says, “To me it just creates this ripple effect that I don’t know how far it goes when it leaves this class.” 

Naughton says she’s thankful to EveryStep, not just for welcoming her but for everything the non-profit does and hopes to see future funding continue to allow her to continue helping central Iowa moms.  “I just think EveryStep is perfect.  They have so many ways of doing it and I would love to have that considered more widely.”