Mindfulness in everyday life.
Last weekend, Mark and I camped in the Sylvania Wilderness area. Less than 5% of American land is designated as "wilderness," where human beings are just visitors and nature can be nature. No person-made structures, no motors, no noise. We canoed to our campsite, which is surrounded by old-growth forest.
Over the last 6 months, I’ve heard from people with varied life situations. Different ages, living arrangements, job statuses, financial means, and health issues. Through these discussions, I’ve focused my teaching on 1) Honoring what’s difficult (naming, expressing, sharing what’s hard), and 2) Looking for the good (reflecting on ordinary yet meaningful blessings).
Last week, I led an in-person mindfulness session for teachers at an elementary school. It was an hour of self-care before they began an uncertain school year. We honored what's difficult (really, really difficult) and we embraced what's good. Each teacher wrote anonymously on a note card (the difficult and the good). Then they dropped these note cards in a box for me to share with the group.
