The Full Story
Meditation Teaching and Mentoring
Mindfulness Meditation Teaching and Mentoring
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My first experience with contemplation was during graduate school when I learned about contemplative Christian prayer. I explored this new way to pray and connect through several trips to the center for contemplation in Denver for 1/2 days of prayer (https://www.centeringprayer.net/home, if you're curious), I also very fortunately was able to hear Father Thomas Keating speak in Denver. He is a foundational person in the movement bringing this type of prayer forward. His book, Open Mind, Open Heart is one of the best books to begin the journey into this type of practice. Through the practice of centering prayer I deepened my spiritual practice and my awareness of how sitting in silence can be a place of refuge but also lead to an increased sense of how the internal world of the self is. I practiced this type of prayer for a few years.
Then, when my children were small I came in conflict with the many ways we are told to practice self care with caring for small people. As a mom, I struggled to find the time to give to myself. Small babies have great need. They literally need you to survive. I have a big place in my heart for moms of all ages of kids, trying to navigate this world while staying sane. Knowing the importance of self care and implementing in a realistic way in our lives are two different things. One day, when my kids were very small I came across Depaak Chopra's mediation app. I I began using it to practice monthly challenges that he and Oprah offered. I'm not gonna tell you it was easy but the talks were short and the practice time interrupted frequently. I would pause when needed, answer questions, respond to needs and then return to listening and repeating the Sanscrit word used as an anchor.
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Flash forward in time and I found myself drawn to the idea of teaching meditation. In service of the goal of helping those process complex trauma and giving them a helpful resource I applied and was accepted to a 2 year training program.
Learning to Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Have you ever wanted to learn to meditate but tried and your mind just went all over the place? This is called monkey mind and it is totally normal. Sometimes what happens when we first begin learning is the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. Meditation itself is not intended to create calm but to help us learn to connect to our inner experience in a skillful way.
Also, one difficulty with meditation for those who have experienced trauma is that going within can trigger painful memories. During my time working with complex trauma survivors doing equine therapy I learned how to skillfully help those with sensitive internal lives to use mindfulness in ways that support their healing. Imagine having a horse next to you as what you use to bring you back to the present moment. Through a teacher and mentor training program and my own practice I have learned ways to help people learn to meditate in ways that work. I offer a monthly group to practice together and sometimes offer courses on different aspects of meditation. Some areas I have on my to do list to develop classes for include ADD/ADHD, trauma informed mindfulness, loving kindness, and self compassion.
Contemplative Prayer
