What I'm here for...
EVER MINDFUL'S MISSION
My mission is to teach, inspire, and support people in discovering their innate wholesome qualities of awareness, compassion, and love. And to create a society where everyone understands that to be mindful means to be fully human, fully who you are.
THERE IS NO PROBLEM
Having realized how disconnected- and blind!- I was to my complex, seemingly contaminated internal landscape, I always looked at it as an outcome of my situation or as a problem with me. There was a problem with ME, and I needed to fix what was wrong with me!
However, mindfulness has been the key practice in teaching me that there was nothing wrong with me in the first place! Yes, troubles arise and confusion abounds, but on a fundamental level, there is nothing wrong with me. Which means, yes, you’re okay, too. There’s nothing wrong with you either. It takes time to unlearn our destructive and debilitating habits. But without actually paying attention and familiarizing ourselves with these behaviors, they will only continue.
ACCEPTING THINGS AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW
I used to believe that if I could just think about something, anything, long enough that I’d be able to figure it out, and be happy (once and for all!). But mindfulness is not about figuring things out (though, it can be helpful in doing that). It’s about seeing the world - you, others, situations, and circumstances - just as they are, rather than how we think they are or how we wish them to be.
This does not mean it is in opposition to planning and dreaming. But the most powerful and meaningful change arises from clearly seeing how things are right now, and this clear seeing can only arise from an accepting, non-judgmental stance of right now.
MY STORY
MY FIRST LESSON
As someone who has spent so much of their life anxiously “living in my head,” worrying what others thought about me, and concerned if I was “good” enough, discovering mindfulness was like a balm to my being. It was 2011, and I was early on in a new teaching career. I didn’t know anyone that meditated, but when a co-worker I looked up to casually mentioned that she was a meditator, I looked into immediately! So, I sat down to meditate. I couldn’t sit still. My mind was racing. Then the voice on the recording said, “It’s okay if you lose focus, just come back to your breath when you notice your mind has wandered.” I thought I had failed, but she said over and over again, “It’s okay. You’re okay.” A sigh of relief came over me. My first lesson in mindfulness: be kind to yourself.
This does not mean it is in opposition to planning and dreaming. But the most powerful and meaningful change arises from clearly seeing how things are right now, and this clear seeing can only arise from an accepting, non-judgmental stance of right now.
CONNECTING WITH OURSELVES IS CONNECTING WITH OTHERS
Most people come to mindfulness - or present moment, non-judgmental awareness - because they are suffering in some way. My experience is no different, having first learned about it during my 3rd year of classroom teaching when I’d developed an aggravating eye-twitch. By this time, though, I’d become a master at masking the sometimes low-hum (sometimes paralyzing), yet seemingly ever-present stress and anxiety that steered my thoughts, words, and actions on a daily basis. This unseen disconnection from myself, likewise, created an unseen disconnection from others.
Not until I’d begun practicing mindfulness did I see - and feel - this teflon-like exterior of stress, fear, worry, and anxiety. And with commitment and diligence of kind-hearted, compassionate mindfulness practice, this exterior has gradually - and continues to - erode, perforate, and break apart.
So, you are invited to join me on this journey of mindfulness, compassion, and discovering your true self! See you soon!
Mindfulness in the Workplace
Learn to embed and infuse mindfulness practice into your work day at the office. Increase focus and concentration. Be more present with co-workers and clients.
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Mindfulness practice is about being fully human, being fully ourselves.
How Can I Support You?
Mindfulness Courses and Retreats
From Intro to Mindfulness for beginners to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), check out the courses to see if Mindfulness is right for you.
Stress-reduction for K-12 Educators
A 5-week program for educators looking to find healthy ways to meet the myriad of stresses that often accompany the teaching profession. Delve into self-discovery, transform negative patterns, and build your resilience.
RJ has a warm and inviting way of sharing the fruits of mindfulness practice."
- Previous Client