My favorite definition of mindfulness is coming home to the body. Through awareness of our senses we find the present moment and the joys and challenges it contains. Because each of our bodies and experiences are different, so are our mindfulness practices. As a mindfulness teacher and coach, I aim to help each person I work with build the practice that best serves the life they desire--however traditional or modern their approach to mindfulness might be. In this way, we can all make mindfulness our own. Yet, we achieve our best individualized practice by balancing it with community support. Through group workshops, discussions, study and meditation we are all more likely to maintain and refine our own practice--pave our own paths to the here and now. We learn from each other and benefit from the support we provide and receive.

 

One essential tool I embrace along the way is "beginner's mind," which refers to the fresh state of discovery that novices bring to learning. But we cannot let go of this essential mindset as we move past the initial stages of learning--it is important to stay in touch with it as our meditation and mindfulness practices deepen and evolve over time. We approach every sit and every day ready to be surprised by what might happen next and value the newness each moment brings us. We curiously discover and embrace the changes in ourselves and our practices from day-to-day and year-to-year. Those who join here have—or work toward—a beginner’s mind, and collectively we are beginner minds.