Integrating Mindfulness
How would you choose to live if you had the freedom to design your own life? It is a question that most of us never ask ourselves under the weight of countless layers of professional, familial and societal entanglements. And yet the simple act of asking takes only a few moments to ponder, is entirely free, and is available to everyone.
Why do we avoid such a liberating line of inquiry? Just asking the question can bring up a sense of powerlessness and grief around the lack of autonomy available in our everyday lives. For most it is easier to abdicate our agency and convince ourselves that we "have" to do this or that, instead of facing the deeply embedded power of choice that we are, in fact, exercising in every moment: the jobs we work at, the people we stay with or avoid, where we live and what we do in our personal time, etc.
In my case, life called me to the mat to answer this question after leaving an organization I had dedicated over half a decade of my life to creating and growing. All my assumptions about my avocation in life had been up-ended by new experiences and philosophies I was drawn to study, and it was clear the kind of deep change I sought truly did have to begin with me.
The best grounding tool I've encountered in this mission to redesign my approach to life on a foundational level is a a four week course called "Integrating Mindfulness," offered by senior trainers from the Clear Sky Meditation and Study Center outside of Cranbrook, BC. Their 5 Pillar approach to building a strong foundation to support alignment in our inner and outer worlds is a fantastic introduction to anyone who is yearning to connect with a better sense of control and freedom in their lives.
This Saturday, I will be hosting the teachers Karen McAllister and Duncan Cryle here at Haystack Heights Cohousing for a free introductory talk about this course offering that is open to the public. The program will be preceded by a $5 community meal that friends are welcome to confirm with me in advance.
This class serves as an impartial mirror through which we can reflect on the health of several foundational aspects of our lives that support us in everything else we do. Some people may have a sense of embarrassment or shame at the thought of looking at how to do these basics better in their lives. After all, we are already supposed to be perfect, fully-fledged adults, right? In reality there are many simple practices we may not have ever had modeled in our lives, from pushing our chairs in after we sit in them, to repeating back what a partner says to confirm understanding. Certainly our capitalistic "human resources" model of modern education is more optimized towards creating specialized workers rather than the well-rounded generalists who have the agency and adaptability to figure out generative work for themselves and their communities. Whose job is it to finish raising yourself?
On a personal level, this course inspired me to finish cleaning out my garage, sell things I'd been meaning to offload for decades (check out my handmade fruit and vegetable beads now available for sale at Wonders of the World), and to find relief, comfort and power in a rigorous daily routine that I never before thought was possible for someone with my spontaneous, response-oriented neurotype.
The way we create a culture of greater kindness and mindfulness is by participating in it and learning how to live it together. I hope you can join me for this intro workshop, and consider registering for the full class. I would love to hear about mindfulness practices and habits that give you solace in the comments below!
