Greetings friends far and near. 

I hope like many of you, I’ve been purposeful in finding respites from what I know is going on around our planet and concerning our planet. The heartbreaking nature of some of our current personal and collective experiences can and I believe have been wearing us down so it’s really important to have glimpses of delight, joy and beauty as frequently as possible.

Listening to a 2018 On Being interview with the late John O’Donohue I found these words inspiring “I love Pascal’s phrase that you should always keep something beautiful in your mind. And I have often – like in times when it’s been really difficult for me, if you can keep some kind of little contour that you can glimpse sideways at, now and again, you can endure great bleakness”.

I find seeking a balance in knowing the sacred and the profane, what is glorious and what is tragic, and recognizing when to turn towards that which is helpful or away from that which is harmful is something that can be continually and consciously at play. We have these choices, we need to actually remember that we do.

Taking compassionate action is also an integral part of our commitment to alleviate suffering when we see it. Buddhism is not passive or neutral and finding practical ways to connect and help others in need is just as important as practicing in relative stillness. Whatever we are capable of doing, and this comes from real clarity that might be of service is an aspect of glimpsing beauty and joy by simply connecting and caring for each other.

I’ll be offering some online trainings for working with communities living with chronic health and pain conditions: Skills for Living: Mindfulness and Meditation Training to Teach those with Chronic Conditions. If you might be drawn to being supportive in this way. 

And, as always being embodied is a refuge and a cultivated practice that can bring us right back to now over and over again and offer wisdom in the wordless language of sensing. You might find this series helpful for that: Sensing the Subtle Body in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness online and hosted by NY Insight.

And, here are two podcasts you may find entertaining: A Fascination with Conscious Awareness, a conversation  I had with Gilad Karni , or Embodied Mindfulness – part of the Embodiment Podcast with Allison Lindsey and myself. 

Finally, if you are called to teach, I highly recommend a training that I have been a mentor for: Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. If you would like to talk to me about it, please feel free to reach out – I’m happy to tell you more about it. And, here’s link to sign up (if you use this link I benefit some from it) Teacher Training Certification. 

May something inspire you a little bit everyday so that you may be with what is as fully as possible. 

With kindness, Jill