Mindfulness Starts Now: A Connect In Playlist
During yoga nidra I would often fall asleep and worry I was “missing out” on the benefit of the practice. My teacher looked at me and said, “you think your ears don’t work while you’re asleep?” Whether you are playing, listening or creating it, music is transcendent. I love this playlist because it’s curated to […]
How to Practice Mindfulness with Pets
Who are your teachers? One of mine is Mavis, my one year old Australian Shepherd/Collie canine mix. At 35 pounds, and mostly hair, this wiley young pup teaches me the most about being in the moment, letting things go, and finding time to rest. Mavis did not have an easy start in life. Found […]
Acknowledging the Land
Original airdate: November 24, 2021 Guide: Caryl Opening Song: Remember by Joy Harjo Featured focus This practice is called Connect In because our vision was to create a space for people to connect into themselves and one another. Today’s invitation is to connect into the land and open our awareness to the histories of […]
Guided Mindfulness Practice: Bee Breath
Original airdate: October 27, 2021 Guide: Caryl Opening Song: Holocene by Acoustic Heartstrings Featured practice: Today’s practice is inspired by the phrase “resting my eyes.” Rest is revolutionary and necessary. By choosing rest, we choose the present moment. Mindfulness creates the pause, which is a space to look again, make choices, and experience more […]
Audio Mindfulness Practice: Practicing Gratitude
Original airdate: October 13, 2021 Guide: Caryl Opening Song: Unstruck Chord by Steve Gold Featured practice: Studies show that practicing gratitude for even a short amount of time increases well-being. Gratitude as an intervention for mental health, relational health, and even physical health. Gratitude is an amazing technology in health that brings along with it […]
Meeting the Moment
Original airdate: September 29, 2021 Guide: Caryl Opening Song: Hiddensee Featured practice: It’s only human to have plans, expectations and ideas for how things will go. More often than not, the moment presents unexpected events, people or situations that change our plans. What does it feel like to meet the moment? How can we practice […]
The Practice of Ujjayi Breath
Guide: Caryl Opening song: This Little Light of Mine by Odetta Featured practice/excerpt: Learn and practice the Ujjayi, or oceanic, breath for relaxation and energy. Ujjayi (pronounced oo-jai) breathing gives us the ability to focus our attention through the breath. It translates as the “victorious breath.” A note about this breath, it can relax us […]
Let Us Slow Down
Guide: Caryl Featured song: Take It Slow, Ayla Nereo Featured practice: Let us slow down. Bayo Akomolafe says, “The times are urgent, let us slow down.” Let us slow down. Often the demand of urgency requires rapid, habitual responses that create tension and stress. There is an unwritten contract in urgency that says get it […]
14 Ways to Take Your Mindfulness Practice Outside
Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. -Mary Oliver, poet The beloved Mary Oliver wrote volumes of poems and prose that reflect her intentional and mindful engagement with the living earth. In her poem, Sometimes, she leaves us these instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell […]
Breathing In Fullness
Lead Guide: Caryl Opening song: Eyes Shut. Soul Alive (Watch video here) Featured poems/excerpts/breathing exercises: In today’s practice, I am going to lead you through a breathing exercise where we pay close attention to breathing on all sides of the body. Noticing the roundness that our body creates as we inhale. Breathing into the entire […]