Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches how to cultivate a mindfulness practice for everyday life

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best across a wide range of subjects, today announced a class on mindfulness and meditation led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. As the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and a professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Kabat-Zinn pulls from more than five decades of experience to teach members how to cultivate an everyday mindfulness practice to reduce stress and contribute to the well-being and healing of the world in the face of what he calls the full catastrophe of the human condition, after Zorba the Greek. Kabat-Zinn's class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 100+ instructors with an annual membership.

"Jon is internationally known and revered for his work in bringing mindfulness into the mainstream of medicine and society," said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. "In his MasterClass, he teaches members how to optimize their mind and body for meditation including how to incorporate the practice into daily life, how to work with thoughts while meditating, and how to bring mindfulness to physical activities like yoga."

Whether looking to explore mindfulness and meditation for the first time or seeking the motivation to get back on the cushion, members of all experience levels will benefit from Kabat-Zinn's friendly, matter-of-fact, and precise guidance on the essentials of mindfulness as both a formal daily meditation practice and a way of being embodied and present throughout the day. In his MasterClass, he shares suggestions for reducing barriers to a daily meditation practice, including how to meditate in a range of different positions, how to tame and befriend the restless or unhappy mind, and how to bring mindfulness to everything from yoga to exercise as part of a well-rounded practice. Through a series of six guided meditations, he illuminates how mindfulness can be used to reduce stress, pain and suffering and help move toward greater levels of health and well-being. Members will leave this class feeling inspired by Kabat-Zinn's liberating wisdom and empowered with the tools and perspective needed to cultivate a lifelong mindfulness practice of their own.

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"There has never been a moment in human history when it's been more important for us to come to our senses as human beings, and the only way I know how to do that systematically and dependably is through the cultivation of mindfulness," Kabat-Zinn said. "I hope this MasterClass ignites passion in others for living life fully and taking care of what most needs taking care of while we have the chance. I hope it also demonstrates how powerfully inclusive mindfulness can be when it is engaged in as a radical act of both sanity and love."

Kabat-Zinn is internationally recognized for his work as a scientist, writer and meditation teacher, widely credited with bringing mindfulness into the mainstream of medicine and society. He holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society in 1995. He has spent more than 50 years at the forefront of the Western mindfulness movement. He has written seminal scientific papers and 14 books on the subject, contributing to the growing popularity of mindfulness in mainstream medicine, health care and education, as well as within corporations, the tech world, prisons, government and professional sports.

Kabat-Zinn's vision for the fusion of ancient wisdom and modern scientific thinking gave birth to the entire field around the therapeutic applications of mindfulness, and has contributed to the betterment of countless lives around the globe. Over the span of his career, he has received numerous awards and accolades. He also served for a number of years on the board of the Mind & Life Institute, a group that organizes dialogues between the Dalai Lama and Western scientists and promotes individual, societal and planetary flourishing.

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ABOUT MASTERCLASS:Launched in 2015, MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to 100+ instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects, including Arts & Entertainment, Business, Design & Style, Sports & Gaming, Writing and more. Step into Anna Wintour's office, Ron Finley's garden and Neil Gaiman's writing retreat. Get inspired by RuPaul, perfect your pitch with Shonda Rhimes and discover your inner negotiator with Chris Voss. Each class features about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. You can learn on your own termsin bite-size pieces or in a single binge. Cinematic visuals and close-up, hands-on demonstrations make you feel like you're one-on-one with the instructors, while the downloadable instructor guides help reinforce your learning. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku players and devices.

Follow MasterClass:Twitter @masterclass Instagram @masterclass Facebook @masterclassofficial

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Media Contacts:Tawnya Bear, MasterClass press@masterclass.com

Emily Maroon, R&C/PMK emily.maroon@rogersandcowanpmk.com

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MasterClass Announces Class on Mindfulness and Meditation - Yahoo Finance

Lately, it seems that my mind has been going 100 miles per hour with no signs of slowing down.

Because of this, I havent been able to focus, give my full attention to others or complete tasks. This has begun to take a toll on my emotional and physical health, even making sleep difficult.

As my situation began to get worse, I knew that I needed to make a change.

Over the Christmas break, I stumbled upon a 21-day meditation challenge that piqued my interest. Typically, when we hear the world meditation we picture someone sitting cross-legged, arms out to the side, fingers in the OK position, palms facing upward to the sky, all whilst uttering unrecognizable chants.

However, this is not what true meditation is. In fact, it may surprise you to learn (as it did me) that true meditation is the practice of quieting the mind, not sitting cross-legged on the floor chanting.

Although it sounds simple enough, quieting the mind is actually more difficult than you may imagine. Meditation is called a practice because it must occur on a regular basis in order to improve and reap the benefits that it can bring.

During the challenge that I participated in, we began with short meditations that were approximately 5-10 minutes long. The instructions were to sit in a comfortable position and, following guidance from an audio recording, focus on our breathing. Simple, right? Wrong. So wrong.

It was amazing to me how quickly my brain would jump from focusing on my breath to revisiting something that had happened earlier that day. Sometimes a random memory would pop up and Id go down a rabbit hole thinking about that.

As part of the guided instructions, once you recognized that you were not focused on your breath, you were supposed to refocus on your breathing. So, I forced my thoughts to go back to my breath. Within seconds, however, I would find myself worrying about what needed to be done at work or something I had to get done that day.

Meditation became sort of a back and forth game. I would focus on my breathing, get distracted, refocus on my breathing, get distracted and refocus. I found myself going through this cycle repeatedly until the meditation was over.

I played this game for what seemed like an eternity. This eternity was only 6 minutes. Yikes. I had a lot of work to do.

As I continued on with this challenge, I realized that meditation truly was a practice. But, with each practice, I got a little better. I started to notice that I was able to shut out the world and turn off the racing thoughts in my head with more ease than when I first began this challenge.

With time, I noticed that tuning out distracting thoughts came more natural to me. I didnt have to think about it as much or try as hard to stay focused.

As the 21 days progressed, I noticed small positive changes in my life as I continued my meditation practiced. Although I was nowhere near perfect with my meditations, I did feel better mentally, emotionally and physically.

As Ive researched more about the benefits of meditation, research has shown that it can have a positive impact in a variety of ways. According to research, meditation can help:

One of the greatest benefits of meditation is that anyone can do it, and it can be done anytime, anywhere. You dont need special equipment, its free of charge, and there are unlimited resources out there to help you find the type of meditation that is right for you.

Again, meditation is a practice, and it takes time to get used to and get better at. If you decide this is something that could be beneficial to you, start small. Begin with a few minutes each day.

Set a timer for 3-5 minutes and focus on your breath. If a thought comes into your mind, release it, focus back on your breathing, and repeat this process until the timer goes off. Gradually build up your time as you get better at focusing your thoughts and releasing the distractions that come into your mind.

I challenge you to try this practice and stick to it. Be open minded and patient with yourself and see what happens.

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Doctor's Order: There is power in meditation - Daily Herald

The Well Collective, a local health and wellness business on Rosewood Drive in Columbia, hosted its second Mindful Art and Meditation workshop Tuesday evening. The session was led by Julie Khansard, a local Columbia artist and former TWC employee.

The workshop was held in the yoga studio and welcomed guests by providing paper and pastels for the session. The evening began with a 20 minute guided meditation. Participants were led through a practice of mindfulness, healing and relaxation with emphasis on centering the mind and body.

Following the meditation, Khansard demonstrated different drawing techniques and encouraged everyone to make the artwork their own. Participants experimented on paper with chalk pastels and chose inspirational words to influence their art.

I care a lot about mental health, Khansard said. I just wanted a way to combine meditation as well as creative practices in a space that felt comfortable and approachable for everyone, because it's so important.

Participant Allison Green said she enjoyed the evening and plans to go back if it's offered again. "I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxing it was, incorporating the art with meditation, and I would love to explore it more. I'm really hoping Julie does another class like this one soon, I will definitely be recommending it to my friends," she said.

The event lasted an hour and a half. The group left with their own pastels and four drawings to take home.

It's so important to just sit down and create for nothing. Especially as an artist too, to be able to create and not for money. Im not going to be selling these anywhere, it's so important to just do it, said Khansard.

She is hopeful to hold another workshop in the spring at the venue. As long as theyll have me, Ill keep doing it. We did one in November, so maybe it can be an every two month thing. I think it went really well," she said.

Khansard went to college for art and education and now has her own art studio, Julie K. Art, located in Columbia.

Additional details and information about future events are available on the Well Collective's Facebook page.

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Columbia wellness studio hosts night of art and meditation - ColaDaily.com

Name Ashley Welch

Age 32

Why I Tried It To try a new way to meditate

Im no stranger to meditation, though I cant say it always comes easily to me. Ive been a practitioner of yoga for many years, and while I definitely savor the tranquility that comes with final Savasana, it is the moving meditation of going through the poses that keeps me coming back. Nothing beats the feeling of being on my mat, flowing from one asana to another in an almost trancelike state, fully present and aware of my breath and bodys movement. Its taught me to slow down and notice every sensation going through me and to appreciate all my body does for me.

But COVID-19 restrictions have kept me out of the studio, and virtual yoga classes dont always cut it for me. Trying to find an hour of Zen in the same small space where I work and sleep just isnt as peaceful or appealing. I will occasionally listen to a guided meditation on YouTube while in the bath or just before bed, but I often find it difficult to sit still and meditate. Thats why I loved the idea of a walking meditation. As the ongoing pandemic has limited most of my regular activities, I already take frequent walks these days to get out of my apartment and into the fresh air. And as I know from my experience with yoga, my favorite way to meditate is to do so while moving.

MindTravel is an experiential music company founded by composer and musician Murray Hidary. The company offers ticketed live events conducted both virtually and in person (although in-person events are not currently taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic), as well as digital music and meditation products that focus on sleep, inspiration, creativity, and more. Most people use MindTravel in the comfort of their own homes, or, in the case of the Silent Walking Meditations, by walking safely in their neighborhoods and local parks.

Pricing for MindTravel experiences vary. Ticketed/live events cost between $15 to $30, while digital music and meditation products range from $3.99 to $23 per product, with discounted monthly and yearly subscriptions available.

MindTravel offers a free 20-minute Silent Walking Meditation and a $17 expansion pack that includes a 30-minute and a 60-minute guided walk.

My first experience with MindTravel was the 60-minute Silent Walking Meditation. A few days later, I tried the shorter, 30-minute walk. Both are very similar, with the 30-minute walk basically a condensed version of the longer one.

I began my first walk on a sunny day and hit play on the meditation track as soon as I left my apartment, which, for me, was a mistake. I live right off a busy street, and the noise of cars whizzing by made it too difficult to concentrate. I decided to pause the recording and wait until I was in a less populated area to switch it back on. While the goal of the meditation isnt to go anywhere, MindTravel suggests you know your route so youre not worrying about directions, and I highly agree. Anything to minimize distractions is helpful. MindTravel also emphasizes safety and instructs you to always be aware of your surroundings and move in line with the meditationonly if it is safe.

Once on a quieter route, I was really able to focus on the soothing sounds of Hidarys voice over the background of the calming music he also composed. I listened as he told me to pick up my pace to a brisk walk and feel my heart quicken and then slow down to gentle steps. By this point, I had made it to my local walking/running path along the river thats beautifully dotted with trees and expansive green space. This was the perfect location for a walking meditation, as Hidary instructs you to really take in your surroundings and thats much more enjoyable when youre looking at nature rather than crowded city streets. At one point, he makes an analogy comparing life to a river, both at times calm and turbulent. Listening to that while actually looking into the sparkling ripples of a river brought an overwhelming sense of serenity. When I returned home from my walk, I felt light and energized, my spirits lifted on an otherwise routine weekday.

RELATED: Tips to Help You Log More Steps Every Day

For the short guided meditation, I chose to walk to another body of water this time a lake not too far from my home. The weather was gray and misty, so it wasnt as pleasant as my first walk, but I do enjoy seeing landscapes in different lighting. Having done the longer walk only a few days earlier, I was familiar with much of the meditation, though I still found it engaging and was able to keep my mind present for the majority of my walk.

Here are three reasons why I found MindTravels Silent Walking Meditation to be a great tool to practice mindfulness:

While I thoroughly enjoyed MindTravels Silent Walking Meditation, here are some things I didnt love:

Overall, my experience with MindTravels Silent Walking Meditation was very pleasant. Both walks reminded me of the feeling I normally get after a good yoga class a slight buzz with a sense of appreciation of my body, health, and space in this world. It reignited my interest in mindfulness and made me want to explore other avenues to practice meditation while staying safe at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Self-Care Tips During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Smart Health: I Tried MindTravel's Silent Walking Meditation and It Reignited My Zeal for Mindfulness - Everyday Health

According to the American Psychological Association, 41.6% of college students have anxiety and 36.4% have depression. As a college student that experiences forms of both anxiety and depression, I like to do various things to help me cope with those feelings. Reading, writing and listening to music help me with my anxiety and depression, but what helps me the most is meditating. Meditation helps relieve stress and there are distinct types of meditation that do so.

Several types of meditation are used for specific types of stress in your life. I do Loving-Kindness Meditation and Breath Awareness Meditation to help myself relax, the methods of which come from Medical News Today.

Loving-Kindness Meditation

This meditation can be done for as long as you need.

Breath Awareness Meditation

This meditation can be done for at least 15 minutes a day.

Health, a fitness, nutrition and health magazine, also recommends the following meditations.

Mindfulness Meditation for reduced depression and anxiety

Walking Meditation for the body and mind

According to Psychology Today, professionals say that meditation is so easy to learn and is one of the only things that helps relieve people of their anxiety and depression. When you want to relax or better your mental health, sit down comfortably, clear your mind and take some deep breaths.

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Shark self care: Meditation | The Current - The Current - The Student-Run Newspaper of Nova Southeastern University.

I struggle with anxiety. I used to think I was alone, but now I know I'm in the company of more than 40 other million adults in the United States. My anxiety is the kind that starts with a little thought in my mind and gradually grows until my heart races, my chest tightens and my mind spirals down a rabbit whole of what ifs.

For years, my therapist suggested meditation as a way to calm my mind. But as a working mom, the thought of taking a few minutes to stop everything, when my laundry list of to-dos felt a mile long, made me even more anxious. So, I never tried.

But recently, I came across Netflix and Headspace's new meditation series, Headspace Guide to Meditation. The series is an animated look at the benefits of meditation and the purpose behind the practice. Featuring eight 20-minute episodes that focus on different techniques, like how to deal with stress, how to be kind and how to deal with anger, the series explains the science behind meditation followed by a short meditation session.

Each episode is an immersive meditation experience that took my daughters and me on a visual journey through the mind. The vibrant colors combined with the calming blue hues of the cartoon provided a sense of ease and comfort; it made taking deep breaths in and out feel mindless, when in the past, it's taken so much thought.

My goal with this was to start each morning with one of the meditation episodes. That hasn't happened. There are days we get a late start in the morning and rush to eat breakfast, get dressed and sign on to virtual school. On those days, we watch the episode later in the afternoon. And then there are some days when we just forget.

In the past, this would give me anxiety; the idea I set a goal and didn't fulfill it the way I envisioned. But surprisingly, what I've noticed is when I think about not accomplishing this goal, I go back to some of the techniques I've learned from the episodes we've watched, note my feelings, and move on.

By taking the time to learn about the meditation process instead of diving right in, I gained a a greater level of understanding as to why meditation is so beneficial, no matter how it's done. Here are a few tidbits I've gathered:

I'm not a meditation expert by any means, I'm simply an at-times overwhelmed mom looking for ways to ground my family and felt drawn to this mediation series. Even though the way we are practicing doesn't look like I pictured it to look before starting, I'm sticking with it. I just took the next step in my meditation journey and downloaded the Headspace app.

Now, my goal is still to practice every day, but I don't think that will happen right away. I don't even know if I will practice every week. What I do know, is it's a practice and I'll grow and as I go.

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This Netflix meditation series calmed my anxiety and kicked off my family's meditation journey - Motherly Inc.

If mediation is not part of your morning routine then things need to change. Why? Because of the fantastic benefits of morning meditation.

Dont worry, you dont need to be a particularly disciplined person to incorporate morning meditation into your day. All you need is some time and patience to do it a few times until it becomes a habit until you are eager to get up and do morning meditation. Remember, the effects of meditation extend throughout other important areas of your life.

Science is behind this claim, not only peoples experience. Mediation can reset your body and change your brain in the long run. Here we are going to talk about some amazing benefits of daily morning meditation that might even surprise you.

For men, during meditation, released cortisol can increase testosterone levels which means you will have more energy during the day. If you do a workout after meditation you will be full of energy. Also, in your daily activities, you will feel less stressed and more rested. You will have the energy to tackle any task, deal with any issue, and conquer the world.

All the Amazing Benefits of Morning Meditation

Meditation will give you more sensitivity to your environment and others. With meditation you become more present, you dont run from one thing to another, but you appreciate the moment. We often are not in the mood to have sex because our mind is somewhere else, thinking about things we didnt do or things we have to do tomorrow. Often sex therapists understand that some of their clients are not in the mood not because the magic is gone but because they are too stressed, creating a sense of business while not doing enough at the same time.

Meditation can activate your parasympathetic nervous system which leads to a deep state of relaxation during the mediation. If you wake up tired and meditate for 20 minutes, you will get the energy boost that you need. This can further reduce your coffee intake, which doesnt necessarily mean that you dont need your morning coffee at all. It simply means that you wont have three or four cups of coffee during the day.

Meditation will help you focus on one task at a time. We all know that multitasking is overrated and not productive at all. Moreover, it leads to a busy mind and an increased level of stress. The busy mind works on one thing then gets interrupted and does a second thing. The busy mind jumps from one task to another that needs to be done while doing something completely different.

This is something that we all heard about meditation and something that we already mentioned. Why lowering stress is so important to us? It seems we never dealt with so much stress as we do today. There are so many different sources of stress in our lives and relieving stress is very important in todays world. Mediation is a tool that you can employ to deal with stress better and to change the way you react to it.

In the world of meditation, our inner and outside world are so strongly related and connected. Numerous studies proved that those who dont sleep enough and stress a lot are more likely to reach for junk food compared to those who deal with stress better and sleep better. Once you become focused, present, and centered, your cravings for doughnuts and fast food will be replaced by a craving for healthier food. This happens due to a lower level of cortisol which is crucial for the food choices we make.

Probably the most important benefit of daily meditation is becoming healthier. Mediation is not a substitute for medical treatment but its a part of a healthy lifestyle. It helps you deal with daily stress known as the silent killer. Meditation helps you relax and take care of your body and invite other healthy habits into your life. It has been shown that meditation can reduce pain.

To become a healthier and better version of yourself embrace a daily practice of meditation and start today. Good luck and stay safe.

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Amazing Benefits of Morning Meditation - Gildshire Magazines

For Nomadland, writer-director Chlo Zhao adapted Jessica Bruders 2017 book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century into a screenplay, got Frances McDormand to star in the movie, and hasnt looked back since.

The film, the third in the Beijing-born Zhaos trilogy of a sort on the state of the American West after 2015s Songs My Brother Taught Me and 2017s The Rider, has been among the most honored so far this movie-awards season. The streak started with a rare double: snagging the Golden Lion at Venice and the Audience Award at Toronto two Oscar-bellwether wins. It since has picked up Best Picture, Actress and Screenplay wins from various key critics groups, was named to the Top 10 films list at AFI and scored nominations in all three categories in the past week alone from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.

Nominations also include from the USC Scripters, which recognize both the adapted screenplay and the original work. It was Bruder who set off in an old van to follow along with workampers, the Great Recession-driven low-cost labor pool of mostly transient older Americans who hit the road in RVs, vans and travel trailers as migrant workers. She discovered along the way their resiliency, and how their sense of hope is fully intact.

Zhao built the story on Fern (McDormand), who packs her van after losing almost everything and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. David Strathairn co-stars along with real-life nomads Linda May (who accompanied Bruder for her book) and Swankie.

As Deadlines Todd McCarthy wrote in his review of the film, which McDormand and Peter Spears produced after acquiring rights to the book: [Nomadland is] an observant, simple, contemplative work, one uninterested in manufacturing melodrama or hyped-up incident, but rewarding for its illumination of Americans who represent societal afterthoughts, mostly older working people left behind in backwaters and on the sidelines with no prospects at all.

After a December qualifying run, Nomadland opens wide February 19 via Searchlight Pictures, whose track record of Oscar success includes Best Picture wins for Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman and The Shape of Water.

Check out Zhaos screenplay below:

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Nomadland: Read The Screenplay For Chlo Zhaos Meditation On The American West - Deadline

Yoga, reiki and other forms of Eastern therapy methods have deep roots in China, Japan, India and other parts of Asia, with philosophies and schools of thought often stretching back thousands of years.

But these methods of treating body, mind and soul with a variety of physical and mental exercises or, in the case of reiki, using the bodys energy to heal itself have found their way into the Western world in the past 100 years or so.

Jeff Wright is a yoga teacher from Platteville, Wis., who has been teaching in the tri-states since 1985. He said that even almost 100 years later, yoga wasnt trending all that much.

It was a different kind of thing back then, he said. It wasnt as popular as it is now.

Wright began studying meditation with a professor at University of Minnesota in the late 1960s. He pursued the art of meditation for many years and thought the physical practice of yoga would be a good addition to his routine.

I thought it would really help to learn yoga and keep practicing it if I taught, he said. If you teach something, youre motivated to learn more about it. Its been 50 years that Ive been interested.

According to The Good Body, a website that collects research and case studies on health, the number of people practicing yoga has tripled in the past eight years. Those people arent just looking for spiritual enlightenment. The top reasons cited include relief from stress, anxiety and depression and a desire to improve energy, memory and focus.

However, in addition to the physical, moving practice of yoga, Wright also has a passion for stillness something he has been cultivating for more than 20 years.

Ive really simplified what I do and what I think helps people the most, he said. With COVID, Ive stopped teaching physical yoga. Im really focusing on stillness practice. Its just being still and letting the brain do what its going to do.

Wright emphasized that, like any good habit, its important to practice daily, even though we might not always want to do it.

Its like sleep in that way, he said. We need a reintegration of our minds but in a wakeful way. A lot of stuff goes into the brain, and its not always pleasant, so we dont always look forward to it.

Wright meets with two stillness groups per week, one at Rountree Gallery in Platteville and one at Body & Soul Wellness Center and Spa in Dubuque.

He also believes the act of being still is a perfect practice for what he calls formal public sitting (FPS).

FPS is based on two premises: One is that sitting, relaxed and wakeful for at least 20 minutes a day, unguided, allows us our natural mental health, he said. The second is that when doing this practice around others, they feel inspired by your stability and may join you as well. When many practice together, there is peace.

The core elements of yoga, particularly the act of stillness, is really very natural, Wright said.

You see animals in nature doing this all the time, sitting still for periods of time, he said. Its really a very natural thing for all beings to do. Its a turn-off for a lot of people that think that its something so exotic.

In fact, Wright said the process is not at all intimidating but simple. Theres nothing to learn, and the whole group is in and out in an hour.

We sit for 15 minutes, then we walk and loosen up a bit, then sit for another 15 minutes, then do it again, he said. Then, we chat for about 10 minutes, and then were on our way.

While Wright admitted the demographic for yoga has been middle class White, he would like to see diversity in his stillness groups.

Ive had so few minorities, he said. Id love to see a broader spectrum of people. This isnt a big, splashy idea, but its so useful. I just think there are so many other people who are missing these benefits.

Wright said sitting still doesnt have to mean doing nothing. In fact, he encourages those who need to keep busy to do whatever they want to do.

You have to give yourself time to get to those intuitive insights in your mind, he said. That may mean reading or spacing out in front of the TV. Its doing whatever works for you.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, such self-care and wellness practices have seen an uptick.

Rachel Harwood, owner of Perfect Zen in Dubuque, has been a reiki master for more than a decade. Reiki is a form of energy healing and can be used for both physical and emotional healing.

When people ask me what reiki is, I try to get them to understand that their body is full of energy, and we carry those through all of our experiences, she said. When you get an emotional response in your body, thats an indication that you have fully processed it. If you dont feel any tension or emotion, thats an indication that youve fully processed it, that youve moved past it.

Harwood uses a variety of methods in her practice, including sound massage and sound meditation, using singing bowls and tuning forks to pick up imbalances with discrepancies in sound.

I can hear it, and my client can hear it, she said.

While meditation focuses on breath and mind visualization, sound meditation brings the focus to atonal sounds using singing bowls, chimes or bells.

Body & Soul and Center of I Am in Dubuque boast similar offerings.

The sound tools help to entrain the vibration of cells and help them vibrate back to where they should be, Harwood said. Its an amazing way to balance the nervous system. When were in a state of stress, our body isnt in a place where it can rest or heal.

Harwood emphasized that our bodies are designed to heal themselves.

Were accepting of the Western model of medicine having things done to us and taking medicine, and that will fix you, she said. But we have much more power over our bodies than we realize. We have more control than we give ourselves credit for.

Brittany Wagner is a nurse from Ridgeway, Wis., who works at Upland Hills Hospital in Dodgeville, Wis. She has been a client of Harwoods for several years.

Ive been going to Rachel for more holistic therapies such as reiki and sound healings, she said. Theyve all been a great complement to my mental and spiritual health, especially while working in the pandemic.

Wagner also practices clarity breathing with Harwood, a method of breath work that can help access the subconscious.

It can take you to a million different places, Harwood said. It can be great for people who arent afraid to go there.

Wagner said the breath work she has done has greatly improved her personal and professional lives.

Its brought me a sense of balance and stillness, she said. Its in that stillness that I am able to reset and find some mental clarity and stress reduction.

Wagner said the work she has done with Harwood has made her feel more grounded as a nurse, wife and mother. It also gave her the confidence to step out of her comfort zone and be part of a medical mission in Guatemala.

I never would have had the confidence to do it if it werent for the medical and spiritual training Ive had over the years, she said.

Harwood also teaches yoga to school children at Challenge to Change in Dubuque. Teaching these methods of relaxation and stress reduction to young children has been rewarding for her. Harwood said Challenge to Change yoga programs are in more than 200 schools this year, compared to just 14 a few years ago.

We teach them mudras, which is a way of holding their hands or fingers to show how theyre feeling, she said. Youll see kids walking around the school holding their hands in these mudras. They are recognizing that this is something they need, and theyre connecting with that intention.

Harwood would love to see everybody learn yoga at a young age and thinks it could positively impact the course of their lives.

I believe that we all have access to connect with our inner knowing. Why wouldnt you want to know how to better understand how to connect to yourself? she said. Yoga is about tuning in and realizing what youre feeling. Theres a lot we can learn, and a lot that we can do if we pay attention early enough.

Originally posted here:

The art of sitting still: Tri-state residents embrace meditation practices amid pandemic - telegraphherald.com

As we inch/hurtle toward a year of living with COVID-19 and its attending horrors, those of us not wrapped in the gentle insulation of exactly the right medication (prescribed or otherwise) might be struggling a bit. Who would have thought, other than informed epidemiologists shouting themselves hoarse, that this would have lasted longer than that sack of dry beans you panic bought and never cooked because, honestly, even in lockdown, soaking overnight is planning too far ahead in an uncertain world. And then they said takeout was safe, so forget it.

But here we are! Nearly a year later with many of us "hitting the pandemic wall," tired of COVID-19. Aside from the mental health crisis wrought by a staggering death toll, the possibility of contracting the virus and crushing financial pressure, it's the little things. We're tired of masks when we should be doubling them up to guard against a more contagious mutant strain. We're over Zoom cocktails, the flat, diet version of once bubbly conversations, and itching for the forbidden luxury of crowding around bars and dance floors with strangers.

And yet, like on those long-lost nights out, there's always one of us who isn't tired, that one friend who does not want to take the ride home because, "You guys, it's not even that late," and THIS IS HER SONG. That friend is COVID-19 and her song is our collective exhaustion. She has come back from the ladies' room with pupils the size of saucers and you just cannot reason with her.

So here are some meditations to help you calm your anxiety, re-energize and push through the pandemic fatigue wall and straight into what will likely be another one and another one, like dominoes resetting themselves on a Mbius strip forever. Kidding! I hope.

Meditation for Standing in Line

Ground your feet on the orange social distancing floor decal and begin with a deep breath deep enough to smell the fabric of your mask but not so deep that you might be inhaling the potential viral load of someone ignoring their own very bright decal. Exhale gently through your nose, releasing your breath and your frustration at their inability to eyeball 6 freaking feet after 11 months. Visualize the mask of the person ahead of you magically lifting, lifting, up, up over their nose. (If you're a cashier faced with hundreds of people on your shift, try this same visualization without the deep breathing. Without any breathing at all, actually.)

Meditation for Social Media Posts of Gatherings

It's easy enough to recover from the jump-scare of seeing a packed group photo from the Before Times but the shock of a fresh shot of a dozen unmasked Facebook or Instagram friends side-hugging at a party can linger. (Sweet baby Jesus, is that a charcuterie board they're picking at with their fingers?) Start by bringing your awareness to the tips of your fingers, where they hover over the keyboard. Move up through your hands and wrists, on and on until you reach your frontal lobe, where a string of angry comments is piling up like cartoon ticker tape. Imagine that string of negative thoughts and expletives drifting away on the surface of a lake like the one where you would have scattered your uncle's ashes if you'd been able to hold a funeral and ... nope. Nope. This is too heavy a lift for the millennia-old practice of meditation this is a job for kitten videos. Like 45 minutes of them. Share some with someone you know who's keeping it locked down. Try that one with the lawyer who can't turn off the filter that makes him a kitten send that one.

Meditation for the Overwhelming Urge to "Refuse to Live in Fear"

Right, of course, nobody wants to cower before the specter of death! If it's your time, it's your time! But since we're talking about a highly contagious virus very few people are as yet vaccinated against, let's channel that natural desire for personal freedom in a way that won't, say, kill me. Close your eyes and picture yourself on a mountain trail at dusk. Feel the earth, the grass, the bucket of chicken in your lap. Imagine the smell of the chicken wafting into the brush. Imagine the sound of curious wildlife approaching. A squirrel? A mountain lion? A bear? Who knows? Embrace the whims of fate without me.

Meditation for Resisting Rationalizing Dumb Shit

There will come a moment when you are tempted to flout the safety rules and recommendations maybe by cheap airfare, maybe by what everyone else seems to be doing, maybe by the quasi-psychedelic effects of eating beans you didn't cook long enough and also may have spoiled. Spike the urge to hit a house party, an underground gig or the buffet at a wedding by closing your eyes, picturing 1980s Moonstruck Cher and slapping yourself full-force across the face.

It's a global goddamn pandemic. Stay home.

Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her) is the Journal's arts and features editor. Reach her at 442-1400, extension 320, or Jennifer@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @JFumikoCahill.

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Meditations for Hitting the Pandemic Wall | Seriously? - North Coast Journal