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No Pressure. No Judgment. No Dogma. Just Respectful People Supporting Each Others Mindfulness & Meditation.
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Hello Friends! I am Sneha Jhanb, a former student of Sean Fargo and mindfulness exercises. I am excited to join this community and learn from everyone. I live in Atlanta, GA with my kids and husband and our new puppy. I help relentless leaders sleep better and relax their way to prosperity using mindfulness, self compassion, sound healing and financial services. Most of my clients are entrepreneurial and professional women who are looking for more purpose and meaning in their life. This year, I am most excited about publishing my first ever book.
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- Yesterday
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Today was day 28 of my 100 day challenge. I like the fact that I'm looking forward to each morning with a different meditation. These first 28 days were the mindfulness for beginners album. I'm interested to see where the rest come from. Kindness and love for all, John
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You are a lot kinder than i am in that respect. i am a bit of a curmudgeon and naysayer when it comes to people.
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Tuning into nature
Gillian Sanger replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Sounds, Sights, Tastes & Smells
Hi @Faune, Yes, there are many good and caring people who live, speak, and act in ways that support and care for the wellbeing of animals and the rest of the natural world. I can see what you are saying about our species, but I try to think that because we are here, we are natural and there is a purpose for us. We just need to figure out what that is on a collective scale. -
Thank you so very much Rachel. Your words highlight for me the complexity of things and the frequent co-existence of paradoxical emotions. It can be difficult to put our finger on what is going through the mind, heart, and body since these feelings are transient. In one moment, hope. In the next, anger or cynicism. You have highlighted your own experience of multidimensionality this week beautifully. And this. Yes! Words are incredibly powerful. And poetry is a unique vessel that brings words directly into heart and soul. My own mind today has been shifting between focused and scattered. For periods of time I have been concentrated on my work and on my practice (mantra, self-compassion, and journaling today). And during other periods of the day, well, my mind has been a little bit all over the place. One thing that helped to put my mind at ease today was when one of my dogs sauntered over to me and sat in front of me, staring up at me with her dark brown eyes. In that moment, the planning/worrying/anxious mind just melted away and I tuned back into the present moment. I held her and an immense wave of gratitude washed over me. It helped me to remember what matters most in life - love.
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I am a bit late to this week's inquiry, but I was actually surprised by the amount of decompression I was feeling last week after the inauguration. I do not think I had realized how much emotion had been tangled up in these recent months for me. I have been feeling a slow burn of hope, relief, anger, and exhaustion. Dare I say a bit of cynicism (eek) on the edges, around the concept of a magic bullet having arrived and all being well. There is so much suffering, for multiple reasons, and the work must now be attended to in earnest. In that way, I get a sense of energized commitment. Complacency is not action. These things- racial injustice, the climate crisis, economic inequity, the pandemic- are not someone else's 'problems'. They belong to all of us; so now, with the turn of leadership here in the US, we get to work. The last thing I have felt this week has been awe. Amanda Gorman not only inspired with her words and recitation, she reminded every student I work with that it is COOL to read, write, and express yourself. Words are power. Wow. Wishing all here peace and ease. Take good care.
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How interesting the difference in interpretations, Gillian. In some ways we are a part of the world and I truly do not like being such a cynic but in my mind we are an unnatural species Every being has a role to play to keep the balance of nature but what is our role? Thankfully I am able to remember there are many good and caring people who fight for animals and the planet even if I remain a cynic about our species. Thank you for telling us about that dream.
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Tuning into nature
Gillian Sanger replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Sounds, Sights, Tastes & Smells
Nice to hear from you Priyanka! What a sweet photo. Faune, yes - the concrete and glass does create a sense of division, doesn't it? 'Us' and 'the wild world out there'. But we are an integral part of that wild world. It reminds me of a dream I had once: I was in Northern Ontario and I built a beautiful glass dome for myself (I had superpowers, clearly). When it was finished, I rested inside the dome gazing up at the trees beyond the glass. Later, I shared this dream with a Jungian analyst, explaining that I thought the dream symbolized my yearning to be connected to nature. She said something like, "But there was this barrier - this glass dome - between you and that natural world?" It made me pause. How immersed did I think I was when it as clearly 'me in here' and 'nature out there'? Very interesting. -
I wanted to quickly bring to the community's attention the intention for this community, as well as general rules and etiquette to keep in mind. I am so pleased with how communication typically flows in this community, but I wanted to offer some reminders in any case. I will be elaborating on what is written on our 'About' page. * First and foremost, compassion and non-judgment are at the heart of this community. We ask that when you share here, your words are grounded in these qualities. "Loving-kindness and understanding are what this space is here for, so ensure that your words are in alignment with these." If posts are made that violate these terms (and others outlined in the About page), we maintain the right to remove them. Mindful, compassionate communication is at the core of this. In an online space, this can be tricky as words are more likely to be misinterpreted. For that reason, it feels even more important to be thoughtful with our words and to consider the overall net effect of them. I am going to point out two places to learn more about what this mindful, compassionate communication entails: 1) Oren J. Sofer provides a wealth of knowledge on mindful communication. During his workshop with the teacher training program, he outlined three pillars of mindful communication: presence, intention, and attention. Intention stands out to me here. He says, "If our intention is off, the other person is going to feel it." In this community, our intention should be coming from curiosity and care. If you are not in the teacher training program, you can find Oren's work here: https://www.orenjaysofer.com/ 2) The Center for Nonviolent Communication can also provide guidance here. From there website, I am drawn to this line: "Through its emphasis on deep listening—to ourselves as well as others—NVC helps us discover the depth of our own compassion. This language reveals the awareness that all human beings are only trying to honor universal values and needs, every minute, every day." You can learn more about this approach to compassionate communication here: https://www.cnvc.org/learn-nvc/what-is-nvc * Now, it's important to note that this does not mean we always need to agree - but how do we discuss topics of difference? Are we approaching our differences with compassion, awareness of our shared humanity, and curiosity? All are welcome to share their opinions here, but please do so without blaming and shaming. If you have any questions about this or any concerns with posts going forward, feel free to reach out to me. On the whole, this community has felt very warm, supportive, and inspiring. Thank you for your contributions. Let's continue to use our words to bring out the best in one another - to support, to care, and to nurture.
- Last week
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A wonderful photo! He looks like a very happy cat and a lucky one. Cats are funny beings. I had an orange male and he was one of the best cats ever. You must have gotten him to walk early. i can not imagine doing this with mine but then I never tried.Thanks for the smile.
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Tuning into nature
yogawithpriyanka replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Sounds, Sights, Tastes & Smells
chotu goes out for walks on a leash twice a day everyday ... if he isnt taken out - he is very vocal indeed.... just thought i would share a picture of him.... he scampers up trees and runs around on the property ... truly an amusing fellow ... -
I had to laugh at what your cats do because mine do the same.One in particular-the other one just watches-will jump on the window as the squirrels run mourned looking for food.Sometimes they come up to the window of the porch and loo in and that really gets him going. They do go out but with the cold weather they are not out much and so it gives them some fun and exercise. Those glue traps are horrid as well as so many of the contraptions people use for animals. We are truly the most dangerous and ultimate invasive species despite the good and caring people who exist.No matter what we do we have an impact.
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Tuning into nature
yogawithpriyanka replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Sounds, Sights, Tastes & Smells
i couldnt agree with you all more ...we are the most arrogant specie on the planet - we have a lot of mice living with us in our new house out in the country - so we usually catch them and release them out in the forest across the road from us in hopes that they wont come back where as people here are using that sticky stuff to catch them and that is so sick..its traumatizing and starves the poor thing to death ... we have a bunny rabbit that chills out on our deck every evening and drives my chotu (cat) crazy - and our bird feeders are all around the house so it works like cat tv for him - and we have blue jays, cardinals and all manner of beautiful birds coming to eat...its just stunning - i dont need people - and since we are in lockdown again i love it..i love being a hermit with my husband and nature around us...i couldnt agree with you all more ...we are the most arrogant specie on the planet - we have a lot of mice living with us in our new house out in the country - so we usually catch them and release them out in the forest across the road from us in hopes that they wont come back where as people here are using that sticky stuff to catch them and that is so sick..its tramautising and starves the poor thing to death ... we have a bunny rabbit that chills out on our deck everyevening and drives my cat crazy - and our bird feeders are all around the house so it works like cat tv for him - and we have blue jays, cardinals and all manner of beautiful birds coming to eat...its just stunning - i dont need people - and since we are in lockdown again i love it..i love being a hermit with my husband and nature around us... -
I think too many see themselves as separate from nature and mostly wildlife is because then they would have to realize they are animals too. As more things got invented it set us apart from nature preferring concrete and glass instead. Notice how people insult others-snakes, weasels, rats, pigs. They are just different animals. People like to control nature as if they know better and let's face it there are a lot of humans who like power and control and seeing themselves as better than other species. I always say that humans are not special or the most/on;y important species but merely the one with the power-power that is too often abused. I do love nature and wildlife and in all honesty , which I have probably said, not such a big fan of most people. I see us as no more important and that is a lot of my relationship with them even though i have been yelling at the squirrels lately as they take over the bird feeders. I am working on a better solution fo that everyone is happy because they need to eat too. They are a crazy bunch though.
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Tuning into nature
Gillian Sanger replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Sounds, Sights, Tastes & Smells
Hello @Faune! Lovely to hear from you. Yes, this quote is beautiful even if poignant. We are indeed, as a collective, very far removed from nature and our impact on it. I think this is one of our root causes of suffering - this illusion that we are separate from the natural world that we are in fact an integral part of. It is beautiful to read about your nature reflections. You seem to have a very special relationship with your surroundings and the animals there -
Hi Gillian,I wish i would remember to stopping here more. this is such a beautiful and yet so sad quote. So many do not feel any connection to nature and while some people do not like the city others do not like nature which is beyond me. We are cut off from it so often and that is really too bad. because in my humble opinion they are missing out and it enables them to not care about the harm that is done to it or cause harm themselves. I do ot live in a wild place far from people but i am in a rural area and am surrounded by trees and mountains. Even when i lived in the city I walked in an arboretum every day and would marvel at the change in the season, the hues of nature-the trees, the sky- and hugged trees sen then. It was faux nature but beautiful nonetheless and brought me peace and joy. Thank you for sharing this, Gillian. I write this as I look out at the trees and watch the birds at the suet feeders and the squirrels eating the acorns I collected and saved for them.
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Tuning into nature
Gillian Sanger replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Sounds, Sights, Tastes & Smells
I am sitting at my desk overlooking the snow flurries outside and thought again about how miraculous the natural world is. Then, I remembered a quote I discovered in the introduction to a new book I am reading called 'If Women Rose Rooted'. The book is by Sharon Blackie, but the quote is by DH Lawrence. I will share it here as it serves as a reminder for me to deeply tune into nature and her rhythms: -
Hello Patricia F! Lovely to connect with you. I am Gillian - the community moderator. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message. It is wonderful to hear about the work that you do. Are there currently mindfulness resources or teachings being offered in any way through the organization? And I am also curious - to establish a more consistent practice, are you doing the 100 day mindfulness challenge or simply setting your own intentions?
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Hello. My name is Patricia F as there is already a Patricia in the group. I am excited to be here and looking forward to being on a consistent practice schedule. I am a volunteer at an organization that helps people in all forms of recovery. I would love to bring mindfulness to them as well.
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Hi Dale! Welcome to the community. I'm Gillian - the moderator for the forum. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a note.
All the best!
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This week's question asks: How is your mind today? This is an opportunity to simply share whatever sorts of thoughts you've been experiencing today. Is your mind feeling clear? Is it feeling scattered? Is it inspired, frightened, focused, confused, or overwhelmed? Feel free to share anything you notice about your thought patterns today or in the day's leading up to this one.
- Earlier
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January 13th - Sean's 5 Mindful Musings
Gillian Sanger replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Mindful Musings
Hi David, In that blog post there is a quote by a man named Robert Augustus Masters. Have you heard of him? I haven't looked too much into his work, but a while back I listened to a podcast during which he very openly talked about his earlier life experience. In his early days, he organized a 'spiritual community' which ended up being a cult. I can't remember the details but I think he had a bit of a breakdown and had to look at his life in a completely new way, which led to more honest realizations. I just learned that he wrote a book on spiritual bypassing (and articles and other podcasts), which could be valuable and interesting resources to check out! https://www.robertmasters.com/book/spiritual-bypassing/ -
I am sharing here a video clip of Sean explaining his definition of mindfulness. I am posting it in the 'Teaching Mindfulness to Others' corner of the forum as this clip comes from the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. It can be used to help us understand mindfulness for ourselves but also as a suggestion for how we might explain it to others.
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What do you do when you don't feel like meditating?
Gillian Sanger replied to Gillian Sanger's topic in Question of the Week
What great responses. All so very unique! Similar to David, what I do when I don't feel like meditating depends upon what is going on in mind and body (i.e. am I being stubborn or is my mind-body asking for something a bit different?). In any case, what I am learning to do each morning, regardless of what I 'feel' like, is to commit to some sort of 'tuning in' for at least 20 minutes. This might end up as formal meditation practice or it could end up being more expressive, such as journaling, dance, or yoga (i.e tuning in and seeing what pours out). -
Introduction - from Oregon
Gillian Sanger replied to OregonDesertDreaming's topic in Introduce Yourself
Hi Janelle! Wonderful to connect with you here. It was lovely to read your reflections on day 3 (noted about the mention of the 28-day challenge in the email! I will pass it on - thank you). I'm Gillian, by the way - the community moderator. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I read in your other post that you wish to be more consistent with your practice. I definitely think the 100 day challenge will be great for that. Do you have any favourite practices or teachers of mindfulness?
