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I came across a video this morning of Francis Weller talking about grief. I must say, it felt to come at the perfect time. I have been experiencing a lot of grief about the state of our collective and his explanation of the many gates of grief was affirmative for me. Below is the video (with discussion about the five gates starting at 3:03, though the whole thing is worth a watch). That said, I'll just quickly outline the five gates he mentions here. If you have thoughts or reflections on any of these, I would love to hear them: 1. Grief that occurs when we lose something or someone that we love 2. Grief that occurs when we lose some part of ourselves we've never known 3. Grief related to the losses of the world, the sorrow of the world 4. Grief for what we expected when we came into this world but did not receive 5. Ancestral grief He notes that in our modern societies, we tend only to really acknowledge the first type. Just hearing him talk about the additional gates of grief felt deeply validating.

Beautiful, humbling words, Rachel. Thank you for sharing another one of your lovely blog posts. Reading it reminded me of something Sean said in a weekly call for the teacher training program a while back. He offered the reminder that teaching mindfulness is not about us; it is about helping others. This of course applies to modalities beyond mindfulness as well. There is a short clip of that talk here:

Thank you for sharing J.D. - and welcome to the community! Relating to what you've said, I do believe managing anxiety requires a holistic approach - community, nourishing lifestyle habits, awareness, rest, and so forth. It seems like you're covering a lot of angles in your approach!

Thank you for sharing this, Eve. I can relate to what you've said as I am constantly trying to mind my phone usage. Sometimes, I am able to recognize unconscious scrolling, but sometimes not. It's definitely a journey.

Day 13 Self ~ compassion I found the expressions in The end of the video very helpful to offer ourselves a sense of compassion and kindness through difficult and challenging times. 1. Areas of my life where I can be more forgiving are … This reminded me of the forgiveness prayer that personally helped me a lot to forgive moments from the past in Childhood. 2. If I were more forgiving of these areas, it would allow me to…. As I was able to forgive that was the first time that allowed me to let go and move forward much easier with life. Thanks for this self compassion video, It feels always “connecting” to bring a sense of self compassion to the moment and yourself.

Anxiety is the reason I got into mindfulness. I totally agree. I'll suddenly become aware that I'm not taking full breaths at times. When I get like this, I grab my disc golf bag and hit the course. I work from home, so getting out and away from my desk is paramount to my mental health. I've also gotten back into weightlifting after a 6 month hiatus, which I'll never do again. My stress got so bad a few months ago, that I started having vertigo-like symptoms. I was dizzy anytime I was in an upright position. My hypothalamus was the culpret according to my chiro. He gave me some supplements and that really helped, but getting back into the gym and better eating habits have really helped. But I will say meditation has 10X'd the benefits of all those things. Incredibly powerful.

A list of things most people IRL or online don't know about me with a twist!: One of the items on this list is not true. I'm curious to see which one you think it is! I was on a competitive gymnastics team in my childhood I had been dreaming of playing professional soccer since I was a kid, but music threw a into those plans I did a summer in DCI with Spokane Thunder 2008 tenors/quads I've taken improv comedy classes I used to skateboard and freestyle rollerblade during my youth I've been skydiving 5 times I've taken Krav Maga classes I once auditioned to be a Blue Man in Las Vegas I joined a band last minute as a guitarist for the 2009 VANS Warped Tour I'm a Les Claypool impersonator

To be financially secure, do you work harder at anticipating risks so you can avoid them, or at building a cushion so you can withstand the unexpected? Which do you think might work better and why? I know choose to build a cushion so that I can withstand the unexpected is the way I want to achieve on but I still work so hard at anticipating risk just to avoid them to happen. I think build a cushion much more better because I can't always foresee what's the unexpected will happen in the future and what if I really can't work already then what is my next plan to overcome the risk so the rational choice will be build a cushion for myself in financially secure.

What are your two most compulsive habits? Do you struggle to break them? If so, what would it feel like to accept them and give up on trying to change? I want to compulsive play smartphone when I feel alone and watching my smartphone while I'm eating. Yes, I want to break them because I know I can create many joyful and happy moment with others, enjoy the food and the taste instead of watch drama while I having a meal. I feel appreciated and grateful if I can break those habits.

Hi Everyone- I am happy to report that I have been able to bring mindfulness to groups that cut across a swath of my community as well as online. Today I wrote and put out a new blog post that I wanted to share- called In Service. Hope it resonates and please feel free to share widely. Here is the direct link, and below is the link for my site where meditations and blogs are shared freely and with love! link to blog: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qm8wftizCAlZSsI6BXrvYOCqlLIgdObFVTrUcZkEfBw/edit?usp=sharing link to site: rachelpottsorg.wordpress.com Be well! Rachel

Day 52: Relaxing The Mind If your child were to be boring, stupid, or ugly - which one would you prefer? Would your choice depend on the child's gender? OMG! I LOVE THIS QUESTION! I been talking about this so much lately with friends and boyfriend. I want my future kid to be a GAY SON!

In case you missed it or aren't signed up, here are Sean's 5 mindful musings for the week. enhancing non-judgmental moment-to-moment awareness Hi All! Here is your weekly dose of "5 Mindful Musings", a brief list of what's helping me live a more mindful life. What I Am Happy About My Latest Free Guided Meditation. Listen to this for more presence and peace in your day. I will be sharing these much more often on our YouTube channel. What I Am Interested In Anicca Wearable Device. "Anicca helps you manage your emotions by amplifying the sensation of your own breathing as calming vibrations on your body, working in four ways: Connects you with your sense and rhythm of breathing so you can regulate in a way that would fit you... Creates a soothing vibration at emotional regulation centres on your body... Calms your mind by giving it a clear focus... Grounds you in your body and a regular rhythm - your breathing." Free Mindfulness Exercises I Just Shared 7 Mindfulness Exercises to Support Teens As They Grow. By providing teenagers with the tools of mindfulness, we equip them to better recognize what they are going through and to more effectively navigate any challenges that arise. Mindfulness is entirely free and always accessible, so it is something that teenagers can continually return to – whether guided or on their own. What I Am Excited About Monkey Feet. I just ordered these boot-type-devices that allow your feet to grab onto dumbbells, allowing you to strengthen your legs so much easier than other means. I can't wait to incorporate them into my garage-gym workouts. A Quote I Love "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." – The Dalai Lama For more free mindfulness exercises, subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Wishing you well, Sean Fargo - Founder, Mindfulness Exercises - Former Buddhist Monk of 2+ Years - Instructor for the mindfulness program developed at Google - Founder of the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program http://mindfulnessexercises.img-us6.com/mauricio/jack_kornfield.jpg "Sean is a wonderful teacher, well practiced in the teachings of mindfulness and compassion, dedicated and thoughtful." - Jack Kornfield, Best-selling Mindfulness Author and Founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center

In this moment. Present, Aware, Resilient. (Above par)

I love life. I am a life enthusiasts. I believe we are here to make life better. Our job is to lead by example and show others the way. I am the Mindful-Coach. That is who I want to be when I grow up.

Right now at 10 PM: Content. Thoughful. Tired

Day 13 Relieving Stress Meditation Pick an activity today that has the potential to trigger you or cause you stress. Perhaps it’s a commute to work, or a particular job or activity, or possibly an interaction with a difficult person. When you begin that activity, make a commitment to notice any trigger or stress response and try using SBNRR (Stop, Breathe, Notice, Reflect, Respond) to navigate the activity. 1 Q.) What were the signals that a trigger response or stress was present? Today I sat with someone in a car (the drive was about 40 min) for a longer period of time and this person is talking non-stop, either this person is highly enthusiastic and euphoric or super emotional neg or pos...after 20 min or so this behavior triggered in me a feeling of almost becoming short-tempered today. It was 5.30 AM in the morning. I was aware of a shallower breathing pattern and I had to "breathe out" the tightness in my traps and belly... what a morning After a while I looked out of the window and asked myself.. what happens if I don't engage so much in what this person had to say but rather listen to it as if it was a play on stage.... and this made it much easier for me to "handle" this at that moment. 2 Q.) What parts of SBNRR were easy for you? Difficult? Stopping, breathing, noticing are more on the easy side. Then reflecting on it and responding is another challenge. Actually I didn't really focus on "reflection", but with hindsight, I could have just observed his face, appreciating his many good qualities and his good intentions in everything he is doing... by doing this I would feel more understanding and compassion. 3 Q.) How did practicing SBNRR impact the outcome of the situation? A huge impact. It teaches me on how to respond wiser and just make decision from a point of centeredness. High five to "SBNRR"

Thanks Gillian for your input. As I read your post I could sense a soothing feeling of the warm sun touching my eye lids, just by imagining it

Thank you Rachel! For me in this moment: Quiet. Observant. Soft breeze. (Four words... as I felt that the 'breeze' was incomplete with an adjective.)

In this moment- Still; uncertain; content.

This week's question asks: What three words best describe your experience in this moment? Without overthinking this question, tune into your experience of this moment. What three words do you want to share about it? These can be adjectives, verbs, or nouns - whatever comes up for you.