For myself, mindfulness is a way to fully enter into and experience life, to accept the reality of my situation without having it overwhelm me. I have more satisfaction in pleasurable experiences and more compassion and peace in the unpleasant ones. Mindfulness practice has deepened my ability to connect with others and with myself. As I practice being present in the moment, engaging in curiosity rather than judgment, I experience greater ease, peace, and compassion. I attune to others and experience greater empathy and intimacy. The intolerable becomes tolerable. The pleasant become ecstatic. The familiar becomes intimate.
There is a lightness of being that allows intimacy with the darkest, most painful places. Suddenly, my well-being isn’t dependent on my situation, but rather on my willingness to caress and breathe life into these shadows. Freedom. The satisfaction comes from the freedom of not being shackled by the stories, but dancing through them, with them. Relief. I can discover and luxuriate in the textures of what is feared or unknown. Vitality. The joy of surprise when I open to the unknown. Spontaneity. Passion. Aliveness.
Mindfulness is the first step on this path of whole-hearted living.
In this course you will learn:
- The power of purpose, choice, efficacy, observation, and engagement, and how these shifts of perspective allow you to engage in life flexibly, effectively, and fully alive.
- The key concepts that make mindfulness so impactful for greater well-being: why it works and how.
- To identify common roadblocks that prevent people from developing the benefits of mindfulness skills.
- Specific meditation practices in order to put these key concepts into effect, experiencing the benefits first hand.
- How to translate these skills from meditation practice to real world situations in order to experience freedom in the moment.
- How to integrate this information and apply it to your specific needs and situations, crafting an individualized application of skills.
- Gain access to a community to practice with for accountability, deepening of skills, and learning from others.
Example Curriculum
I was first introduced to mindfulness practice through yoga, more than 20 years ago. At the time, I was struggling with severe health difficulties and feeling powerless to have the life I wanted. Mindfulness was a path that led me through that dark time and has allowed me to thrive, deepen my skills, and now teach others the beauty of this work.
The interplay between health and how we approach our internal experience led me to pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. In my work there I studied the impacts of emotional regulation on physical health and was able to study under prominent researchers in the field of mindfulness, deepening my understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of mindfulness practice. I am grateful to have trained in various mindfulness for physical and mental well being modalities, including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat Zinn, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy with John Teasdale and Mark Williams, and Interpersonal Neurobiology with Dan Siegal.
I currently work as a Licensed Psychologist and practice in Lexington, KY. I have a Master’s of Science Degree in Physiology and a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. In my work I specialize in integrating physical, somatic awareness with emotional and mental well-being, as research indicates this is the most impactful way to work with trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness, and relationship difficulties. I use a number of different treatment modalities, tailoring the therapy to meet each person's unique needs and style. I believe that people are not flawed or broken, rather that there are patterns that keep us from stepping into the true essence of who we are. I partner with each person in finding the personality patterns that keep them stuck, and intimately support them as they live into more authenticity. When we approach therapy in this way it brings greater freedom and power to create the lives we want, with the ability to fully embody our passion and purpose in life.
