with Kate Mitcheom - CNM, MSN, RYT, EMP
At a teacher’s retreat last Friday a friend shared this morning practice.
Upon awakening and before getting out of bed she acknowledges “Here for another day”
Might sound weird but it is so easy to forget this gift, yes, the day can be challenging at times but not to be missed.
May we all use wisely this gift of time we are given 
I have often thought that being a Mother is one of the most amazingly wonderful gifts of life. I have also thought about how much work and challenge the journey of parenting can be.
I began my meditation practice 20+ years ago and I began because I had 3 children and a full-time job as a midwife; I needed some skills! My daily practice has served me well bringing less reactivity and a more of calm perspective. I like to think it served my children as well.
So I offer you this beautiful mediation from:
Dr. Sona Dimidjian is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado, Boulder
http://www.mindful.org/a-loving-kindness-mediation-for-moms/
If the point of life were to sink further into well-worn grooves of comfort, this would be a perfectly acceptable approach. But our job is to move beyond these grooves.
The same is true of your meditation practice.
We need to know how to return to a place of ease but we also benefit from moving outside of our comfort zone. Here in this place of challenge we find new opportunities and refreshing views. Try it today…consider doing something differently! Or changing your point of view.
With retreat leaders Kate Mitcheom and Ellen Saltonstall
Message about the Retreat from Kate Mitcheom:
This past January, eighteen of us spent a week in Retreat at the Concordia Eco-Resort on the Island of St. John, Virgin Islands. We enjoyed morning yoga that was adapted for any body, followed by breakfast, then a couple hours of Mindfulness and meditation followed by lunch and then an excursion either hiking, snorkeling or just hanging out at the beach or pool. At the end of the week we had connected and made new friends, strengthened our bodies, eased our minds and replenished our spirits. I do hope you can join us this coming year!
Last year’s participants had this to say about their experience:
“Thanks for a transformative adventure!!”
“It was really a life altering experience for me on many different levels.”
“A time to breathe, work out the knots and find the joy.”
“To be on an island that is so much National Park was a true privilege.”
Price includes lodging/travel/excursions on the island/ yoga workshop… Does not include airfare/ground transportation/ferries or food.
This retreat at Concordia Eco-Resort from Jan. 27th – Feb. 4th 2018, includes daily sessions of yoga, meditation, and Bodymind Ballwork. Afternoon activities will include a range of water sports, with the opportunity to relax and reflect in an unforgettable location where tree frogs and hummingbirds feel as comfortable as you do.
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Concordia Eco-Resort’s
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Experience Counts
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| Sample Schedule: Daily Classes & Workshops | |
| 7:00 – 8:45 am | Yoga |
| Breakfast | |
| 10:30 – 12:30 pm | Mindfulness Workshop |
| Lunch | |
| 1:30 – 5:00 pm | Afternoon of swimming, hiking, snorkeling, napping |
| 4:40 – 5:30 pm | BodyMind Ballwork (none on Sunday, Monday or Thursday) |
| 5:30 pm onwards | Dinner |
More testimonials from previous participants:
I really loved this retreat!!! I feel so much more centered and calm since coming back. I find myself back in the magic of St. John every morning when I meditate. Every part of that week was so wonderful!! I did so much more than I had expected to do with regards to the yoga and swimming. (I can still see the Eagle Ray in my mind). What a great experience! There were so many interesting people on the retreat and I felt a special connection to many of them. [My roommate] (best roommate ever) and I have already gotten together. What a great match!!
Thanks so much to both you and Ellen for putting this whole thing together! It was really a life altering experience for me on many different levels.
A really wonderful week of spiritual enrichment and growth both for those with some experience with yoga and meditation and those just getting started in an amazing setting. A time to breathe work out the knots and find the joy.
It was great—the morning meditation and ballwork /yoga were really well done, and the opportunity to see such beautiful places, fish, turtles and coral reefs are amazing. I might emphasize that a lot in telling folks why doing this in St. John’s was SO worth the travel, cost, etc. To be on an island that is so much National Park was a true privilege.
I am so calm about my torn up tire from driving to Newark airport and getting the rim repaired and getting the new tire and riding on a donut and I have stopped cursing potholes and have accepted that I am throwing away gelt hard earned and staying mellow and mindful all day at work. Haven’t even put all my clothes away from trip. Thanks for a transformative adventure!!
This particular practice involves working with the energy that is naturally present in the body. Sometimes, through our life experiences, our energy decreases or stops flowing easily. This can lead to dis-ease in the body, mind or spirit and we notice that we are not feeling our best.
At the start of the session it is helpful for me to gather some information that would be relevant such as significant medical history, and current issues or problems. People without a significant problem may also benefit.
Usually this holistic, integrated approach is done with the hands on or just above the body, often starting at the feet and balancing energy throughout the body. There is no need to remove any clothing or wear anything special. Taking one’s shoes off is helpful. When receiving an energy session, the recipient may feel the flow of energy or just feel relaxed, each person is different. If there is a particular area that is causing a problem, that part of the body will be attended to in addition to the body balance.
Kate attended the Institute of Healing Arts and Sciences, a four-year program in energy medicine. She is open to questions and discussion with those who are interested.
Since 1979 the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has carried out research into the role of mindfulness in healthcare and in maintaining health. It’s research base is significant and comprises both clinical programs within the Center as well as randomized clinical trials to evaluate MBSR as a treatment for certain diagnoses and clinical populations, as well as the use of mindfulness as part of existing and well established treatment protocols.
This video, published in June 2014 as part of CFM’s 30 year celebrations, features Saki Santorelli and Jon Kabat-Zinn discussing MBSR Research.
Saki Santorelli and Jon Kabat-Zinn discuss MBSR Research in this clip from the CFM 30th Anniversary video
I hope you enjoyed our first session
Now you can download Heart Based Mindfulness Chapter 1
or read it online below
Now you can download Heart Based Mindfulness Chapter 2
or read it online below
