Letter - Kathy B.

I loved taking the Palouse Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction class. I'm disappointed it's come to an end. I'm planning on reading the graduate materials because - well, I'm interested, but also - I'm not ready to say goodbye. I have FELT better mentally and emotionally while taking this course.

It provided for me another layer to my life, something that I got to have, I guess I'd say. It represented a part of myself that I got to attend to separate from the rest of my life - which looked exactly the same as it always had from the outside. The readings, the videos, the meditation were always waiting for me to return to them; they offered a quiet pause to my life. Many days, the time I spent on the course was the best, most serene part of my day.

Now, I have been meditating approximately 30 minutes a day on a daily basis for over a decade. Also, I have attended meditation retreats and classes, meditated with others, and have read A LOT about meditation. My practice is established and I don't think I'll ever give it up. But MBSR was something different for me, and I can't really explain what it was. I don't know if it was the connection to others who were also taking the course, the readings and videos that were specifically chosen for me, the student, in mind. I don't know if it was that the instructor seemed truly to care about sharing his knowledge and experience.

Here's what I know it was for sure: this course helped me change how I think about myself. That's one of the biggest gifts from anything meditation-related that I've ever gotten. And it is the biggest way that I will incorporate this course into my daily life.

I won't go into the specifics, but building up to Week Seven where I got to read and listen to wise people talk about self-compassion and how to practice it was truly transformational. I feel like I now carry around inside of me a loving companion instead of a harsh critic and judge. I don't know why it became so crystal clear to me during this course; maybe I was simply ready for it. But I don't want to underplay the role that the course had in my development of self-compassion; it really has been crucial. So, that's my biggest gift, and for that alone I owe a deep expression of gratitude. Thank you.

Let me also add - and this ISN'T a small thing - I can feel my self-compassion activating a deeper level of compassion for others. I don't have to sit in judgment of anyone! What a taste of freedom this has given me. Again, thank you.

As for my meditation practice: my main practice has been based on Eknath Easwaran's Eight Point Plan. During meditation I often have repeated the words of spiritual seekers from a variety of belief systems. However, I have also practiced sitting in silence, focusing on the breath or loving kindness, and I've spent time in meditation and mantram walks. I now have other tools from this course. I especially like Tara Brach's RAIN meditation and the body scan meditation, and I know I will continue to use the Mountain and Lake meditations.

I have learned to connect more with my body and to listen to what it's telling me instead of automatically taking a short cut to my (sometimes incorrect and misguided) thinking.

I loved all of the readings. There's such a body of growing evidence that meditation makes our lives better in every way.

Please don't change anything about the course. Please accept my thank you for offering it to us for free. Please accept my deep thank you for your part in helping to change lives.

- Kathy B.