I have been meditating off and on for about 10 years and have been a yoga teacher for 3 years. I have read many books about meditation but this MBSR course made it all come together in a way that I have never experienced before.
By participating in the course, I have learned how to skillfully be with whatever emotions arise, even when I am in difficult situations. This leaves me feeling much more calm and centered because I know that whatever happens, I have the mental tools I need to cope. Even though I have had a daily meditation practice for a long time, I often felt overwhelmed when emotions would start flowing, especially when they affected me physically.
I am so grateful to know about the Soften, Soothe, Allow meditation and the many others I have learned through this course. I frequently use S.S.A. to just sit with difficult feelings. I can feel the constriction physically in my body that memories and emotions have left in me, especially in the chest and throat. Being able to soften in those areas has been so helpful! I feel more energy, I feel more articulate while teaching my classes and best of all, I feel the simple joy of living in the present moment so much more often.
In fact, I still use each meditation as a tool that I learned to help me through difficult times. S.T.O.P. helps me to recognize what is happening and to choose a skillful response. The R.A.I.N meditation goes much deeper to really unearth the core of what is happening emotionally. I often recommend these to my students as well. The Lake meditation I use whenever I find myself unable to feel centered, helping me to circumvent trouble before it even starts.
I feel more relaxed teaching yoga and meditation now and find myself speaking from the heart in a deep and meaningful way, since I am more comfortable in my own skin. I feel more open and have become a much better listener as well. I genuinely care for each and every one of my students and feel I have a lot more to offer than I did before I worked through your MBSR program. Thank you for all that you have given to me and the countless others who have participated in this healing program. I have recommended your program to many of my students, friends and family. Again, thank you for all of the work it must have taken to present this free online course that was only available to a small segment of the population before you put it this online format.
Namaste and Thank You.
- Sharon E.
"Letter of Learning"
from Sharon E. in North Carolina
