At first, I could not believe that an online, self-learning course could be this effective. I guess I was a bit skeptical about this format, but I was wrong.

       Thank you so much for sharing these resources and learnings. I'd always wanted to learn about mindfulness but my circumstances don't allow me to attend classes in person. This course was so much more than a taster. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it and have kind of been raving about it to my friends.

       It took me more than 8 weeks to complete the course, but I've never for one second thought I would give up. When I looked back at all the formal and informal practice sheets, I replayed the moments I wrote about with much more clarity than I otherwise would. I think I started rather smoothly, practicing every day, and then life got a bit bumpy - issues with my husband, my mom's illness, our ex-landlord asking us to move out, my visa status etc. etc. Although I didn't write everything down, I did apply mindfulness in the midst of the madness. In fact, unsurprisingly, mindfulness played a huge part in helping me get through the stressful, difficult times.

       With this course I learnt the key techniques and attitude to practicing mindfulness. I have come across mindfulness before - in yoga classes and meditation nights at the Auckland Buddhist Centre where my friend is a follower. But what I've learnt in the past was piecemeal - the importance of being kind and non-critical to myself when I couldn't stay still/focus is something I only realised with this course. There are moments now in the day when I suddenly become extra aware, that feeling of seeing everything as if for the first time. I'm also more aware when I have strong emotions - both pleasant and unpleasant ones, although I may not be able to always have the most desirable response (still learning to!). I now go into the shower every day with the intention of mindfully enjoying it. I also really appreciated the support from the Palouse student community, especially when I was going through a hard time drowning in guilt. It really helped to know that someone understands, and "turning towards" helped me explore my feelings.

       Going forward, I plan to keep practicing meditation every day however little or much time I can devote. I will also practice the moments of simple awareness and STOP - especially when I'm tense and anxious. I will continue to practice yoga but with a different intention and attitude now - no more escaping from the discomfort by distracting myself with music!

       Thank you so much again. This is the beginning of a life-long journey.