"Letter of Learning"
from Martha H. in Michigan

My brother encouraged me to enroll in a mindfulness course a couple of years ago. His background as a school psychologist and yoga instructor led him to take a mindfulness course himself and he now incorporates mindfulness in both practices. I myself began meditating in my early 20’s after taking a course in Transcendental meditation. Now I am 65 years old and have meditated pretty consistently over all these years.

The readings, videos and structured practice with log-keeping in the Palouse mindfulness course has produced more positive outcomes for me in the past eight weeks then what practice on my own had done over the last 40 years.

First, actually making a binder and keeping a written log enabled me to see my practice as a tangible thing, not something that just occurs only in my head. I believe this helped me to actually bring the lessons learned during dedicated mindfulness practice into my walking, talking, reacting with others world. Over time I was able to ‘view’ certain changes as they were taking place in my relationship with others.

Second, I was at first resistant to the body scan and the yoga. Although I have done yoga before I was not in a mental groove to start bending my 65 year old self. My preference was to deepen my silent meditation practice. LOL, I was surprised by what occurred. The body scan is powerful. I love it. The yoga poses have taken on a whole new level of beneficial outcomes. I do believe that over time I had so ‘disconnected’ from my body that my experience as a whole and integrated being, physically as well as mentally, had been dulled. Paying attention to my physical body became a doorway to actually be able to do mindful things in the real world.

Third, just as the mindfulness course guided us to be less judgmental about thoughts that would arise, I began to feel less judgmental about myself in general. The willingness to be kinder to myself helped nurture an overall sense of compassion.

It is my intention to revisit the entries that I made over the course as well as the readings and exercises as part of an everyday practice. My hope is to begin Teacher training. My goal is to live as an integrated person, strive to live mindfully and guide others to do the same.

Thank you for offering this class.

- Martha H.