mindful monday: immersion

bonjour from omega institute near rhinebeck, new york.

you may recall my revelation and thrill last week regarding getting into this 7-day mindfulness-based stress reduction training with jon kabat-zinn. truly, i had trouble sleeping last week. i was *that* excited. washed my costa rica laundry, repacked with same items, and awaited friday's departure.

despite both trains having delays and making it here with only a few minutes to spare, there was still a smile on my face. the journey so far has fluctuated between joy and despair. with much anticipation for the next meal. eating has turned into a reward of sorts for making it through the hours of sitting meditation, walking meditation, body scan, and sharing.

the challenges have been many and i'm sure the benefits will soon surpass. since we're heading into a period of silence and i'll be missing, i wanted to leave you with a nugget from last night's nearly 3-hour lecture by jon on the evolution of MBSR since his start in the 70s:

"real meditation practice is how you live your life -- moment by moment by moment -- whatever the circumstances you find yourself in."

also, a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. notice how often the mind moves from the present moment and gently return it. breathe in. breathe out. it's that simple. and that profound. bisous.