A warm hello from all of us at Mindfulness Northwest. It’s been a big year for us! In May, founder Tim Burnett passed the Executive Director baton to me. It has been a joy to work with our stellar staff to continue offering top quality mindfulness workshops, classes, and retreats. The organization is thriving; I’ve included some happy numbers below.
We hear from you over and over again: in a chaotic world, this practice helps. We can feel it in the moment, but the effects are broader than we can imagine, both within us and in the world.
Early in my teaching life, someone shared a quote that has stayed with me: “Sacred work has invisible ripples.” Sacred here does not mean religious, but points to that deep inner work that mindfulness requires. Much of what we offer in mindfulness is quiet, steady, and unseen. We rarely witness the exact moment someone chooses patience over irritation, or breathes instead of snapping, or softens their gaze and meets another person with care.
Why do we devote ourselves to this practice? Why bother? Because mindfulness helps us turn down the noise and return again and again to something steady and trustworthy within. When we live from that place, the ripples we send into the world ease tension, interrupt patterns of fear, make space for warmth, and support clarity.
Most of the time we never see those ripples. It is enough to feel the difference in ourselves and know that this work makes life more livable, one moment at a time.
Sometimes, however, the ripples become visible. They land right in our hands. They remind us that this community makes real change possible.
Recent words from participants tell the story:
“This is the only course I have ever taken where I felt seen.”
“This course has changed my life. It has given me a way to regulate my nervous system and manage the stress and anxiety of my job.”
“Wow, this training showed me that I need to slow down more. The presenter was calming as well as uplifting.”
Because of this community, this past year we were able to:
• Serve more than 1,500 people
• Provide scholarships and reduced rates to 262 participants
• Welcome more than 500 new people into our free weekly drop in sessions
We are grateful for the 128 community members who donated this year. Their support helped ensure that cost was not a barrier for hundreds of participants.
Happily, our improved financial stability has made it possible to bring back pro bono workshops. By reaching communities with limited resources, we fulfill a long standing and powerful part of our mission.
Our MBSR Teacher Training program continues to grow in depth and perspective. We are grateful for the range of lived experience represented in our faculty and trainees, which strengthens the quality of the teaching and enriches the learning environment for everyone.
This work can help someone take a breath and choose kindness – for themselves, for others, for the world – on a day they thought they couldn’t.
Mindfulness Northwest is steady and moving with purpose. We continue to hold space for people to learn, heal, reconnect with themselves, and remember their inherent capacity for presence and compassion. With continued support, we can widen that circle so everyone, regardless of circumstance, can access this work.
If this work and this community has had a positive impact on your life, please consider making a donation. Any amount helps!
So grateful to be practicing with you. Thank you for being part of these ripples.
~ Karen Schwisow, Executive Director
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