Longtime MNW student Maggie Weisberg wrote this reflection for her final MBSR class in June. It was so wonderful, we wanted to share it with you! We’re including her reflection preceded by an email note from Maggie offering permission to publish this here. Enjoy!
I’m happy to share this with you — thanks for asking. I think MBSR can be particularly helpful for old people. The opportunity to explore and reflect on life in a non-judgmental, loving way; to practice focus and being present, to acknowledge what’s finally important — was an energizing and lovely experience.
~ Maggie
June 25, 2025
MBSR FINAL SESSION REFLECTION
I am very grateful to have been able to share this workshop with all of you. I started with some anxiety, being in a very different life stage from most of you, and fearing that I couldn’t connect with the kind of experiences you were facing, nor you with me. In many ways, old age (I’m 101), has been less tense, more calm than any time in my life. No more big decisions to make, no one dependent on me, no financial worries, no strict work schedule. My job now is to know myself — to accept who I am. Listening to you, sharing experiences, has reminded me of the sameness of human desires and conflicts, helped me remember and re-experience the many phases of my life, and to begin to re-integrate all those parts into who I am now.
So, this course has been the right thing at the right time for me. It has helped me with this life review — not to analyze, or judge, not to second guess choices or replay old grievances, but simply to allow myself to observe the different phases and times in my life — to be open, vulnerable, truthful with myself.
I have been steeped in inner dialogue for the last 8 weeks — somewhat withdrawn from outside events— using the time to come to terms with myself — acknowledge some hard facts, difficult times, old pains. I see different parts of myself falling into place — like a giant puzzle— the dark pieces, the fears, the judgments, the mistakes, the successes — the times of joy — the times of despair. The long ago choices leading to unexpected places, the many roles, identities, activities, relationships —all fitting together, making sense, having meaning, leading up to the me of right now. And still looking for the whole picture, still finding new pieces.
I am finally learning what it means to be present — to pay attention. While I practice formal mindful meditation each day, more and more, mindfulness is simply a part of my life. Focusing on who I am right now, what’s here right now, has become a habit, and I’m constantly surprised to see this happening. It’s a quiet way to be: conscious of myself and at the same time detached— observing myself from the outside, feeling connected to humanity —- the universe — finally accepting myself while acknowledging how often old judgments, old fears of not being enough, not knowing enough—still linger. More often than not, I can laugh at them. They’ve lost their power, but they’ll always be a part of me and I accept that. I’m learning to appreciate myself, warts and all— and to appreciate others, even those I don’t like very much.
I couldn’t do most of the yoga, walking, and other exercise meditations, but I found ways to use my arms, legs and body in slow movements, while simultaneously experiencing in my bones and muscles the memory of how my body moved in earlier years. Pretty neat.
I found the Loving Kindness and Compassion meditations powerful, and surprisingly, I delight in the Body Scan. It’s somehow comforting to admit all the things this old body cannot do — and relish all the things it still can — to be acutely aware of the complicated mass of muscles, joints, nerves, and skin and bone and inner organs, still more or less doing what they’re supposed to.
All of me — still here — still me.
Maggie Weisberg lives in Bellingham, WA and regularly attends our online programs.