Dec 13, 2024
by Carolyn McCarthy Photo by Judy Beth Morris On a recent morning in early November, my stomach was in knots. My head was spinning, a thought storm tumbling through. I’d managed to get myself out the door and was walking to yoga class, mat tucked under my arm. But my...
Nov 9, 2024
The simple answer sounds shocking: yes, it can be.The fuller answer is more nuanced. We all know that, much as we all need safety and protection, there is nothing that’s completely safe. Even our mindfulness practice can be harmful. It can trigger difficult internal...
Oct 3, 2024
What happens when you take stock of your day, your life, your purpose? What is the nature of the language you use with yourself? Most of us tend to be harsh and critical of how we are conducting our life. We easily spiral into self-talk of “shoulds:” I should be more...
Sep 7, 2024
Something that occurs to me regularly at our mindfulness retreats is: “I never would have thought of this!”It never would have occurred to me that being quiet and sitting still with a group of people for days at a time would bring so much benefit. That it would lead...
Aug 29, 2024
THE ROOTS OF MINDFULNESS 2024: Practicing in a Body In August 2024, Mindfulness Northwest teachers Tim Burnett and Carolyn McCarthy co-led a 5-day retreat on the the essentially embodied nature of our mindfulness practice. Tim and Carolyn wove in Buddhist teachings,...
Aug 2, 2024
“May you be happy…” Have you heard this phrase before? It is one of several phrases that might be used in the loving-kindness meditation practice. Others include: may you feel safe, may you be healthy, may you be at peace, and may you live with ease. What is your...
Jul 4, 2024
People often ask me if there’s a mindfulness practice for ….fill in the blank. Is there a practice for anxiety? Or a practice that helps in grieving a loss? Or a practice for improving concentration or mental performance in some way?While my answer is generally yes,...
Jun 6, 2024
After several very serious discussions and a thorough multi-year review of the evidence, the Mindfulness Northwest team has reached a clear consensus – there is an above-average overlap between mindfulness practitioners and birders. It makes sense! Mindfulness is a...
May 25, 2024
THE ROOTS OF COMPASSION 2024 In May 2024, Mindfulness Northwest Executive Director and Guiding Teacher Tim Burnett co-led a 5-day retreat on the Buddhist inspired teachings on compassion. Tim deeply explored the life of the 18th century Japanese Zen priest and poet...
May 3, 2024
I hear it all the time, especially at the end of a class or workshop: how do I keep this going? Daily practice, finding community, and doing a retreat come to mind. But how about books and movies? For this list, I’ve skipped the many wonderful “How To”...
Mar 27, 2024
Before applying to work at Mindfulness Northwest (MNW), I added up the time I’d spent in MNW programs: over 200 hours, most of those in 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction classes.Ask anyone in my life, and they’ll tell you I’ve...
Mar 25, 2024
With deep gratitude to our long-time client King County, Washington, we are happy to share the following handouts on integrating mindfulness into your day, especially at work. Note that most handouts include interactive links to our website and other resources. They...
