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...
When I was younger I was a very judgmental person.Pretty much anything anyone said or did I’d have a strong opinion about how they could have done that better and the many things wrong with their choices and approach. It was a pretty constant grouch-fest with a strong...
In our classes, when we turn toward difficult emotions, we often say, “This is where the rubber meets the road.” In other words: This is where it gets tough, but also, this is why we’re doing this practice. I have five parents: two in-laws, two birth, one step. In the...
Growing up near Lake Washington, I was the kid who sat on the dock watching with envy, terrified of getting in the water as my friends had fun splashing about. I suspect that my Dad grabbing my foot in the pool to play “Jaws” when I was little had...
THE BUDDHIST ROOTS OF MINDFULNESS 2023 In October 2023, Mindfulness Northwest Executive Director and Guiding Teacher Tim Burnett co-led a 7-day retreat on the Buddhist teachings on mindfulness. Tim deeply explored the traditional Buddhist text that is the central...
THE BUDDHIST ROOTS OF COMPASSION 2023 In August 2023, Mindfulness Northwest Executive Director and Guiding Teacher Tim Burnett co-led a 5-day retreat on the Buddhist teachings on being in deep and harmonious service with others. A teaching poem by the 13th century...
I have to admit that I didn’t like loving kindness meditation at first. I took to silent meditation pretty readily. I found it challenging at times, but generally calming and refreshing, and I treasured the simplicity and silence of it. Loving kindness just...
I remember the first time I took a Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) course. I had just finished Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and wanted to keep learning all I could about the subject. MSC was described to me as taking a bit of a turn from MBSR: I would...
In this video practice, Catherine walks us through the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Gestures, which are positions and movements that can help us sense and physically embody the different qualities of Mindful Self-Compassion. The first three gestures correspond with...
Roses are red, Violets are blue, Happy National Poetry month To you! If you’ve been in our classes or attended our retreats, you know that we celebrate poetry every month of the year. As Lucille Clifton says, “Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of...
One of the things I so appreciate about training in mindfulness and self-compassion is how it helps bring things to light for me. Mindfulness has the potential to help me notice and understand what my mind is up to. Self-compassion can help me meet my suffering with...
This month I’m excited to share how another huge support for us in times of stress and distress is compassion. The practices featured in our Mindful Self-Compassion program complement and support mindfulness practices to bring additional healing, understanding,...
