Practice, Not Perfect: Strategies & Support to Keep You Meditating
Join us for an eight-week journey into the world of meditation where it’s all about practice, not perfection. Whether you’re looking to kickstart a routine or need support sticking with it, we’ve got you covered. Expect tools, tips, and a friendly community of like-minded people who share the same challenges and aspirations.
With humor and humility, we’ll explore how meditation can fit into real life. Together, we’ll dive into self-compassion, helping you motivate yourself with kindness rather than guilt. Each week, you’ll enjoy a live session including a guided meditation, a bite-sized talk, and the chance to connect with others on the same path.
So if you’re ready to discover your kind of meditation, join us. Let’s practice together — flaws, inner critics, busy minds, and all!
Who’s this Class For?
Everyone! Whether you’re new to meditation, have practiced for a while, or have already taken one of our 8-week mindfulness or compassion classes you are warmly welcome.
No prerequisites; all are welcome!
WHAT TO EXPECT
Join us if you want to:
- Begin a meditation practice
- Revive a meditation practice
- Commit to a meditation practice
- Reconnect with your body
- Learn about your brain
- Gain tools that help
- Connect with like-minded others
- Be gentler with yourself
- Laugh while you learn
- Receive support
SCHEDULE
8 Wednesdays classes, April 29 – June 17, 2026
6:00 – 7:30pm PT
All-Day Retreat (Online):
Saturday, June 6, 9am – 4pm PT
TEACHERS
COST
$455 - $680 (or $114 – $170/month) (sales tax included)
- Sliding scale: Choose what’s right for you.
- Payment plan option: 4-months, no-interest.
- Scholarships available: No need to apply; just choose a scholarship tuition during registration.
Attend with a Friend Discount
When you and a friend both register for this class, you can both take 10% off! Use code "MindfulFriends" at checkout.
Meet Your Instructors
Wondering what this class is like? You can also sign up for a FREE 1-hour introduction to mindfulness:
TEACHERS
Karen Schwisow
(she/her) Executive Director & Director of Teacher Training
karen@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x4
Karen Schwisow became our Executive Director in 2025. She is a certified MBSR teacher through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and has completed Therapeutic Yoga Training through Subtle Yoga Asheville, NC. She co-created and serves as Director for the MBSR Teacher Training Program. She's been teaching yoga and meditation in hospitals, medical clinics, community and government organizations since 2005. Through compassionate listening, authenticity, and humor she creates a welcoming container that empowers participants to experience their own innate ability to thrive. For over a decade she has delighted in mentoring teachers as they develop their ability to support others in this profound work.
Carolyn McCarthy
(she/her) Strategic Advisor ~ Organizational Insight, Teacher
carolyn@mindfulnessnorthwest.com | 360-830-6439 x6
Carolyn teaches in the hopes of moving us, individually and collectively, toward healing, wholeness, and love. With a degree in Latin American Studies and Women's Studies, she uses mindfulness to support the work of social justice, turning toward the difficult within and without. Carolyn is a certified teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Zest, warmth, and wit enliven her teaching. Core practices: sitting meditation, time outside, solo living room dance parties. Visit her online at www.carolynmcc.com.
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