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Loving Kindness Teachings
Fall 2026 Retreat | Two Talks by Tim BurnettIn October 2026, Mindfulness Northwest Senior Teacher Teacher Tim Burnett co-led, with Sonia Sahay, a 3-day retreat on the teachings on loving-kindness at Samish Island Retreat Center. The talks were rooted in both the happenings at the retreat itself where a mishap was beautifully handled with the help of retreat participants and Buddhist teachings on […]
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Glimpsing Wholeness
Article by RJ Rongcal | October 2026I don’t think it takes much. Maybe just being able to get out of our own way. I remember going for a walk while on a silent meditation retreat. I was scraping the gravel beneath my feet, looking upon the rural midwest landscape. There was nothing particularly spectacular about the scenery: Some open fields, sparse…
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In Praise Of Uselessness
Article by Tim Burnett | September 2026I was out on a bike ride in the Skagit Valley near the church camp we rent for our overnight retreats on Samish Island. I’ve really come to appreciate this area for its beauty and peace. I’m also a birdwatcher and I know that mid-summer is a lull in the birding action. There are just…
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Four Ways to Work with Pain
Carolyn McCarthy – 30 minute audioHere’s a guided meditation, recorded live in one of our MBSR classes. This practice walks through four ways to work with physical or emotional pain. The steps are listed here, but you can just follow along. 1. Pause, shift mindfully. 2. Turn towards with curiosity and kindness (quality, duration, nature of sensations). 3. Move attention somewhere neutral/safe. […]
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R.A.I.N
Carolyn McCarthy – 20 minute audioThe R.A.I.N. practice is a 4-step process for meeting the challenges of life in a spacious, curious, reflective way. The four steps of rain are: (1) recognize, (2) allow, (3) investigate, and (4) nourish + non-identification. We’ve been amazed by how often people report a shift in their feeling and new insights towards a life challenge through the process of RAIN. To learn […]
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Listening for the Bell
Article by Karen Schwisow | August 2026Fifteen years ago, during a weeklong silent meditation retreat, our days were punctuated by the sound of a single bell. We moved between sitting meditation and walking meditation, following its invitation from dawn until evening. I remember sitting in the meditation hall, waiting for the bell to ring so I could finally stand up and walk. Ding. I…
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Taking Reactivity Offline
Article by Beth Glosten | July 2026I can get annoyed at the smallest things: impossible-to-open plastic packaging, IKEA furniture assembly, or software instructions written in an alien language. My overblown reaction to these frustrating experiences feels out of my control. I always believed my short temper was something I inherited from my dad – an inevitable trait I had to live with and try to…
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Noting/Labeling Physical Sensations
RJ Rongcal – 18-min audioThis meditation uses sound as an anchor to the present moment. It may be a particularly useful alternative for those who find that focusing on the breath increases anxiety or tension.Mindfulness Northwest Resources These practice recordings, videos, and descriptions are provided to the community for your personal use free of charge. Our mission at Mindfulness Northwest is […]
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Help for the Heart
Article by Carolyn McCarthy | June 2026There are whales flying through the air. A big wind is coming in off the water, powering (and toppling) small sailboats as they race through the bay. It’s tangled in our hair, my mom’s and mine, as we make our slow way through the park on Mother’s Day. It’s lifting kites high into the air,…
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Noting, Labeling Awareness of Breathing
RJ Rongcal – 11-min audioThis meditation uses sound as an anchor to the present moment. It may be a particularly useful alternative for those who find that focusing on the breath increases anxiety or tension.Mindfulness Northwest Resources These practice recordings, videos, and descriptions are provided to the community for your personal use free of charge. Our mission at Mindfulness Northwest is […]
