Fall 2015 Newsletter

I hope your fall time is as beautiful on the inside for you as it is outside. Somehow the air is clearer; the light is particularly lovely; the sunsets are rich; the evenings have just enough chill in them to remind us of seasons change. Yes, it is already getting darker earlier as we move toward our time to go deeper within.

I heard from a client the exquisite way that she was able to internalize the beauty of nature as she walked around Lake Tahoe, taking in the experience of the awe and reverence she had while looking at a beautiful vista. She reported it took her breath away, it was so breathtaking.

She could hardly believe it and so just stood still and let it be,… and actually wept. We talked about how she might be able to fully integrate that experience into her body so that she can draw upon it in the next time (or week) of her life when she has to deal with current loss and sadness. Fully taking in our positive experiences not only feels wonderful, but builds our resilience so we can live better with the inevitable struggles our lives present to us.

I wish you, at the very least, a handful of these precious, awe-inspiring, exquisite moments that you can fully take into your heart and soul, to accompany and buoy you as you face the difficulties that come up for you.

You might enjoy listening to a cool free program about Mindfulness that is available during the month of October. It is the Mindfulness Summit with daily talks and interviews with experts from around the world who are working to bring more mindfulness into the world and making it available to everyone. Each day talks about mindfulness in everyday life, parenting, business, etc. are presented and available for twenty four hours to listen to for free. The ones I’ve listened to are informative, light hearted and very easy to incorporate into my life. Some of the speakers provide actual practices so not only can you learn about mindfulness and how it can help, but you can actually have a few moments of practice for yourself that you might not otherwise have been able to schedule. Enjoy listening! When you go to themindfulnesssummit.com, you can register for the free daily program and get some great audio gifts for free as well.

I wanted to share with you some new information about my practice. I have completed summertime mindfulness workshops for adults and teens. I am proud of how they went, and know they were helpful to participants. Each person learned some new ways to handle the stress that comes into their lives; was reminded to try to find some mindfulness practice they can do easily and regularly to build resilience; and also learned some self-compassionate ways of being with their feelings and experiences, that might lessen the suffering that accompanies difficult experiences. We talked about what mindfulness really is – the practice of being present to whatever is going on in our thoughts, emotions and body experiences – without judgment – rather than that idealized ongoing calm relaxed state of mind. I shared guided meditations, acronyms for healing practices, contemplative writing, thoughtful reflection and discussion, apps, and some techniques for mindfulness in every day life. Anyone can learn this and doesn’t have to be a master meditator to feel the positive effects of it. I believe in making mindfulness available to everyday people everywhere.

I plan to have the workshops available for adults and teens again during the fall. I am also putting together workshops and webinars available online for those who cannot make it at the scheduled times. Please contact me (opt in to my email list) if you’re interested in future workshops or online webinars or courses. It is so important to gift yourself the gift of presence in your life.

Mindfulness has been shown to be helpful with stress reduction, anxiety, depression, parenting difficulties, building positive relationships that are more attuned to one another, chronic pain, addiction behaviors, trauma, improving concentration and focus, and a whole host of health issues. You too, can learn to live better with life’s challenges. You don’t have to control your thoughts but you can learn to stop letting them control you. And as Viktor Frankl said, “No matter what is taken away from us, or what we lose, we have the ultimate freedom to choose our own attitude in any given set of circumstances; to choose our own way.” May you be blessed with the freedom to compassionately challenge any of the negative thoughts or feelings you may have toward yourself.

For more help with facing your personal challenges, please visit my website at http://www.cindiriveratherapy.com .