Chill's 1st 100% digital Teacher Training program is well underway with students from Seattle to Chicago. Kenya, a current Chill student, offered to share ongoing stories about her journey.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions - from protesting to rioting here in Chicago all the while having to function as a mother, partner and social worker. Thankfully, it’s my meditation and mindfulness practices that have kept me in balance through the storm of anger, frustration, sadness and anxiety. One thing people fail to realize is that having a mindfulness practice is not always warm and fuzzy. Oftentimes it is doing the hard work, sitting with uncomfortable feelings and learning to be with what is present.

I began rereading the “Seven Attitudes of Mindfulness” in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s (JKZ) book Full Catastrophe Living. It has been helpful to review this list as we navigate these challenging times.

1) Non-Judging

Now this is a hard one because we are conditioned to judge all things. We judge each other, we judge ourselves. The past two weeks have been a practice of nonjudgement for me personally. How do I receive information from people without judgment? How can I just be present for the experience without attaching a narrative to it? These are questions that I ask myself often. I have not mastered this attitude and I’m not sure if I ever will. However, because of my meditation and mindfulness practice, I am more aware of it and am able to make an effort to judge less as well as notice when I am in my judging mind.

2) Patience

Being patient is something I have become better at over the past 20 years. JKZ states “Patience is a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and accept the fact that sometimes things must unfold in their own time.” This sentence exemplifies where we are right now. We may not all agree with how things are getting done, but with patience things will all fall into place as they continue to unfold.

3) Beginner's Mind

In yoga we always say no matter how long you’ve been practicing, it’s helpful to approach your practice with a beginner’s mind. This means to look at your yoga practice as if you’ve never taken a class before. JKZ states “The next time you see somebody who is familiar to you, ask yourself if you are seeing this person with fresh eyes, as he or she really is, or if you are only seeing the reflection of your own thoughts about this person, and your feelings as well.” This really hit home with what is currently going on in this country. Are we seeing each other for who we really are? Or are we allowing our judgement, bias and privilege to be the lens that we see each other through? Sitting with this idea can be uncomfortable, but the only way change can happen is to lean into discomfort.

4) Trust

I think we all have some level of trust issues in our lives. When JKZ is speaking on trust he is referring to trusting yourself. Trusting your intuition will help you make the right decisions. And by trusting yourself it becomes easier to trust others. Right now trusting is HARD. Trust has been broken for a very long time. I’m hoping we can come out on the other side better, stronger and more trusting.

5) Non-Striving

In mindfulness the idea is not about “doing,” but rather “being” or “non-doing.” JKZ says, “Although it takes a lot of work and energy of a certain kind, ultimately meditation is a non-doing. It has no goal other than for you to be yourself.” We should come to our practice without expectations, without a goal of feeling a certain way or becoming more relaxed. Showing up with what is present these past two weeks has been tough - and that’s OK.

6) Acceptance

The way JKZ explains it “Acceptance means seeing things as they actually are in the present.” This doesn’t mean you have to like it or agree with it. Over the past 2 weeks I’ve been able to accept where we are as a country even though sometimes it has been frustrating and anxiety inducing.

7) Letting Go

The idea of acceptance ties to letting go. Letting go does not mean to stop thinking about things, but rather to not hold on to the idea of something. We should accept it for what it is in the present moment even if it doesn’t unfold the way we were hoping. Acceptance and Letting Go are the attitudes I struggle with the most. I hold on to anger, hurt and pain for long periods of time. I believe I do that because I feel that if I let it go I’ve lost in some way. But what I have to realize and I hope others realize is that there is no winning when it comes to being more mindful. I’m learning this lesson and trying to be more present with myself and with others so that I am able to hold space and be in the spaces being held for me.

In yoga we always say no matter how long you’ve been practicing, it’s helpful to approach your practice with a beginner’s mind. This means to look at your yoga practice as if you’ve never taken a class before. JKZ states “The next time you see somebody who is familiar to you, ask yourself if you are seeing this person with fresh eyes, as he or she really is, or if you are only seeing the reflection of your own thoughts about this person, and your feelings as well.” This really hit home with what is currently going on in this country. Are we seeing each other for who we really are? Or are we allowing our judgement, bias and privilege to be the lens that we see each other through? Sitting with this idea can be uncomfortable, but the only way change can happen is to lean into discomfort.

Teacher Training Week 1: The Power of Labeling

Teacher Training Week 2: Sitting for 30 Minutes a Day

Teacher Training Week 3: The Power of Connection

Teacher Training Week 4 + 5: The 7 Attitudes of Mindfulness

Teacher Training Week 6: My “why” for Taking Chill’s Meditation Teacher Training

Post Teacher Training: For My Friends That Want To Know More About Meditation

CLICK HERE if you are interested in signing up or learning more about our Fall 2020 Virtual Meditation Teacher Training.