I recently attended a day-long silent meditation retreat as a part of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course. It was an insightful experience that left me with a “hangover” of peace and inner calm.
During the past several years I had the best intentions to care for myself by dieting or going to the gym or promising to learn something new. Somehow, my best intentions always seemed to fall short after a few short weeks.
Over the past several weeks I have made the time to integrate meditation and yoga into my daily schedule. That does not mean I spend hours every day striking bizarre, uncomfortable poses or sitting on a hilltop in the lotus position pondering the sound of one hand clapping.
I simply sit for 10-20 minutes focusing on my breathing, being attentive to thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations; and intentionally letting them go. As the days pass I am finding myself more able to:
- Defuse stress and experience greater calm
- Connect to my feelings in a loving and accepting way
- Expand my sense of who I am, letting go of fear and self-judgment
- Awaken my capacity for insight and wisdom
- Find genuine happiness
- Discover life-changing inner resources
- Feel a greater sense of connection, clarity, and compassion
- Broaden my perspective and see things just as they are
Through my mindfulness practice I have learned to incorporate a new way of thinking into my daily life that has give me a sense of peace and calm like I have never experienced before.
The amazing thing about my experience is that it is backed up by many scientific studies showing that mindfulness can “rewire” the brain.
I would love to share my journey with you. Feel free to contact me to help you learn how to incorporate mindfulness and meditation into your life.
-Randy Clark, LPC LCADC
Randy is a Licensed Psychotherapist
and Licensed Drug & Alcohol Counselor.
In additional to traditional methods of therapy, Randy is skilled at using modern mindfulness techniques to teach clients about how their brains work, and how to control emotions.
