MINDFULNESS IN SPAIN - The Practice of Leaning In

It is wonderful to be back in the mountains of Spain, finishing up my MBSR certification.  The month of December here is surprisingly more green than the end of September, which is when I was here for the first 100 hours of training last year.  Summer and early fall are very dry, but late fall brings rain, and now the mountains are alive with flowers, fruit, and grasses of all shapes and sizes.  Absolutely lovely for my afternoon walk along the paths and up to the neighboring town of Benimaurell.  This area is very agricultural, bursting wtih Valencian oranges, of course, as well as hazelnuts, walnuts, dates, figs, olives, and more.  Much of the land is terraced, and held into place by stone walls that have seen numerous centuries of use.  Quaint.  Quiet.  Perfect for meditation.

Our group is very international.  Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Lots of Brits.  Amsterdam.  Barcelona.  Munich.  Ethiopia.  Switzerland.  and me- the lone representative of the U.S.  Everyone has completed the first 100 hours within the last two years and all are eager to learn more, practice a lot, and teach when they get home.  My roommate is a school counselor in Singapore and has lived there with her family for 10 years.  She teaches at the International School there, where she offers mindfulness classes to students and teachers.  She is originally from Canada and is meeting her family in Frankfurt after the training to head home for the holidays.  Everyone has a similarly interesting story.  Our group has gelled quickly - offering support along the journey, as well as a story and a hug when needed.

Our daily schedule is quite rigorous.  We begin at 7 with an hour of meditation - which is a wonderful treat.  I am so often offering meditation, that to be held by our group and lead by Bodhin and Kathy has been an opening to a new level of awareness.  We wander over to the meditation room under the stars, and by the time we are done, morning has broken, sunny and bright.  Class begins again at 9 and runs until lunch at 2:00 - yes 2:00 PM.  We are on Spanish time here and although we take two breaks for “ wee and tea “ , it always seems a long time until the midday meal.  All morning we are students, running through the classes, playing the role of participant, and then breaking down the lesson plan, piece by piece, asking questions and brainstorming possibilities.  After lunch we have time to prepare, and from 4-8 we are practice teaching in groups of 6 or 7.  Dinner at 8, and bed shortly after.  We all share rooms and bathrooms and meals - so plenty of time to share stories and get to know each other better.  Eleven women, and two brave British men.  I am the only Grandma in the group and all have oohed and ahhhed appropriately over my adorable Emma Rose.  

Today our lesson was “ What is stress?”  and we practiced a meditation called The Four Steps to Awareness Meditation, that I found very powerful.  The intention of this meditation is to invite kindly awareness into the whole of our experience - by bringing attention to  both the unpleasant and pleasant aspects of our moment to moment experience.  As you may have guessed, the meditation has four parts - each divided by a bell.  

The meditation begins by opening up to the Triangle of Awareness - recognizing that Awareness is possible when we take the time to notice -  in the form of Body Sensations, Thoughts, and Emotions.  As the first bell rings, we move into the second part of the meditation, Leaning Into the Unpleasant.  Even though we may know that “resistance is futile”, most of us would rather not linger in the unpleasant.  This spacious meditation encourages us to lean into whatever we may be currently finding difficult, with kindness, curiosity, openness, and compassion.  By softening into discomfort, we recognize its true nature as transient and ever changing.  When we push away the unpleasant, it gets stronger.  By softening into it, we release ourselves from its grip - holding the unpleasant in kindness and returning to the breath if we feel overwhelmed.  I found it much easier to sit with the unpleasant, knowing that the third part of the meditation is Seeking the Pleasant.  Ding.  

As the sound of the bell fades, we release the difficult and become sensitive to the pleasant dimensions of the moment.  The simple pleasure of a warm blanket around the feet, the sound of the birds, the stability of the earth, the memory of my granddaughter walking in the snow, holding my hand.  Remembering the pleasant means releasing attachment to the unpleasant, which can be challenging.  It is often the movement of the  breath - gently rolling in and out - that brings us back to balance.

The fourth part of the meditation broadens our awareness to hold both the unpleasant AND pleasant aspects of the moment, side by side, broadening into a wider perspective that can hold both at the same time.  What mindfulness teachers often call “the bigger container”.  What I love about this meditation, is that it offers a conscious opportunity to deal with stress, pain, illness, and other challenges of life, without dangling us too far over the precipice.  As we lean into the unpleasant, we know that the pleasant will be invited back into our awareness soon.     

I had a good cry today during this meditation today.  Tears don’t always come easily for me - and I found myself filled with gratitude for the release they offered.  The tears were dark and warm.  LIke they had been waiting for me to recognize them, and let them go.  The group held my emotion with great reverence.  No one told me it was going to be okay or tried to soothe me.  They gave me space to find the grace I needed to acknowledge the pain, and remember the bliss right next door.  Not one or the other, but BOTH, AND, in every moment.  

UNCONDITIONAL by Jennifer Paine Welwood

Willing to experience aloneness, I discover connection everywhere;

Turning to face my fear, I meet the warrior who lives within...

Opening to my loss, I gain the embrace of the universe;

Surrendering into emptiness, I find fullness without end.

Each condition I flee from pursues me,

Each condition I welcome transforms me

And becomes itself transformed Into its radiant jewel-like essence.

Yes.  Gratitude and Grace on every step of the journey.  Namaste.

MINDFULNESS TWO

In this continuation of Intro to Mindfulness, we will look more deeply into the nature of thoughts and emotions, and how awareness can help us choose to respond to them in ways that reduce stress and open us to more choices and opportunities.  We will also explore the practices of kindness and compassion – key elements on the journey of Mindfulness.

Intro to Mindfulness Meditation is a prerequisite for this series, however it is important to remember that meditation is not a linear journey.  The basic practices that were introduced in the Intro class set the foundation for the concepts we will address in MINDFULNESS TWO. 

If you haven’t been practicing lately, it’s the perfect opportunity to get back on the cushion.  If you’ve been practicing a lot on your own, this series offers you the opportunity to practice in community and benefit from our shared experience. 

COST:  $75 FOR ALL 3 SESSIONS.  No individual sessions.

Classes will need a minimum of 8 to run. 

SESSION ONE:  RIDING THE WAVE OF EMOTION – REVISITING THE FEEDBACK LOOP.

SESSION TWO:  THOUGHT PATTERNS AND AUTOMATIC PILOT

SESSION THREE:  CULTIVATING KINDNESS AND COMPASSION

INVIVO WELLNESS: FRIDAYS 4:00 – 5:15 PM NOVEMBER 6, 13 AND 20.

HALEYBIRD STUDIOS:  MONDAYS 12:00 – 1:15 PM.  NOVEMBER 2, 9, AND 16

Instructor:  Tina has over 1000 hours of training in Yoga and Meditation and is currently working with the Mindful Academy in Alicante, Spain to complete a 200 hour certification in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction).  She is a long time meditator and has taught courses in both English and Spanish. Her approach combines education and practice, empowering students to make positive changes in their lives by cultivating awareness  of their thoughts and feelings, with kindness and patience.  

MINDFUL WALKING by Tina Languedoc Romenesko, PYT (500) and Mindfulness Teacher

When I learned that I would be teaching Mindful Walking at our next training, my heart sank.  I have never been a big fan of Mindful Walking.  It feels too scripted and fake.  Probably not a very open, non-judgmental viewpoint, but even Mindfulness Teachers have preferences. 

The image I associated with Mindful Walking came from a trip to Marin County back in 2007.  I was at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and saw a large group of middle-aged women walking aimlessly around the grounds, looking like soulless corpses said to be revived by witchcraft - the Oxford Dictionary definition of Zombie.  The dictionary entry continues with this:  A person who is or appears lifeless, apathetic, or completely unresponsive to their surroundings. Doesn’t sound very mindful to me.  Or one bit fun.

But that was my assignment, so time to look a bit deeper.  The simplest definition I could find of Mindful Walking was: 

Walking and knowing that you are walking. 

It seems obvious, but the truth is that most of us walk in Automatic Pilot, absorbed in our thoughts and barely paying any attention to the walking itself.  Automatic Pilot is actually a wonderful skill that only human brains can accomplish.  Auto Pilot extends our working memory so we can concentrate on a small number of things at once by creating habits of doing that allow us to drive a car without thinking about every integral aspect of driving a car.  The problem comes when we become driven by our habits and miss what is actually going on.  One habitual action leads to another and another and eventually it extends to our thoughts and feelings. 

Grandma's little sweetheart.

So…...  Walking and knowing that you are walking.  I still wasn’t convinced.  The week before the training, I had volunteered to spend 9 days with my granddaughter, Emma Rose, while her parents were on a trip to Greece with my daughter-in-law’s family.  It was a great opportunity for them to get away, so I happily took the time off from teaching and clients to bond with my little sweetheart.  Emma is 16 months old and obsessed with extending her working memory so she can learn to walk without thinking about walking.  At this point, she can only walk if she holds your finger.  She’s little, so the walking is slow, and usually back and forth if we are outside, or in a circle if we are in the house.  I’m a tall Grandma, so I’m stooped over so she can reach my finger, and even though I love her more than any other human on the planet, I got really bored with the pace and repetition.  But then I remembered my assignment for the following week.  What an opportunity to practice Mindful Walking!  So we did. 

The first step was getting out of THINKING MODE and into SENSING MODE, which meant that instead of thinking about what else I could be getting done or how bored I was with the 3 driveways we were walking between, I opened up to the sensual world around me.  The sound of the birds, the scent of the flowers, the taste of the wind.  But sensations aren’t always pleasant, so I also noticed the litter, the police sirens, the weeds.  And I must admit it was amazing what I noticed.  I wasn’t being lifeless, apathetic or completely unresponsive to my surroundings.  I was noticing them in a way I hadn’t been noticing them – and it wasn’t boring or frustrating at all.  Even the weeds were more interesting than being bored and frustrated.

Another aspect of Mindful Walking is getting out of DOING MODE and into BEING MODE.  In Doing Mode we are walking to get from A to B.  From the car to the door.  The door to the stairs.  Up the stairs to the office.  Walking to get somewhere. Being Mode is more nourishing, more present, and more accepting of whatever shows up, whether its pleasant or unpleasant, boring or stimulating.  In Being Mode, I opened my awareness and realized that very soon Ms. Emma Rose is NOT going to need my finger to walk.  In fact I’ll probably tell her to hold my hand before we cross the street and she won’t want to.  So even though I had already seen the weeds and noticed the blue sky, it was the relationship I brought to the experience that really mattered.  Appreciation goes a long way on the road to Mindfulness. 

OK.  So the truth is that I was sporadically mindful that week.  I still got frustrated and a little bit bored, and I also noticed when I did.  There were also times when we were walking and I was so full of love I almost burst.  We were close that week in a way we never will be again.  She’s coming again next weekend and it will be different.  She’ll be a little more independent and maybe her fascination with Grover will have been replaced by Baby Stella….  That’s the thing.  Each moment is amazing and precious if we can just wake up and notice it.  Frustrated?  Bored?  That’s being mindful too, because until you notice it, you’re on Auto Pilot. 

Mindful Walking.  Turns out I’m a big fan.  I just didn’t know it until I woke up and noticed. 

Emma practicing walking with her friends Henry and Ben.

WHY MINDFULNESS? by Tina Langdok Romenesko, PYT (500)

In a recent article in the New York Times, Mark Bertolini, the chief executive of Aetna, was  interviewed for his unconventional decision to offer yoga and meditation classes to the 50,000 employees at the Aetna home office in Hartford Connecticut.  So, what happened? 

More than one-quarter of the company’s work force has participated in at least one class, and those who have report, on average, a 28 percent reduction in their stress levels, a 20 percent improvement in sleep quality and a 19 percent reduction in pain. They also have become more effective on the job, gaining an average of 62 minutes per week of productivity each, which Aetna estimates is worth $3,000 per employee per year. Demand for the programs continues to rise; every class is overbooked.” (Read the full article here:  http://nyti.ms/18uXD0W)

Pretty impressive for corporate America.  According to the article, Bertolini’s change of heart in how to run his Fortune 100 company came after a near death experience changed the way he looked at his own life, and the lives of his employees.  While it is often a crisis that brings us to the mat or the cushion, it doesn’t have to be anything quite that dramatic.  Mindfulness is everywhere – in fact one writer coined the term “McMindfulness”, warning that the word is often overused and misinterpreted. 

So why Mindfulness?  Why is it so popular? What exactly is Mindfulness and what isn’t it? 

In the same article, Bertolini said, . “Meditation is not about thinking about nothing,” he said. “It’s about accepting what you think, giving reverence to it and letting it go. It’s losing the attachment to it. Same thing with pain.”

That’s a very true and pretty big statement.  Meditation isn’t emptying the mind.  It doesn’t make you into a zombie, or even make you more chill, relaxed, or blissed out.  It might, but that’s a side effect, not a goal.  In fact there are no goals in Mindfulness.  That’s the point.  As soon as you’re trying to feel some thing, pleasant or unpleasant, you just missed the point and jumped from being to doing.

Mindfulness is not an escape from the pain in your body, or your life.  It’s not even necessarily relaxing.  Sometimes being mindful is very uncomfortable, because what’s going on in your life (or in your body)  may not be very pleasant – and it might just be down right horrible.  Mindfulness is leaning into that discomfort, getting to know it, and instead of beating your head against the wall wishing it were different, you accept it, take a long look at it, and just maybe see another way to deal with it without becoming a victim, being mad, or reaching for a nice big shot of Jack Daniels. 

Mindfulness does have its roots in Buddhist Practice, but it isn’t religious.  A true Mindfulness Practice is secular.  It doesn’t have any dogma, rules, or belief systems you need to buy in to.  Any one can practice it – even an atheist.  It won’t get you into heaven, but it may get you out of your own hell. 

One of the big buzz words in neuro-science these days is neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.   At the ripe age of 57, I find this to be very good news.  However, the fact is that many of our brains are programmed with a negative bias – meaning that we spend far more time thinking negative thoughts than positive ones.  We are stuck in loops that are based on limiting beliefs like “I’m not good enough, (thin enough, smart enough…) Everybody’s out to get me, I’ll never feel any better…. .”  These sticky thoughts are simply not true, but our mind is so used to them, and the pathway is so well worn, that we don’t even recognize them any more……. until we sit mindfully and are brave enough to listen to the unkind things we say to ourselves, that we would never say out loud, to any one else.  Period. 

That’s why being mindful is so radical.  It’s the ultimate rebellion.  It’s revolutionary.  And the biggest evolutionary challenge of modern man.  We do have a choice.  We can continue to run the same old dialog, over and over again.  Eventually things will change, and life will go on, and we’ll probably make the same mistake all over again.   Or…..  we can step up to the plate and say “Hello Thought.  Good bye Thought.”  We can take the time to notice what we think and how we think – about ourselves and about the world – and CHOOSE which thoughts stick around and which ones we are ready to let go of.  We can choose which neural pathways we’d like to develop, nurture, and cultivate and which pathways we are ready to abandon to the weed garden of the past. 

Mindfulness is not for the faint of heart.  It’s not easy and it does take practice.  Daily Practice with a well-trained teacher.  Neural pathways don’t grow over night.  They need attention, care, and repetition.  And if you’re into beating yourself up about your old worn out thoughts, forget about it, because the Mindful Path is all about kindness, compassion, and an abundance of patience – and all of that happens much more easily when you sit in a group. 

And although its called MINDfulness, its not only about the mind. It’s about the body and creating a relationship with it.  Most of us walk around without giving our body much thought.  It’s not really our fault.  When scientists started dissecting bodies during the Renaissance to figure out how they worked, they divided the body and the mind into separate territories.  The mind was relegated to the spiritual world of the soul, and the body was dedicated to science.  The mind could think ABOUT the body, but was definitely a separate entity. 

That’s why embodiment is one of the first practices in Mindfulness.  Reuniting the body and the mind.  The mind and the heart.  Remembering how it feels to be sensual – which means smelling, tasting, seeing, feeling, and hearing - those 5 skills that our bodies have always known how to do - even though we’ve allowed our 6^th sense, thinking, to take over.  When we get back into sensing mode, we realize how much we miss when we spend all of our time in the mind.  We miss the smell of toothpaste, the feeling of the brush on our teeth, the sight of sparkly clean enamel, the great taste in our mouth when its clean and minty fresh…………  Choosing to act mindfully brings us back into the world, eyes wide open, with child like wonder and presence.

In addition to offering yoga and meditation classes at Aetna, Mr. Bertolini has also given his lowest-paid employees a 33 percent raise.  “Mindfulness has made me question what I do and how I look at the world.”  He is positive that the credit for his compassionate business decisions came from meditation – not because he’s trying to be a nicer guy, but because his brain has changed and he “knows” that it’s the right thing to do. 

Right here in Wisconsin, The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the UW-Wisconsin has been studying the effect of meditation on compassion.   Founder, Dr. Richard Davidson, found heightened electrical activity in brain areas associated with attention and emotion in his study group meditators.   He also noted a spike in activity in the left prefrontal cortex—a brain region associated with emotions like altruism and compassion.  The study also supported the idea that activities such as meditation might help to essentially “re-wire” a brain over time to elicit positive feelings more often than negative ones.

Beginning later this spring, I will be offering a 3 pack of classes at INVIVO Wellness (Milwaukee) and Haleybird Studios (Wauwatosa) entitled Introduction to Mindfulness.  Each class will focus on one aspect of Mindfulness:  Embodiment.  Focus.  Awareness of Thoughts.  These classes are intended to be a starting point for developing a Mindfulness practice and will include education, technique, and guided practice.

Reflective practice allows us to see around the corners of our minds, where its often a little murky and smelly and raw.  Mindfulness takes time, repetition, patience and compassion. So “Why Mindfulness?”  Why not?  You certainly have nothing to lose, except your negative bias on life.

MĪND-FŪL-NĚS

MĪND-FŪL-NĚS

A big part of my decision to travel to Spain to learn the practice of Mindfulness, was to become familiar and comfortable with the Spanish vocabulary around the practice - to practice with the words that actually make sense - that aren’t cute or even ridiculous, but speak to the essence of this practice, in Spanish, so I can bring it to the HIspanic community in Milwaukee and beyond.

The first obstacle, was to translate the word itself.  Mindfulness.  When I asked my friend Emilia, who lives in Madrid, she smiled and said “ Mind-fool-ness“ , with the cutest little smile and head bob on the “mind” part.  LIke so many terms, the American or English word has been imported into the language completely.  Well, mind-fool-ness seemed like a complete cop-out to me, so of course, I looked deeper.  Most translations use the word plena which means full, so Plena Conciencia is Full Consciousness.  and Atención Plena is Full Attention.  Both good ways to describe Mindfulness with circumlocution: using a description to describe a term that can’t be translated directly.

The other issue that will be a big change for me will be the verb forms.  When teaching Yoga in Spanish, I have always used commands - usually the formal, plural ones - to instruct a class.  "Bend your right knee over the little toe side of the foot.  Pull your shoulder blades down away from your ears.  Relax the jaw."  But mindfulness isn’t about telling students what to do.  Mindfulness is an invitation to notice what is happening, in present moment awareness.  The instructions are an invitation to move and then notice what you feel. To notice where the mind goes, what emotions move through the body, what stories develop in the mind.  And then come back to the present moment in the two anchors of the Body and the Breath.  

So instead of telling the class what to do, my job is more that of a facilitator.  The verbs are either in the familiar 2nd person present form - notice what you feel (personally) or perhaps the 1st person plural (we- or nosotros form) which can be more like “Bending our right knee, notice what you feel”.  This kind of instruction places the responsibility on the student to notice if they need to make an adjustment, or pay attention to the tightness in the jaw.  However, this doesn’t mean that students are simply encouraged to stay in their habits, like shoulders up by the ears.  Kathy Ward, the creator of Mindful Yoga, explains the benefits of invitational language as a way of encouraging students to Wake Up! to their practice instead of mindlessly doing what their teacher tells them to do as they day dream, or plan, or remember.  I find the languaging equally challenging in English - after a decade of teaching didactically. Kathy further explains. “Mindfulness isn’t about fixing.  And it certainly isn’t about doing.  If you lead a Vinyasa Flow class, mindfully, everyone will be moving at a pace that makes sense for their individual intentions.  You still encourage safe practice, and letting go of old habits in Body or MInd, and then you step out of the way and let them explore.”

The follow-up questions are invitational too, and based on the Eight Attitudinals:  1.  No Juzgar - Non Judgment  2.  Aceptación - Acceptance  3.  Mente de Principiante - Beginners MInd  4.  No esforzarse - Non-striving  5.  Ceder - Letting Go  6.  Paciencia - Patience  7.  Confianza - Trust  8.  Auto-Compasión - Self Compassion.  Each of these words, translated, comes with a barrage of cultural contexts, that may or may not make sense to the participants.  “You’ll need to do a lot of explaining, especially with words like Compasión - the cultural understanding of the word is more about pity than heartfelt taking care of yourself,” explains Bodhin.  He explains how he’s constantly learning from Adelina (his wife), a native of Valencia.  Later that afternoon, she leads me through a body scan in Spanish, and I’m completely pulled in by her poetic languaging.  I really want to surround the discomfort in my solar plexus with paciencia, sin juzgar, y con curiosidad.  As the body scan ends, I fervently  scribble vocabulary in my notebook.  Bodhin laughs and says with great compassion, don’t worry so much about the words.  You’re obviously not a native speaker.  They’ll be patient and non-judgmental with you too, if they’re truly open to practicing MIndfulness.  The fact that you’re here, willing to try to communicate this work is enough for now.  Fluency will come on its own.”  So is he reminding me to treat MYSELF compassionately also?  To release any striving and trust the process?  But I”m the teacher!  ………….. oh yeah.  I’m the Mindfulness Teacher.  The best teaching I can do is to extend the philosophy to myself.  Now there’s a challenge!  

RAIN, MINDFULNESS, and LESSONS ON ACCEPTANCE by Tina L Romenesko

I’m writing this blogpost during a torrential rain - thunder, lightning - the works!  A week of rain has descended upon  La Vall de Laguar, after suffering the worst drought in 150 years this summer.  Instead of taking one last hike through the almond groves, I guess I’ll sit down and write about a few things I”ve learned here at this training.  

Hand crafted ceiling in the meditation room at Solterreno.

Mindfulness is based on some very concrete foundations that serve as a groundwork for the very important and challenging journey of Awareness.  Here you go:

The first foundation is the Triangle of Awareness:  Body.  Thought.  Emotions.  These three elements comprise our reality.  Most people are run around by Thoughts and Emotions until their Body breaks down and they need to make some big life changes.  When we sit in stillness and recognize our patterns, we increase awareness at all 3 areas and are able to wake up and inhabit our lives more fully, more mindfully, and consequently we suffer less.

Body - Students learn to inhabit the body by practicing Body Scans.  Body Scans usually last about 40 minutes and can be lead by a teacher or CD.   So many people only live in their Mind.  Embodiment is where all mindfulness practices begin.  

Thought - noticing our thoughts - A basic tenet of Mindfulness is that Thoughts are not Facts.  Many of our thoughts simply reflect our automatic responses to life, which is called Automatic Pilot.  Automatic Pilot is mindless and can get us into bad habits that we aren’t even aware of.  When our Thoughts go round and round we are standing in place - stuck.  If we have a problem, we will probably get into a pattern of ruminating - circulating thought patterns - that seldom are creative and even less frequently solve anything.  Mindfulness encourages us to get back into the moment and be present with what is happening, instead of thinking about it - or ignoring it.  It opens us up to the beautiful small details of our lives - getting out of the head and into the heart of our lives.  

Emotions are another story.  Literally.  Letting go of the story around the emotion and noticing its reflection in the body is the third element of Mindfulness.  Sounds simple.  Good luck with this one.

The second foundation of MIndfulness is the Eight Attitudinals.  1.  Non Judgment  2.  Acceptance  3.  Beginners MInd  4.  Non-striving  5.  Letting Go  6.  Patience  7.  Trust  8.  Self Compassion (much like the Four Agreements, there’s always one you can never remember…. )  Bringing these Attitudes to the cushion, reminds us that this isn’t a journey of doing or a journey of ego.  It’s about remembering, making more space, coming back to our senses and listening.

But it all begins and ends with time on the cushion.  Sitting down and remembering to be here now.  Lying down on the earth and remembering the shape of the body, its contours, its sensations, and the life force that lies within it. The meditations are guided for the first 8 weeks and begin with Body Scans and Mindful Movement (which may be yoga but only if it follows the 8 Attitudinals)  MIndful Movement is about noticing what is happening in the body without a goal.  Being with the movement as opposed to simply doing movement (moving mindlessly).  

The next meditations are centered on Gathering the Scattered MInd - using Body and Breath as the tether to the present moment.  Noticing when we are disembodied and coming back to the body.  Noticing when we have been taken away with a Thought - and coming back to the Breath.  Noticing the story around our Emotions, releasing the story, and noticing where in the body you are feeling the Emotion - naming it - and then returning to the Body and the Breath in Present Moment Awarenesss.  

In this course, which is a combination of MBSR (MIndfulness Based Stress Relief) and MBCT (MIndfulness Based Cognitive Therapy), week 7 is a Meditation on Loving Kindness or what is traditionally called Metta Meditation.  Compassion is implicit in this work - for yourself and others.  It’s an 8 week course that is very well structured, and available to anyone who is interested in Waking Up to what is truly happening in their life, without wishing it were different.  

Its the benefits that are the startling part - and perhaps they happen no matter what kind of meditation you practice.  Immediately and almost without exception, students begin to feel a spaciousness and expansiveness in their life.  Each moment becomes more full - more clear - they appreciate their life and make better choices.

I can’t close this blogpost without acknowleding the Paradox of Mindfulness:  Acceptance precedes Change.  This is always the case.  Change doesn’t happen without Acceptance happening first.  No one ever woke up by pulling the covers over their head.  It simply will not happen.  Instead of wishing life were different, we finally accept the reality of life as it is.  And perhaps, if we get to the cushion every day, we Choose Change - we Wake Up and make Choices that bring us more Freedom, more Peace, more Joy.

Well, it looks like the rain isn’t going to stop this afternoon - no last hike for me!  So I pull out some texts that have been translated into Spanish that Bodhin has given me to look through before I leave, and the first thing I turn to is a poem by Mary Oliver - translated into Spanish.  See.  If I keep my mind open to what is - even a rainy afternoon is a gift.  Mindfulness doesn’t mean our life is perfect -it’s what we do with those imperfect moments that changes.  

Thank you Mary.  Thank you Bodhin and Kathy.  Thank you rain…………..

“Tell me. What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
"Dime. ¿Qué planeas hacer con tu vida preciosa, salvaje, única?"

ADVENTURES IN COOKING! PAELLA VALENCIANA Y EL PAELLERO

Paella is a Valencian rice dish with ancient roots that originated in its modern form in the mid-nineteenth century.  The dish is widely regarded as Spain's national dish , but most Spaniards consider it to be a regional Valencian dish. The Spanish food historian Lourdes March notes that the dish "symbolizes the heritage and the union of two important cultures, the Roman, all which gives us the utensil, and the Arab, all which brought us the basic food of humanity for centuries." (wikipedia.com.es)

Azún, the cook at Solterreno, preparing paella.

In the Alicante area of ​​the Valencia province, paella is prepared outside, with the help of a paellero - a butane fueled burner that usually stands on a brick platform on the patio. The coils are perfectly shaped for a paella pan, of course. A wonderful adjunct to the new paella tradition I am visualizing for my family and friends!  

So where does one buy a paellero? In a Ferreteria - or hardware store - was the unexpected answer. Really? OK. So after finding an ATM in Orba, I set off to find a hardware store and make this dream a reality. I was encouraged this way and that to no avail - and ended up back at the market. I inquired about Azafrán, or saffron, at the cheese vendor, and purchased instead some brilliant red pimentón and pulpo para llevar (take out octopus), When I asked the storekeeper where I could buy a paellero, she came out of her shop into the street and had a conversation with about five local women as to where they should send the tall blonde American to fulfill her culinary needs. DASI was the unanimous answer. Up to the bar, turn right and go up up up the hill. Can not miss it. On your left. This time the directions were accurate and I found myself in a store that sold everything from tiles and bricks to plumbing supplies. After wondering around for about 10 minutes, I spied them. Various shapes and sizes of both the pans and the coils - all neatly stacked in the middle aisle. PERFECTO! I picked up an enameled variety, about the size of a large fry pan and a woman I had seen earlier in the bank asked in Spanish, "How many are you cooking for? That pan is too small for a family!" After consulting with her husband, the manager of the Ferreteria - no less - they decided on a pan that measured nearly two feet across. Perfect for my family! "The paellero part is rather heavy", I say, but they're encouraging on all levels. "The key is not to make it too thick. Thick paella is awful - the best paella is thin". I head up to pay and my new friend and I laugh about me trying to get all this paella gear on the plane..... I hear the word burbujas (bubbles) and know we're headed for bubble wrap. Brilliant! They wrap my two purchases together and secure them with some packing tape and Voila! I'm ready to go.  

I thank the staff at the hardware store for their help, as my new friend and I compare notes about our families. I tell her about my brand new granddaughter, Emma Rose, and our eyes meet in wordless recognition of the joys of being a Grandma. "Its good you bought the bigger one" - 

she laughs.  

As I get into Bodhin's car, headed back to the retreat center for a couple of days practice teaching in Spanish, he laughs at my purchase! How am I going to get that contraption to Alicante - to Belgium - through the streets of Amsterdam - and then home ????  

Me. I "m smiling from head to toe. The afternoon has been a grand success in my mind and heart. The new paella tradition is now in motion. From the streets of Orba to my patio in Milwaukee. I am grateful to each woman that helped me along the way. Their generosity has touched my heart. Buen Provecho - With deep gratitude for the Richness of Life in every moment.

MINDFULNESS TRAINING - ENTRENAMIENTO de PLENA CONCIENCIA - Solterreno

The trip to Solterreno from Alicante was amazing.  The crowded bus ride hugged the Costa Blanca, revealing stunning high rises, rocky craigs, and beautiful blue seas.  The area around Alicante is very dry, but as we headed toward Denia, to the north, the earth became green again.  Bodhin, the retreat director and an ordained Buddhist, met me at the bus station in the family van.  We headed into the mountains for about 45 minutes, passing through numerous quaint villages, twisting and turning through hairpin curves, until we turned off onto what looked like a foot path.  Up, down, round and round, and then we arrived.  The views here are spectacular with orange, cherry, and olive trees dotting the landscape.  Big sky.  Big mountains.  and little tiny hummingbirds!  

Our group is small - only five.  Two Brits.  Two Hollanders.  and me.   Accomodations are simple and very comfortable.  We began our class this morning with a 50 minute Body Scan and then jumped into a lively discussion centered on "What is Mindfulness".  

Awareness.  Kindly awareness.  Waking up to what is really happening without blocking, engaging, judging or replacing.  

Bodhin explained how Awareness leads to Choice which leads to Freedom.  Sounds simple - but of course it isn’t.  Brain neuroplasticity is the new buzz word - the proof that with regular practice over a period as short as 2 months, and a commitment of at least 27 minutes of meditation daily, the brain actually changes.  The amygdala shrinks (our stress center) and the insula gets more dense (our center for empathy and body awareness).  Alpha waves also increase - which can actually change the way we experience our lives.  The field is in a constant state of expansion right now.  What John Kabat Zinn began 25 years ago with his stress reduction clinic (MBSR) has expanded over to England where Cognitive Therapists found that Mindfulness effectively prevents relapse for patients that have experienced depression in the past.  Now the work is expanding to chronic pain, cancer, and beyond. Again and again Kathy and Bodhin stress that Mindfulness isn’t about “fixing”  anything.  It isn’t therapy.  The role of Mindfulness is to open awareness and increase our ability to change our relationship with our experience, especially when life isn’t going the way we want it to.  

Kathy, the co-presenter, is also British but has been living in Spain for many years now.  Interestingly, she also has her 500 hour training with IYT -the same training Haley, Biz, and I have - and Kathy and I are pretty sure we were both at Mount Madonaa at the same time.  She also has lead 200 hour IYT yoga teacher trainings, but here in Spain.  We talk a lot about the difference between Therapeutic Yoga and Mindfull Movement.  So much to look forward to.  Filled with gratitude and looking forward to sleep - soon.  Namaste.

YOGA @ THE MUSEUM with Tina L Romenesko, Saturday April 12

YOGA @ THE MUSEUM

Come enjoy a therapeutic Yoga Practice

with Professional Yoga Therapist, Tina L Romenesko, PYT (500)

SATURDAY, APRIL 12

MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM

8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Sponsored by OMTOWN Yogis.

Sign up at:  omtownyogis.org/page/yoga-the-museum

10 Questions for a Yogi:  Tina L Romenesko, PYT (500), E-RYT

1. What brought you to the practice of yoga?

I began practicing yoga in 1978.  I was in college and suffering from an eating disorder.  One day, I was walking through a bookstore and a copy of B.K.S. Iyengar's book, Light on Yoga, jumped into my hand.  I bought it, took it home, and began practicing alone in my apartment.  I've been practicing ever since.  I became a Yoga Therapist because it is the potential of yoga to heal, on all levels of being, that truly inspires me.

2. Who are some of your yoga teachers?

I have two 200-hour certifications, with Nancy Ruby from Bozeman, Montana, and the amazing Tias Little from Prajna Yoga in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I have assisted Tias at Yoga Journal Conventions.  My 500 hour certification is with Joseph and Lillian LePage of Integrative Yoga Therapy.  I was part of the editing team for their Mudra Book and have also completed their advanced training in Mudras, Bandhas, and Pranayama. 

3. How would you describe the form of yoga you teach currently?

My teaching is definitely therapeutic in focus, which for me means that it is an equal blend of Body, Mind, and Spirit.  In my classes, I blend the physical work of Postures (Asana) with Breathwork (Pranayama) and Deep Relaxation and Meditation.  I also love to use imagery and poetry when I teach as a way to connect with the more subtle energies of yoga philosophy like the Chakras, the Elements, and Pranavayus.

4. Where do you teach?

I currently teach at Invivo Wellness on the East Side, Haleybird Studios in Wauwatosa, and lead classes for Affiliated Wellness Group (a psychotherapy clinic) in Delafield and Glendale.  I also see private clients at all 3 locations.  My class information is online at my website:  yogatina.com

5. Why do you teach?

Teaching yoga and seeing private clients is my full time job.  I love offering my students and clients a quiet space to explore their bodies, minds, and spirits, as they remember wholeness as their true state of being.

6. How do you describe what yoga is? 

Yoga is the Uniting of Consciousness in the Heart.  That's a lovely translation of Yoga Sutra 1.2 by Nischala Joy Devi. Yoga is so much more than exercise.  It reminds us to seek the answers within our hearts, not our minds.    

7. What aspect of yoga do you personally want to explore more deeply?

I am fascinated by the recent merging of Yoga and Neuroscience.  Scientists like Kelly McGonigal, PhD. are proving that yoga and meditation practice can change the way your brain works - and effectively help combat psychological challenges like depression, addiction, and attention deficit disorder.  Understanding neuroplasticity, or the fact that our brains continue to change and grow throughout our lives, is a big breakthrough and paves the way for bringing yoga and meditation into our everyday life as a way to enhance and improve our health and wellness.

8. What are your thoughts on the growing popularity of yoga? 

I am optimistic that more and more people are realizing that yoga is much more than a physical practice or workout.  Our lives are so busy and LOUD these days - I think it is very important to "un-plug" and get to the mat on a daily basis, to remember the peace that is our true nature. 

9. What are your hobbies?

I love to read poetry and write.  I look forward to the warmer weather so I can get out on my bike.  In the winter I enjoy snow shoeing in the Kettle Moraine.  I love going to plays and am very grateful for the wonderful music venues here in Milwaukee, from Summerfest to the Pabst Theater, and beyond.  :)

10. What is something unique or quirky about you that not many people know about? 

I used to be a High School Spanish teacher and recently received my Masters Degree in Spanish Literature and Culture through classes taken at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.  I have recently participated in service trips to Nicaragua and India with both Dining For Women (DFW) and Prevention International - No Cervical Cancer (PINCC) as an interpreter and blogger.  All my blogposts are on my website or can be read at theyogatina.blogspot.com

A GUEST HOUSE - CULTIVATING GRATITUDE FOR LIFE’S CHALLENGES and JOYS by Tina Romenesko

A GUEST HOUSE - CULTIVATING GRATITUDE FOR LIFE’S CHALLENGES and JOYS 

by Tina Romenesko

Bacchan Devi - Matrichaya Group leader

During the afternoon, we headed to the Munda tribal village on the outskirts of Ranchi.  The projects in this village are overseen by Matrichaya graduate, Bacchan Devi.  Bacchan is a shining example of the ever widening circle of women.  When she heard about Matrichaya, she thought because she was uneducated, she wouldn’t qualify.  With Mama’s encouragement, Bacchan applied for the program, was accepted, and learned to sew, knit, and embroider.  Eventually she became a leader herself, and opened a successful sewing center in the village marketplace.  However, the men didn’t like that the women were meeting together in a public place - so she moved the group to her home and turned the upper level into the sewing cooperative.

The steep concrete staircase opens into a large common space where 25 women are waiting anxiously for us to arrive so they can show us their workbooks and passbooks.  Each woman has her own 3 ring binder with doll size versions of the kurtas, pants, dresses, and tops they will be sewing to sell in the village.  Each woman also has her own passbook - which allows them to buy supplies and even a sewing machine - on credit.  For each finished piece they receive 188 rupees, which is about $3.00.  The training is free and runs on ongoing grant support from DFW.  Originally, they were shooting for 20 trainees, but the demand was so great, they now have 40 women enrolled in the training.  Matrichaya believes the village can sustain even more seamstresses,

As Bacchan poses for a photo with her son and husband, Taryn asks him how her husband feels about his wife and the way she has helped her community.  In broken English, he replies, “ I support her, and she supports me!”  We all clap - but Archana tells us at dinner, that wasn’t always the story.  The empowerment of women is a breaking of tradition - a necessary change and also a challenging one.  Without the support of Matrichaya, Bacchan wouldn’t have had the courage to continue, and challenge traditional family structure.  Seeing the pride in her husband’s face now, empowers the whole community, that together they can all grow and prosper from these trainings.

Bacchan is also the medical liaison for the village and has created a health center and preschool in a very humble building on the other side of the village.  The women in these trainings are educated about vaccinations, basic hygiene, nutrition, and are instructed how to treat minor illnesses.  They also serve as birth attendants or doolas.  The children in the preschool receive one free meal daily of lentils and rice, that is government subsidized.  For some it is the only meal of the day.  The children are very shy and a few start to cry when they see us.  

Dining For Women has supported over 6500 trainees at Matrichaya since 2005, and the key are these self help groups that promote socio-economic change through education.  Archana calls it a “hand up”, not a hand-out.  Some of the other trainings include mushroom cultivation, jewelry making, and beauty school training.  From legal aid to health advocacy, the focus is on Health, Occupational Preparedness, and Education or H-O-P-E.  HOPE.  

Our last Matrichaya stop is quite a drive out of town to visit a bamboo artisan project training in a small village.  The women here are using rustic saws and awls to make wall hangings, baskets, and vases out of bamboo.  I crouch down on the ground and hold a thick stalk of bamboo for a woman that has been sawing since we arrived on a large, green bamboo stem.  As I hold it for her, we smile.  I talk to her kids in my funny language, with my blue eyes, and none of them cry this time - they smile, because their mom’s are smiling too.  I give the project manager 60 rupees for a bamboo vase that will sit proudly in my kitchen - a reminder of the hard work these women do and have done to improve their lives and the lives of their families.  

Bamboo artisans - hard at work.

Thursday is our last day in India.  We are back in Kolkata now, and have been invited over to Ayesha’s and Sadek’s for breakfast.  As we sit on the floor and share fresh fruit and pyes (a wonderful porridge of rice, milk, cashews, and sweet) , they show us their books of published poetry, written in Bengali and adorned with Sadek’s paintings.  We view the photos from the Santali village visit and are all struck in that moment by the uniqueness of each project we have visited.  What makes the difference is passion, and being able to channel that passion into progress - and get funding.  With Matrichaya, we see how a family matriarch has made a difference for children living in urban slums and tribal villages.  Her passion has inspired her daughters, and a whole community to expand the work she began after her husband's untimely death.  Ayesha and Sadek are shining examples of the disadvantaged working against tremendous odds to help the disadvantaged.  And Colleen and Anchal have extended the circle of support to corporate America, striking a design deal with Urban Outfitters, and offering commercial sex workers an alternative lifestyle with a viable market, to raise the status of their children and offer these young women hope and empowerment.  

************

Last night was my local DFW meeting.  I’d been up since 4:00 a.m., but knew I wanted to connect with these wonderful women while my India experience was raw and real.  As we shared food and wine, I shared the 3 projects I had visited as a representative of their group.  I told them how proud I am to be part of this organization and that their monthly participation really does make a difference for these women and families.  WIthout their donations, none of these projects would be possible.  I told them about the banners, the plaques announcing their gratitude, and how “Dining for Women”, with a cute Hindi accent, is now a part of these women’s vocabulary. Along with the word “Thank you”.  Tears in my eyes, I finally realize how to answer that crazy question I have already been asked a million times.  “ How was your trip to India?”  “It was life changing.  Just exactly what that means is still up in the air - and that’s the good news.  As we move into the holiday season, I hope it continues to give me perspective.  Here’s one point of view - one tidbit of wisdom -  from my good friend and Sufi mystic, Rumi.  The DFW trip to India was not an easy - but in many many ways yet to be fully understood and realized - it was an important one.  

Thank you and Namaste.

	THE GUEST HOUSE by Rumi This being human is a guest house.
	Every morning a new arrival.
	A joy, a depression, a meanness,
	some momentary awareness comes
	as an unexpected visitor.
	Welcome and entertain them all!
	Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
	who violently sweep your house
	empty of its furniture,
	still, treat each guest honorably.
	He may be clearing you out
	for some new delight.

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