What is it that lets YOU know that summer is winding down? Kids going back to school? Is it the golden light that casts a particular kind of shadow near the end of the day? The bountiful produce? Or is it the frenetic energy to spend every possible second outdoors, knowing that the dark, damp, rainy days are just ahead?
I’m not sure if this is unique to the Pacific Northwest, but I don’t remember people ‘outdoorsing’ with this kind of intensity when I lived in the midwest. I see it here among the squirrels, too. They know what’s ahead, and their usual high gear is turbocharged with the focus on gathering up what’s plentiful now.
Their focus is admirable. How’s yours?
Everyone I know has expressed some experience of a loss of focus in the past few years. Not only have we been trying to keep track of any number of global crises, but our attention is constantly being commodified, monetized, and in the process, diluted.
But you know what? 1) Paying attention is a skill, a habit, that can be trained. 2) Attention enriches your life, and that of anyone upon whom you may bestow this gift of attention. In this way, I believe 3) Attention is love.
Returning yourself to the captain’s seat of your own attention does take practice, though, and the 8-week MBSR class is a great way to wrest it back. Being in charge of our own attention is to meet our life. Awareness brings our life to life.
Time passes quickly. If we’re paying attention, we don’t miss the important interactions of our lives — the limited time we have in the late summer with our loved ones, with our pets, that last, fresh tomato from the garden. And SQUIRRELS!
Fall 2022 MBSR Registration is Open
Are you starting to feel that back-to-school feeling in the air? I always say that fall is a great time to take the MBSR class — it’s going to be dark and rainy pretty soon, so use that time to learn to meditate!
Registration is now open for my Fall MBSR class.
September 27 – November 15, 2022
Classes to be held Tuesday evenings 6:00-8:30pm, Pacific time.
All-day retreat on Saturday, November 5.
FREE Orientations scheduled for:
Tuesday, September 13, 6:00-7:30pm
Monday, September 19, 6:00-7:30pm
For the past few years, I have been holding this class online and it’s working so well I’m going to continue to do so. We meet live through Zoom, and it gives us plenty of chance to practice, interact, and nurture some community in the class.
If you are a graduate of MBSR or MBCT, you are welcome to take the class for half-price.
If you have any questions, or if you are registering as a graduate, please email my assistant Liz: liz@riverrockmindfulness.com.
