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Finding an Anchor

5/19/2017

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When life is crazy, I either get swept up in it or I find a way to ground myself. Whether the chaos is in my house (right now we're a couple of months into replacing floors and nothing is going as smoothly as we expected!), with my kids (who are in the midst of transition), in the world (right?!?), with friends or extended family, or even the weather (writing this in front of a fan), it helps to recognize the chaos and recognize that I'm not the chaos.

To do this, I turn toward my mindfulness practice, spending extra time practicing and bringing some structure into the practice. My practice usually feels less pleasant during rough times, but I remind myself that it helps even when I feel like I spend the entire practice watching busy thoughts.

If you, like me, need some support to stay centered, consider your anchor. In meditation or any part of life, bring attention to that anchor to keep yourself centered rather than caught by external events.
Consider five minutes right now:
  • anchoring in your breath, feeling the sensation right at the tip of your nose or in your belly,
  • anchoring in the present moment, coming back again and again to direct experience, or
  • anchoring in awareness, watching whatever arises and noticing that you are the watcher rather than the thing you're watching (observe emotions, physical sensations, thoughts, outer conditions . . ).
​Wishing you peace inside and out!

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    About Gloria:

    I'm a mom, wife, daughter, friend, and teacher who has long struggled with the desire to be the perfect person I imagine that I should be. Practicing mindfulness helps me find peace with my imperfect journey--being with myself as I truly am, loving my family as they are, and showing up for a messy world with openness and compassion.

    I teach mindfulness and mindful parenting classes and work with individuals sharing what I've learned over my twelve years of practicing mindfulness, twenty years of parenting, thirty years of teaching, and fifty years of living.

    My life and work are guided by the these core understandings: that all beings (including me!) are capable of transformation and joy, that healthy parenting can and will change the world, and that love matters.


    I am grateful to be part of Soul Source, a community consortium that provides teachings and tools designed to inspire participants to live more consciously and to pass that wisdom and inspiration on to others. 

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