We are here brightly
and briefly.
It matters
that we are connected
by invisible lines,
holding us together,
earthly constellations,
while ten thousand things
undulate and swirl.
Geri Wilimek 2019
Lovingkindness!
I received this poem from Sondra Gudmundson. I offer it with her permission. I recite it slowly to myself, and feel it as a lullaby….!
Wonder of ONE Presence
One breath
One humanity
One moment
One life
Come back.
Come here.
Come inward.
Come home.
Be gentle.
Be generous.
Be curious.
Be okay.
What now?
What is
What helps
What comforts
Still support
Still together
Still humanizing
Still living
Receive.
Release.
Touch.
Turn.
Self-love
Self-kindness
Self-understanding
Self-compassion
Recognize.
Remind.
Realign.
Rejoin.
Inspire.
Play.
Balance.
Practice.
Live on.
Live free.
Live wholly.
Live authentically.
One consciousness
One heart
One world
One connection
Wonderful warmth
Wonderful love
Wonderful kindness
Wonderful compassion
One breath
One humanity
One moment
One life
Come back.
Come here.
Come inward.
Come home.
Be gentle.
Be generous.
Be curious.
Be okay.
What now?
What is
What helps
What comforts
Still support
Still together
Still humanizing
Still living
Receive.
Release.
Touch.
Turn.
Self-love
Self-kindness
Self-understanding
Self-compassion
Recognize.
Remind.
Realign.
Rejoin.
Inspire.
Play.
Balance.
Practice.
Live on.
Live free.
Live wholly.
Live authentically.
One consciousness
One heart
One world
One connection
Wonderful warmth
Wonderful love
Wonderful kindness
Wonderful compassion
A Musical Gift
Hi everyone! While this song by Ze Frank won’t make our troubles go away, it may provide a moment of feeling understood and nurtured! Please enjoy.
Also, let’s take a moment to remember that the breath, that central refuge for calming and focusing our minds, is not to be taken for granted. Be grateful if your breath can be your refuge!
Perceived Fear; Perceived Love
Recently John Lovas a friend and fellow teacher of mindfulness, shared a message he received from the Belfast, Ireland Covid Response Team. I share it here:
When you go out and see the empty streets, the empty stadiums, the empty train platforms, don’t say to yourself, “It looks like the end of the world.” What you’re seeing is love in action. What you’re seeing, in that negative space, is how much we do care for each other, for our grandparents, our parents, our brothers and sisters, for people we will never meet. People will lose jobs over this. Some will lose their businesses. And some will lose their lives. All the more reason to take a moment, when you’re out on your walk, or on your way to the store, or just watching the news, to look into the emptiness and marvel at all of that love. Let it fill you and sustain you. It isn’t the end of the world. It is the most remarkable act of global solidarity we may ever witness.
– Belfast, Ireland COVID Response Team
For years John has been posting daily observations and perspectives about mindfulness on his his blog, Mindfulness for Everyone I highly recommend making a visit to this engaging site!
Be safe. Turn toward love. Geri
MBSR Class 3-17-20 Cancelled!
Hi, All in Winter 2020 MBSR! Just letting you know that, due to current recommendations from the medical and scientific authorities, MBSR Class #6 ( March 17, 2020) and the ALL Day Silent Retreat (Saturday, March 21, 2020) will be cancelled. I am working on options for on line classes, with hopes that we can carry on and stay if not exactly on schedule, close to it. Keep checking in to the site, and I’ll be in touch with you through email.
Stay safe, and keep practicing with the instructions from Class #5!
Affectionately and sincerely, Geri
Winter 2020 MBSR is Underway!
Winter 2020 MBSR will be meeting from 11:00am to 1:30pm on Tuesdays this winter. There will not be an evening class, as there were not enough participants to have two classes, and a large majority of those coming to Orientation were intending to attend the daytime class. MBSR will be offered during Summer 2020 and Fall 2020, so be sure to subscribe at the bottom of the banner (bottom right side of this page) and you will receive notification when the dates for these classes are finalized! Contact Geri Wilimek at geriwilimekmbsr@gmail.com if you have questions…
Invest in yourself; benefit others: MBSR Winter 2020
It only takes a moment’s reflection to see how our own wellbeing benefits others in our daily lives. When I am calm, kind, and genuinely curious about myself, I can approach others in the same way. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was developed by Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School four decades ago to teach people to access their natural capacity for focused attention and compassion through the skills of mindfulness meditation. Research in the past 30 years has concluded that chronic stress erodes our wellbeing mentally and physically. Fortunately, we also know through research that stress can be addressed and reduced with instruction and practice.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based eight week program aimed at learning, through a variety of meditation approaches, to more fully occupy our lives, clarifying our stress patterns and discovering new ways to address these patterns.
Winter 2020 MBSR will begin with a required Orientation session on January 28, 2020, 6:00pm-7:30pm. at The Clearing, a meeting space at True North Health Care, 514 Beltrami Ave., Bemidji. This will be a chance to preview MBSR, meet the other people interested in the class, and to get enough information to make an informed choice about signing up for the 8-week course.
Click here for the Winter 2020 Schedule, and links to pre-registration.
MBSR All Day Silent Retreat: Plan on it!
The MBSR All Day Silent Retreat is an important part of the 8-week curriculum of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). All who have taken MBSR in the past are invited to join the current class in this day of silence, awareness and reflection. The day is guided by Geri Wilimek, Qualified MBSR Teacher. The setting is safe, supportive and respectful.
Here is the basic information so you can attend!
What: The Fall 2019 MBSR All Day Silent Retreat
When: November 9, 2019 9:00am to 4:00pm (come early so you can have coffee/tea, a snack or two and visit with others before we begin)
Where: Fellowship Hall of First Lutheran Church, Bemidji (900 Bemidji Ave. N, Bemidji, MN 56601) Park in the north parking lot, and follow signs to the Fellowship Hall.
How: Come 15-20 minutes early
Dress in layers to accommodate temperature changes in yourself and/or the building.
Bring any special props you require for personal support and comfort. Cushions, chairs and blankets will be provided
Healthy snacks and coffee, tea and water will be provided throughout the day
Pack a lunch with the intent to eat it mindfully over the lunch hour.
If you are not in the current MBSR class, Email an RSVP to geriwilimek@gmail.com tagline: Retreat RSVP. This is not required, but does help with planning for space and food.
Fall 2019 MBSR Participants…the Class Assignments page is back!
Invest in yourself; benefit others: MBSR Winter 2020
It only takes a moment’s reflection to see how our own wellbeing benefits others in our daily lives. When I am calm, kind, and genuinely curious about myself, I can approach others in the same way. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was developed by Jon Kabat Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School four decades ago to teach people to access their natural capacity for focused attention and compassion through the skills of mindfulness meditation. Research in the past 30 years has concluded that chronic stress erodes our wellbeing mentally and physically. Fortunately, we also know through research that stress can be addressed and reduced with instruction and practice.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an evidence-based eight week program aimed at learning, through a variety of meditation approaches, to more fully occupy our lives, clarifying our stress patterns and discovering new ways to address these patterns.
Winter 2020 MBSR will begin with a required Orientation session on January 28, 2020, 6:00pm-7:30pm. at The Clearing, a meeting space at True North Health Care, 514 Beltrami Ave., Bemidji. This will be a chance to preview MBSR, meet the other people interested in the class, and to get enough information to make an informed choice about signing up for the 8-week course.
Click here for the Winter 2020 Schedule, and links to pre-registration.
All about now... 