What I Thought I Knew About Mindfulness

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What I Learned on My Summer Retreat

Hi there! It’s good to be back. And, my summer retreat was amazing.

One thing I learned is how much I still don’t know about mindfulness. That part was super humbling, and also inspiring.

Another thing I learned is about the space between stimulus and response. A big part of my motivation to practice mindfulness is to create space between one moment and the next. In that space, I hope a little wisdom will arise: wisdom, as in, just a better idea of how to respond kindly and compassionately, and still get my point across. But what I learned is that wisdom isn’t the only thing that’s supposed to arise.

What’s also supposed to arise is sorrow and pain. Or maybe it’s not “supposed to” arise, but it does. Do you know what I mean?

So what do we do when we open that space, on purpose, hoping for wisdom, and, through no fault of our own, pain and suffering also (or only) arise?