After decades of practice and research, MBSR has carved out a prime position as an effective method to build resilience, balance, and more peace of mind while also reducing physical and psychological distress. We experienced these benefits ourselves and founded Imagine Mindfulness to make MBSR accessible to people all over the world. Meditation and mindfulness have become more mainstream and exposés on the foundations of a mindfulness practice are widespread. In this newsletter, we would like to offer you the foundations as we aspire to practice them, both in our personal lives and in our business.

So what do we practice?

We practice non-judging. We learn to impartially witness our life and the experiences we have. Things are what they are - and we are present with them with kindness and compassion to ourselves and others. Non-judgmental acceptance of ourselves and the situation creates clarity and is the starting point for change. We learn to respond, not react.

We practice being completely open to each moment without expectations, cultivating a mind that is willing to see everything as if for the first time. This Beginner’s Mind allows us to start anew in every moment, in every breath we take. We are new in this body, this mind, and this situation. Because we do not get stuck in our own expertise, past experiences, or routines, we are receptive to new possibilities,

We practice non-striving, being in this moment without having a master plan or a concept of “good” or “where I want to go". We focus on carefully seeing and accepting things as they are, because we trust that they will unfold in their own time. Movement towards our goals will take place with patience and regular practice - we have learned to be fully present to whatever arises and are ready to respond.

We practice embracing the present fully while learning from the past and preparing for the future. This starts with practicing Radical Kindness towards ourselves. From this point, we can do nothing less but take Radical Self Responsibility. We look at the world with curiosity, we no longer blame ourselves or others, and we no longer justify non-results with excuses. We learn to honor our thoughts, emotions, and actions.

We practice being authentic. We are trustworthy and honest to others, and most importantly to ourselves. We employ our words towards love and truth. We have the power to create our reality through our emotions, attitudes, and actions - even through moments we don't seize or silences we keep. Through constantly seeking self-awareness and awareness of others, we cultivate this practice.

We practice having trust. We develop trust in ourselves, in own authority, feelings, and intuitions. We learn to listen to ourselves and to be present to make the decisions we want to make. We trust that even when life is difficult we can endure, and find solutions. Mistakes are only opportunities for learning. We stay open and learn from other sources, but we make the choices that are right for us.

We practice being in community. Through the practices above, we continue to build an understanding of our shared humanity. We both support and seek support from our community. Our developing awareness of ourselves allows us to expand our awareness of others with growing kindness and compassion.

We practice intentionality - this is the foundation of our meditation practice and of our life practice. We start this journey from our aspiration to create a happier and healthier life for ourselves and others. We make the commitment to follow through, recognizing each moment of renewed awareness as a new opportunity to practice. Along the way, we develop the self-discipline to make this our way of life.

These foundational practices are guidelines that can be reflected upon at the close of each day. They are inspirational, maybe even aspirational, and a way to recognize where we can grow. At the same time, we can feel grateful when we recognize those we have applied. 

We are here to support you in this journey. Always feel free to reach out to us!

Summer Meyer

CEO Imagine Mindfulness