We invite you to join us for online every first Thursday of the month morning Mindful Caregiving sangha.
Mindful Caregiving
These mindful caregiving sessions are open to all who identify as caregivers. The topics and discussions of this group will be rooted in mindfulness practice and will aim to support those in a parental role, caretaking for an elder, or experiencing another type of caregiving situation by creating a compassionate, reflective space to come together.
No prior experience with mindfulness is necessary—all are welcome. There are no restrictions to join. While there is no fee, we invite participants to offer dana (a practice of generosity) to help sustain the gathering.
Format: 7:00 am-7:25 am meditation period and 7:25-8:00 am dharma sharing.
For questions about the Mindful Caregivers group, please contact facilitator Jenny Medvene-Collins.
No previous mindfulness or meditation experience is necessary. No fees, donations are always welcome.
Monthly Topic:
The Island Within
Reading:
Excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh - words and song:
“Breathing in, I go back
to the island within myself.
There are beautiful trees
within the island.
There are clear streams of water.
There are birds,
sunshine,
and fresh air.
Breathing out,
I feel safe.
I enjoy going back to my island.”
Jenny Shares:
A few weeks ago, I injured my foot and have been in a walking boot. I haven’t been able to do many of the movements and activities I usually enjoy, so have had more time for stillness and absorbing rather than doing quite as much. This extra time for stillness has reminded me to more frequently find, or work towards, my sense of tranquility by going inwards to my island. It has helped me to remind myself that the length of each visit isn’t what really matters, and that I am welcomed in this refuge anytime and anywhere.
I have been remembering how my dad used to talk about conversations with a challenging colleague and how whenever the conversation turned combative or upsetting in some way, he would retreat into his mind and replay his favorite baseball game until regaining his sense of peacefulness. While there are no baseball games playing in my particular island, I always admired my dad’s ability to use his own self awareness, including his wonderful sense of humor, to know when to check in with himself or hit pause (occasionally in unorthodox ways) before returning to the chaos of the outside world.
In caregiver life, it can feel challenging to consistently visit my island. In very busy periods filled with pressing needs, I tend to wait to take a replenishing inner visit until I really feel the need, rather than making the space for these visits to be more regular. The poet John O’Donohue wrote,
“There is a place in you where you have never been wounded, where there is still a sureness in you, where there’s a seamlessness in you, and where there is a confidence and tranquility in you. And I think the intention of prayer and spirituality and love is, now and again, to visit that inner kind of sanctuary.”
We all need such a place to visit, especially as caregivers who are thinking so much about the lives of others–their needs, wishes, and desires. At the same time, our islands often require maintenance and consistency in order to make them feel like the peaceful, safe spaces we wish to visit. When we simply pop in from time to time with long breaks in between visits, our islands may not be nourished enough to hold all of ourselves in the many ways we hope for. May we grant ourselves the time and space to pause and breathe within ourselves and do so before, during, and after we feel the need arise.
Questions I’d love to consider with other caregivers:
-When do you feel called to visit your island and check in with yourself?
-How does it feel to visit there?
-What (or who) helps to support you taking this time for inner refuge?