We often worry about events and people far from us, so much so that we lose the ability to stay present with those that are right in front of us. The more we can remain mindful of our own thoughts, feelings and our general state of mind, the more likely it will be that we can stop when we are uncomfortable or triggered and take a breath to calm and steady ourselves.
We might truly see who is within arm’s reach of us, listen to them, hear what they have to say and respond with compassion and wisdom.
Our ability to do this may be our greatest gift to the world.
"Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help."
- Thich Nhat Hanh
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."
- Viktor E. Frankl (Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, and a Holocaust survivor)
My Background
I have been teaching and leading guided mindfulness meditations live via zoom from my home in Point Richmond, California, since March, 2020. My purpose is to teach wisdom and compassion practices that I have found helpful in responding to life’s ups and downs. I speak from my experience and training, and I invite others to do the same. My intention is to create a space where we feel free to share our spiritual journey and learn from each other.
I started meditating in the mid-1990s. My earliest influences were teachers in the Tibetan tradition, including Sogyal Rinpoche, Pema Chodron and Lama Surya Das. Currently I follow Thich Nhat Hanh and Western insight meditation teachers, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzburg and others.
Early in 2021, I completed a two-year mindfulness meditation teacher training program taught by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. This course is certified by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley.
Sallie DeWitt
Photo courtesy of Rita Gardner
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