Mindful Awareness and Insight
“Everything that occurs is not only usable and workable but is actually the path itself.
We can use everything that happens to us as the means for waking up.”
– Pema Chodron
How do you know what you don’t know?
Many of us live lives of quiet desperation, aware that many of the strategies we use to feel better don’t get to the root of the problem and actually make things worse.
We have a gnawing sense that happiness is passing us by – that we could be more present, more vital, and more awake – but we can’t see clearly how to live differently.
My 25 years of mindfulness practice inform the work we will do together as we explore how best to live what the poet Mary Oliver calls “this one wild and precious life.”
You are a gold buddha
For over 700 years, the largest – 5500 kilogram! – solid gold statue of the buddha was completely hidden by muddy plaster – no one knew it was gold.
The monks in Bangkok had covered the precious statue with mud to protect it from thieves. Over the years, the secret of its true nature – the gold buddha hidden underneath – had been completely forgotten… until in 1955 a curious monk with a flashlight peered into a crack in the statue and saw a glint of gold.
We are all gold buddhas: We try to protect our vulnerability – our sensitive body, heart, and mind – with defense mechanisms that protect us from being hurt. But these very protections cause us to forget the true and precious nature of our being and of the present moment.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words,
your words become your actions, your actions become your habits,
your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”
– MK Gandhi
Mindful awareness and insight allow you to break the trance of habit and wake up to your true nature and to the present moment.
Often, you cannot hear what truly needs your attention until you pause and listen deeply.
I can help you pause and listen.
The truth emerges when you pause, relax, and deeply listen. These are the first steps in cultivating a mindful awareness – an ability to be present with kindness and curiosity, moment by moment for whatever is happening right now.
When you do this, you are not lost in thoughts about the past or worries about the future. You are not hijacked – you are here and present now. And now is the only moment when things actually happen.
Trust what emerges from mindful awareness, and you gain clarity about the patterns of thought and action that hold you back from the real treasure – the joy of living a life of embodied presence, attuned to yourself, to others and to the world around you.
I can help you see the patterns that limit your life.
Our work together centers on friendly, honest conversation about the truth of what you are feeling and experiencing. Through developing a trusting relationship with me – but more importantly with yourself – you learn first to recognize and then to change the habit patterns of thought, speech, and action that hold you back from living a heart-centered life.
Together, we can increase your capacity for mindfulness, insight, and wisdom – the ability to be present, to see that each moment is sacred, and thus to act with discernment and kindness in thought, speech, and action.
Call me at (941) 404-6355 for a free 20-minute consultation, and I’ll help you get started.
“If you let go a little, you will have a little happiness.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of happiness.
If you let go completely, you will be free.”
– Ajahn Chah