Normally I only offer my 30-Day Mindfulness Meditation Challenge courses three or four times spread evenly over a year. In response to these unusual times, my third session of 2020 launches next Monday, May 4th.
Despite the intensity of this pandemic-infused past month, I have witnessed firsthand the growth and resilience-building potential of this challenging period. We just finished the 30-Day Covid-19 Support Program earlier this week. Our age range spanned from 23 – 86, including every level of meditator from beginner to experienced.
Towards the end of the program, one of our members flagged a video of Europeans talking about their experience during the various stages of quarantine. I was struck by how many of their recommendations we followed during our 30-Day journey:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- keep a routine
- stay connected with friends
- be kind to yourself
- recognize how interconnected we all are
- stay curious (“You don’t need to go to Tibet to learn about yourself.”)
We have come through the turbulent waters of the past month more grounded, more present, more confident in our ability to navigate our challenges, manage stress and uncertainty, and be there for others in compassionate ways. I’m so proud of this group for showing up for themselves, which–via our interconnectedness–is also showing up for the collective.
Taking in the Good
Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson is renowned for his work on resilience-building. He explains that our natural wiring for negativity bias (a primal protective mechanism) makes us “Velcro for the bad and Teflon for the good.” In the current pandemic environment, we have a lot more “bad” stuff coming our way, whether it’s occurring in our own life experience, news headlines, social media, or simply our own habitual and often toxic thinking patterns.
Hanson explains that our brains have to filter a firehose of incoming data and decide what to hold on to. Because of our overly protective wiring, it’s easier to remember the bad stuff and just continue to recycle it as repetitive thinking. A study by the National Institutes of Science found that 80 percent of the average person’s thoughts are negative and 95 percent of thoughts are repetitive. My economist wiring raises the red flag of INEFFICIENT use of our resources!
The good news is that we can hack that negativity bias by what Hanson calls “Taking in the Good.” Noticing when we have a positive experience, a positive feeling, when we feel GOOD, then taking a moment to savor that, gets the neurons firing to integrate that experience into our working memory. With continued practice, we can slowly shift the dial away from negativity bias. It becomes easier to connect with joy. We become more resilient as result.
And yes, we can even do this during a pandemic. Our 30-Day meditation circle members proved it. Even when many didn’t feel like they were “getting anything done” during lockdown, even when it was hard to focus and an individual meditation session was filled with distractions, we celebrated the win of simply showing up day after day. What we practice grows stronger, including our capacity to set and follow through with intentions.
Martha’s “Taking in the Good” practice (and sneaky self-promotion)
Since I felt so good receiving these testimonials from some of our most recent program members, I’m following Rick’s advice to savor the experience here…
“I can’t say enough good things about this program. It is well organized, expertly facilitated, and practical. Clearly, Martha has a deep breadth of knowledge. Martha pays attention to each person and is available outside the allotted time for questions, resources and support. She is kind, genuine and able to laugh! One of the best parts is her non-judgmental attitude. It’s clear Martha practices what she preaches and is supportive of the ups and downs of her own and others’ practices. It helps motivate me to keep at it!” ~ Rachel
“Mindfulness helps me save my energy. If I’m not regretting the past nor worrying about the future, I have more energy to listen to my body and make an impactful response to the present situation. Learning to have compassion for myself helps me have compassion for other people and makes for better relationships.” ~ Lilian
“Martha’s ability to be bring science together with heart, mind and body into a cohesive and approachable course is outstanding. Her thoughtful approach to teaching different techniques enables both the beginner and experienced student to improve her practice. Martha is incredibly genuine as well, and she creates a safe and empathetic environment for discussion. I’m thrilled I finally had a chance to participate!” ~ Colleen
“Martha’s program is great for both beginners to meditation and for those who have been meditating for years. I join the program for the community, Martha’s wisdom and knowledge, and to keep my practice going. It’s been an incredible place of connection and growth.” (Anonymous)
My next 30-Day session begins on Monday, May 4th, at 7 am Pacific/10 am Eastern. We’d love to have you join the circle! To learn more visit https://damselwings.com/30-day-mindfulness-meditation-challenge/
