Recognizing A Web Of Support

Delegation, referrals, and just plain saying ‘no’ is so very legitimate these days. This week’s Sunday news topic is a reminder to assess your energy levels before jumping in to new activities.

If you are politically active on the liberal side of things, you might already subscribe to the Chop Wood Carry Water substack. Mindful Boston recommends CWCW mainly because of all the reminders for self care mixed in with the hands-on action items. As a substack newsletter, it’s great to have the community of other newsletters for referrals. Everything here at studio MBZ1 is about mindfulness.

We can stick to that.

There are plenty of others who can specialize in all the other things. As indicated in the title, other writers do not need to be viewed as competition, they can be collaborators.

Leaning on other substack authors for their areas of expertise, and also being there as a mindfulness referral for them, is an example strategy.

Use the comments section to describe the strategies you employ when your own energy is thin.

Here’s another example from the world of mindfulness practice.

There is a difference between appropriate mindfulness practices for people who have a stable job and home, and appropriate mindfulness practices for people who have been experiencing extremely destabilizing life experiences.

The terms ‘trauma-informed’ and ‘trauma-sensitive’ might be overused in some circles, but it is relevant.

If you are looking for mindfulness, and there has been serious abuse or other trauma in your life, it’s important to consider where your meditation teacher was trained, and if they have been educated in the techniques for leading mindfulness practices without creating re-traumatization.

At our studio, all Mindful Boston teachers have studied trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive mindfulness practices. And also, we refer out when needed. A mindfulness learning experience is not the right fit for all situations. There is a lot that is outside the scope of what a studio can offer.

It’s good to stop and assess each healing modality you engage in to see the relevant underlying factors that can inform your healing choices.

• Is mindfulness the right fit for your situation?
• And even if it might become the right fit, is now the right time? Should another modality happen first, or side-by-side with mindfulness?
• What are your expectations as you engage in any form of healing?
• When someone needs help, do you try to lead them in meditation in order to help them?

If you have, this is a reminder to consider that there is a risk that you could accidentally bring them to a bad memory of past abuse, even a situation that they don’t really remember. Given that you are on this mailing list for a mindfulness studio, you always have the option of referring that person to trained mindfulness professionals here. Please know that this studio is in your circle of care.

Let’s take excellent care of ourselves, and each other.