My youngest baby was born with frown lines between her eyes. She came out angry, like she knew she was going to be one of those kids who struggles with life and wasn’t ready to meet the day. I held her in my arms for the first time, whispered “Hello,” and watched in awe as her frown lines disappeared and calm, peaceful recognition spread across her face at the sound of my voice. It’s a moment of connection I will cherish forever.
To this day, my little one resists waking up. Every morning, it’s the same twenty-minute ritual: I whisper “Good morning,” kiss her on the cheek, rub her back, and then wait by her bed holding up a blanket that I wrap around her like a cape once she finally wakes up. Then I follow her slowly down the stairs holding her blanket like a train in a morning procession fit for a queen. It’s quite the scene. But she’s a sensitive kiddo and needs a lot of loving care in order to feel full.
As we enter our third pandemic spring, I imagine the whole world could use a little bit of this kind of opulent attention right now—boundless care flowing from as many of us as possible. Love in action pouring into our communities in order to fill our cups so we can meet the challenges of the day. But it’s hard to lavish your attention when it’s being regularly hijacked by social media, or depleted by burnout and stress.
I imagine the whole world could use a little bit of opulent attention right now—boundless care flowing from as many of us as possible. Love in action pouring into our communities in order to fill our cups so we can meet the challenges of the day.
Which is why, for this April issue, our team at Mindful created a resilience guide for extraordinary times. Managing editor Stephanie Domet shares how practicing curiosity helped her shift her perception of a difficult situation. Physician and mindfulness teacher Dr. Christiane Wolf explores how the hard work of forgiveness can temper rage and soften bitterness. Dr. Wolf also teamed up with us to create a course on navigating physical pain. Journalist Robert Huber reports on how mindfulness is helping to heal one of our most tender communities: survivors of gun violence. Veteran teachers Tovi Scruggs-Hussein, Mark Bertin, and Shalini Bahl-Milne offer a DIY at-home mindfulness retreat so you can share your practice with your friends and loved ones.
As the late visionary writer bell hooks said: “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” May you surround yourself with loving communities of care. May your practice fill your communities with an abundance of love. And in those moments when kindness feels scarce, may you remember to return to your breath, and to the light of your own heart.
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When even the three-minute breathing space feels like work, we may just need to give ourselves a break.
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There’s Someone Missing in Your Friend Circle: You
We’re mindful to treat our friends with kindness and compassion—here’s how to bring some of that warmth back to the person who often gets neglected.
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Why It’s So Hard to Let Others Care For You
One of the hardest things to do is to admit you need help— second only to receiving that help when it’s offered. Here’s a practice to help you remember that you deserve to be cared for.
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