Note from Louisa
 
I have made it a habit, this time of year, to pause and recognize all of those that have lent their energy and gifts to making The Center for Mindful Living a vibrant and compassionate healing community. I invite you to take a moment to read their names and, if you have ever had an experience of insight, peace, or restoration within our walls, please know that their contributions, though frequently unsung, played a role in your journey.
 
My deepest thanks go out to my colleague, Laura Crosby who, along with fellow facilitators, Dan Weidner, Aaron Weiner, and Katie Hupp, hold the space that allow our practice to be regular and sustained in these challenging days. Laura also facilitates the study group, which for years now, has made contemporary writings and teachings accessible to our community for discussion and growth.
 
I also want to recognize Christina Murphy, who works behind the scenes as our marketing and social media Goddess, bringing you this newsletter every month, as well as the mid-month musings, and helps us keep the CML community connected and informed.
 
Of course, the heart of CML began as a therapeutic space and we are so blessed to have the talents of our compassionate clinicians, Pamela Mueggenberg, Kara Cavel, and our newest addition, Jenna Lopez, to help ease the suffering of those who seek support and understanding. Each of these women embody the essence of learning, wisdom, and tenderness, and I learn from them every day.
 
Thank you to Alma and Mireya, who keep our space so beautifully for us, and to Blake who makes sure that we don’t trip and break something of import on the ice.
 
On behalf of all of us at CML, I want to acknowledge all of our teachers, guides, and mentors who have shown us the path, and gently redirected us when we stray or get distracted. We are also grateful to our families and loved ones, who have helped to shape and supported us as we become more and more ourselves.
 
Mostly, I want to thank you, Beloved Member of the CML community.
 
Thank you for making our community vibrant and alive with your presence and curiosity about yourself and the world. Thank you for keeping the meditation cushions warm (even virtually), the therapy sessions rich, and/or loving yourself enough to learn about self-compassion. Thank you for being so courageous in walking the path with us. Thank you for reading this newsletter.
 
And thank you for all of your support of our efforts, and for your willingness to share of yourself and your wisdom to help make our space, and our world, a better place.
 
Gratitude and Blessings on your journey, 
Louisa
COVID UPDATE:

​Please note that CML is monitoring the changing COVID landscape in order to determine when we can safely open for in-person sitting groups, classes, workshops. At this time, we remain closed for anything in-person, except for individual therapy, until January 2022 at the earliest, at which time we will reassess the situation. We’ll keep you posted on any changes to the schedule. Thank you!
HOLIDAY CLOSURE:

Please note that CML will be closed from December 23rd to January 2nd to allow our staff to enjoy the holidays with their families. Sitting groups and other programming will be suspended during this time and will resume on
January 3rd, 2022.
 
We wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season!
Daily Silent Meditation             
8:15 - 9:00 am
Monday - Friday Morning
Meeting ID: 899 6440 8784
Passcode: 818114
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Guided Meditation
1:15 - 1:45 pm          
Tuesday Afternoon
Meeting ID: 826 1223 4516
Passcode: 058471
Omaha Meditates 2022
Facilitated Online by Aaron Weiner
January 1, 202211:00 am CST

Wisdom House Collaborative is partnering once more with the Center for Mindful Living to celebrate Omaha Meditates on New Year’s Day. Please come join us at 11 am for a virtual hour-long sit on January 1st to start 2022 with presence and intention. 

If you wish to take the Omaha Meditates pledge to dedicate one minute or more to the goodwill of the event please go to Omahameditates.org. Or visit the Wisdom House Collaborative website at wisdomhouseomaha.org where you’ll find their New Year’s Resolution page that talks about recent scientific findings on the mechanism for changing our habits through literally rewiring our minds and bodies beginning with the training of attention and clarity. 

Let this New Year’s Day gathering be start of a wonderful new practice. We can help you develop and support your commitment with our daily meditation sits and study group. Regular practice helps us to garner the richest insights and benefits of meditation. Please check out our daily schedule (posted in this newsletter) and join us on January 1st and throughout 2022!


Mindfulness Study Group
Facilitated Online by Laura Crosby
First and Third Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6pm

We are currently reading two books!

  • Real Change, Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World by Sharon Salzburg
  • The Dharma of Poetry, How Poems can Deepen Your Spiritual Practice and Open You to Joy by John Brehm
 
The Dharma of Poetry is a rich and deep exploration of poetry as teacher. The author complements this exploration with a collection of poetry-inspired meditations. The poetry, the teachings, and the practices are quite moving. 

Real Change is a relevant and accessible offering of sage wisdom and mindfulness techniques for our time. As Jack Kornfield puts it, “Inspiring, loving, and empowering. The perfect medicine for these difficult times.” 
 
Our sessions are freely offered, drop-ins are welcome, and there's no registration necessary. We read together - so no homework! - and discuss each chapter. Books are available from lcrosby@me.com.

Meeting ID: 843 4464 0572
Passcode: 570798
Be Grateful to Everyone
By Daniel G. Weidner
 
Chapter nine of the book Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron (PC) is entitled “Be Grateful to Everyone”. She describes this Lojong slogan as “…about making peace with the aspects of ourselves that we have rejected.” Recently, as I was rereading this chapter, I could not help but reflect upon how my understanding of this slogan has changed over the last six years. 
 
During this time our country has experienced a U.S. Presidency and a global pandemic that have transformed or, perhaps, more vividly revealed our national self-concept. We now routinely see terms like confirmation bias, divided, polarized, racist, misogynistic, misinformation, lies, conspiracy, hateful, toxic, and ignorant used to describe the state of our country, or, more precisely, the people of our country. 
 
Many of us find ourselves significantly troubled by this state of affairs and wondering how we got here and what we are to do about it. I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t about making peace with the aspects of ourselves as a nation, that we have rejected, or at least tried very hard to ignore. 
 
Through the practice of Mindfulness we learn to use painful and unpleasant situations to deepen our practice. We learn to face our difficulties head-on with awareness, compassion, empathy, non-judgmentalism, and understanding. Through this practice our fears, emotional reactions, and unpleasant feelings are employed as grist for the mill. Ken McLeod (Reflections on Silver River) states that this practice provides a way to deepen our relationship with life itself by “…moving into the clear natural awareness that is the essence of human experience.” It all begins with awareness. 
 
He goes on to state that “Beliefs are reactions solidified into a worldview that cannot be questioned. Belief marks the line at which your ability to think rationally stops.” While he is speaking of this in terms of individuals, it seems to me that this can reasonably be understood to describe where we are as Americans. Beliefs are rigidly held and fortified through exposure to only that information that reinforces said beliefs – confirmation bias. We are acting and reacting with mindlessness. 
 
So, what to do about this? Frankly, on a macro level I don’t have any advice to offer regarding what the average citizen can do to improve or at least modify this state of affairs. However, on a micro level I understand that each of us as individuals can use the skills of mindfulness practice to create a better environment for ourselves and those around us. 
 
This begins with daily Meditation. Through Meditation we learn to observe our own thoughts and feelings. This observation then leads to awareness, increased understanding, and, over time, insight. Eventually we develop equanimity and begin to find both greater peace and balance in our lives. 
 
This, in turn, then begins to have a positive impact on those around us. This is how we are grateful to everyone. This is a continuous process that involves learning to live fully in the present moment, opening our minds and hearts to both ourselves and others in the present moment, and engaging in a “…continual journey of wakefulness.” (PC). Through this process we begin to surrender “…to situations in order to communicate rather than win.”(PC). And since all ships rise and fall together we find that being grateful to everyone makes the world a better place.