staying power

continuing to gather for mindfulness

Hello folks,

For your Sunday Pause this week, here’s a list of ideas for supporting yourself and your friends in sustainable practice over time:

1. When you are scrolling websites, visit the mindfulness radio station site and hit the play button. See what’s playing.

2. Grab your phone, and play a guided meditation on the app. If a friend is with you, use your speaker, or share earbuds.

3. Go for regular walks. Maybe go out right now…

4. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and sit in companionable silence together with a friend or animal. (Perhaps online with the At250 group.) This is great at the end of a walk.

5. Gift a friend a subscription to the Mindful Beacon newsletter. (Just sayin.’) Or, for a more extravagant gift, take them to the beach for one of the MBZ1 Retreats. Our next event is on the 1st weekend of May in Gloucester.

6. Get a friend to meditate.
   …if you are engaging in these activities with someone else, that automatically gives you the inspiration to get yourself doing them too. (This is especially effective if there are children in your life.)

Two weeks ago, I attended At250’s sixth anniversary of having 10 minutes of silent practice online every day. Yes. They continue to have a ten minute zoom call. Every. Day. At 2:50pm. Over the years I have collaborated with their organization in a number of ways, and it’s lovely to see them continuing so long!

The above photo is a blast from the past. In this photo, I joined At250 at the Harvard Art Museum on Dec 13th 2024 2:50pm. On the computer screen were another 15 or so people who joined in the experience via zoom call. If you want invites to this type of event, visit their website.

Here at MBZ1 we have a different focus. We dive into retreats, coaching, and other education, in addition to broadcasting recordings via an automated radio station.
But collaboration is key. Different focuses and different perspectives are not only welcome, but essential.

Both MBZ1 and At250 offer supports for silence, sanity, and mindfulness. And part of the “secret sauce” is the longer term support. This is not just a quick-fix kind of bandaid. Our groups offer practices with staying power.

At250 just celebrated six years because they started offering support during Covid lockdown in 2020. And, Mindful Boston originally started with offering MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) in the year 2010… so, we’re working on sixteen years. (Gosh!)

If you are newer here, welcome!
If you’ve been around for a while, it’s great to have you stay!

As always, I hope to see you around the meditation cushion soon!
—Gena