I have been amazed at the generosity and depth of this free online program and have referred numerous friends, family, and coaching clients to it as well.  Thank you.  I also completed an in-person 8 week MBSR course and I can confidently say that I learned more from the Palouse Mindfulness program.  I learned how to deal with difficult emotions with a variety of tools from numerous teachers.  It is helpful to realize that I am not alone in the experiences of difficult emotions and that I was not taught effective skills for handling them.  Meditation continues to be a daily, sometimes more than once a day, tool for me to stay centered, and to handle difficulties as they arise.

      I’ve also found the resources on mindful eating particularly helpful.  I believe I used food to cope with the difficult emotions I did not know how to handle.  Food has been used to show love in my family and I used to struggle with how to separate the two things.  Loneliness is less scary for me now and I can create a mindful pause before I reach for food to deal with this emotion.  I have also started reading a book called Intuitive Eating that often refers to mindfulness and it is a nice reinforcement.

      I was in a car accident 2 years ago and found myself feeling quite defeated and frustrated by the residual pain.  This program helped me in numerous ways in dealing with these physical issues.  I used to get angry when I would feel pain.  Underneath it was fear, but the anger at my body was overwhelming.  When I could use the body scan and observation of how the things I was feeling were just sensations, it helped me to separate and get some distance from the painful sensations.  I am now no longer so afraid and angry about pains in my body.  I could resist the medical community norms that instilled the fear and the opinions to refrain from movement.  I found medical professionals who believe that “movement is medicine” and I have come quite far in my recovery from the accident.  I now know the difference between painful sensations that are due to a new physical activity vs. the pain of being injured.  I am more able to identify with my body in a healthy way.

      Finally, my wife and I completed this program together which was a wonderful daily practice for us as a couple.  We have both gained skills in communicating calmly and clearly even amid emotional situations.  We have incorporated many of the practices into our daily lives including meditation, yoga, a gratitude practice at mealtimes, we’ve placed limits on electronic times/social media, and we regularly refer others to this program.  Your generosity and service to the world through this site is greatly appreciated!  Thank you!