libraria miscellanea

Let's all take a moment, take a big, deep breath in, and let it out. Let's do that two more times: big deep breath, filling your lungs completely, then releasing. Shoulders up when you breathe in, shoulders relax as you breathe out. Gently close your eyes or simply soften your gaze toward the ground. Come into this moment right now, by scanning your body, starting with your toes, and breathing in and out of each area, noting any areas of tension. You may like to squeeze those muscles very tightly and then let them go. Work your way up to your legs, pelvis, back, shoulders, arms, neck, and head. Simply observing any sensations in your body without trying to make them do anything. Breathe fully and intentionally. Slowly start to come back into the room. Wiggle fingers and toes, and you may slowly open your eyes if you wish. I will share 3 principles I've adopted while teaching classes like these every week for the public. These three principles work like a cycle diagram, f...

There have been many times in my life where I was vulnerable. Dictionary.com defines this as, "(of a person) in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect." Synonyms are: helpless, defenseless, powerless, impotent, weak, susceptible. During those times, my community was also small; sometimes, it was only my small family and maybe a co-worker, or a church. As a single mom, an injured returned Peace Corps volunteer with no home or job, and also as a child, I have known vulnerability. By United States definitions, I grew up in poverty. We utilized government assistance, the help and goodwill of grandparents, and community non-profit clothing and toy closets, especially around the holidays. I really appreciated what we had. My four siblings and I rarely enjoyed food from restaurants, never went on vacations, and looked forward to grandma taking us back to school shopping for clothes, and the Indian commodity supplies...

I've been on a mindfulness journey since November 2018, teaching weekly free meditation classes at my public library, and consequently setting out on a daily personal meditation and mindfulness practice. This has expanded into working through self-compassion, learning how to accept myself, my feelings, and embrace them, sit with them, name them, and be kind to myself. Holy cow, that is not easy and it can be very overwhelming at times. I think I'm most surprised about how many feelings and how often I feel overwhelming feelings; both positive and negative ones. At the leadership institute retreat is where I started this journey and met other librarians who were very open, and identified as "empaths." they quickly opened up to me and helped me realize I guess I am one of these, too. I used to HATE that my mom was so emotional when i was a kid- I didn't know at the time that she had been living, undiagnosed, with bipolar disorder, so her moods were extreme a...