While many folks confessed the following week that they had forgotten to apply the state-shifting steps during the week, one woman noted privately before class that she had gotten a new piece of the puzzle that she had never understood before and that she thought it would help her. Another woman noted during check-in that she had had an issue with someone in the class, and they both took a break and were able to return to it in a better place.
This was also the first time we did a full 10-minute mindfulness practice. While this was a big challenge for many of them (and there was some commotion with a CO halfway through), I was nevertheless impressed with their overall effort. And while one woman noted pointedly at the end when we were checking out that she had “LEARNED NOTHING,” another one said that for the first time in her life, she felt she could quiet and focus her mind while meditating. Annice and I reflected after class on how easy it was to hear the former comment loud and clear and lose sight of the latter. Lots of good practice for “not taking things personally” and “not making assumptions”!
As for the men, there seems to be a growing appreciation for the practice in the room. Even some of the younger guys are beginning to settle down with the practice (by which I mean sitting up straighter!). The guys certainly like the mindful movement bits but are quite still when sitting, and the room has a strong sense of intention. This past week there was a special appreciation of Paul’s comment about how important it is to accept whatever shows up while you’re meditating and that it’s not about “getting it right.” Also, one guy asked whether there would be any places he could continue this practice on the outside…
Finally, one young fellow said (fairly sincerely!) that he thought by the end of May, he would have it all figured out! (I noted that I would be happy with him having his feet firmly planted on the path, which is all I can say for any of us!)
Love and appreciation to you all!
Rebecca