Compassion Meditation, Great Salt Lake and an Auto Immune Podcast!
I've got so much for you today! Feel free to scroll accordingly :-)
1. Save the date for my December Meditation Series: A Deep Dive into Compassion
2. Irreplaceable: a collective praise poem for Great Salt Lake, has been published
3. A new podcast episode
4. A huge holiday sale
5. Yoga + Nature + Culture Retreat to Southern Spain, March 17-23 2025.
But before I get into all of that, how are you doing today? I know that being a citizen of the world has been especially intense lately. I've moved from engaged and grounded, to over-engaged and dysregulated, to totally-checked-out and everything in between. I just want to reassure you that ALL RESPONSES ARE NORMAL!!! Our mindfulness practices guide us towards staying in the present (that's a tall order), pulling away from creating stories about what is going to happen in the future (also difficult), and bringing ourselves back to the moment with compassion, not judgement, over and over again (WHEW!!!).
And while I wholeheartedly agree with that approach, it might not feel super accessible to you right now. So here are some additional options:
~ Simply do the best you can while cultivating a tone of self-friendliness - a general background tone of - you're doing okay and things will be alright.
~ Take good care of yourself. Go for a walk, go to bed early, eat something delicious and savor it, rest more.
~ Make connections. Ask for support, call a friend, make an appointment with a mental health professional, spend time with people that make you laugh.
~ Stop doom scrolling and consider getting off of social media and limiting the amount of information you are taking in.
~ Lean into your spiritual practices, your movement practices, your mindfulness practices. Do what makes your body feel good. Take extra time every day to deepen your breath.
And, here are 5 more resources that might make you feel good:
1. December Meditation Series: A Compassion Deep Dive
In October I offered a 5 week meditation series exploring 5 different types of meditation techniques. At the end, the feedback I received was, let's go deeper into each one! So this December, I'll offer a 3 week compassion deep dive. We'll cover the neuroscience of compassion, the difference between compassion and empathy, the path to embodied compassion, and the benefits to your mind, body and spirit. But most importantly, we'll practice together. I'll guide you through a different compassion meditation each week and you'll experience first hand, the shift in your mind, body and spirit.
We'll meet once a week, the first 3 weeks in December and I may offer it both in person and on zoom again. Times and days are not yet set in stone so if you would like to join me and have preferences, please reply and let me know.
In person, Tuesday at noon, Salt Lake City
On Zoom, Wednesday at 5:30pm (MST)
2. For those of you interested in Nan Seymour's creative work to raise awareness around the Great Salt Lake, check this out (written by Nan):
The newly published irreplaceable: a collective praise poem for Great Salt Lake, composed by the poet Nan Seymour, is a community prayer for the replenishment of an ecosystem on a precipice. The book begins with a forward by Terry Tempest Williams which underscores the peril of this irreplaceable refuge and hemispherically essential lake. Over 400 voices sing their praises in this chorus: sixth graders, brine shrimpers, birders, queer artists, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and spell casters, alongside scores of others who proclaim this lake beloved. The poem is still being written as the vigil keepers write, sing, and dance in celebration of the sacred lake and all of the species she sustains. They dedicate their jubilance, grief, and reverence as they invite readers to join in bearing witness. Every voice counts. Our work will be finished when the lake is replenished and her personal right to flourish is fully protected.
*** A fun addition to this is that I have a poem in the collection!
If you are a local Salt Laker and would like to attend an upcoming Reading or Event, here are some options:
● Wednesday, November 20th at Natural History Museum of Utah in SLC 6-7:30
● Saturday, November 30th 10-12 at the Marmalade branch of the SLC Library in collaboration with Kellie Bornhoft’s exhibit “By a Thread”
● Thursday, December 5th on Zoom 6-7 pm MST: Register at www.riverwriting.com/events
● Thursday, December 12th 7-8:30 pm at the George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Gallery, SLCC South City Campus Center for Arts & Media
3. A new podcast episode!
I loved talking to AnnaLaura Brown about the importance of stress management, nervous system regulation and ways to employ mindfulness practices when dealing with autoimmune disease. If you suffer from chronic pain, this one may be of interest to you as well! Click below to listen:)
How to Heal Your Nervous System Naturally, with Yoga Therapist Rachel Posner
Click here to listen on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
4. I'm hosting a huge holiday sale on all of my online courses.
Keep your eye out for an email coming next week with links to the sale. You can purchase courses for yourself or give a loved one the gift of mindfulness!
5. And finally, let's go to Southern Spain!!!
Early bird discount ends January 1
Join me March 17-23, 2025. This is honestly one of those next level experiences that you don't want to miss. Click here to learn more. And if you'd like to jump on a phone or zoom call to discuss the details, reply to this email and we'll set it up.
If I can answer any questions about anything in this email, don't hesitate to reach out. And if we haven't connected in a while, I'd love to hear from you. How are you really doing? I'd love to know!
Sending so much love your way.
Rachel
Here are some other ways you can work with me...
If you want some support starting or recharging your yoga and meditation practice, join the Your Yoga community! Register here to start your free 7-day trial.
If you'd like to work with me one-on-one, I have a few spots available. Reply to this email if you'd like to chat about whether this is the right time and fit for you.
And you can find all of my online workshops and courses here.