Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness

Need some encouragement? Let's lift each other up! Each gathering of Communities of enCOURAGEment: features guides with special talents who will help us meet the moment, the season, and/or the era with , and . Attend one or all six - starts this Sunday 🐅

Practices may include music and rhythm, story telling, guided meditation, rest and reflection, community sharing, creative explorations, or gentle movement.

Dates and Times (Sunday 6-7 pm Central time online via Zoom - sign up via our calendar and pay what you can (as little as $1): https://mindfulness-alliance.punchpass.com/calendar

In this post-election, pre-holiday season many of us are experiencing a rollercoaster ride of emotions that have left us feeling unsteady, uncertain or depleted. Let’s come together with some of our community’s innovative contemplative educators and healers from a variety of backgrounds to offer ourselves and one another some enCOURAGEment in preparation for what lies ahead.

Each meeting will feature guides with special talents who will help us meet the moment, the season, and/or the era with , and . Practices may include music and rhythm, story telling, guided meditation, rest and reflection, community sharing, creative explorations, or gentle movement.

Dates and Times (Sunday 6-7 pm Central time online via Zoom - sign up via our calendar and pay what you can (as little as $1): https://mindfulness-alliance.punchpass.com/calendar

Nov 17 Encourage with Tracy Ochester
Nov 24 Enliven with Karen Lisondra
Dec 1 Enhearten with Sydney Spears
Dec 8 Inspirit with Theresa Hubbard
Dec 15 Inspire with Cathan Kabrelian
Dec 22 Enlighten with Pam Hausner

Community is our strength - here are a handful of our teachers during a recent outing to the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art having fun with an interactive exhibit. We'd love for you to join us for any of our upcoming community practice gatherings via Zoom https://mindfulness-alliance.org/mindfulness-offerings/

✨ Linking Lives Lunchtime Mindfulness Gathering Tuesdays at 12:10 pm Central time via Zoom

✨ Community Wide Mindfulness Gathering Thursdays at 7 pm Central time via Zoom

✨ Q***r Community Mindfulness Practice Gathering first Sundays at 5 pm Central time via Zoom

✨ Community Contemplation & Reflection Hour 2nd Sundays at 10:30 am Central time online via Zoom

“Breathing in, I see myself as a mountain, breathing out, I feel solid.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Need some contemplative community support? Check out the resources in our latest newsletter https://mailchi.mp/e37e9667ae32/were-welcoming-ourselves-home-6413854

Credit: Photo by Trevor Wilson on Unsplash

"This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on." - Thurgood Marshall

Wishing everyone in the US well today as we get out the vote 🗳️

Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness - Community November Newsletter: A bit about our recent retreat and how we're preparing for the long winter ahead https://mailchi.mp/e37e9667ae32/were-welcoming-ourselves-home-6413854

Gather with us for some community connection and collective well-being during our regularly scheduled mindfulness practice meetings https://mindfulness-alliance.org/:

🍂 Linking Lives Lunchtime Mindfulness Gathering this and every Tuesday at 12:10 pm Central time via Zoom

🍂 Thursday Community Wide Mindfulness Practice Gathering 7 pm Central time online via Zoom

🍂 Q***r Community Mindfulness Practice Gathering first Sundays at 5 pm Central time via Zoom

🍂 Community Contemplation & Reflection Hour 2nd Sundays at 10:30 am Central time online via Zoom

**Photo of community mandala from day 1 of our silent retreat

Friday marked the conclusion of our Rooted, Restful and Rising five day and cultivation at Heartland Retreat Center in Parkville, MO. It's hard to capture in words what emerges when people come together in community to support one another in this way. This medicine is deep, expansive and much needed in our world. May the benefits reverberate 💗 🪶 ⬆️

https://mindfulness-alliance.org

Our annual residential retreat starts today ❤️ 🧘🏾 We're looking forward to deeper connection, stillness, stretches of silence, big skies maybe with some colorful sunrises and sunsets, and the changing fall leaves. 🍂 - and maybe we'll iron our tablecloth this year 😉 mindfulness-alliance.org

We've been teaching peace in lots of different ways since 2016. For example, today we'll learn from each other during our Linking Lives Lunchtime Mindfulness Gathering and we'll do it again on during our Thursday Community Wide Mindfulness Practice Gathering at 7 pm.

We'll be teaching peace in a deeper way next week with our Rooted, Restful & Rising: 5-Day Mindfulness & Compassion Cultivation Retreat.

And we teach each other how to teach peace in our 200-Hour Mindfulness Teacher Training Certification Program - enrollment ends in November for our 2025 cohort https://mindfulness-alliance.org/

Practicing in community is a powerful way to learn and mutually benefit from our experiences. Join us this week for:

🍂 Linking Lives Lunchtime Mindfulness Gathering this and every Tuesday at 12:10 pm US Central time online

🍂 Thursday Community Wide Mindfulness Practice Gathering this and every Thursday at 7 pm US Central time online

🍂 Community Contemplation & Reflection Hour every second Sunday at 10:30 am US Central time online

Browse our calendar and register for classes here: https://mindfulness-alliance.punchpass.com/calendar

Some of us who have benefited so powerfully from the cultivation of mindfulness in our lives feel a calling to share these healing practices with others.

Many of us simply wish to dive deeper.

Join us for a deep dive into the origins, concept and practices of mindfulness through our 200-Hour Mindfulness Teacher Training Certification Program. Now enrolling for 2025 https://mindfulness-alliance.org/200-hour-mindfulness-teacher-training-certificate-program/

This and every 1st Sunday join us for our Q***r Community Mindfulness Practice Gathering online at 5 pm us Central time https://mindfulness-alliance.punchpass.com/calendar

This and every Thursday night at 7 pm central time join us for our Thursday Community Wide Mindfulness Practice Gathering with a rotating schedule of trained teachers offering a variety of practices, teachings, and time for discussion. Register here: https://mindfulness-alliance.punchpass.com/calendar

Traditionalists will have plenty of space and silence for "sitting and walking", mindful eating, and insightful teachings from guiding teacher Dr. Sydney Spears during our October Rooted, Restful & Rising: A 5-Day Mindfulness & Compassion Cultivation Retreat at Heartland Center (HRC) - for those who wish to experiment we also offer many innovative optional practices for cultivating and including (as weather allows) https://mindfulness-alliance.org/annual-retreat/:

🍂 mindful movement
🍂
🍂 a "pre tai chi" practice
🍂 forest bathing
🍂 earth and sky nidra
🍂 creativity practices
🍂 mindful rhythm making & drumming circle
🍂 labyrinth and trail walking
🍂 mandala making

One room remains for that lucky someone who wants to stay residentially - commuters can also drive in each morning and travel home to sleep at night (photo of a sunset at HRC).