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Laura Brittain's avatar

Very cool, Stephanie! I find meditation very sweet and helpful. When I do it. I like the things at Insight Meditation center and on the app Dharma Seed. Carol Wilson and Steve Armstrong are faves, along with Joseph Goldstein. I’ll check out your links!

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

I wish I talked to you before this! I would have added some of your recs! Thanks, Laura! I really didn't think I would ever get to feeling good about meditation and it clicked in the last couple months. I had to get rid of the idea of having everything just right to do it.

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Andrew Davis's avatar

So glad you're feeling more comfortable with meditation!

Don't overthink it :-)

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Jeannie Lynn Wagner's avatar

Really appreciate the transparency here Stephanie, thank you. I also enjoyed listening to the interview with Andrew. I've always been grateful to people who acknowledge that it's not about getting rid of all thoughts or emptying the mind, especially when just starting out with meditation. It helped me when people guided me to take an observer role to my thoughts, watching them go by like clouds in the sky without latching onto them, or thinking of them like a train I don't have to get on. Gradually, I was able to become more and more detached from thoughts and come back to a deep center more easily and quickly. Still a work in progress! <3

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

Yes! That’s such a common misconception. Emptying thoughts is not the goal! And I imagine it will always be a work in progress, which also makes it feel easier too because I’m not attached to a goal

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Hilary Hattenbach's avatar

Looking forward to diving into these links this week, Stephanie. Great post. I want to meditate every day, but end up doing it more like 3 or 4 times a week because . . . life. I do join a weekly meditation group on Zoom with the Irish guide, Tony Brady. I discovered him on Insight Timer. It’s a lovely multigenerational group of folks around the world and really helped me keep it together during the pandemic. I always feel so much more grounded after I log off. And thanks to your post, I’m going to meditate now.

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

Then when I read your comment I meditated too! I need to check out tony Brady!

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Jess's avatar

Interesting to hear about your experience with meditation and the things you've tried - I'm a Headspace fan I have to say!

...Bookmarked the video to come back to :)

Great topic to explore and I like the honest way you do it!

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

I do like headspace! I just never use it! And I keep letting them take my money hahaha

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Susan Fusco-Fazio's avatar

Love the interview with Andrew and the whole article. Thanks for this. I needed this today.🙏

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

I’m glad, Susan. And thank you!

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Jill's avatar

Love this Stephanie ❤️ and a big ol’ YES to yoga ✔️✔️

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

It’s pretty cool to meditate with a room full of people. I didn’t realize how magical it would be until I started going to classes (used to do just YouTube) and practicing with others in real life!

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Gina-Marie Cheeseman's avatar

I discovered centering prayer years ago and keep coming back to it. I can't sustain other meditation practices but I can shut my eyes, be still, and just be for 10 minutes knowing I'm enveloped in God's love.

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

I have been praying too. I’m not religious but finding myself in prayer to a higher power!

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Gina-Marie Cheeseman's avatar

Prayer is powerful and I think that's why the 12 steps have prayer to our higher power as a basis.

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Andrew Davis's avatar

Thanks so much for sharing points from our interview, Stephanie. I really enjoyed the conversation!

- Andrew

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Stephanie Jucar Cooley's avatar

Thank you, Andrew! You are such a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.

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