Louisville Mindfulness Center has been asked to partner with the Louisville Resonant City Peace Project as they assist the Global Peaceful Cities Project study the effects of 3500+ people joining forces to spread peace throughout Louisville during a two-week span of time. The intention is to decrease Louisville’s crime and violence rate by 25%. Previous cities have seen a 25+% reduction in crime and violence during the two weeks of meditation.
Are you interested in participating? Go to PeacefulCities.org to sign up to receive a daily email with a 20-minute guided meditation. This is a wonderful way to join as you’ll have a different member of the Louisville community devoted to peace leading you through that day’s meditation. Our fearless leader, Megan Bayles Bartley, will be leading one of the meditations… perhaps you can listen for her!
Join Megan and friends at the Kickoff Celebration on September 8th at 6:30pm – 740 Old Harrods Creek Rd.
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Peace-Project-Louisville.png510509Megan Bartleyhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngMegan Bartley2022-09-06 16:02:332022-09-07 15:03:21Join Us As We Meditate For Louisville, KY!! Sept. 11-21, 2022
Are you looking to experience more joy and peace in your day-to-day life? Are you seeking to be more present in your relationships? Do you ever want to “get out of your own head” and start living more for the moment?
If you’ve answered yes to any of the questions, then this 4 Week Guided Meditation Course is for you!
While utilizing affirmations and attempting to re-structure negative thoughts can be a great practice, sometimes we may feel that we need more to truly manifest what we want in our lives and get more space from negative and harmful thought patterns.
This course uses the power of meditation to help rewire our brain and create new neural pathways so that we can more readily access joy and peace and break out of patterns no longer serving us!
Meditation with others can also help you give and receive the energy from the collective if you’re feeling especially isolated during this time! This course may also be a great practice to help build resilience, peace, and strength before the holiday season is quickly upon us.
All 4 classes are $40 and each session lasts 45 minutes. These sessions will be virtual and held over Zoom Thursday, October 14th & 28th and Thursday, November 4th & 11th from 7-7:45 pm.
Class is structured such that there is an introduction to the mediation. Then I will facilitate a guided mediation for participants. Afterward, the group will process the mediation as a whole and share any insights, feelings, or experiences if they choose! This will also be an opportunity to add additional skills or use the accountability of the group environment to problem solve barriers to consistent mediation practice.
I will be utilizing practices from Eriksonian hypnosis, self-compassion, re-parenting the self, increasing resilience and nervous system regulation. Meditations will be focused on retraining our nervous system. This is to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that are a result of developmental trauma, or complex PTSD. This course is meant to help clients re-parent themselves. Participants will experience less emotional deregulation, and access positive, self-affirming, and self-compassionate thoughts more readily.
Quietly, imperceptibly, almost without my having knowing it.
I relaxed.
Got comfortable with myself.
I began enjoying myself, accepting myself, accepting life.
Liking life.
I found joy.
Somewhere along your journey, it will happen to you…
Don’t worry about finding joy.
Because somewhere along your journey, joy will find you.”
-Melody Beattie “Journey to the Heart”
Are we there yet?
(I write this thinking of the laughing/crying emoji I’d love to post right after it!)
Have you arrived at this destination of joy? Is it an actual location, or rather a state of mind? Do we take residence in it or are we just here for a quick visit, perhaps a vacation from reality? Are these questions making you feel anxious or stressed, perhaps with the pressure of needing to accomplish this? Or perhaps you think and feel, “AMEN! Done!”
I am right here with you!
I’m riding the rollercoaster of life, just like you. I still wrestle with the “shoulds” that still reside in me from my family of origin and societal pressures. We are not perfect. We will never be perfect. Frankly, I’m done with trying to be perfect. I don’t have the energy for that anymore. And yet it still creeps in, in moments of stress, illness, quiet, like a little leak of air through a window. Just enough to catch my attention.
I allow myself to give it a touch of attention. I notice a frank conversation happening inside my head starting, “Ok, I’m feeling pressure to do the ‘right’ thing here.” And I tell myself gently, yet firmly, “There is no ‘right’ thing here.” And I respond gratefully, “Oh right, thanks for that reminder, I needed that.”
Then I ask myself, “How long do I want to give this attention? How much energy do I have to give this?”
The second answer gets me and I say, “Zero.” I refocus my attention away from the pressure of perfection and follow up with, “What is it you really need and/or want (to do, think, feel) right now?” Sensing that the best thing for me in this moment is some quiet, some reflection, some “me time.” I know I have options because I’ve been here before and I know what helps. I could read, take a bath, make some tea, get a glass of water, reflect, write, go for a walk, watch Netflix. I think, “Wow! Those are a lot of options!” And I wait a moment to see which one feels like the best option in this moment. I know I can always change my mind and try something else.
One place I find Joy is in the quiet whispers of my heart asking to be cared for, nurtured, and nourished. I know that no one knows me as well as I know myself and that I can nourish and nurture myself in many wonderful ways. This feels freeing to me. I’m not relying on someone else to notice I need something and come to my rescue and give me what I’m needing. I rely on my own strength to go ahead and give it to myself.
Oftentimes mid-life is about reevaluation.
We look back on the last forty (or fifty!) years and assess if we want to continue doing life the same way for the next forty-plus years.
The first forty-plus years have offered us a wonderful foundation of life lessons full of newness and loss. These first forty years have primed us for this moment of reevaluation. We may not have known that we had a choice in how we did those first forty years. Now we are old enough and have been adulting long enough to know what works for us and what doesn’t work for us. We know who we are and what feels best to us. And we’re beginning to not be afraid to speak our truth. This is exactly where you find Joy. In the speaking of your Truth. The freedom to own your wants and needs. The embracing of “Not giving a Shit” what people think of me. And it feels wonderful.
Our free book giveaway this month is Untamed by Glennon Doyle. It addresses this very theme of speaking one’s Truth and taking all the responsibility and ownership of what comes with that. It speaks for bravery and freedom. And reminds us, “We can do hard things!”
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/sasha-freemind-frq5Q6Ne9k4-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560Megan Bartleyhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngMegan Bartley2021-06-04 16:36:272021-06-04 16:51:25Untamed Joy
That’s right! We’re headed to Napa Valley, California in January of 2022 for a Women’s Retreat to “Nurture the Entrepreneurial Spirit!”
Who nurtures you, the busy woman that you are? Who Nurtures the Nurturer?!
This is a question I ask many of the people I work with. Oftentimes I get blank stares. No one ever asks us that question. And we tend not to ask ourselves that question because we’re often avoiding the answer…
2022 is my year to offer more group-focused events. We’ve all been cooped up during Covid and it’s time to BREAK FREE. This is the nurturing girl’s trip you’ve always wanted but perhaps just didn’t have the ideal people to go with or for the ideal intentions. (Shout out to all my introverts: THIS IS THE EVENT FOR YOU! I’ve created it with us introverts in mind!)
There will be some light programming to review 2021 and to set goals and intentions for 2022, lots of self-care, self-compassion, laughter, and lightness. As well as pool time, spa time, and wine tastings too!
This is your chance to review the past year and be intentional about the upcoming year.
Is this only for Entrepreneurs?
Nope! It’s for those with the “Entrepreneurial Spirit” – those who are driven, calculated risk-takers, out-of-the-box thinkers, those who follow their hearts, and GET SHIT DONE! (Ahem, calling ALL MOTHERS!)
Also, you’d be surprised by how many husbands and partners think this is an AWESOME idea for their wives and partners! Men are often great at taking guy trips or golf trips. They wish for and WANT their wives and partners to experience the same!
Spots are limited and the Early Bird registration is available NOW!
P.S. Pairing this with the 2022 monthly class entitled “Nurturing the Entrepreneurial Spirit” I offer each year (full-year commitment) is highly recommended (but not necessary!) to keep your momentum for nurturing, self-compassion, self-care, thinking of things in new ways, and working to accomplish BIG things in 2022!
I hope you consider joining us!
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.png00Megan Bartleyhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngMegan Bartley2021-05-21 09:30:402021-05-23 16:50:09January 2022: Napa Valley, CA Retreat “Nurturing the Entrepreneurial Spirit”
The title of this book caught my attention recently while I was at the airport. Working with many people who have anxiety or feel stressed out I thought it could be an interesting read. I like things that make us question the status quo and may be a bit provocative. The subtitle drove home my decision to purchase it: “A counterintuitive approach to living a good life.” Even cooler!
I was curious about the author and what his credentials are so I looked on the back cover and discovered he was a well-followed blogger. Hmmm… Not your typical (potentially dry) self-help PhD? Not surprising with a title like this. My graduate studies had taught me to be leary about non-scientific based information, but I’m an out-of-the-box thinker, so I’m usually willing to let things speak for themself. As I read I realized Manson has no specific education or credential as a therapist or in the mental health field. What he does have is his own personal experiences, which he shares freely in the book (which is different than most PhD, self-help authors!). He’s likable and seemingly very open, which is a plus for me. Essentially what I found is a very direct and easy-to-understand and assimilate way to communicate mindfulness (without really talking about mindfulness!). Even cooler!
I have many clients who are not “readers” and I’m always on the lookout for books that may be interesting to the uninterested reader. This book fits the profile. I have recommended it to several people and they *loved* the title and were willing to give it a whirl upon my recommendation.
A few of the premises in the book that caught my attention:
We can never really avoid being in pain and discomfort (he uses the word suffering), so choose what you want to be in discomfort about.
Choose what you want to give a f*ck about rather than giving a f*ck about everything.
Your emotions are there for a very good reason – to give you feedback, to get your attention. So PAY ATTENTION to them!
Make sure you are aligning with your values and priorities. Are the people you surround yourself with people you strive to be like? Are the decisions you are making assisting you in being the best version of yourself?
Failure is to be expected! Welcome it. Learn from it! Perfectionism can keep us from living in reality… I mean really, at what point is “perfection” achieved?! Or are you always telling yourself you’re STILL not good enough.
It’s ok to say “No.” Again, choosing what you do and don’t want to participate in establishes appropriate boundaries.
I found it to be a very enjoyable, humorous, entertaining read, and am glad I read it.
Intrigued?! Give it a whirl for yourself!
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-fuck-summary-1-638.jpg359638Megan Bartleyhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngMegan Bartley2021-05-07 09:30:082021-05-07 17:51:56The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
This month is women’s history month and I’d like to highlight some other excellent female entrepreneurs that I have known and supported over the years.
This week I want to feature Nicole Bartlett at the Louisville Salt Cave. She and I have collaborated throughout the years and she’s always a joy to connect with. Nicole and the Louisville Salt Cave are always up to cool stuff. They have invited me, on numerous occasions, to lead guided meditations in the cave and be a featured speaker in their speakers series.
As you can see by Louisville Salt Cave’s photo, their mission to help you “Go Inside to Create Your Outside” is quite on-point with the overall philosophy of Louisville Mindfulness Center. What is going on with us internally, shows up for us externally. If your external world is feeling chaotic and uncomfortable, there may be some things to focus on internally and vise versa.
There are TONS of benefits of halotherapy, which is just one of the many benefits of being in the Salt Cave. Just as you might feel differently standing at the ocean breathing in the salt air, so too can you experience that same effect in the cave. AND it offers relief for many physical ailments such as respiratory ailments, asthma, and allergies.
Nicole and her team have also been very mindful about the COVID restrictions and being 6-feet apart. Their Safety Protocol is front and center on their website. You can view it HERE.
If you’ve never been to a salt cave or in particular, the Louisville Salt Cave, it is a unique experience and one that I’m glad I’ve been able to experience! Go check them out! They are a great women-owned business to support!
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/131411231_2855238701427077_3261994282866977234_o.jpg10801080Megan Bartleyhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngMegan Bartley2021-03-05 15:45:442021-03-05 15:46:41Going Inside to Create Your Outside: Louisville Salt Cave
Do you catch yourself constantly distracted by your thoughts? Are you consumed with thinking about things – how a situation will turn out, what someone might say, how you will respond, worrying about things that have not happened yet, etc? Do you get stuck in the same thought patterns? Do you get stuck not making decisions or taking action because you can’t stop weighing all the options? Can you remember the last time you felt really happy or really sad or really angry?
I like balance. If we are too lopsided one way – thinking too much for instance – it usually creates problems for us and those around us. What would it look like if we strive for a balance between THINKING, FEELING, & DOING? We think sometimes. We feel sometimes. We do (or take action) sometimes.
I bet we would find a relief from a lot of the dialog in our head, the worry we constantly feel, or the meaning we’ve made out of things that might not have any meaning at all.
Go ahead, give it a try!
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/prottoy-hassan-0E1PYojm4CY-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560Megan Bartleyhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngMegan Bartley2020-12-04 09:30:172020-12-04 17:28:19Overthinking Things ALL THE TIME
I don’t know about you, but this year has felt like a tornado of constant change. And that’s putting it mildly. Whether you’re pulling your hair out homeschooling your kids, bent over a laptop trying to work from your couch, or trying to figure out what dating looks like in the time of COVID, all of us are experiencing some feeling of mental spinning.
Change… now adapt. Change… now adapt. And repeat.
When life brings this level of upheaval, it’s going to bring stress. And that’s normal. In fact, it would be pretty unusual for you NOT to feel stressed right now. Stress alone doesn’t have to be a bad thing. But recognizing when you need a little help managing your stress is a good thing.
Check out the image below to understand more about how too much stress can effect your mind, body, emotions and behavior.
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/nasa-i9w4Uy1pU-s-unsplash-e1604687151134.jpg12001543The Mindfulness Centerhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngThe Mindfulness Center2020-11-06 18:28:022020-11-06 18:28:02A Tornado of Change
So often, we twist and turn to fit the molds of our culture’s making. We adjust our looks and our opinions to stay within lines that are rarely ever drawn, but somehow we know are there. We make life plans on autopilot with the goal of keeping up with the Joneses. But here’s the thing… are the Joneses even happy? Does anyone know? I have no idea, but my guess is they’re probably just tired.
Your birth was your invitation to be YOU.
And what a dramatic invitation that was! You fought your way pushing and screaming into this world with all of your uniqueness, complexity, fervor and passion. Remember that you? She/he is still there, ready to speak, ready to be enough just as she/he is, and ready to live a life that feels authentic down to your very bones. Find a quiet place and listen. Remember that, “you can’t hate your way into loving yourself.”
For many of us, “I’m not enough” is the painful mantra behind our fears. And for many of us, we came to this conclusion because of some life experience that left us feeling unaccepted or unloved just as we are. So we engage in a process of striving, running, racing, always pushing to earn that title of “good enough.”
But here’s the thing. YOU ARE. In this moment, with your scars, mistakes, big secrets, regrets, all of it, YOU ARE ENOUGH. Can you try that on for a day? Live in that truth for a day? See how it feels? What’s different? What’s scary? What’s refreshing?
Spread the good word: You, you, you, and you, all of us, are enough, just as we are.
https://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/blog.jpg611960The Mindfulness Centerhttps://mindfulness-center.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/logo-small.pngThe Mindfulness Center2020-06-18 16:40:182020-07-22 18:02:57You Are Enough
I think I have COVID-19! I’m having a hard time breathing, my chest feels tight, and I’m more tired than normal. Or perhaps it’s just my wonderful friend Anxiety, reminding me I’m still alive and kicking.
Here are five things you can do to welcome your friend, Calm, into your life during this time:
1. Blow out Birthday Candles!
Say what?! Yup! When you are holding your breath, you already have a breath of air in so you want to focus on your exhale. Forcefully blowing out air and squeezing every last bit of air out of your lungs invites your body to breathe a deep breath in on the inhale. Do this a few times and it feels wonderfully invigorating!
2. Get clear on what you have control over and what you don’t have control over.
The easy answer is: You don’t have any control over COVID19, you only have control over yourself. Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Even if it sometimes feels like you don’t, you can learn how to do this. What you don’t have control over is anyone or anything else — what they do, what they say, how they think, how they feel, or how this whole pandemic plays out.
3. Focus on Your Five Senses
Take a moment, or two, wherever you are, to focus on each of your five senses — sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. Encourage yourself to find descriptive words for each sense you notice. Being curious and noticing counteracts the desire to judge or evaluate things. Allow what you notice to be just as it is without it being good or bad, right or wrong, you like it or don’t like it.
