Early today in the midst of a contemplative, sacred pause (#asacredpause), I had an insight.  And this insight has stayed with me throughout the day. It seems that possibly this was one of those illusive “aha” moments when a creative breeze or whisper passes over us and the curtains of the mind flutter; nonetheless, I have not been able to shake it.  And, it all began with a heightened awareness of “and,” the “&,” the AMPERSAND.

I then began to follow a storyline of wondering why it is that there is so much EITHER THIS OR THAT and so little AND in our world today.  Consequently, I began to think about my mindfulness practice, particularly relative to the concept of “expanding the container of my consciousness” where I am intentionally able (sometimes, not always) to hold with relative comfort two different or seemingly contrasting views in my mind . . . and in my heart.  And, I began to notice that when I do this, there is a distinct relaxing, a softening, a release of the tightness in my chest that appears to originate from holding on to an EITHER/OR perspective.

And so, I started thinking about some of the things of this world where I have been able to use the magic of the ampersand to find ease and relative comfort when all around me on Facebook and Twitter, and certainly on network television, there is a mighty war being waged between the forces who support only a THIS or THAT consciousness and worldview.  So, here’s some truth. With an expanded, relaxed and open heart, I can believe in, support, hold to be true, etc.  . . .

• Both marines in combat serving our country, firefighters rescuing babies and Caitlyn Jenner as courageous beings.

• Both same-sex and opposite-sex marriages, in and out of the church, are good things for the many varied people of this world.
• Both the 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms) and greater gun control are needed today in the United States.
• Both the 14th Amendment (naturalized citizenship) and stricter immigration laws are needed in the United States.

• Both a love of the South and Mississippi, our culture, and our rich histories and a need for a change in our state flag.
• Both Ole Miss and The University of Mississippi.  
• Both Ole Miss sports and Mississippi State cheese.
• Both Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter and Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.
• Both capitalism, free enterprise (for those who can) and socialism (social security, public schools, public libraries, public parks, national defense, U. S. Postal Service,
• National Weather Service, interstate highways, Amtrak, FBI, CIA, FEMA, Dept. of Homeland Security, medicare/Medicaid (for those who can’t)

So, here’s what I say.  “Try it.”  Try prying open that door in the heart that separates and opposes and imagine holding one thing in one open hand and the other thing in the other open hand.  Hold them there together . . . gently, balanced, harmonious.  Now, take a few deep breaths in and out, and see if you also begin to notice a relaxation, an easing of the soul, a letting go of that old tension and fear.  Give yourself permission to try “this and that” rather than “this or that.” There’s really no need to take sides. You actually can hold them both peacefully in the magic of the ampersand.  I wonder what the world would be like if we all started consciously doing that? 

(#&s)

  

This past week I completed a four-day training for teacher certification conducted by the KORU Center for Mindfulness at Duke University. Fortunately the training was held at a wonderfully pastoral site – the Earthrise at IONS Retreat Center just outside of Petaluma, in northern Marin County, California.  Nice cool temperatures and low humidity in August were so refreshing for this Mississippi guy.

KORU mindfulness training is specifically designed for teachers of college students and emerging adults (ages 18 – 29) and was created by Dr. Holly Rogers and Dr. Margaret Maytan in the fall of 2005 while they were both serving as clinicians at the Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services Center and Clinical Associates in the Department of Psychiatry at the renowned Duke University Medical Center.

The textbook for the training, authored by Drs. Rogers and Maytan, which has some invaluable information on the specifics of teaching mindfulness successfully to college students, is Mindfulness For The Next Generation – Helping Emerging Adults Manage Stress and Lead Healthier Lives, Oxford University Press, 2012.

I am so grateful once again that my University has supported me in this training,and I am anxious to bring these newly refined mindfulness skills into my classroom this fall.  Hotty Toddy, freshmen!  Get ready to go minds up!

I’m always a bit melancholy after finishing another summer practicing mindfulness with the amazing Horizons’ children at Ole Miss.  My heart is so full when I am practicing with these children. Their little faces are extraordinary and so reflective of their experiences.  I am reminded once again that most children at these young ages (rising 1st grade through 4th grade this summer) are naturally mindful and have a much easier time actually staying in the present moment than we do as adults. All of the Horizons’ children come from challenging socio-economic backgrounds and homes in which there is likely little time to practice and appreciate being calm and peaceful. Therefore, I am deeply grateful when I can see that they “soak up” the careful attention that I give to them, and in return they demonstrate their innate little human being desire to be safe, happy, healthy, peaceful and free.  May it be so.

Horizons at the University of Mississippi is a key initiative in the McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement’s mission to fight poverty through education in Mississippi.  http://horizons.olemiss.edu/

Indeed, this is an introvert’s paradise – a week of silence in the deep New England snow. No better place to meet yourself fully and just like you are, than in mindful silence.

I am grateful that I was able to spend the week of January 24 – 31, 2015 in silent retreat and mindfulness training at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts.  My teachers were exceptional in their own mindfulness practice, their wisdom and their knowledge . . .  John Peacock, Christina Feldman, and Chris Cullen, all from the United Kingdom. What good fortune to be able to sit with and be a student of these remarkable folks!  Upon my arrival, I was greeted again this year by a good old-fashioned New England blizzard, with 2 feet of fresh powder falling from the sky and wind-blown drifts exceeding 4 feet.  When I am safely ensconced indoors in silent retreat, I love this kind of weather, for it only deepens my sense of being enveloped in a womb of peace and stillness.

This past week I had the good fortune of making a mindfulness and stress management presentation to 75 incoming Ole Miss freshmen.  These students are our incoming Luckyday Scholars for this academic year and were participating in their orientation retreat out at Camp Lake Stephens.  I am grateful to my colleague, Patrick Perry, for inviting me each year to be part of their orientation.   

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The Luckyday Success Program at The University of Mississippi is about scholarships, but it’s so much more than that.  As a Luckyday Scholar, you will get the support you need to be successful in college. 

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 The Luckyday Success Program is a scholarship that assists students during the critical transition from high school to college.  This program helps you develop study and life skills, including time management, communication, critical thinking, leadership and problem solving.  Building a strong foundation during the first year is the key to a successful college career.

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Frank Rogers Day and the Luckyday Foundation

Frank R. Day, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Trustmark National Bank, had a heart for young people and a desire to help them succeed. Until his death in 1999, Day provided scholarships anonymously through the Luckyday Foundation for eight Bailey Magnet School students. His goal was to provide deserving high school students who otherwise had little chance for a college education with the opportunity to continue their education at a major university such as The University of Mississippi. Day, a native of Aberdeen, was an alumnus of The University of Mississippi and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

In addition to serving as chairman of the board and CEO of Trustmark National Bank, Day committed himself to helping young Mississippians achieve their educational goals. In 1978, he established the Luckyday Foundation to do just that. Although Day died in 1999, his vision lives on through his foundation, which continues to support deserving Mississippi students. “The Essence of Survival” was Day’s favorite metaphor for life.