Your Mindful Coach offers mindfulness & meditation workshops, retreats & consultations
 with a special focus on youth sports, men, middle age and the workplace.

Strong Back, Soft Front

In this month's  blog, " Making It Through The Storm", I introduce the concept of Strong Back, Soft Front. Meditation teacher Joan Halifax writes, " All too often our so-called strength comes from fear, not love; instead of having a strong back, many of us have a defended front shielding a weak spine." 

In challenging times characterized by disagreement and conflict, our inherent vulnerability and interdependence becomes clear. We are then faced with a choice: withdraw or engage. But jumping right in to the fray can leave us frustrated and depleted. I share the words of Thich Nhat Hanh who offers the practice of mindfulness when dealing with difficult emotions: "When you are overwhelmed by strong emotions. don't stay there - it's too dangerous. Bring your focus down to your navel - that is the trunk, the most solid part of yourself - and practice mindful breathing."

By connecting with sensations in our body, we can embrace our vulnerability and use it to lead an authentic wholehearted life. No doubt Strong Back, Soft Front is a metaphor, but it is one that can be developed through practice and reflection. We'll be practicing this and more at the retreat described below on December 10.

Why not experiment with Strong Back, Soft Front through this guided meditation, also available via my podcast? 
REGISTER TODAY - Half-Day Meditation Retreat December 10

On Saturday, December 10, Your Mindful Coach presents Discovering the Voice of Your Heart, a half-day meditation retreat. Register by November 20  for a $10 discount by entering the promo code NEWS .

This is my fourth annual December retreat which participants find to be a welcome refuge during a busy time. 

The retreat will follow a framework of meditative inquiry, with practices intended to cultivate awareness and insight. We will use the model of RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nourish) to become aware of what is arising and shifting in our experience. 

We will begin by exploring sensations in our body through practices like  Strong Back, Soft Front and  Can You Feel or Imagine? As we progress through the day, we will use this insight to cultivate compassion, solve problems and set an intention for continued practice. 

A balance of guided meditations, partnered practices, group discussion and teacher talks will be accessible to first-time and experienced meditators. A donation option is available if resources are limited. Please  register here today!

Worth a read or a listen . . .

I wrote about the recent election in my blog post, Making It Through The Storm. Check out more interesting reads below:

A Love Letter in Response to The Elections from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation
Talking With The Other Side, An Interview with Krista Tippett
What are We Teaching Our Kids Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, Gloria Shepard's Parenting Blog


And three Wonderful talks 


Try these guided meditations for difficult times

At the December retreat, we'll explore practices of inquiry. You might find the following guided mindfulness practices helpful. They can be found on iTunes,  Stitcher or  PlayerFM or through the links below:
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This practice walks you through the steps of recognizing, allowing, investigating and nourishing our emotions for healing

A visualization practice where we have "tea" with our more charged and challenging emotions

Exchanging the energy of suffering and compassion


Marc Balcer  brings his experience as a coach, entrepreneur and investor to Your Mindful Coach . He has received training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Management, Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindful Schools. A limited number of private consultation times are available to build your mindfulness practice. Sessions may be done by phone, Skype video or in person at a rate of $95/ hour.
Email for details.