Wellness Writing & Meditation
When I was 14 years old, a substitute gym teacher at my school decided to host a one-off class that most of us had never tried before: meditation. It was held in one of our assembly halls, and despite the fact that I was part of a large group of giggling teenagers who had little idea of what meditation involved (beyond the classic hippie stereotypes), about two minutes into the session, something in me changed.
It was a simple body scan-style meditation involving a bit of visualization - and I'd never experienced anything like it before. The clarity, the peace, and the introspective state that it put me in felt like magic, and I knew instantly that this was something powerful that could potentially be life-changing in my relationship with myself. And it was. Over the decades that followed, whether it was through yoga classes or journeys with plant medicine - or simply in my everyday life - meditation and mindfulness have been a constant that I've come back to time and time again.
They have helped me find peace amidst turmoil, navigate life's ups and downs with more grace, connect with others more authentically, and continuously uncover more layers of who I am by deepening my relationship with myself, and fostering the kind of genuine and lasting self-love and acceptance that will ignite a spark of light in any darkness.
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I never knew the teacher's name, but I wish I did, so I could thank her. She is a reminder to me that the inner work we do to put good into the world, even when it might not be recognized or acknowledged at the time, can still have a profound effect on making it a better place for us, and others. To all of life's many teachers: thank you.
