Learning to Say Yes to Myself: My Journey with MBSR
If you’ve been feeling like life is a never-ending checklist, you are definitely not alone.
My journey with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction started out of a simple desire: I wanted to meet other people who were interested in alternative healing arts. I didn’t know much about mindfulness—just a bit of occasional dabbling with catchy meditation apps. My family and I had recently moved to Piermont from Brooklyn. Back in the city, I had accidentally stumbled into Cranio-Sacral work through my local massage therapist, and it completely unlocked a new world of healing for me. Up here, I hadn't found that community yet. Then my husband’s Google search led him to Peace in Piermont and an 8-week mindfulness course starting soon. It was January. The nights were dark and cold. I was just looking for some new friends. I had no idea what I was actually walking into.
That first Monday night, Greg took over the kids' bedtime routine. I headed down to his office, closed the door against the hum of the house, and immediately wished I was crawling into bed. For the last ten years, my life had been defined by caregiving for everyone else. When was the last time I had given myself two and a half hours? Every single week? I was tired—physically, mentally, bone-deep tired. I just wanted to sleep.
There are a million things constantly demanding my attention, and the list never ends. I know you have that list, too. But when do I give myself permission to say "no" to the noise, slow down, and get quiet long enough to say "yes" to myself? What would come up if I did? Did I even want to find out?
I could list out all the mindfulness tools you’ll learn over the course of eight weeks. But the truth is, you probably already know a lot of them. Of course, new practices will meet you along the way. When you commit to an 8-week course, what you are really doing is practicing showing up for yourself.
Give yourself that gift. You deserve it simply because you exist. Taking time for yourself is a paradox—it's a gift that keeps giving outward, because the more present you can be for yourself, the more genuinely available you are for the people around you. For me, it’s also about legacy: I want to teach my girls that it’s okay, normal, and deeply loving to care for the beautiful body and self we’ve been given for our time on this earth.
If you’re wondering what that kind of space looks like in practice, you don't have to figure it out alone.
We are holding our final free orientation this Sunday, September 27 from 7:00–9:00 PM at the studio. There is zero pressure. You’ll get to meet our founder and MBSR teacher, Katie Stoeckeler, M.Ed., E-RYT (Level-2 MBSR Teacher), experience a guided mindfulness practice firsthand, and get all your questions answered.
The 8-week course itself begins on Monday, October 5 and runs weekly through November 23, from 7:00–9:30 PM in-person at Peace in Piermont. If you're ready to say “yes” to your own well-being this fall, you can sign up for the 8-week MBSR course here.
With love and light to you, wherever you are right now on this journey.
Rachel
