Hi Collective,
Settling the mind is most definitely not something that came naturally to me. I’ve really worked at it, and I’ll continue to for the rest of my life.
My mindfulness journey started with concussion rehabilitation. Throughout my 20s, I was sick on and off (but mostly on) with concussion symptoms. I lived in fight or flight: tense, guarded, and fearful of the next head bump. Joy felt difficult and far away. My body had trouble finding peace.
Then something changed. I came across a TED Talk on mindfulness and started using the speaker’s app, Headspace. I began with five minutes a day and, over time, built up to thousands of minutes. The practice gave me real skills for stepping out of the busyness of my head and connecting with my body. As I did, my mind eased up just enough for me to have pain-free moments. For the first time, I felt I had some say in the emotional landscape I was living in.