I came to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) after a lower back injury in 2014. Three months after the injury, I started my master’s in psychology (MA) program. When it came time to research courses, I studied all modalities of treatment for chronic/acutepain. The research kept showing that meditation, yoga, and mindfulness were valid long-term treatment options. This led me to start attending any event, lecture, class that included these topics.

However, throughout the graduate program, as I pushed myself past my limit, I was frustrated, angry, depressed, and facing physical limitations that left me defeated. WhenI began practicing mindfulness, I found that everything changed. I discovered space, kindness, compassion, and new self-awareness.

What I found in my personal experience from traditional modalities of treatment was thatthere was not a “fix” for the pain. What I did find, however, was that there was a different way to approach this new reality, through continued kindness, acceptance, and acknowledgment of learning how to live in the present moment. Rushing through my program in 14months to receive a much-needed laminectomy became an extreme example of what not todo. I gradually shifted, noticing that life continues, flourishes, and grows in finding thepresent moment.

I struggled after my surgery, but I was able to navigate and find compassion for myself andradically alter how I managed my disability. Mindfulness practices got methrough those days and that became the catalyst for my calling to teach. I found that thecompassion discovered through these contemplative practices could be shared with others and provide a healing source of connection. I hope to continue to be able to be of service as I continue to teach MBSR, accessible movement, and various meditation techniques. I find that this can be done in many ways, individual or group meditation, through various courses offered and meeting with people one-on-one.