by Claire Russell – Founder, Russell Tutoring

June 21, 2021

Confession: I was a yoga and meditation flunkie. I’m a go-go gal, so in my 20’s, I really wanted to be the Zen girl who went to yoga classes on weekends and found my quiet space every day. But my wrists wouldn’t support yoga poses, and my busy brain wouldn’t let me meditate. Over the years, I tried classes, tapes, books, podcasts – and found nothing worked for me….Eventually I gave up and decided I just had a brain that wasn’t made for all that “woo woo” stuff.

Enter Erin Brenneman with her calm energy, her awesome science-based Mindfulness, and her team of Mindfulness Coaches, and I am a changed woman! Now I have a weekly Mindfulness session with a Mindfulness Coach. I learn different breathing and meditation techniques, talk with her about what’s working for me, what’s getting in the way, and then tweak. We do this in bite-sized, half-hour lessons that are perfect for my busy life, and then I practice my new technique the next week. This feedback process is so important for me, and exactly what I was missing with all those classes, recordings, and books – a teacher who could really help me figure out what works for me.

I am LOVING it. It turns out that I never knew how to breathe deeply! In our time of Covid, I’m especially grateful that now I know how to take a profoundly deep, nourishing breath. Just as amazingly, my head is getting quieter. I never knew I could find peace in my busy brain, and it’s only taken a month of practice! This change has been profound for me, and I so welcome it.

Before Mindfulness coaching, I never thought I would be able to give myself this quiet time. Now, several times a day, I take this time to be kind to myself, and it’s pretty terrific. If that’s a gift you’d like to give to yourself or your student, especially if you never thought Mindfulness or meditation could work for you, we’d love to hear from you.