Hello friends! On Thursday May 27th from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST I will be hosting a FREE online Reiki event featuring meditation practitioner Karen Christie. The path of mindfulness that Karen practices is sure to inspire and support your own journey. I'm delighted for you to get to know her in this guest interview before the event.
Tell Us A Few Things About Yourself
1. What natural talents/gifts/abilities do you feel you were born with?
I’m not sure if these were “in-born” or if they were cultivated in me and I may just have been ripe to receive them. I’ve always felt that I have a deeply spiritual nature, in fact at one point in my younger years I felt drawn to become a nun (but that never happened!). I am also quite an intuitive person and feel that “my gut” usually points me in the right direction. I also feel deep empathy for others who are suffering, although there are times when I am hesitant to respond with help because I don’t want to be seen as interfering or don’t know how my help will be received. This is something I plan to continue to work on.
Spiritual - Intuitive - Empathetic
2. How did your personal meditation journey begin?
Back in about 2001, there was a class being offered at the First Unitarian Church of Toledo on the book The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh. After I read that book and attended those classes, I was totally hooked on the practice of meditation and creating mindfulness in the present moment. At that same time, my dad was nearing the end of his life. Meditation became a powerful tool to help me be present with my dad in his final days and to support my mother on her journey without her life partner.
3. How did the “Flowing Waters Sangha” meditation community begin and how did you become the facilitator?
Following my introduction to meditation, I began attending a Sunday evening meditation group that had been started by Lynn Lyle, a meditation practitioner and friend, after she had attended a retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh, also known as Thay, or teacher. Thay told the retreat attendees that once they returned home, they should start a meditation group or “sangha” to support each other on the path of mindfulness. In 2007 after a small group of us attended a Thich Nhat Hanh retreat we formed Flowing Waters Sangha, a group of practitioners who had received the Five Mindfulness Trainings, or precepts, to guide how we live our lives. Lynn was the founding member and facilitator of Flowing Waters Sangha and I succeeded her as facilitator in early 2017.
"Support each other on the path of mindfulness."
Tell Us About Your Past
4. What life experiences/discoveries/awarenesses have influenced you the most in becoming who you are today?
One of my most profound experiences has been giving birth to my children and spending a good portion of my life nurturing them and now one of the greatest pleasures of my life is the joy of spending time with my granddaughters. So many times I’ve wished that I had had the practice of meditation to support me as I raised my kids, but now that I’m a “granny” I have that daily practice so when I’m with my grandkids I am able to be totally present with them. That is a real gift.
Joining the Unitarian Church was a defining moment in my life. One of the lines of the covenant that we recite each Sunday is “service is my prayer”. Since joining the church, and I’ve been a member for almost 40 years, I have been involved in some type of volunteer service to the church or the community or both. I am blessed with the gift of life and I find that the only way to express my gratefulness for that gift is through acts of service and giving.
"Service is my prayer."
5. What is one of your earliest memories or most cherished memories from your meditation practice?
One memory from my early days of meditation was attending a “Mindful Meal” with meditation group members where we eat in silence so that we can be totally aware of the food we are enjoying and eat it with mindfulness and gratitude. We did the “tangerine meditation” where you notice every part of the tangerine, first the color and texture, then you experience the peeling of the skin and the aroma that arises as you peel it and you notice each little step to the point of savoring the taste and texture and juiciness. I experienced seeing the sunshine and the rain and air and the whole universe within the tangerine and that became a part of me. It was a wonderful gift.
Tell Us About Your Current Lifestyle
6 . How do you describe the spark of light within you, the inspiration that gets you excited to live and express life?
When I live with mindfulness I am filled with gratitude for all the beauty that surrounds me and supports me in the natural world. I am filled with gratitude for all the people that support me on this journey. I believe it is this sense of deep gratitude that gives me the inspiration to continue serving others, and caring for our mother earth. Gratitude helps me touch happiness and joy in my life and hopefully helps me bring joy and happiness to others.
"Gratitude helps me touch happiness and joy."
Tell Us About Your Future Aspirations
7. What is one thing that you would like to try or experience during your lifetime that you haven’t experienced yet?
I would like to build relationships and friendships with people of different races and religions. I value diversity and am currently in a multi-faith and racially diverse book group as a beginning step.
8. What kind of influence do you hope living your life has on others?
I would love to have others see and experience the value of meditation and mindfulness.
Tell Us About Your Favorite Influences & Resources
9. What are your top resources/recommendations that have influenced your meditation practice? (Books, poems, websites, people, etc..)
There are so many wonderful mindfulness/meditation resources. Some of my favorite authors are:
Many of these teachers offer podcasts and guided mediations online. I use insight timer, an app on my phone that has lots of guided meditations and offers a bell to begin and end your mediation sessions. I use that app for my morning meditation and I picture myself meditating with others at the same time from all around the world. We are so interconnected if we take the time to recognize these connections.
Tell Us 5 Daring Sentences That Express Your Authentic Self
A daring next step in my meditation practice is to increase my sitting from once to twice or three times a day. I currently sit for 35 minutes each morning. I know that I would benefit greatly from more cushion time, but I need to figure out how to build it into my daily routine.
One of the most daring decisions I made in my life was to take on the top leadership role on the boards of two different organizations that I belonged to. I had a mind block against considering myself as a leader and I believe my meditation practice helped me to see that I really do have the ability to lead.
A rewarding day for me is when I dare to lighten up, release my fears and just let myself live with ease.
The most daring act of self love that I practice is daily self care. I meditate, exercise, take walks outside, cook and eat healthy foods, mostly vegan options, and do daily readings from some of my favorite meditation/mindfulness authors.
While I’m still alive I dare myself to use my voice to speak out for others who are treated unfairly or unjustly.
Tell Us About Your Experience With Reiki
I had an experience with Reiki many years ago and I only remember that feeling of peacefulness and relaxation that I experienced at the end of it. I view Reiki as one more tool to help in our self care. It is a gift we can offer to ourselves to help us live more balanced, centered lives.
FREE Online Event
Featuring Karen Christie
Enjoy sacred space as Karen shares:
Benefits of meditation
How to meditate
Posture
Giving attention to the breath or some other anchor
How to handle thoughts as they arise
How to handle noises
How to handle sleepiness and restlessness
What if fear arises?
What if I feel like quitting?
Establishing a regular practice
Non-judging
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