Category / Mindfulness

by kathryn truant

Recharge

 

Kids on the Dock
Books on the Rock
@mrponchito

No books were cracked this weekend; I went camping with my family. I brought my laptop and my textbooks, however, I simply chose to photograph my school supplies against a natural backdrop instead of doing coursework. I intended to write a brilliant reflection on being an authentic instructor, I needed to write an assigned blog post on lecturing creatively (stay tuned folks!), and I was supposed to be working on an ethics assignment with a classmate: NONE of this happened. I literally spend the weekend sitting around the campfire in my lawn chair. I barely moved more than a kilometre for 2 whole days! I should mention that I have limited Wi-Fi at camp, and I used what data I could afford learning how to make photo galleries on my blog!

I guess you could say that I recharged my batteries. I found an online article on the 27 ways that one can recharge themselves. I won’t mention all 27 but I did accomplish three items in the top 5!

  1. Do a tech detox: ✅
  2. Drink a little too much wine with your friends: ✅ ✅
  3. Get out in nature: ✅ ✅ ✅

This post marks the halfway point in the last course of my diploma. I feel refreshed and ready to ‘crack the books’ once more.

Screen Shot 2018-02-18 at 5.10.45 PM The photos in my gallery were all taken in Christina Lake, BC

by kathryn truant

Mindfulness Squared

IMG_8268

Featured Image: Ski tips on the verge of dropping into an untouched powdery snow slope (aka: heaven on earth)

I have been trying to reduce chaos in my personal and professional life, and I recently posted on mindfulness. My goal is to maintain my hectic pace of work, school, and life without sacrificing my well-being: rest, reading (for pleasure), skiing, eating good food, drinking good wine, and most importantly, spending time with my family (my favourite). It’s hard to find a balance without minimizing any aspect of the chaos that I call ‘my one chance on this blue and green planet.’ In doing so, this is the best explanation and recipe for mindfulness that I have come across:

http://blog.ctrinstitute.com/mindfulness-work-play/

The easy to follow tips for practicing daily mindfulness are my ticket to making the most of my precious time, and it will permit me to be my best self for my family, friends, and colleagues. One of the tips suggest setting an alarm on my phone and taking a deep breath when it rings – this tip may also change the negative perceptions that I associate with alarms 🙂

Screen Shot 2018-02-18 at 5.10.45 PM I took the above photo at Big White Ski Resort: My S7’s and I practicing mindfulness.