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The coronavirus pandemic is turning our entire world upside down and inside out.  At a time like this, it’s more important than ever to practice mindfulness and compassion – for your own well-being, and for the sake of your relationships and the wider circles of community.  All of us are trying to figure out new routines and responsibilities and, in our various circumstances, to cope with fear and anxiety and stress.  Although we’re in a situation for which there are no clear road maps, we’re fortunate to have wise guidance from present-day wisdom figures and millennia-old contemplative traditions.  As part of the Earth & Spirit Center mission, we are both producing and curating content that we feel is helpful in these challenging times.  Please bookmark this page and visit it often, as we will be updating it regularly.

 

Earth & Spirit Center Content

Karen Newton: Resilience, Connection, and Compassion (Earth & Spirit Podcast Episode, 33 mins)

Karen Newton is a well-being and resilience integrator. Formerly the director of health promotion at the University of Louisville, and still on the UofL faculty, Karen is a certified mindfulness teacher specializing in stress resilience and compassion. She’s also an Earth & Spirit Center faculty member. Click here to listen to this conversation about what resilience looks like amid the stress of a pandemic, and how mindfulness practices can help us not only survive, but thrive.

Practical Tips for Mindful Parenting in a Pandemic (Earth & Spirit Podcast Episode, 29 mins)

 In this episode, Earth & Spirit Podcast host Kyle Kramer sits down for a conversation with Nellie Springston, our program coordinator for youth, family, and education.  Nellie offers practical advice for parents who are having to figure out childcare, at-home schooling, and other challenges.  Click here to listen or click here to watch the video we made during the podcast recording.

Mindful Vulnerability: Age and Wisdom in the Face of COVID-1 (Earth & Spirit Podcast Episode, 34 mins)

Glenda Hodges-Cook is a senior meditation instructor at the Earth & Spirit Center – and one of Louisville’s wise village elders.  Listen in on a beautiful conversation about vulnerability, anxiety, mindfulness, and compassion in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Guided Meditations led by Earth & Spirit Center meditation faculty

Please click here to access our guided meditations online or tune in to our Youtube channel, where we have short, guided meditation from one of our faculty members.

Lift Up Lou

Metro Government’s Lift Up Lou initiative features online education, music, exercise, and mindfulness offerings to keep Metro Louisville citizens’ spirits up during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Tune in every Monday evening at 7pm for a mindfulness episode contributed by the Earth & Spirit Center.

Audio Meditations for Kids

We also have short guided meditations for kids and teens from our staff member Nellie Springston,  Click here to listen.

Videos on Mindfulness with Kids

Nellie Springston has also created a series of informal mindfulness videos with her 4-year-old daughter.  Click here to watch.

 

Curated Online Resources for At-Home Spiritual Practice

 

Spirituality and Practices’ Collection of Spiritual Practices for the Coronavirus Pandemic: https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/features/view/28853/spiritual-practices-for-the-coronavirus-pandemic

Ten Percent Happier’s Coronavirus Sanity Guide features free guided meditations, talks and podcast episodes: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide

Tricycle’s Practicing in a Pandemic guide features practices, guided meditations and talks: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/coronavirus-meditations/

Addiction and Recovery: How Mindfulness May Help The resource, “Addiction and Recovery: How Mindfulness May Help”, offers mindful techniques to incorporate into daily life to reduce cravings and impulsivity during recovery, rebuilding relationships after addiction, as well as mindfulness exercises to help mitigate relapse. You can access the full resource here: https://msw.usc.edu/mswusc-blog/addiction-recovery-mindfulness-exercises/

 

Live Online Meditations:

 

Virtual Community Gatherings with Louisville resident Cory Lockhart. These hour-long virtual gatherings, hosted three times per week, will open with a short meditation and then offer space to share with each other in large and small groups. https://www.facebook.com/events/1545202182303618/?event_time_id=1545202188970284

Daily Meditations with Louisville resident Pete Buecker at 8am and 8pm that feature a 20-30 guided meditation and time for Q&A: https://www.facebook.com/events/1545202182303618/?event_time_id=1545202188970284 

Tricycle’s Live Online Practices: Join teachers Sharon Salzberg, Mindy Newman, and Koshin Paley Ellison for a free series of live-stream meditations to help ease anxiety amid social-distancing efforts. The calls will be hosted on Zoom and will feature a talk and guided practice led by each teacher. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A at the end of each call. https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/online-meditation/

Ten Percent Happier will be livestreaming a daily meditation and Q&A at 3pm EST featuring host Dan Harris and rotating meditation teachers: https://www.tenpercent.com/live

 

Guided Meditations:

 

Compassion in the Time of Coronavirus (13 minutes) by Jack Kornfield: https://jackkornfield.com/compassion-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/

Ten Percent Happier’s Coronavirus Sanity Guide features free guided meditations: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide

Practicing RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) for difficult emotions (20 minutes) by Tara Brach: https://www.tarabrach.com/meditation-practice-rain/

 

Covid-19 Talks & Podcast Episodes:

 

Calm, Clarity, Compassion (28 minutes) by Jack Kornfield. This is an excerpt of a talk Jack Kornfield gave with environmentalist Paul Hawken on March 2, 2020 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center on how to stay grounded and steady as we navigate the spread of the Coronavirus and other challenges: https://jackkornfield.com/calm-clarity-compassion/ 

Jack Kornfield — How to Find Peace Amidst COVID-19, How to Cultivate Calm in Chaos on the Tim Ferriss Show (2 hours): https://tim.blog/2020/03/12/jack-kornfield-covid19/

Ten Percent Happier: How to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety Special Edition (1 hour): https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast 

Slow Down at the Speed: Where art and mindfulness meet in a deep-looking contemplative guided practice. Download narrations on iTunes to use your headphones/earbuds and smart phone to access narrations that will guide your contemplative practice with art as focus. You can experiment with art in your home or in the natural world. Great to do with children! www.speedmuseum.org/slow-down/ 

 

Meditation Apps:

 

Insight Timer: free app with timers and guided meditations: https://insighttimer.com/

Liberate: free app with lessons and meditations led by teachers of color: https://liberatemeditation.com/ 

Calm: free light version with paid plans: https://www.calm.com/

Ten Percent Happier: free light version with paid plans (currently offering free access to subscriptions for healthcare workers): https://www.tenpercent.com/

Headspace: free light version with paid plans: https://www.headspace.com/

Calma: free guided meditations for children, parents and educators: http://calmakids.org/mindfulness-for-kids

Guided Meditations for Children by Annaka Harris: https://annakaharris.com/mindfulness-for-children/

 

Books:

 

True Refuge by Tara Brach: Beneath the turbulence of our thoughts and emotions exists a profound stillness, a silent awareness capable of limitless love. Tara Brach calls this awareness our true refuge, because it is available to every one of us, at any moment. Brach offers a practical guide to finding our inner sanctuary of peace and wisdom in the midst of difficulty.

Radical Compassion by Tara Brach: Takes us from refuge to an in-depth guide to practicing RAIN which enables us to be more present with ourselves and others.  

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron: How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? 

Real Happiness by Sharon Salzberg: Clearly written manual that guides you through a 28‐day program for building a mindfulness practice. This can be a great follow up to courses at Earth & Spirit Center and/or setting the stage for taking a course in future.

Loving What Is by Byron Katie: Provides a method to stop “arguing with reality” and to practice engaging with life in integrity. 

 

Online Yoga:

 

Yoga with Adriene: hundreds of free guided home yoga practices for all levels and varying durations: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

The Inner Warrior: support this local community yoga studio by tuning into their livestream donation-based classes: https://www.facebook.com/innerwarriorlou/

 

Additional Online Resources:

 

KORU Mindfulness: www.Korumindfulness.org FREE Student Resources to access guided meditation practices, including Lovingkindness, walking meditation, mindful eating, dynamic breathing and more. Very child/family friendly.

Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

Meditation Oasis: Links to a variety of guided meditations. In addition, a number of articles on meditation and guidance for dealing a variety of challenges that may arise in your practice. Access to online courses.  www.meditationoasis.com/

YouTube: Listen and learn from many beloved teachers including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Dan Harris, Pema Chodron, Sharon Salzberg, Daniel Goleman, Richard Davidson, Tara Brach, Rhonda Magee, Valerie Brown, Stephen Batchelor, Thich Nhat Hanh and more. They provide wonderful examples for why we practice mindfulness & meditation.

Growing a Personal Anti-racist Voice and Identity is a self-guided study, which takes approximately 90 minutes to complete and can be done individually or in small groups. With faith as its foundation, the study helps participants find ways to restore oppressed people and bring racial healing, equity, and justice to the community. It includes discussion questions, definitions about racialization, ways to become involved in anti-racist movements, poetry, prayers, and other resources. The study is available on Louisville Seminary’s website at lpts.edu/antiracistidentity.

The Anti-racism Digital Library, which is curated by Louisville Seminary’s Ernest Miller White Library, serves as a clearinghouse for information about people, groups, and projects who are building inclusive and caring communities. The library includes more than 325 books, essays, videos, art and other materials in 23 different collections and allows for individuals, groups, and organizations to submit additional materials. The library is found at endracism.info.