With everything happening in our world right now, there are ways we can help ourselves better cope.
WEMU's Lisa Barry talks with Ann Arbor mindfulness and meditation teacher Barbara Newell, who has trained and taught with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach.
Barbara shares how we can soothe ourselves and become more self-aware through mindfulness and meditation.
Mindfulness, meditation, and compassion have been a central focus of Barbara Newell's life for over twenty years. From 2003-2015, she trained and taught in a monastery and around the world with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Since 2016, she has been mentoring students in online courses with psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach.
Barbara grew up in Ann Arbor, received her Bachelor's and JD from the University of Michigan, and has worked in small and large businesses, law firms, and nonprofits. In her experience with thousands of students, Barbara has seen how applied mindfulness practices can improve any and every situation. She finds joy in helping people rediscover how to embody genuine presence, connect meaningfully with others, tap into fresh insight, and enliven the everyday.
In her conversation with WEMU's Lisa Barry, Barbara describes mindfulness as "paying attention on purpose and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of moment-to-moment experience."
She says meditation is "any practice that we do intentionally to get ourselves out of our narrow sense of self to better deal with our fearful and anxious thoughts.
She works one-on-one with people at the Grove Emotional Health Collaborativeand in small groups and is currently available to work with people.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
