How did you choose your mala? Were you drawn to a particular gemstone or was there a certain intention you were looking to bring into your life?
When I was picking my mala, I wanted a physical symbol of a great reminder to call into my life. I chose the White Howlite Mala because the qualities of the stone promote patience, calm, serenity, and is helpful to shift negative thoughts to positive thoughts. I have always experienced anxiety so this resonated with me right away.
When did you first experience meditation/mindfulness?
My first experience with meditation was making pottery in 2008. I felt grounded, calm, and simply focused by using my hands to create something out of the earth. Hours flew by in what felt like a few minutes. Later in 2011 when I took my first yoga teacher training, I was introduced to Mindfulness Meditation teacher Frank Jude Boccio. The contemplative work that I did with him truly shifted my perspective on healing and how to handle difficult situations and emotions.
How did you deepen your practice?
For me, to go deeper is to go within. To dive beneath the surface of what I see and connect to what I feel and hear. I sit in meditation regularly and I study and write almost every day. I love to attend workshops and try different styles of yoga and meditation. I went on a mindfulness meditation retreat that Frank taught in 2012, and an Awaken retreat that I co-taught this year in Sayulita, Mexico with Lena del Mar and Joel Laforet.
What are some of the benefits you have received from your practice?
Oh, they are continuous! Creating a relationship with my breath was the beginning and most profound. When I am going through difficult times, I don’t feel as overwhelmed because I’ve developed a practice to guide and ground me. I think the most liberating benefit is that I have fully embraced an honesty about myself, a truth that I wasn’t as comfortable with before. I’m happier now with the real and genuine expression of who I am rather than hiding it. Its taught me to embrace vulnerability and to trust myself and my path.
What is your favorite way to take a moment for yourself each day?
I’ve committed to making time for creativity every day, whether through different meditations, asana sequences, writing, weaving, painting, or cooking. My White Howlite mala has inspired me to practice more japa meditation, and I’m trying not to rush the process! Patience.... patience...patience...
Britt lives in Victoria, BC and is currently teaching Yin Flow for Anxiety, Moksha, Flow, and guiding Meditation and Creative Writing. Her first teacher training was with Moksha Yoga International in 2011, and went on to further her studies with Natalie Rousseau in 2013, and will be studying Yin Yoga with Bernie Clark in November 2014.
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