134: Meditational Journaling: The Mind-Body Peace Journal by Sandra E. Johnson

"Intense love does not measure it just gives." - Mother TheresaHolly interviews Sandra E. Johnson, LCSW, and author of Flowers for the Living and Standing on Holy Ground: A Triumph over Hate Crime in the Deep South who joins Holly to discuss her latest release, The Mind-Body Peace Journal: 366 Mindful Prompts for Serenity and Clarity. The journal was born out of Sandra’s work at the South Carolina Correctional Department’s psychiatric hospital. “The inmates showed me no matter how mentally ill they were, they benefited from counseling that included the teaching of mindfulness. Through engaging them in this type of therapy, I watched them make light years of progress in comprehending their psychiatric disorders and how to better cope with them. They loved when I would quote sages like Patanjali and give them mindfulness-based writing exercises to do. Their enthusiasm sparked the idea of creating a 30-day meditational journal for them to complete while attending the weekly group sessions I led.” from https://sandraejohnson.net/about/Coupling this experience with a deep rooted practice of yoga which she started some twenty-five years ago, she created The Mind-Body Peace Journal. She saw that, even for people with severe mental health issues, mindfulness really helped improve the quality of their lives and contends that it can help anyone from any walk of life. Studies have proven that meditational journaling helps with all kinds of physical and mental issues. The author shares how her quotes showed up throughout her life, coming from a long list of her favorite writers, singers, religious and spiritual leaders. “Developing mindfulness offers a way out of the never ending cycle of misery.” Sandra also shares how many times in her life she felt small, disempowered and unworthy. Two of her favorite mantras are “I am enough and “everything is going to be ok.” Both have given her the ability to get through many situations that seemed hopeless. This combined with meditation, prayer and scripture creates the foundation for her spiritual practice and gives her a sense of peace. Holly and Sandra share a discussion about a like minded documentary called The Dhamma Brothers which brings eastern and western meditation program into a southern correctional facility and follows how dramatically ancient meditation program changes the men who participate in the intensive program.Sandra leaves the listeners with encouragement that, “This book is for anyone who wants to connect to the present moment where we find peace and balance in a society that has us worrying about the future and fretting over the past.”Get Sandra’s book here on Amazon, or wherever books are sold. Get full access to Pathfinder at hollyduckworth.substack.com/subscribe