Starting a Contemplative Practice

A contemplative practice includes meditation, prayer, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi or qigong, journaling or anything that helps ground you. Some people uses affirmations while others use music to help them ease into a more tranquil state. Shameka Andrews (pictured above) shares her meditation experience with individuals and organizations and even at a local farmer's market in upstate New York. Positive affirmations and mirror work have helped Shameka move through feelings of depression and isolation associated with having a physical disability, Gareth Walker talks about finding mindfulness meditation and how it's helped him cope with Multiple Sclerosis. Mary Holt, RN, went through a mindfulness meditation training that changed how she works with patients and families dealing with neurological conditions like muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease. Melissa Felsenstein used sound meditation to help her move through depression and anxiety. Molly Lannon Kenny, a yoga therapist and graduate of a program in Christian mysticism, discusses similarities between prayer and meditation. Author Toni Bernhard offers her Buddhist perspective on meditation and how it has helped her deal with a chronic illness.