Spain — A Body, Mind, Brain Approach to Wellness

Notes from my "Spanish Cuarentena": Day 52

Today I looked back on a blog post I wrote when we initially decided to move to Spain titled, A Year in Spain. Like a premonition, these were the things on my “Spain to-do list”:

Practice the difficult art of not being in a rush
Make more time for nothing
Apprentice to presence and come into a more subtle and vibrant experience of embodiment
Experience moments of connection previously unknown to me

I’ve been “working” on this list since we arrived in July, 2018 but this quarantine took those intentions to the next level, showing me just how little I actually need and that in fact, less continues to be more.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerMay 4, 2020Quarantine, Essentialism, Spain, Dabid Whyte, Presence

Quarantine: Day 19 and Online Classes

When we’re in difficult or traumatic situations, feeling both self-agency and purpose is a necessity! Without it, we can feel anxious, fearful or even paralyzed. In quarantine, we can feel isolated, both from our support systems and from what’s happening in our communities. I’ve had moments of guilt for feeling good, for not suffering in the way other people may be suffering. I’ve had moments of feeling useless for not having a role to play in this world crisis. And then I’ve stepped back and recognized that like all of you, I do have things to offer.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerApril 2, 2020Online Courses, Quarantine, Spain, Essentialism, Purpose, Presence

Greetings from Spain: day 4 of quarantine

Many of you know that I am currently a resident of Spain in full lockdown. Strangely, instead of feeling isolated, I feel deeply connected. I'm feeling lucky to be in a country under quarantine. I feel both calm and comforted knowing that every other person in Spain is doing the same thing and that we are all playing a role in containing this virus and protecting those most vulnerable. There is a quality to all of this that makes quarantine feel connecting versus isolating.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerMarch 18, 2020Connection, Compassion, Spain, Quarantine, Meditation, Online Courses

A Thanksgiving “Anchor Memory”

At the end of the meal, what I was left with was a kind of contentment or happiness that you can't get from food (not even from the absolute best pumpkin pie I've ever tasted in my life). It was the feeling that is born of gratitude. Because it's gratitude that makes us happy - not the other way around.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerNovember 28, 2019Spain, Gratitude, Embodiment, Guided Meditation, Happiness

Schedule Your Bliss

I am starting this letter with a huge, deep breath because it is October and what that means for me is that I finally get to move into a solid and lasting routine. That might sound boring to you but right now it’s pretty much the most exciting thing in my life.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerOctober 15, 2019Self-Care, Neuroscience, Spain, Retreat

Here's to Wilderness and See You Next Year Utah!

I am lying on a bed of soft pebbles on the northern point of Red Pine Lake surrounded by two 10 year olds and two 13 year olds deep in a spontaneous “choose your own adventure” game led by my favorite 13 year old boy on the planet. We are one day into a camping trip that I’ve been anticipating for months.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerAugust 17, 2019Nature, Spain, Neuroscience, Nervous System, Travel

Retracing Ripples

I’m reflecting on what a gift this year has been, how thankful I am to have so many choices in my life and how we made the choice to move to Spain in the first place. The question takes me back through the countless moments in time that finally ushered me into this one life-altering action.

MindulnessRachel PosnerJuly 18, 2019Travel, Eclipse, Spain, Your Brain on Mindfulness

So Many Words for Beauty

One of the things I’m enjoying most about learning Spanish is the small discoveries I am making about the impact language and culture have on one another. Here is my current favorite observation:

Some of the most repeated words I hear in conversations are descriptions of beauty and wonder.

MindfulnessRachel PosnerDecember 21, 2018Spain, Travel, Beauty, Neuroscience, Yoga Retreat