Jessica Wood

Using Mindfulness to Move from Languishing to Flourishing

As part of her August Digital Residency, Jessica Wood ran an Instagram Live session with mindfulness and mental wellness facilitator Mica Montana. Below is a write-up of the session by Jessica, as well as a link to re-watch the session.

The origins of this workshop, a mix of conversation, mindfulness facilitation and creative exploration started after reading the popular article on NY Times entitled ‘There’s a name for this Blah’ you’re feeling’.

Everything in the article resonated with me personally and, as I began to frantically share the piece with everyone that I could, I realised others had been feeling the same. When people asked me ‘how are you?’, I answered them with ‘well…. I read this article about blah blah blah and basically…. I’m languishing’. 

It felt good to have a clear way to describe what had been feeling like a hazy fog for the last few months. But I was still stuck in that space, telling the same story with the same verbs, adjectives and conclusions. I knew I wanted to move from languishing into a place of flourishing but I wasn’t sure how to do this and the old joys I found in writing didn’t seem to cut it or bring that sense of peace they once did. 

A friend of mine Mica shared a post on instagram about offering some Mindfulness sessions as she began her clinical practice. I jumped at the chance to get some insights from her. 

In this space we created, just a few online sessions I was startled by the sense of unease it can sometimes be to just exist in yourself without fighting, without doing anything just allowing yourself to exist. 

I found this space of mindfulness that we had begun to create as a gateway into the flourishing that I and others so desperately long for. With the same frantic energy that I had to share the article which gave voice to my experience, I wanted to share some insights and practices of mindfulness. 

I hope that by following these exercises, you’ll encounter a sense of peace and excitement about your creative potential. 

Link here to watch the live stream.

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