How This Mindfulness Expert Finds Purpose & Presence In Crisis

Rip & Tan: How can we begin to cultivate a mindfulness practice in the midst of shifting schedules and work from home realities?

Kasey Crown: It is not easy to cultivate a disciplined mindfulness practice in the midst of what can feel like chaos. So be gentle with yourself, lower your expectations, and re-write the rules. It may be as simple as saying a prayer while you are cooking dinner for the kids or in the shower. Any activity can become a mindfulness practice or meditation if we do it with presence, intention, attention, and neutral observation. Get creative.

Rip & Tan: Are there any go-to exercises that you turn to when you’re looking for a daily dose of calm?

Kasey Crown: I do a regular grounding meditation: I visualize grounding cords traveling from my tailbone and feet to the center of the earth, and a cord from the crown of the head upwards into the supreme universal energy that surrounds and connects us all. I then call my energy back home by visualizing it returning to me from anyone I have been in contact with, and from anywhere it may be stuck in the past or future. I then do all sorts of things to clear my space of any energetic or emotional debris, including flushing all the muck down my grounding cord. I finish by bringing in healing energies through my crown—frequencies like love, trust, forgiveness, compassion, calm, certainty, acceptance, freedom. I spin these energies in my space. I do this in under 5 minutes several times a day, adding a more contemplative component in when I have time. I also do it with every client at the beginning of a session. It’s about keeping our space clear so we can see clearly. It’s spiritual hygiene—it’s as important to me as brushing my teeth and washing my face! It needs to be done regularly. If you’re interested in practicing a version of it, I have a recording of it on my website.

Rip & Tan: We’re currently living in a world ruled by headlines and news updates. Any advice on how to navigate the noise in a way that’s balanced and marked with intention?

Kasey Crown:: Yes—turn it off! There is no world in which having CNN, MSNBC, FOX or any other media outlet on in the background of your house is going to leave you more informed, healthier, and wiser. It’s important to be informed. My encouragement is that you seek out the most ethical and neutral sources of information and check in with them as needed.

Rip & Tan: How can we use this time at home to get in touch with and invigorate our soul?

Kasey Crown:: Within all experiences of suffering and crisis lies opportunity. Systemic chaos is often followed by regeneration and healing. For anyone disrupted, but perhaps not entirely derailed by having to fight for their physical or economic survival, it is an opportunity to observe how you relate to crisis, to examine priorities and determine what in your life is no longer feeding your spirit and the spirit of those around you. We are being called to let go of a lot right now, to adapt to necessary change, to examine our participation in the whole, and to shift our consciousness. If we can remember that and use this experience of discomfort to illuminate our opportunities for healing, we will be invigorating our souls.

Rip & Tan: What does living well mean to you?

Kasey Crown: For me personally, living well is about being present and in truth, even when it makes others uncomfortable. It’s about trusting in the universe, actively engaging in practices that evolve my consciousness, loving mother earth and all her inhabitants, spending time with my tribe of family and close friends, celebrating nature, dancing, practicing yoga, hiking, reading a good book, sleeping soundly, finding meaningful ways to be of service, and staying in constant conversation with the divine!

Rip & Tan: We’d by lying if we said we weren’t dreaming of a WellSoul workshop right about now. What are some useful WellSoul practices and lessons that we can implement at home if we’re feeling lost or overwhelmed?

Kasey Crown: I too am missing the sanctuary setting of a workshop and the relief that comes from such deep connection and comradery. But WellSoul is with me and Jakki wherever we go, it provides an anchor for us as we navigate our own suffering and discomfort. These are truly the tools we practice.

The WellSoul curriculum is centered around five pillars, each of which contain a number of practices to support the healing process. This pandemic is reflecting back to us just how important it is to integrate an understanding of these pillars as a means to cope with feelings of overwhelm. We all have different approaches that resonate with us, so it’s important to explore what works for you given your interests and your particular context. The pillars can simply serve as a useful guide: