ON THE COVER
A state of mind
Retired music teacher Dottie Dudley finds physical , mental comfort in mindfulness practices
In 2009 , Dottie Dudley spent four days at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham , North Carolina for a health immersion program . During her time there , she was introduced to the idea of mindfulness – and she says the journey she has been on since then has been life-changing .
Dudley decided to attend the program in North Carolina because she was struggling with the effects of rheumatoid arthritis . Her son , who is a health coach and mindfulness instructor himself , urged her to attend so she could learn more about how mindfulness could help her to deal with chronic pain and discomfort caused by her physical condition .
In hindsight , going to the program was something of a radical act . She flew there alone and had to be wheeled in a wheelchair .
While she was there , she learned more about gentle yoga , as well as breathing and stretching exercises that could be done while still in bed .
She said one of the most important things she learned was how to be aware of tense muscles and to relax them . This relaxation could serve to ease some of her discomfort .
Near constant practice
Now , she says that she practices mindfulness almost constantly , including when she wakes up during the night in discomfort and follows a mindfulness process to help her return to sleep .
“ It ’ s a little hard to explain , but I will tell you that I found me again ,” Dudley recalled . “ It has helped me to address some of the chronic pain that I was experiencing . I am more like myself . I have found joy in life again .”
Dudley said she is usually leery of pain medicines , which are often
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