Library offers free workshop on meditation

The Cloquet Public Library will be offering a free meditation workshop, "An Introduction to Meditation," at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, part of a continued commitment to offer free workshops and classes that promote lifelong learning. The class is free and open to all. Bring a yoga mat or towel, and a blanket.

The workshop will be taught by Carolyn Ripp. I asked her about meditation and how she makes it relevant to her busy life as a small-business owner, mother of three active young adults, and a wife.

Ripp has been working in the field of physical, mental, and emotional health for more than 30 years. Her career as a healer began as a nurse, then as an American Council on Exercise fitness instructor and now she is a yoga instructor.

She earned her master's degree in health and wellness in 2002 at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She shifted from traditional exercise instruction to something more integrated, teaching a class at UMD called "Stretching the Mind and Body" long before it was popular to add yoga-type traditions in a general fitness class.

"It seems as if everything fell into place when I discovered yoga," Carolyn said. "It's all so integrated."

Carolyn has since become a 500-hour-level-registered yoga teacher as well as a certified meditation teacher, studying at two of the top training centers in Minneapolis. She opened a yoga studio in Cloquet, The Nest, in 2015.

Q When did you realize you are a healer?

A I am not sure I am worthy of this title. Everyone is born with gifts. Our job as parents, caregivers and for ourselves is to discover what it is that we excel at whether that's being a good listener, being a great gardener, athlete, finding humor in mundane situations, patience with children or with elders, being a great motivator.

My gifts are my level of compassion, my faith, and my relationship with God.

I have the gift of sharing compassion, my passion for learning more about my chosen path and the solace I have found by choosing to dwell in the light as often as I can.

Q Do you have a daily meditation practice?

A I try and meditate every day, but often I miss a day or two a week due to scheduling conflicts.

Q Where is your favorite place to meditate?

A We can meditate everywhere, and I have. Try meditating when you're stuck in traffic, sitting in the car waiting for your children from school or practices, sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, in a waiting room, or whenever you feel overwhelmed.

Having said that, my favorite thing to do is to carve a place in my home that is a designated place of calm, a place where I could leave my mat out. Life gets busy with a family of 5, and sometimes it means centering, breathwork, a few poses and meditation, in 15 minutes. It's a great way to check in to the body, my thoughts and my emotions as I start the day. Often, I enjoy lighting a candle as a way to ignite the light within as I start my practice. This simple practice allows me to enter my day with gratitude and fuels my ability to respond rather than react to life's challenges. Meditation is a process. There is an assumption that we need to do it perfectly. It's helpful to know that our minds are meant to think, so as our mind wanders, we welcome it back to our chosen focal point, and understand that a drifting mind is normal.

Q Do you have a favorite meditation?

A There are hundreds of techniques used for meditation, but four major categories, or reasons to meditate are:

• To become more calm, still and relaxed

• To increase awareness, watch and witness your thoughts and emotions

• To empower ourselves

• For spiritual growth

Not all meditations lead to the same place. Techniques would be different for calm as the outcome, as compared to spiritual enlightenment. When I need strength, I focus on empowering techniques, to fuel the flame of determination or "fire in the belly." When I need calm, I choose a practice that is more rooted in stillness, to enhance my ability to see and direct my thoughts as best I can, rather than having my thoughts master me. This can be a challenge at times, especially when dealing with situations out of our control. With regular practice, comes steady flow of mind. Sometimes, I choose the spiritual path, when I need to feel the support beneath me.

Q How has meditation changed your life?

A It has enhanced my ability to see clearly, to accept the human conditions of jealousy, fear, and anger, and realize when people do and say things that can be harmful to others, their soul is hurting.

I have gotten so much better at not judging others, as it's really not my job to judge. I find movement more playful. Mostly I find joy in my day, in sunshine, in nature, in children's laughter, in helping others, and in trying to be my best self.