"Bloom Where You are Planted" by Sharon theroux

This is a picture of a very excited me with JKZ, taken in 2012 when I attended the MBSR in Mind-Body Medicine training. One of the many things I learned from that training was something he said to our class, "Bloom where you are planted".

He was referring to all of us who desire to teach mindfulness. We come from all walks of life, including the fields of medicine, psychology, business, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and education. The list is endless! We can bring mindfulness to virtually every walk of life, and he was recommending we spread mindfulness in our own areas of expertise.

For me, these areas include the fields of psychology and physical fitness. Over the past 15 years, I've treated individuals with food related issues, incorporating a 3-pronged approach that includes diet, exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy. How exciting to find that I could incorporate mindfulness into my treatment approach. In the area of compulsive overeating, it is so important to help people to eat mindfully; slowing down to appreciate every tasty morsel. I also believe that aspects of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, where we can learn to ride the waves of our cravings, can be so helpful for people who overeat emotionally.

Last week, I spoke at ECA, an international fitness convention, on "Mindless Eating: Are We Addicted to Certlain Foods?" I spoke to a group of about 45 fitness instructors and personal trainers. Although I've spoken about food addiction in the past, adding the mindfulness component very much enhanced the presentation, and those fitness professionals were truly open to recommend meditation to their clients who struggle with compulsive overeating. How rewarding it was for me to share this nonjudgmental approach to this group of people! I am grateful for the ability to combine my passions for mindfulness, psychology and fitness. Thank you for your support. I feel the South Florida Center for Mindfulness is getting ready to bloom!

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