InStill Mindfulness

If not now, when?

Win a ticket to FloydFest!

Giving Tuesday marks the end of our #NOWvember fundraising campaign.

What does Now mean to you?

To us, two things particularly stand out:

1. Now means the present moment, which is what mindfulness and much contemplative practice is all about. Now is the only thing that is real: the past, the future exist only in our imaginations; and
2. Now means urgency. As the world moves faster and faster, a sense of urgency continues to intensify: so much needs to be addressed that we rush right by as we pursue our daily goals. Mindfulness helps us slow down a little and develop a greater awareness about the things that are truly important, and as we develop that awareness we may also develop a sense that many of these things require urgent attention.

In #NOWvember we have shared how InStill is addressing many of these concerns, and inviting you to support us in our endeavors to do so. These are the things we have highlighted:

Existential Angst: There are many reasons to be anxious today, and InStill is addressing some of these with the following programming:

1. InSpired Elders NRV: An ongoing InSpire gathering giving elders an opportunity to relate deeply while discussing many of the issues that are unique to their phase of life;
2. Eco_InSpire: An ongoing InSpire gathering helping participants address eco-anxiety, and find more productive ways to address the environmental crisis; and
3. InSpire: Our 13 weekly gatherings each give participants the opportunity to find meaning, discuss issues that concern them, and identify effective ways to address them.

Overwork & Overwhelm: Many people today are dealing with overwork and overwhelm, which InStill addresses with the following programs:

1. iSAT and InSide: Our Inner Situational Awareness Training (iSAT) and InSide programs benefit members of our law enforcement community. Many participants have called our training ‘life changing,’ as it is also likely to be for their colleagues, family members, and even perpetrators and prisoners;
2. Positive Leadership and InSupport: These team building and leadership programs help participants experience more value and less overwhelm in the work environment, while building more effective teams; and
3. InSchools: InStill has worked with K-12 Professionals in seven local school divisions, positively impacting schools, classrooms, colleagues and families along the way.

Recovery: Our peer support and harm reduction programs in Pulaski are fast becoming our flagship as we impact hundreds of lives in the Pulaski community:

1. Peer Support: Having lived through homelessness, substance use, incarceration and other adversities herself, our Peer Recovery Specialist, Pamela Edwards, now uses the knowledge gained through her lived experience to help those who are dealing with similar challenges today; and
2. Rise Above Harm Reduction Services: We host this weekly service from the Virginia Department of Health, which provides much additional specialized support to the population served by our Peer Support program.

The Epidemic of Loneliness: The U.S. Surgeon General has declared a national loneliness and social isolation epidemic, in which about half of our nation’s adults are experiencing excessive levels of loneliness. Some of the ways we are addressing this issue include:

1. InSpire Mindfulness Gatherings: These 12 in-person and online gatherings small communities give participants the opportunity to connect deeply with one another, and to develop greater resilience within themselves; and
2. Peer Support: In addition to the outreach at the heart of this program, we are placing a particular emphasis on the loneliness our unhoused neighbors can experience this season by opening our doors on Thanksgiving and Christmas so they can experience care, connection and warm food.

These are examples of how we go about Cultivating a Mindful World for All.

And we can’t do it without you.

As a nonprofit, we rely on tax-deductible donations from people like yourself to make this kind of programming (and much more besides) possible.

So we’re asking you to help us cultivate a mindful world for all this #NOWvember by making a tax-deductible donation to InStill.

But we want to give you some extra incentive too:

1. We are delighted to announce a $10,000 matching challenge from two of our biggest supporters, who will match you—dollar for dollar—for the first $10,000 raised in this campaign! and
2. One lucky donor during our NOWvember campaign will win a ticket to FloydFest, valued at nearly $400!

Could it be you?