Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink. She is also co-creator of the writing journal, You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving. Her upcoming book, Make Every Move a Meditation (available for preorder), was featured in the Wall Street Journal. Nita lives in central Ohio with her husband, Ed, and their yellow Labrador retriever, Scarlet. Download your free copy of Nita’s eBook Three Tools For A Happier, Healthier Mind. Mindfulness in Motion
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Contact Info
Website: www.nitasweeney.com
Book: Make Every Move a Meditation: Mindful Movement for Mental Health, Well-Being, and Insight By Nita Sweeney
Book: You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving (Gift for writers) By Nita Sweeney
Book: Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running With My Dog Brought Me Back From the Brink By Nita Sweeney
Free E-Book: 3 Tools For A Happier, Healthier Mind

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Most Influential Person
Daron Larson

Effect on Emotions
It's being able to withstand both painful emotions and feel positive emotions. That's what mindfulness practice has allowed me to do. I don't have to push and pull on either one. I can be with what arises, no matter what it is. Mindfulness in Motion

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Thoughts on Breathing
Notice how much you hold your breath. During the day, just notice.
When I'm running, often, I'm not forcing my breath instead, I will try to let my body react, relax, and let it take a natural breath.  Mindfulness in Motion

Suggested Resources
Book: Make Every Move a Meditation: Mindful Movement for Mental Health, Well-Being, and Insight By Nita Sweeney
Book: You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving (Gift for writers) By Nita Sweeney
Book: Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running With My Dog Brought Me Back From the Brink By Nita Sweeney
Book: Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
App: Waking Up

Bullying Story
I came from an alcoholic family, I was in and out of my own drinking and addiction, many very addictive behaviors with substances. Therefore
And I think that this mindful awareness of my own behavior, and realizing that there was something driving me that I was unaware of. As a result of my actions, I would get bullied because other people didn't like what I was doing. Therefore
So that awareness that there was something else going on, so much deeper, than I could have possibly worked with, to maybe modify my own behavior, or at least, be able to be with it without all the shame and guilt and things. Therefore
And then when the bullying did happen, having the compassion because that's one of the things in meditation is we develop mind states, one of which is loving kindness and so having the compassion for the person, another person to realize that they too, were coming from some kind of place of often fear, that's what usually it is, we're coming out of fear. Therefore
It's taken years of therapy, to help me understand that. But in the meditation practice, sitting with memories of that, the thoughts that come up now, the body sensations, especially being able to be with the discomfort, and then also having fond memories that I didn't really remember because there was so much of the kind of bad things that I didn't let them happen. So
So when you're still or when you do meditation, even mindfulness in motion, when you let the rest of the world drop away, whether it's through in the writing practice the sitting in moving meditation, the rest of the world rep drops away, and joyous memories can come up.

Related Episodes Therefore
How Meditation Can Save The World; Tom Cronin
The Three Pillars of Meditation; Giovanni Dienstmann

Your Life IS Meditation; Mark Van Buren