Mindful Concussion

Mindful Concussion I created Mindful Concussion to share what I have learned since my car accident about the power and perils of mindfulness for brain injury. Mindfulconcussion.ca

I run courses, workshops and other educational offerings.

There are moments when I feel frightened to publish my book about the power and perils of mindfulness for brain injury. ...
06/29/2026

There are moments when I feel frightened to publish my book about the power and perils of mindfulness for brain injury.

People-pleasing parts of me are afraid to share this message. They shout at me sometimes as I write these words. They warn me: “Don’t say that. You will offend your teachers who have taught us so much! Mindfulness teachers won’t understand the nuance, girl. They will just feel attacked! People will get mad at you! They will vilify you publicly! Clinicians may scoff and say: ‘Who are you to tell us to modify our prescriptions?’”

But then the parts of me that felt so ashamed and frightened when I was first learning step forward. They shout back: “If we don’t say anything, others will suffer as we did! They will feel weak and wrong too. We can’t let that happen!

In the end, the parts of me that feel compelled to share this message, to protect fellow survivors, have won out over the parts that are afraid to speak up.

I hope my book convinces people of the importance of pacing the practice appropriately. The Mindful Concussion Method is akin to a First Responder. It is not about leaning away from the hard stuff forever. It is about knowing when and how to lean in. It is rooted in the recognition that survivors need to feel Safe and Settled before Sinking into their Suffering.

DO YOU GET AFRAID SOMETIMES TOO WHEN SHARING YOUR TRUTH?






After my car accident/brain injury in 2013, the rehab centre in Vancouver strongly encouraged me to take up mindfulness....
06/19/2026

After my car accident/brain injury in 2013, the rehab centre in Vancouver strongly encouraged me to take up mindfulness. At first I simply didn’t have the wherewithal to take a class or learn in any formal way, but I found my way to three Long, Slow Deep practices that held me tight:

The long, slow deep holds of yin yoga became a refuge. I lay on my mat to release the tension held in my muscles and my mind.

I gravitated to long, slow, deep walks in nature. I let the beauty of flowers land, soothing my soul. One wind swept moment. One soft petal. One slowly savoured sunbeam at a time.

I discovered a breathwork video just for brain injury that encouraged me to take long, slow, deep breaths. I felt my worry, anxiety, and fear melt away with each luxurious long exhale.

It was not until ten months later that I went on my first meditation retreat. Here is a quote from the draft of my forthcoming book The Mindful Concussion that shows that it was right there, at the very first day of my formal mindfulness education, that the Mindful Concussion Method was born.

“The teacher started by encouraging us to notice the sensations of breathing. I immediately launched into my beloved friend, my Long, Slow, Deep breaths. YES, here we go!

But then he said, “Don’t control your breath. Just let it be as it is.”

Hello? You want me to do what now?

Um. NO.

I’m not doing that. I’m staying right here with my Long, Slow, Deep breaths, thank you very much. I’m not going to simply notice that my breath is short and shallow and not change it. Why would I do that? Long, Slow, Deep breathing is like a bloody magic portal to calming my system!

Let me be very clear: this brilliant and beloved teacher had done nothing wrong. Most of the students in the room were beautifully served by his teaching. It’s just that it was not what I needed at that tender time in my post-concussion journey.

In retrospect, I realize that when I silently said, No, I’m not doing that! and instead landed in my agency and deep knowing of my own needs, that was the very moment Mindful Concussion was born.

I didn’t know it then, but now I can see that in all that silent rebellion, on my very first retreat, I was intuitively building the Mindful Concussion Method on the fly: one move away from nervous system dysregulation and one move toward regulation at a time. One “no thank you” and one “yes please” at a time.”

Since then, I have had to be brave to keep saying no. To keep tacking towards long, slow, deep practices that nurture my nervous system. Allowing the breath to be just as it is, is indeed a powerful practice. It helps us get comfortable with the uncomfortable. But I was unable to start there; I needed a more gentle entry into mindfulness for concussion care.







04/01/2026

I’m thrilled to have handed in my manuscript for my book about the power and perils of mindfulness for brain injury to my publisher, Page Two books!

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