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Finding Sherlock’s “Mind Palace” at Groundwork!

Okay – I’m a huge geek. Been fascinated with all things Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid – a condition that shows no signs of abating in the ‘Cumberbatch’ era.

In fact, watching the hip rendition of Holmes in the recent series on PBS brought about an epiphany. One of the reasons I dig the sleuth is that he frequently retreats into…his “Mind Palace.”

I thought I was alone in this condition – except for century old fictional consulting detectives – until I and other members of Groundwork! participated in a special series of lunchtime ‘Mindfulness’ workshops last Winter conducted by the world’s foremost consulting coach, Julie Paquette.

Consulting Coach

My eyes as well as my mind were opened by Julie. It turns out, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was (inadvertently) ahead of his time when he had Holmes eliminate all that was unnecessary from his mind and focus intently on what was relevant in order to solve his important cases. A lot of what he was practicing was…Mindfulness.

“Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth,” summed up his detecting philosophy. It’s also a pretty good starting pointing for the practice of Mindfulness. It is a discipline that can be learned – and employed in all pursuits, whether a crime is involved or not!

Mindfulness and more

For readers unfamiliar with Mindfulness, here’s a standard Wikipedia definition: Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment,which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.The term “mindfulness” is a translation of the Pali term sati,which is a significant element of Buddhist traditions.”

Julie’s classes at Groundwork! were a revelation. Over six weeks, she led a group of us through Mindfulness exercises that, lo and behold, expended our vision and increased our awareness both of ourselves and the world around us. By giving us the building blocks to construct our own mind palaces.

The idea of ‘Mindfulness’ was wonderful enough. But to be introduced to it by someone like Julie Paquette – so proficient in its practice, dedicated to its integrity and passionate to communicate its value –  was a “The Game is Afoot” moment.

The Return of Julie Paquette

You knew you were in the hands of a master – and no one had to die to unravel this mystery. You may have guessed by now – I’m happy to serve as her Dr. Watson in this blog post.

I’ve been wanting to write about the adventure we all shared here at Groundwork! for quite some time – but must admit something: I didn’t feel qualified enough to write intelligently on the subject!

That’s entirely because Julie was such an awesome guide and teacher, I truly didn’t want to let her down in any way.

BUT…I’ve got good news to share. On Wednesday, Oct. 25, you can discover for yourself what Julie Paquette’s “The Mindfulness Collaborative” is about when she returns to Groundwork! during our Oktoberfest Open House. Oktoberfest at Groundwork! will be a free, open to the public day of coworking, workshops and more good things – like chair massages and Yoga.

The highlight for me will be retreating to my mind palace once again under the tutelage of Julie Paquette. She’ll lead an Introduction to Mindfulness hour beginning at 3:00 p.m. (Check out the entire day’s schedule of activities here.)

And I’m certain that under her guidance, we’ll all be a bit more mindful not only of ourselves, but also our value to each other than this fellow…

Steven Froias