“This is a book that will save lives. Mindfulness for Warriors is a work of major importance that offers practical approaches to self-care and serenity for our first responders. Our military veterans, firefighters, police, dispatchers, paramedics, doctors, and nurses are at the front lines of our society and a vital part of every community. Kim Colegrove's marvelous book is an essential read for these brave people.” ―Louise Harmon, author of Happiness from A to Z
“The pain of trauma that first responders suffer from is finally being recognized, and Mindfulness for Warriors shows the path to healing. Kim Colegrove shares her heart-wrenching story of the loss of her husband to suicide, why it happened, and effective keys to recovery through mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness for Warriors is a welcome guide not only for first-responders and their loved ones, but anyone who suffers from trauma.” ―Rev. Connie L. Habash, LMFT, author of Awakening from Anxiety: A Spiritual Guide to Living a More Calm, Confident, and Courageous Life
“Mindfulness for Warriors is an outstanding book I will be giving it to a lot of people. My father was a Marine who came back from war and became a fireman. I loved how brave Dad was, but I also sensed, behind his tough exterior, he was hiding a lot of pain. He was a stoic who forged on doing his very important work but at a high personal cost. He and so many like him serve our communities and deal with extreme stress on a daily basis, often without any way to process the pain and PTSD they are suffering. Kim Colegrove's book is an invaluable tool to help the helpers. Her mindfulness practices and meditation techniques offer much respite, relief, and calm to anyone who picks up this book.” ―Becca Anderson, author of Prayers for Hard Times and Real Life Mindfulness
“Kim Colegrove survived unspeakable grief, and rather than becoming bitter and broken herself, she honed a fierce and relentless compassion that seeks well-being for those who protect and serve. This book, and the PauseFirst Project, offer accessible tools for everyday use. In its pages, you will find solid strategies and proven practices for coping with stress and trauma in work and in life. Mindfulness for Warriors is a must-read for veterans, first responders, and all who walk the way of the warrior.” ―Rev. Roxanne Pendleton, MDiv, CYT 200, advisor, trauma informed care, and author of Laughing Again: A Survivor's Guide to Healing Depression
In Mindfulness for Warriors, Kim Colegrove offers a sincere invitation to look at what is behind the trauma carried by so many. With evidence-based mindfulness practices to alleviate suffering highlighted from the individuals who have benefited from such practices, Mindfulness for Warriors shows what we absolutely know to be true: you can heal yourself. You can heal your life. Slow and steady like the breath, one movement at a time, Colegrove provides a genuine roadmap to reconnect with your body, heart, and mind―to begin the journey to developing resilience and cultivating mental and emotional peace. ―Bridgitte Jackson-Buckley, author of The Gift of Crisis: How I Used Meditation to Go From Financial Failure to a Life of Purpose
“While many of us might not consider ourselves warriors. In truth, we are. Especially if, as the author writes, ‘your life or work involves helping, saving, and rescuing others….’ From time to time, we become rescuers for our kids, partners, friends, family, or co-workers. This groundbreaking book, therefore, is a must-read since it touches all of us. It not only documents the lives of others who needed help, but it also provides very grounding solutions for dealing with and overcoming life’s challenges.” ―Allen Klein, author of Embracing Life After Loss
“Kim Colegrove has one audacious goal―to save the first responders who put their own lives on the line for others every day. Her powerful new book, Mindfulness for Warriors, embodies her passion. Through candid memoir, insightful interviews, and informed advice, Mindfulness for Warriors offers practical tools for first responders and the people who love them. Colegrove artfully blends her account of the heart-wrenching loss of her husband with her wisdom from decades of meditation practice and her hope to find a solution to the trauma dynamic that rips first responders from the world. Colegrove’s firsthand experience watching lives change for the better authorizes her to make this bold claim: mindfulness can save lives. She’s seen it and tells us how it’s done. Hers is a message you won’t want to miss.” ―Nita Sweeney, meditation teacher, writing coach, and award-winning author of Depression Hates a Moving Target
“According to legend, the Buddha was asked, ‘What have you gained from meditation?’ Buddha replied, ‘Nothing.’ Then he added, ‘However, let me tell I what I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age and death.’ Who wouldn't want to lose those negative emotions? And certainly, first responders are most deserving of peace and freedom through practicing meditation and mindfulness. Kim Colegrove’s book is a rich resource for those seeking serenity in the face of trauma, violence, and chaos.” ―BJ Gallagher, coauthor of Your Life Is Your Prayer
“A book that will save lives and a book about those who save lives. Mindfulness for Warriors is an empowering read that examines first responders' duties and curates tools and techniques to apply to the lives of those whom have faced trauma on the front lines. The author's own intimate story helps to realize the importance of addressing traumatic experiences and implementing meditative and mindful practices to better cope in their everyday lives. Relevant at the moment and important for so many humans, even beyond those that are first responders, this book is a must-read that will help to reduce stress, build resilience, and empower you to live your happiest life.” ―Belles and Rebelles
Kim Colegrove is a veteran meditator and speaker with over 40 years of experience. She is the creator of PAUSE15 Meditation℠ and Learn to Pause℠ Mindfulness Training, and the founder of The PauseFirst Project: Mindfulness for First Responders.
Colegrove’s expertise in meditation has benefited individuals and corporations across the country, including Garmin International, The National Court Reporters Association, Department of Veterans Affairs, United Way, and others.
In 2014, Kim lost her husband David to suicide, less than three months after he retired from a 30-year law enforcement career. She created The PauseFirst Project to honor David’s memory, and to help other first responders cope with stress and trauma.
She partnered with Major Darren Ivey of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department in 2017 and began offering a 4-hour block of mindfulness training to law enforcement professionals and other first responders. The course has been very well-received and Colegrove now speaks at conferences and offers her course to first responder organizations nationwide.
Kim is a contributing writer for In Public Safety, an American Military University (AMU) sponsored website. In August, her In Public Safety article, "My Husband’s Suicide: Recognizing Predictors of Police Suicide," was published on PoliceOne online, which boasts over 600,000 subscribers and over 2 million monthly visitors. Previously, Colegrove was a regular contributing writer for Kansas City Health and Wellness magazine.
Colegrove has combined many years of meditation experience with her background in corporate mindfulness and her own personal story of tragedy and loss to create an informative and inspirational book that is a must-read for first responders and their families.
Learn more about Kim's work at www.kimcolegrove.com.
Becca Anderson comes from a long line of teachers and preachers from Ohio and Kentucky. The teacher side of her family led her to become a woman’s studies scholar and the author of the bestselling The Book of Awesome Women. An avid collector of affirmations, meditations, prayers and blessings, she helps run a “Gratitude and Grace Circle” that meets monthly at homes, churches and bookstores in the San Francisco Bay Area where she currently resides. Becca Anderson credits her spiritual practice and daily prayer with helping her recover from cancer and wants to share this encouragement with anyone who is facing difficulty in life with Prayers for Hard Times and her latest, The Woman’s Book of Prayer. The author of Think Happy to Stay Happy and Every Day Thankful, Becca Anderson shares prayers and affirmations, inspirational writings and suggested acts of kindness at https://thedailyinspoblog.wordpress.com She also blogs about Awesome Women at https://theblogofawesomewomen.wordpress.com/ @AndersonBecca_ on Twitter @BeccaAndersonWriter on Facebook @BeccaAndersonWriter on Instagram Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Nate
Military, Law Enforcement
US Marine Corps, 11th Marines Counter Battery Radar Platoon
4 years, 2 combat tours, both in Iraq
Law Enforcement, 14 years
Nate and I sat down in one of my favorite coffee shops in downtown Kansas City so I could interview him for this book. We’re both involved with a local organization called, The Battle Within, which provides a 5-day healing retreat in nature for military veterans and first responders.
Several months ago, Nate and his wife attended one of my 4-hour trainings. A few weeks later, he and I met in a BBQ joint, to discuss my role with The Battle Within, and I always have the pleasure of seeing him when I teach mindfulness at the retreats. But I first learned of Nate in 2017, when I saw a video clip of him talking about the retreat he had attended, that he says saved his life.
Nate is a solid person with an impressive career of service to country and community. He’s a big, strong-looking dude with a lot of tattoos, but I get the feeling he’s a gentle giant. I’ve seen his goofy dad side on social media and it’s pretty adorable.
There is something about this guy that is so likeable, and I’m glad to know him. I am grateful to Nate for taking time out of his crazy-busy life to have coffee with me and let me, let us, into his world.
I want to point out that Nate was only 17-years old when he joined the Marines, and he left for boot camp 10 days after turning 18. He was deployed to the Middle East twice and was among the first American soldiers to be deployed at the very beginning of the war in 2003.
And here’s an eye popper for ya: during his first deployment, he went 76 days in the desert without a shower.
Difficult Experiences
Nate’s Counter Battery Radar Team was an artillery unit, responsible for tracking enemy shells, mortars, etc. Although they were on the front lines, they never had to fight up close until they hit Bagdad. They set up headquarters, which the Marines call a CMOC (Civilian-Military Operations Center), and they stood around the Sheraton Hotel, located in Bagdad, in the circle where they infamously pulled down the statue of Saddam Hessein with a tank.
One night while Nate was on guard duty, he noticed some movement in the street, and it seemed suspicious. He reported this, and his Sergeant instructed him to “put some rounds on it.” Shots started to come back at the Marines, which kicked off a massive engagement.
During the gunfight, Nate noticed two individuals approaching, flanking their position, and he fired at them, killing them both.
This incident, Nate says, impacted him more than anything else he ever experienced or endured – the up-close taking of two human lives. He remembers being extremely overwrought and says he could not calm himself down. He was in shock. He was shaken to his core. But instead of offering him some kind of comfort or debrief, his commander pulled him in front of a TV camera.
The journalists were from Turkish CNN, and within minutes of that harrowing incident, they were interviewing Nate on camera. He has no memory of the interview. He was in shock, which had to be clear and apparent to anyone around him. But the shock was never addressed in any way, shape or form. The kill was glorified. That incident created a deep moral conflict in Nate, which he still lives with to this day.
