Since 2015, we gradually built a community of kind, caring and welcoming people in the Kansas City metro who shared in the revolutionary attitudes and healing practices of mindfulness. Early on, we met in our living rooms, yoga studios, coffee shops, churches, and outdoor spaces until we grew the capacity for our own space. We began with donation based classes and as our family of teachers grew, we were able to offer workshops, series, retreats, teacher training programs, and even a fledgling regional initiative. We partnered with many philanthropic organizations, institutions and businesses across the two state region in order to build awareness and make learning and practicing more accessible for all who are interested. The lock down of the COVID-19 pandemic inspired (and required) us to find a way to connect remotely. We purchased a 360 degree camera that allowed us to eventually unite both virtual and on-site participants, which initially expanded our reach. Yet we were never able to recover the momentum of our previous on-site gatherings. We tried many innovations and experiments, but ultimately decided to close our doors in 2025. The dedicated community that remains is continuing on through the Midwest Mindfulness Collective. You can find many of us there!