Mindful

Life doesn't always serve us exactly what we want. Sometimes it offers pain, confusion, and sorrow. There's no way to stop those circumstances, nor to stop the difficult emotions that might arise alongside them. This week, Frank Ostaseski offers a meditation to investigate all of the circumstances of our lives with curiosity, and that can help us welcome everything that comes, or at least allow it. When we allow what is to simply be, we relieve ourselves of the suffering that can get heaped on top of our moments of difficulty. That extra suffering is optional, even if the difficult causes and conditions are not. Show Notes: Find more from Frank Ostaseski here: Frank Ostaseski, Author at Mindful  Zen Hospice Project  Metta Institute Read Kate Bowler’s essay: Coming Undone But Not Unmade Read the June issue of Mindful Magazine here:  Discover the June 2022 Issue  And more from Mindful here: More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute

Nurses help those who are sick or injured, they hold the hands of others as their life ends or offer solace to those pained by loss. To mark National Nurses Week, Cynda Hylton Rushton calls on nurses to pause for a moment to honor their hands—and to acknowledge the joys, sorrows, disappointments, fears, and triumphs in their professional lives. Show Notes:  More from Cynda Rushton on Mindful.org How Integrity Can Heal Burnout

As Mark Coleman says, listening is a beautiful doorway to the present moment, a tuning in to what’s here. With listening practice, we develop the qualities of receptivity, relaxation, and a sense of naturalness. We don’t need to make much effort to hear anything. A sound arises and is known quite easily and naturally in awareness. So, with this particular meditation, we can cultivate a sense of ease, receptivity, and openness. We allow the sounds to be the locus for our attention, simply present to the ebb and flow in the soundscape. Shownotes: Find more from Mark Coleman here: markcoleman.org  Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery Make Peace With Your Mind From Suffering to Peace And more from Mindful here: Nature Meditations course The June 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Resilience Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.or

In this practice, Sharon Salzberg invites us to allow ourselves to feel our emotions, notice the sensations that arise in our body, and forgive ourselves for what we feel. And while your mind might wander during the meditation, Salzburg reminds us that it is always possible to let go and begin again. This practice is featured in the June issue of Mindful magazine, which you can find on Mindful.org or at a newsstand near you.  Show Notes Find more from Sharon Salzberg here: Sharon Salzberg, Author at Mindful  Read the June issue of Mindful magazine here:  Discover the June 2022 Issue - Mindful Magazine  And more from Mindful here: More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

As this week’s meditation teacher Mark Coleman says, "We know being in nature is good for us, but how do we put this into practice in a way that will really serve and nurture us?" This is a question we address in the June issue of Mindful, and in our new course, Nature Meditations. And with Earth Day happening this week, it seems like the right time to get outside and appreciate what the natural world offers. Show Notes: Find more from Mark Coleman here: markcoleman.org  Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery Make Peace With Your Mind From Suffering to Peace And more from Mindful here: Nature Meditations course The June 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Self-Compassion Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

This week on 12 Minute Meditation, Jenée Johnson leads a practice to remind us that we are enough.​​ In this practice, Jenée offers five affirmations that are designed to help us be more compassionate toward ourselves, and in turn build a solid base to be more compassionate toward others. Show Notes: Find more from Jenée Johnson here: Jenée Johnson, Author at Mindful  And more from Mindful here: More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

Mindful managing editor and your regular 12 Minute Meditation host Stephanie Domet leads a mindful writing practice for settling into your body, noticing your surroundings in a real or imagined setting, and using your experience as a writing prompt. This practice is drawn from Stephanie's new course, Mindful Writing. She shares tips, practices, and prompts to strengthen your existing writing practice, or discover a new creative outlet. Show Notes:  Find more from Stephanie Domet here: Mindful Writing course Stephanie on mindful.org And more from Mindful here: The April 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Resilience Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

This week, Shalini Bahl-Milne shares a practice to replenish our energy. If we draw from a pool of resources without replenishing them, we can begin to feel depleted—our brain gets sluggish, and we don’t make good decisions. By resting our attention on our senses, we are taking a moment to reconnect with ourselves and feel fully present. This practice was featured in the April issue of Mindful magazine as part of a three-day at-home retreat designed by Shalini and other veteran mindfulness teachers Mark Bertin and Tovi Scruggs-Hussein.  Show Notes:  Find more from Shalini Bahl-Milne here: Shalini Bahl-Milne, Author at Mindful And more from Mindful here: An At-Home Meditation Retreat You Can Share with Those You Love The April 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Resilience Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

This engaging meditation uses the energy and imagery of the four elements to foster inner connection and emotional regulation. Follow the guided practice and join your child on a mindful adventure.

This week, Dr. Sará King offers a practice to explore, "don't know mind"— an idea that is sometimes used in meditation to evoke a sense of curiosity. So in this practice, we'll explore what it's like to approach the world with a don't know mind. How does that land in the body? What is it like to explore not knowing, not being quite certain? Show Notes: Find more from Dr. Sará King here: Where Science, Mindfulness, and Social Justice Intersect  And more from Mindful here: The Only Constant is Change The April 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Resilience Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.  

When we're aware that events of war and injustice are unfolding wherever we are in the world, we often feel a powerful sense of connection with those who are at the center of the conflict. This week, the invitation with this practice is to put aside ideas and concepts about differences, shame, fear, survival, and to simply see if you can begin to develop a felt sense of common humanity—that all of us wish for happiness and freedom from suffering. Show Notes: Find more from Steve Hickman here: Steven Hickman, Author at Mindful And more from Mindful here: More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

This week, John Taylor shares a five-step practice for finding some peace and freedom after trauma. John’s work as a mindfulness teacher is focused on racial equity and reconciliation initiatives. He is a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher and serves as adjunct faculty for UCSD’s Center for Mindfulness. Here, he reminds us that we all have potential for healing and for positive change. All of this and more lies within each of us. This practice is featured in the April issue of Mindful magazine alongside a piece written by longtime journalist Robert Huber exploring how mindfulness can help survivors of gun violence navigate their pain and support post-traumatic growth, one breath at a time. You can find it now on newsstands or at mindful.org.  Show Notes: Find more from John Taylor here: UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness And more from Mindful here: Why Survivors of Gun Violence Are Turning to Mindfulness The April 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Resilience Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Medita

This week, Kimberly Brown leads a practice to cultivate curiosity. We might not always think about curiosity as a part of mindfulness, but this powerful quality is what allows our everyday experiences, even the ones we really don't want to be having to get some breathing room and maybe even to shift in unexpected ways. Our curiosity practice can start with the simplest tools we have at hand: Our breath, our body, and our awareness.  Show Notes Find more from Kimberly Brown here: Kimberly Brown, Author at Mindful  Find Stephnie Domet’s article on mindfulness and curiosity here: How Compassion and Curiosity Help Me to Be Present  And more from Mindful here: Discover the April 2022 Issue - Mindful Magazine  More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation And find more from Mindful at mindful.org and on our conversation podcast, Real Mindful. Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

In this practice from Mindful founding editor Barry Boyce, we investigate the relationship between our heart and mind. What our heart feels is influenced by what our mind perceives, which is sometimes one of the reasons developing kindness, a loving heart, and compassion can be so challenging. The quality of the warmth and openness in our heart emerges not just from generating warmer feelings, but from developing a clearer view of what we’re seeing and how we’re processing the world. Once we’re aware of our preconceptions, we can loosen our grip on what we think we know and explore what’s true.  Show Notes: Find more from Barry Boyce here: Come As You Are: A 7-Day DIY Mindfulness Retreat  “The Only Constant Is Change”  “How COVID Reminded Me We’re All Connected” Barry on mindful.org And more from Mindful here: The April 2022 issue of Mindful magazine: The Resilience Issue More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation The Real Mindful Podcast Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by le

Cardiologist Jonathan Fisher leads a body scan to notice sensations in the body and bring awareness to the present moment.

This week, Mindful’s founding editor Barry Boyce leads a "touch and go" practice. In this practice, we're not trying to deal with the issues in our thoughts or with the difficult emotions that might be arising. There's nothing to solve. There's nothing to change. Instead, we're spending time with our mind in this way, and over time, our thoughts can become more transparent and have less power over us because we're fighting with them less.  Show notes: Find more from Barry Boyce here: Barry Boyce, Author at Mindful  Find Barry’s course, Come As You Are, here: Come As You Are - Mindfulness Course  And more from Mindful here: Welcome Everything: The February 2022 issue of Mindful magazine. More episodes of 12 Minute MeditationAnd find more from Mindful at mindful.org and on our conversation podcast, Real Mindful. Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

This week, Barry Boyce leads a practice for mindfulness of the body and our embodied experience because whatever is happening isn't happening in an abstract way—it's happening here in our bodies, so we have to return home to ourselves, to our body. This practice is drawn from a live, guided meditation session from Barry's new course called Come As You Are. Whether you're an experienced meditator or just beginning, it can be fun and refreshing to explore mindfulness with an experienced guide who knows that meditation doesn't have to fit any particular mold. Instead, it's a way of being that can bring a sense of presence and joy to your everyday moments. Show Notes: Find more from Barry Boyce here: Barry Boyce, Author at Mindful  Find Barry’s course, Come As You Are, here: Come As You Are - Mindfulness Course  And more from Mindful here: Welcome Everything: The February 2022 issue of Mindful magazine. More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

This week, Judy Lief leads a meditation for grief and loss. Most of us have come up against the experience of grief and loss over the last several years. These feelings can be hard to hold, even as we see how widespread they are. Judy, who wrote the book Making Friends With Death, says that "There’s nothing really to be said about grieving that doesn’t sound trite. There’s no simple way through it. It is extremely difficult to put the gravity or the force of grief into words. And there’s no one way to grieve. Neither is there a cure for our fragility and vulnerability. We have only one option, which is somehow to figure out a way to love and embrace it." Show notes: Find more from Judy Lief here: judylief.com Making Friends with Death And more from Mindful here: Welcome Everything: The February 2022 issue of Mindful magazine. The Real Mindful Podcast

When we're under pressure, our ability to care and to lead can feel compromised. Mindfulness can provide a path to cultivate the focus and determination of grit and the care and calm of grace, to learn from growth and change. In this practice to arrive, breathe, and connect, Dr. Lili Powell, a professor at UVA Darden School of Business, offers space to fully arrive in the present moment and make a commitment to focusing on being right here, right now. 

This week, Frank Ostaseski leads a practice to welcome everything. And we hear you—there’s a lot going on that you may not feel like welcoming right now. To welcome something doesn't mean we have to like it, and it doesn't mean we have to agree with it; it just means we have to be willing to meet it. In this practice which you can also find in the February 2022 issue of Mindful magazine, Frank Ostaseski offers six steps to open up to the present moment—whatever it may bring. Show Notes: Lean Into Love: An Interview with Frank Ostaseski How to Bookend Your Day with Compassion The Metta Institute Check out the February 2022 issue of Mindful magazine  And find more from Mindful at mindful.org and on our conversation podcast, Real Mindful. Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.