Relaxation

Collecting Art, take a look Teacher Kimberly Brown explores how mindfulness practices can help us let go of anxious striving, and allow a more natural productivity to arise. Last spring, I struggled to finish my most recent book, Happy Relationships: 25 Buddhist Practices to Transform Your Connection with Your Partner, Family, and Friends. I missed two deadlines and spent many anxious nights lying awake, worried I might not finish the book at all—or that I would ruin it completely. I doubted my talent, questioned my worth, and procrastinated, all while criticizing myself harshly. In the past, I’d pushed myself through projects using force, pressure and fear. But this time, that approach wasn’t working. So I turned to the tools and teachings of my Buddhist training: mindfulness, lovingkindness, and wisdom. As I began practicing them, my relationship to my work quickly shifted, and I felt less overwhelmed and more at ease, and it became easier and felt more natural to write. In a few w...

Collecting Art, take a look If finding the time or the capacity to sit in stillness has prevented you from experiencing the benefits of meditation, recent research has good news: even a super short practice can be effective. A quick search for “short guided meditation” pulls up videos and apps featuring meditations of 3 to 5 minutes, an incredibly accessible entry point. But for those with a bit more experience, an article published in journal Springer in March 2026 finds that the benefits of meditation can be seen in brain scans just 30 seconds. The Benefits of Meditation—But Faster Quieting your mind and tuning in with your breath has been proven to ease symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety while also boosting your brain power and ability to emotionally self-regulate. But even with all of this ancient spiritual and modern scientific evidence, sitting in silence can be tough. Learning to switch off your monkey mind—known as chitta vritti nirodha, which Patanjali considers th...

Collecting Art, take a look This week, mindfulness teacher and recovery coach Emily Jane guides a grounding practice to find safety in our bodies when trauma, fear, or anxiety are pulling us to escape from or numb our discomfort. When we are living with a lot of stress or recovering from trauma or addiction, we can find ourselves living in a fight-flight-freeze state, where we feel either disconnected from or unsafe in our bodies. It’s hard to remember, In this moment, I am safe. This practice is designed to gently cultivate a sense of safety and then create a kinesthetic anchor rooted in awareness of how our body is moving to start building a felt sense of security that your body can remember. A Meditation for Finding Safety in the Body Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice. Begin by finding a comfortable position. You can sit down, lie down, let your body be your guide, and see what feels most supportiv...

Collecting Art, take a look In this week’s guided meditation, mindfulness teacher and designer Toby Sola shows us how we can use what distracts us to strengthen and sharpen our attention. It might seem counter-intuitive, but intentionally tuning in to what’s distracting you can actually help strengthen your ability to focus. In today’s guided practice, meditation teacher Toby Sola introduces what he calls a “concentration algorithm.” This practice will help you identify which type of sensory experience you are naturally drawn to, and then give you a structure for how to focus on it, so that you can quickly attain deep concentration. Note that this meditation includes long pauses of complete silence as part of the practice. If you want more time, feel free to pause the recording as you go. Use Distraction to Hone Your Focus Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice.,

Collecting Art, take a look Teacher Kimberly Brown explores how mindfulness practices can help us let go of anxious striving, and allow a more natural productivity to arise. Last spring, I struggled to finish my most recent book, Happy Relationships: 25 Buddhist Practices to Transform Your Connection with Your Partner, Family, and Friends. I missed two deadlines and spent many anxious nights lying awake, worried I might not finish the book at all—or that I would ruin it completely. I doubted my talent, questioned my worth, and procrastinated, all while criticizing myself harshly. In the past, I’d pushed myself through projects using force, pressure and fear. But this time, that approach wasn’t working. So I turned to the tools and teachings of my Buddhist training: mindfulness, lovingkindness, and wisdom. As I began practicing them, my relationship to my work quickly shifted, and I felt less overwhelmed and more at ease, and it became easier and felt more natural to write. In a few w...

Collecting Art, take a look In the very-online world of 2025, it’s almost impossible to avoid the saturating presence of podcasters, pundits, and social-media influencers in the “manosphere.” These are people who promise men admiration, health, and success, but who often have ideas of masculinity that leave men feeling even more wounded and isolated then ever. Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider from Men Talking Mindfulness are devoting themselves to reaching men where they are, in their struggle, confusion, and longing for lives of meaning and connection. In this wide-ranging conversation with former Mindful editor Amber Tucker, Macaskill and Schneider offer a perspective on what mindfulness for men can provide in a world that needs authentic men more than ever. And they share a vision of what it is to be a man that’s less about the performance of manliness and more about being genuinely resilient, wise, and connected. Two Paths to Discovering Mindfulness Amber: I would love to start b...

Collecting Art, take a look In this guided meditation, Kim Armstrong walks you through a simple practice to expand your capacity for gratitude in the everyday moments of life. We often think about gratitude as happening in response to “good” things, especially if those moments or events are also significant—a new job, a windfall, an amazing vacation. While these high points can easily spark positive emotion, a daily gratitude practice can go much deeper. For instance, what about moments that aren’t grand or overtly happy, but are small and emotionally neutral? What does it feel like to notice, take in, and consciously appreciate even the basic things we do every single day? This week, join Kim Armstrong as she leads a gratitude visualization practice. This gentle meditation invites you to shift your gaze inward and discover the often-overlooked moments of joy and contentment that punctuate your day. By focusing on these simple yet profound experiences, we grow our capacity for grati...