Health Journal Online

Category: Mental Health

When You’re Depressed: Is There Room to “Let Go”?

Feeling overwhelmed is a common trigger for my anxiety attacks. A project doesn’t go as well as I’d hoped or I miss a deadline, and fear and insecurity rise in my mind and body. “I’m going to be judged and found wanting,” goes the narrative. “They won’t want to work with me again. Who was I anyway to take on such a job? I’m an imposter. I always fall at the last hurdle.” My heart starts racing, my stomach churns, my muscles stiffen. These sensations are unpleasant, so I tense up further in an unconscious attempt not to feel them, even while my attention is pulled in their direction. Oh no, says a new thought. Why am I getting so anxious and blocked.

With so much energy expended internally, there’s less available to attend to daily matters. Panic may set in. “Now I can’t get any other work done,” my mind laments. “It’s the old cycle downwards again. I’m cursed with depression.” The familiar pressure builds up in my nose and chest, making it difficult to access any other feelings, and the negativity starts to spiral: I won’t be able to cope, I’ll be left with no money, no energy, unable to dig myself out of this hole. The doom-mongering thoughts fuel even more anxiety. It could go on indefinitely—a self-fulfilling prophecy.

With so much energy expended internally, there’s less available to attend to daily matters.

But hang on a minute. If these thoughts are just thoughts—and probably mere projections, tainted by the negative bias that comes especially at times of stress—then there’s no need to follow them. Anxiety is a feeling, and I know that feelings come and go. Yesterday’s thoughts and feelings were different, so who’s to say my internal weather isn’t due another change? There are patterns of experience, for sure, but this moment is just a vibration of energy experienced in consciousness, created by constellations of events in the mind, body, and outside world around a so-called “me” that in reality has no fixed location. Ideas in the mind are in flux, sensations in the body are in flux, and the trigger events are already receding into memory—no more than traces of causal energy that set the winds of mental and physical habit blowing. Suddenly, with this shift in perspective, thoughts, and feelings are no longer facts, and there’s not even a solid, single, separate “me” to feel upset or hurt by them. There is just experience, happening on and on. It’s painful experience right now, to be sure, but just energy in motion nevertheless. I’m changing from moment to moment, too—everything is in flow, as it always is. This won’t stay the same, and nor will I.

“No Feeling is Final.”

Rainer Maria Rilke once said: “Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” We can make it even less personal. Just let everything happen (drop the “to you”)—watch and feel each aspect of the mind–body–world show play out on the stage of consciousness, experiencing it all with interest and kindness in the knowledge that the moment is already and inevitably on its way to becoming something else. If the energy is allowed to play out by itself, the next moments are less likely to be conditioned by misguided attempts to turn what is flowing into something solid, or to push away what is here so it’s no longer part of the moment. Neither solidifying nor separating from the moment can ever be successful, because the moment is always both here and in transition. But if there is no depression to get stuck in, and no self to get hurt, then everything in mind, body, and life can flow like an undammed river, with energy streaming through without the defensive psychic barriers that serve only to turn that energy in on itself.

By shifting perspective and approach—experiencing without grasping and resistance—this moment has already become different from how it might have been.

Negative thoughts—as well as the bodily symptoms of fear—may still be present. But they are not “mine” any more. They just are—present remnants of past events that do not need to be turned into unnecessary future suffering. By shifting perspective and approach—experiencing without grasping and resistance—this moment has already become different from how it might have been.

A Mountain Meditation to Help You Shift Out of Panic Mode

This mindfulness practice, often referred to as “the mountain meditation,” can help us center in our bodies especially in the midst of life’s shifting swirls. By imagining and then embodying the steadiness of a mountain, we’re training in being present to the weather of the world, as well as to our own internal weather: our thoughts and sensations.

1) Settle into an upright, comfortable sitting posture. Present and awake. Gentle and steady. Connected to the ground below. Body rising up into the air.

2) Imagine in your mind’s eye a beautiful mountain. It could be a mountain you’ve climbed or viewed from a distance, or perhaps one you’ve seen in a film or picture. Or maybe one you’ve just conjured up in your mind. Either way, visualize a mountain that for your embodies majesty and magnificence, full of natural wonder.

3) Notice the awesome qualities of the mountain: See in your mind how its foot is grounded firmly in the earth and how it rises up into the air unapologetically and fully taking its place in the landscape. Bring awareness to its solidity, its stillness, its strength, and its size. Come day or night, storm and sun, winter and summer, the mountain abides in the space, sitting still in its landscape, unwavering whatever the weather. It doesn’t have to do anything. It just is. A beautiful mountain. Amazing just by its very existence. And whether it’s sunny, snowing, blowing a gale, hot, warm, cool, or cold, the mountain just is there, sitting present.

4) Notice your own mountainous qualities as you sit here. Just like the mountain is plugged into the earth, so your feet are connected to the ground. Your body rising upwards like the body of the mountain. Your head rests on your shoulders like the peak of the mountain and you can be here, fully present like the mountain sits in its space. Your body and being as miraculous as the mountain that evokes such wonder just by its presence. Like the mountain, being an embodiment of stillness, solidity, beauty, without having to do anything else.

There may be weather going on of course: events in life, thoughts, and sensations ebbing and flowing in the internal and external environment. Whatever the weather, just for now, practice being a “breathing body mountain.” Naturally wonderful, whether the weather seems pleasant or unpleasant. Let the climates of the world happen: being rained on, shined on, snowed on—stay present as best you can to whatever comes.

5) When the mind wanders, invite attention back to the sense of being a mountain or if you prefer, let your attention rest on the mountain in your mind for a while before returning to sensations in the body. Let go of the need to feel a particular way. If you don’t feel mountainous, that’s fine.

This practice invites you to cultivate a quality rather than fabricate a feeling: just being a “breathing body mountain.”

This post was adapted from Into The Heart of Mindfulness, by Ed Halliwell, published by Piatkus). Download a set of 14 guided audio meditation practices from Ed’s books here.

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October 11, 2025
Shifting Habits: Three Mindful Parenting Tips You Can Try Today
Susan Kaiser Greenland offers three mindful parenting tips to help kids pause and reflect so they can identify and shift habits.
We all have habits—some of them helpful or neutral, others that persistently create problems in our lives. It’s easier for kids to change habits than grown-ups. One way to start recognising your pattern of automatic behavior is to create external signals that will automatically show up throughout the day. These three mindful parenting tips can be interrupters that provide an opportunity to pause and reflect.

1. Create mindfulness reminders

I have seen kids tie a string around one finger, make mindfulness bracelets of ribbons or beads, or tape a colorful sticker to their cell phones. Whenever you see them, just pause to take in what’s happening in your mind and body.

2. Implement breathing prompts

Suggest to your children to practice breath awareness whenever they brush their teeth or put their socks on. Breathing prompts help kids recognise just how many things they do are on automatic pilot. By interrupting automatic behavior, kids have the time and mental space to make connections between what they’re doing, what they’re thinking, and how they’re feeling.

3. Notice funny feelings

Kids talk about having a funny feeling in the split second just before they do something that they later wish they hadn’t done, maybe a tightening in their chests, or a sinking feeling in their stomachs. That funny feeling occurs in the “about to” moment.

By noticing their funny feelings, kids pause before they act to ask:
- Why am I choosing to do this?
- How does it make me feel?
- Is my motivation friendly or unfriendly?
If, upon reflection, the action doesn’t feel right, they can choose to act differently.

Photo © flickr.com/Josh Kenzer
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October 9, 2025
A New Mindful App is Coming!
Get all of Mindful’s resources right at your fingertips—and enjoy a full year of Mindful Digital completely free when you sign up for early access.
Mindful.org is hard at work getting the Mindful App out into the world (available for iPhone and Android users). Our goal is to create and deliver a mobile experience that effortlessly puts the best of Mindful in your hands.

We believe that top-quality mindfulness tools should be available to everyone, and that having multiple ways to engage with mindfulness increases the likelihood that practices like meditation, breathwork, movement, and journaling can become lifelong, life-enriching habits.

What’s Inside the App

With the touch of a button, you’ll find on-the-go access to everything you need:
- Guided Meditations for All of Life’s Moments
  Our extensive archive offers a wide array of meditations for beginners and seasoned meditators alike. Search for practices tailored for everything from dealing with difficult emotions and facing loss to increasing compassion, experiencing more joy, and getting better sleep.
- Expert-Led Courses, Workshops & In-Depth Digital Guides
  Access comprehensive digital guides and online courses on topics like mindfulness for grief, gratitude, anxiety management, and more – all led by experienced educators and researchers.
- Engaging Podcasts & 12-Minute Meditation Sessions
  Listen to a variety of audio resources – including our 12-Minute Meditation weekly podcast series – for quick, digestible mindfulness breaks.
- Curated Collections, Mindful Challenges & Thematic Practices
  We bundle content and bring it to you so you can focus on a specific theme in your daily practice. Start building intentional self-care habits, and watch the positive effects on your perspective, thought patterns, interactions, and relationships.
- Evidence-Based Articles & Practical Everyday Mindfulness Tips
  Whether you’re brand new to mindfulness or you’ve been practicing for years, we’ve got approachable, research-backed guidance from the world’s leading teachers and experts to help you integrate mindfulness into your daily life.
The Perks of Joining Early

Right now, when you sign up for early access, you’ll receive an entire year of Mindful Digital as our thank-you for joining our growing community.

Be the first to know when the Mindful App launches!
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October 7, 2025
A Meditation for Kids: Coming Back to the Positive
What went well today? Kids and teens can explore this eight-minute guided meditation for noticing the positive.
Summary
- Children often focus on scary or unpleasant thoughts, which can effect their mental health.
- This short kids’ meditation uses conscious breathing and happy thoughts to help them notice the good and feel more positive.
Our brains are hardwired to notice the negative. It’s part of how our ancient ancestors were able to survive in constantly threatening environments.

But this negativity bias can also make it difficult for us and our kids, even in our comparatively less threatening environments, to navigate other daily stressors, like big tests, arguments, or disappointments.

In this practice specifically designed for younger meditators, Dr. Mark Bertin shows kids how to gently guide their attention back to the positive things they might have missed, in order to help soothe the nervous system.

A Meditation for Kids: Coming Back to the Positive
1. Lie down somewhere comfortable. Let your arms and legs fall to the ground. Close your eyes gently.
2. Start to notice how your body changes with each breath you take. Each time you breathe, your belly moves up, and your belly moves down. If it is easier, put a hand on your belly. Or if you want, put a stuffed animal there.
3. Each time you breathe, your belly moves. Your hand, or your toy, rises, and then falls. See if you can count ten breaths that way. Breathing in, one, breathing out, one. (Repeat for nine more inhales, and nine more exhales.)
4. When you lose count, don’t worry about it. That’s normal, and happens to everyone. Come back to whatever number you last remember.
5. Now, shift your attention to your day. Breathing in, focus on your breath as your belly goes up. Breathing out, focus on something that went well today.
6. With each breath: breathing in, noticing your belly move, and with each breath out, noticing something that went well today.
7. Now, picture something about yourself that makes you proud. Breathing in, focus on your belly moving. Breathing out, picture something that makes you proud about yourself. If nothing comes to mind, that sometimes happens. If that’s how you feel, picture what you’d wish for yourself instead.
8. Finally, bring someone to mind who makes you happy. Before we end, try one more practice. Breathing in, notice your belly move. And now, breathing out picture someone who makes you happy.
9. As you come to the end of this practice, take a few deep breaths, and start to wiggle your arms and legs. Pause and decide what you’d like to do next.
10. It’s normal to have thoughts that make us feel scared or bad. We should never ignore anything important, but it’s useful to focus on the rest of our lives too. Take a few minutes every day to notice what has gone well, and see what happens next.
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October 1, 2025
You Can Investigate Your Emotions Without Suppressing Them
When presented with difficulty, a first reaction may be to ward off or ignore unpleasant emotions. It’s normal. However, with practice, we can learn to lean on the comfort of safe spaces—or meditation spaces—to instead engage with them directly. One of the essential qualities of mindfulness is being with whatever comes up, rather than suppressing emotion or running away from inner challenges.

In this short video, founding editor Barry Boyce answers our questions about emotional health and how we can turn toward our feelings.

A Q&A with Mindful Founding Editor Barry Boyce

How to Let Go of Suppressing Our Emotions

Q: If we let ourselves feel our emotions, one concern may be that we won’t be able to stop feeling them. If we’ve avoided our emotions for a long time, will it be too much to handle? What would you recommend?

A: The fear that our emotions will overtake us and rule our lives (or at least a significant chunk of our time) is indeed one of the reasons we seek mindless distraction. Being kind to ourselves, repeatedly, is job one. Mindfulness practice is not about aggressively “tackling” our emotions in a fight to the death. If we’ve been suppressing something for a long time and mindfulness begins to bring it up into our conscious awareness—as it will—the key instruction is to notice it and move on. When it comes up again, maybe seconds later, we do the same. This approach of a little bit at a time, moment by moment, reduces the emotional wallop by breaking it into momentary pieces, rather than treating it as one big permanent thing, which it is not.

It never pays to push ourselves to the brink in the hopes of gaining freedom or insight.

This is easy to say, but it does take a bit of ongoing gentle effort—leavened with a lot of kindness toward ourselves—to touch the emotion and let it go. Touch it, and let it go. If we are really overwhelmed and breaking down, we may need the help of a friend or a counselor. It never pays to push ourselves to the brink in the hopes of gaining freedom or insight. Easy does it. If you’re wounded, attend to the wound, or get the help you need to heal.

At some point, when we feel safer, we can explore our emotional landscape further, with the benefit of the repeated noticing we’ve been doing. But that is more awareness and inquiry practice, as opposed to straight mindfulness.

Coping Mechanisms and Suppressing Emotions

Q: Sometimes ignoring our feelings can be a coping mechanism in stressful times. Can we suppress our feelings sometimes, but also open up to them the rest of the time? Is “not suppressing emotions” an all-or-nothing deal?

A: An excellent and delicate question. As noted above, first and foremost, it’s vital to be kind to ourselves—again and again and again. So, when emotions threaten to overwhelm us, we can respond to them with some form of “Yes, I know you’re there, but now is not the time for me to go there.” You may have to do that repeatedly. That kind of attitude doesn’t mean you are suppressing or ignoring the emotion. You are, in fact, noticing it and acknowledging it. Touching it and moving on. That’s mindfulness.

When emotions threaten to overwhelm us, we can respond to them with some form of “Yes, I know you’re there, but now is not the time for me to go there.”

When you notice it simply like that, you generally lessen its power to overwhelm you a bit. By contrast, suppressing—actively, energetically pushing it down and away—increases that power.

Is Emotional Intelligence a Luxury?

Q: For some, working on emotional intelligence seems impractical—or a like luxury. What are some examples of ways we might use emotional intelligence in our daily lives?

A: To appreciate why emotional intelligence might not be an impractical luxury, it will first help to define what we mean by “emotional intelligence.” According to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, this notion first emerged when two emotion researchers, Peter Salovey and John Mayer, “lamented that theories of intelligence had no systematic place for emotions,” which inspired them to articulate “a theory that described a new kind of intelligence: the ability to recognize, understand, utilize, and regulate emotions effectively in everyday life.” In a pivotal paper, published in 1990, they described this revolutionary idea, which they called “emotional intelligence.” The idea caught on, and Salovey and his laboratory at Yale became recognized leaders, pushing the field toward new discoveries and innovations. Five years later, Dan Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ, became a bestseller and popularized the idea further. When Google began its mindfulness program, Search Inside Yourself, in 2007, it emphasized emotional intelligence. In that respect, the program followed the belief that mindfulness and awareness practice as well as loving-kindness and compassion practices could enhance our emotional intelligence.

When we have less ability to “recognize, understand, utilize, and regulate emotions effectively in everyday life,” it quite simply creates pain, for others and for ourselves. Finding ways to lessen pain is not impractical nor a luxury. It’s the healthy thing to do.

How do we find ways to use emotional intelligence in our daily lives? From a mindfulness perspective, the key habit that can help us cultivate more emotional intelligence is pausing, which lets the momentum of our emotions to be interrupted, so we have a moment to notice how they are showing up in our body and mind. As we do that more often—a little bit of regular mindfulness practice helps develop the pausing habit—the choices we make concerning how we express and act on our emotions may be more “intelligent.” When they’re not so intelligent and we make a mess? We might notice that and learn from our encounter, rather than blindly stumbling toward wherever our emotions lead us.

We featured the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s assistant director, Dena Simmons, in the April 2019 issue of Mindful and on mindful.org. The center’s director, Marc Brackett, recently released his book Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive, which is reviewed on mindful.org.

Men and Emotional Well-Being

Q: Men are often taught that crying (or showing nearly any emotion) is too feminine. What can we do to help change this ingrained idea, in ourselves and those around us?

A: On a very simple level, when a man or boy seems on the verge of tears, we can very gently let them know that’s it’s fine to cry. A word or two or a nonverbal message can often be enough to convey that feeling without having to get too conceptual about it. Quiet listening and warmth go a long way in allowing someone to let their emotion simply be. At least you can respond without judging it as inappropriate.

Changing gender stereotyping on a broader scale raises deep questions that go beyond the scope of personal mindfulness practice. The ways children are socialized and taught what gender means has been explored extensively by many people and form the basis of a variety of programs aimed at social change. One of the most interesting is The Representation Project, started by Jennifer Seibel Newsom (who is married to the current governor of California).

Her film Miss Representation concerns how girls are taught to think about gender in limiting ways, while The Mask You Live In “follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity,” according The Representation Project website. Newsome’s most recent film, The Great American Lie, focuses on a social addiction to a certain definition of masculine values, which are held up as superior to those identified as feminine. Newsome has presented on these issues several times at the Wisdom 2.0 conference. The Mask You Live In features the work of Ashanti Branch, who is one of the featured teachers in Mindful’s Mindful30 challenge. These films can be screened by school groups and others interested in gender education.
How to Test Your Emotional Maturity

Learning the language of emotional maturity is like learning a second language. If you weren’t raised with it, it may take tens of thousands of hours to master.
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Nicole Bayes-Fleming

November 22, 2019
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September 29, 2025
Mindful Marble Art: A Creative & Sensory Practice for Kids
This marble-painting activity activates all the senses and lets you enjoy a mindful moment while making art with your little ones.
Mindfulness isn’t just about stillness—it can be a playful, swirling, and colorful experience. Mindful marble art transforms a simple creative activity into a sensory-rich moment of presence, helping children slow down, focus, and express themselves.

Through gentle movement, breath awareness, and sensory exploration, this practice fosters patience, emotional regulation, and creativity—all while making art! See what it can look like. The sensation of rolling marbles, the vibrant blending of colors, and the rhythmic tilting of the tray help little ones engage their senses and cultivate mindful awareness.

Benefits of Making Mindful Marble Art
- Encourages patience: Children practice slowing down and guiding movement with care.
- Engages the senses: Touch, sight, and motion deepen awareness of the present moment.
- Strengthens breath-body connection: Pairing breath with movement supports self-regulation.
- Fosters creativity & self-expression: Encourages open-ended exploration and focus.
What You’ll Need
- A shallow tray or box (a baking pan or shoebox lid works well)
- A sheet of paper (cut to fit inside the tray)
- Non-toxic, washable paint in 2-3 colors
- Marbles or small rolling objects (ping pong balls, beads, or crumpled foil work too!)
- A damp cloth or wipes for easy cleanup
How to Do Mindful Marble Art

1. Set the Space

Begin by creating a calm and inviting atmosphere. Place materials in front of you and your child. Before starting, take a deep breath together:
- Breathe in slowly through your nose (as if smelling a flower).
- Exhale gently through your mouth (as if blowing out a candle).
Repeat this breath 2-3 times.

Ask your child, “How do you feel right now?”

2. Sensory Preparation

Invite your child to explore the marbles before painting:
- What do they feel like? Smooth? Cool? Round?
- Can you roll them between your fingers without dropping them?
Dip a marble into the paint and ask:
- What does the paint feel like? Sticky? Slippery? Gooey?
- What colors do you see? Are they mixing together?
3. Rolling with Awareness

Place the marbles onto the paper in the tray. Guide your child to hold the edges, feeling its weight.

Encourage mindful movement:
- As they tilt the tray forward—breathe in.
- As they tilt it back—breathe out.
Mindful questions to keep attention focused:
- What happens when you move the tray fast? What about slow?
- Do the marbles ever get ‘stuck’? What can we do to help them move?
- How do the colors mix together?
If attention drifts, take a pause-and-wiggle break, shaking out hands before resuming.

4. Reflect and Appreciate

Once finished, pause to admire the marble art. Ask:
- What do you see in the patterns? (Clouds? Rivers? Something new?)
- How did it feel to roll the marbles?
End with a gratitude moment together. Place a hand on your heart and say, Thank you for this time to create and play.
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September 27, 2025
A Teaching and Meditation to Relax and Welcome Deep Rest
In today’s offering, Jenee Johnson guides us through a teaching on the why and how of deep relaxation practices, along with a meditation you can do anytime.
Rest isn’t a “reward” for working hard enough. It’s a human need and birthright.

This week’s episode is a little different. We’re not only sharing a guided meditation from mindfulness leader and professional coach Jenée Johnson, but also her teaching on some of the brain science behind relaxation—why it’s essential for our well-being, how it works, and how to incorporate intentional relaxation practices into your daily life.

Jenée Johnson is the founder of the Right Within Experience, where she works to cultivate the experience of inner calm, resilience, self-love, and joy through meditation and mindfulness practices for people of African ancestry. She is also the former program innovation leader at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Mindfulness, Trauma and Racial Healing.

A Teaching and Meditation to Relax and Welcome Deep Rest

At some point during the day, the body will signal us that it is time to rest, to be still, to withdraw from activity, to be quiet, to take the journey from sound to silence. The mind and body need moments when they can be at ease, free from agitation, pressing, planning, or even celebration.

Stress and trauma and tension play a role in our ability to rest and relax. Therefore, it is so important to do daily “relaxation drills” to help counter the bad effects that stress has on the human body. According to Dr. Frank Staggers Jr., people who do daily relaxation drills remain healthier, have more energy, and think more clearly. This is why it’s important to take 20 minutes, once or twice daily, to deeply relax.

An effective deep relaxation technique is known as quiet sitting or free-floating relaxation. You simply sit quietly for about 20 minutes and allow your mind to float freely until it settles down. Don’t think about anything in particular. Don’t concentrate on anything. Just allow your mind and body to settle down naturally on its own.

An effective deep relaxation technique is known as quiet sitting or free-floating relaxation. You simply sit quietly for about 20 minutes and allow your mind to float freely until it settles down.

In order to deeply relax, you must let thoughts come and go as they please. As you are relaxing, some thoughts may spontaneously rush through your mind. That’s okay. Don’t worry about these thoughts. Don’t exert yourself by trying to block these thoughts. Don’t dwell on these thoughts, either. Just remain passive. Leave the thoughts alone, and the thoughts will gradually fade into the background so you can continue to relax.

The scientific term for the deep state of awake relaxation is the alpha state. This is because the brain calms and produces smooth, harmonious waves called alpha brain waves when it is completely relaxed. The alpha brainwaves have a frequency of eight to 12 cycles per second, whereas arousal or excitation brain waves, called beta brain waves, are much faster at 13 to 40 cycles per second. The alpha state is usually associated with widespread relaxation throughout the entire body and a healthy lowering of the body’s metabolism.

Activities like watching TV, listening to the radio, reading, sewing, or fishing will not hit the alpha deep relaxation state, because these activities still place demands on the brain and keep the brain too busy to completely relax. This means that these activities may get you to the shallow states of relaxation, but they won’t get you into deep states of relaxation. Even sleep will not hit the alpha deep relaxation state, because the brain remains very active during sleep, especially during dreaming.

Even after sleep, you can still be stressed out. Relaxation drills allow your mind and body to hit the deep states of relaxation.

Therefore, while obviously essential for multiple other functions, sleep does not completely relax the brain or counter stress. Even after sleep, you can still be stressed out. Relaxation drills allow your mind and body to hit the deep states of relaxation. So settle back, and let’s try a practice together.

Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice.
1. Sitting in an upright but relaxed position, drop your gaze or close your eyes. Take a deep breath in and an audible exhale out. Breathing in and breathing out, sitting quietly, free floating, invite your body to relax.
2. When we simply sit and breathe, we activate the body’s calming response. It allows the brain to display the calm, smooth, harmonious waves called alpha brain waves—like the waves of the ocean, coming in to the shore and rolling back out. Coming in and going out. Breathing in and breathing out. Relax.
3. Drop your shoulders, relax the jaw, and unfurl your brow. Allow your mind to float freely until it settles down. Let thoughts come and go as they please.
4. Bring your attention back gently to your breath. Don’t exert yourself trying to block thoughts. Just remain passive and remind your body that we’re sitting now, we’re breathing now, we’re relaxing now. Sit quietly, stay with your breath. Like the waves of the ocean, breathing in, breathing out. Let thoughts fade into the background. Relax. To be still, to be quiet, to be at ease. This is the gift of relaxation.
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September 25, 2025
Jenée Johnson on How Mindful Leaders Can Heal Trauma

Jenée Johnson explains how healing trauma and mindfulness go hand in hand in this 5-minute video.

In this video from the Wisdom 2.0 Conference held in San Francisco in 2019, Jenée Johnson shares her own journey of doing trauma-informed work within traumatizing systems, and explains how mindful leaders can help heal trauma. Watch the video, or read the transcript below.

Jenée Johnson discusses trauma-informed work and how mindful leaders can help heal trauma.

San Francisco is in the midst of probably the worst housing crisis in the country, and the San Francisco Department of Public Health is tasked with stewarding the health of the city and county’s population, and inside of that we have recognized that the way we function is often trauma-inducing not only to the communities that we serve, but to the workforce.

That we are often bureaucratic, siloed, that people are demoralized, that we are not trustworthy, and that it can be a very mean place to work. And because of that, we have gone on a mission to move from being trauma-inducing to a trauma-informed, and ultimately a healing organization, and organization that is trustworthy and has at its core compassion and empathy, and is thoughtful about the way we deliver services.

We ask the key question—not, “What is wrong with you?” but, “What has happened?”

We ask the key question—not, “What is wrong with you?” but, “What has happened?” And when you ask what has happened it invites compassion, it invites looking at strengths in the face of adversity.

I was an embedded trauma trainer inside a maternal adolescent health ward, and as I was delivering the trauma training I noticed that the workforce, although interested in trauma principles, did not seem like it had the strength and the bandwidth to really hold the important work that was ahead of us. And it occurred to me that what we needed to do was become a mindful organization, in order to become a trauma-informed organization. That trauma-informed and healing needed to exist inside of a nest of mindfulness.

I went to the trauma leader and I said I know of an organization that has curated mindfulness in the workforce, the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. I went to Search Inside Yourself, and thus began the journey of me becoming a trained teacher to deliver the program, and then I landed the role of the program innovation leader in mindfulness, trauma, and racial equity.

It occurred to me that what we needed to do was become a mindful organization, in order to become a trauma-informed organization.

Mindfulness, trauma, and racial equity are knit together, because part of what makes our organization trauma-inducing is we can be a very demoralizing place to work, and the people who have the worst health outcomes across every data point that we measure are people of colour. And it’s telling us a story of how we have yet to truly, honestly, grapple with racial equity, and part of the challenge of grappling with racial equity is we need people to be strong in their core, we need people to grapple with white fragility, which often derails the conversation.

To move the conversation forward, we all need to be able to be resilient, and mindfulness is the pathway.

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September 19, 2025
A Guided Meditation You Can Do Sitting at Your Desk
Need a mindful break at work? Here’s an anytime, anywhere guided practice that can help you find a moment of calm.
Since most of us spend a great deal of time at work ̶─whether that’s in an office, a classroom, or in our own homes ̶─knowing how to meditate at your desk can be beneficial. This short practice helps you refresh your attention while at work. What I call the “desk chair” meditation gives you a way to incorporate a short mindfulness practice into your day.

This meditation can be done anywhere you are able to sit quietly and practice.

If you work in an open office, you may need to be creative to find a quiet place to practice. Many people have told me that they’re best able to do this practice by leaving their office and finding an empty conference room, or even leaving the building to sit in their car during part of their lunch break.

The “meditate at your desk” part need not be taken literally. This meditation can be done anywhere you are able to sit quietly and practice—be it the staff room, a park bench, or even an airplane seat.

How to Meditate at Your Desk

Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice.
1. Begin by bringing your attention to the sensations of your breath.
2. When you’re ready, direct your attention to the soles of your feet, opening your mind to whatever sensations are there to be noticed.
3. Perhaps you are noticing the pressure on the soles of your feet as the weight of your legs rests on them. Perhaps the soles of your feet feel warm or cool.
4. Just notice. No need to judge or engage in discursive thinking. If your mind is pulled away or wanders, redirect your attention, firmly and gently.
5. Move your attention next to the tops of your feet, ankles, lower legs, knees, and so forth.
6. Gradually scan through your body, noticing sensations, noticing discomfort, and noticing areas of your body where you detect an absence of sensations. No need to search for sensations; just keep scanning through your body, taking your time and being open to what is here.
Excerpted from Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership by Janice Marturano. Copyright ©2014 by Janice Marturano. January, 2014, by Bloomsbury Press. Reprinted with permission.
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September 17, 2025
Flow State: How to Get in the Zone
As you have very likely experienced through mindfulness practice, our ordinary state is not one of flow, but of mind wandering—a state in which our attention drifts between the present moment and thoughts about past and future. When we practice presence, we begin regularly shifting our attention back to the present moment whenever our mind wanders.

Turning attention into engagement is similar. Think of it as “directed presence” or as cultivating presence in the midst of the activities we engage in, whether it’s brainstorming with colleagues, working out, catching up with our partner, or putting our kids to bed. Psychologists have a name for this state of full engagement. They refer to it as “flow.”

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, one of the first psychologists to carry out research on this experience, talks about it in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. He describes flow as “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

Linking Flow State and Mindfulness

By definition, you can experience presence any time, anywhere: lying on the beach, walking to your car, or sitting in traffic. It can be either passive or active. Flow, on the other hand, is a purely active state that feels almost effortless. According to Csikszentmihalyi, the ideal conditions for flow arise when “both challenges and skills are high and equal to each other.”

Many top athletes, artists, and intellectuals describe this experience. Greek tennis champion Stefanos Tsitsipas recently described the dramatic shift between when he’s playing normally, versus when he’s playing in a flow state: “It felt like I was in a cage and someone decided to unlock it. I suddenly felt free. Every decision I went for felt right,” he said. “It brings you to another level. You’re not playing with your skill any more, you’re playing with your soul.”

Flow doesn’t always come naturally. We often have to resist the temptation of short-term pleasure to get there.

Buster Williams, the legendary jazz bassist, recalls his experience playing with Miles Davis that led to a heightened state of engagement. “With Miles, it would get to the point where we followed the music rather than the music following us. We just followed the music wherever it wanted to go.”

These descriptions might make flow sound mystical, but you don’t have to be a star tennis player or a legendary jazz bassist to experience a state of full engagement. Whether it’s on a challenging morning run, during an important PTA meeting, or while delivering a presentation at work, flow is something that everyone can access. For example, Csikszentmihalyi’s research found that full-time caregivers were just as likely to experience this state as athletes and musicians. One mother described a state of engagement happening as she worked with her daughter when she was discovering something new. “Her reading is one thing that she’s really into, and we read together. She reads to me, and I read to her, and that’s a time when I sort of lose touch with the rest of the world. I’m totally absorbed in what I am doing.”

FOMO–The Flow of Missing Out?

Csikszentmihalyi and fellow researcher Martin Seligman’s research illuminates the connection between flow and well-being. In one study, his team had 250 “high-flow” and 250 “low-flow” teenagers keep a record of their mood at specific times throughout the day. When the team examined the responses, the low-flow teens spent the bulk of their time in a state of disengagement, and were said to either be hanging out at the mall or watching television. The high-flow teens, by contrast, were more likely to spend their time developing hobbies, academic interests, and athletic abilities.

How did these two groups score on measures of happiness? It turned out that the high-flow group outperformed the low-flow group on every measure of psychological well-being, except one. Seligman writes, “The exception is important: The high-flow kids think their low-flow peers are having more fun, and say they would rather be at the mall doing all those ‘fun’ things or watching television.”

The only disadvantage of experiencing flow was the feeling of missing out on short-term pleasures. Pleasures that fail to produce long-term happiness. Two helpful conclusions can be drawn from this research.

First, engagement is associated with an increase in happiness and well-being. The more we live in the state of flow, the more we grow and experience meaningful success. However, experiencing mental health challenges like depression and anxiety may correlate to a reduced ability to access flow. In a 2022 study published in PLOS One, researchers examined 664 musicians (a population with high rates of anxiety) and the factors that made them more or less amenable to a flow state while performing. The researchers found that the more anxiety a musician reported, the less likely they were to experience flow.

Secondly, flow doesn’t always come naturally. We often have to resist the temptation of short-term pleasure to get there. When we do, we set the stage for this exquisite experience of total absorption in the task at hand.

3 Essentials for Flow State

As Csikszentmihalyi and subsequent flow researchers have identified, three main conditions are needed to experience flow:

1. A clear and purposeful set of goals for your activity, which helps channel your attention.
2. A subjective sense of balance between the challenging nature of the activity and your skill-level to navigate it, which leads to feeling absorbed in the activity.
3. Clear, immediate feedback telling you how well you’re progressing and where you can improve.

To create these ideal conditions for flow, reserve 10 minutes (or more) each day for engaged and purposeful work. Shut down or silence your phone, close your browser and email, and turn off the TV to eliminate digital distractions. Now, use those 10 minutes to focus on a project, task, or hobby you find difficult yet enjoyable. If you make a mistake or a result isn’t what you intended, instead of criticizing yourself, simply see it as feedback and adjust what you’re doing accordingly.

You can also try alternating between periods of focused engagement and periods of rest and recovery. Notice when your thinking starts to slow down or when you’re no longer operating at peak levels of focus. Then shift your behavior by taking time to allow your mind to recharge: Walk around, stretch, or take a few deep breaths. Finally, rewire your brain to create this habit by savoring the feeling of giving your mind and body a well earned break. Neuroscientist Judson Brewer says it’s powerful when we start to notice: “What’s it like when I get caught up in thinking, compared to when I’m noticing these body sensations that are trying to tell us to do things, and just being with them? We just have to get out of our own way.”

How to Get into a Flow State

For some, flow comes almost naturally. Mozart started playing concerts at age six. Picasso painted his first masterpiece at eight. People like Mozart and Picasso don’t have to consciously train the skill of engagement. This experience of total absorption in the task at hand becomes a way of life early on.

However, for most of us, discovering how to get into a flow state requires a bit more practice and reflection.

The first step is to identify activities that offer the potential for flow. Here are three points to help you identify which activities, either at work or at home, may be conducive to a flow state for you:
1. Challenge: Remember that flow doesn’t arise when things are easy. It’s actually the opposite. Flow arises when we push our skills and abilities to their very limit. What are the activities that challenge you?
2. Enthusiasm: Flow and lack of interest don’t go well together. You don’t have to love the activity that you are doing, but it helps if you choose something that brings you at least some level of enjoyment. What are the tasks you enjoy doing?
3. Skill: Flow requires a certain level of mastery. A beginner learning to play her first song on the piano is less likely to experience flow than a concert pianist with twenty years of experience. You don’t have to achieve complete mastery, but achieving a high level of skill is essential. What are your most highly developed or natural skills?
Write your answers to these three questions on a sheet of paper. Then take some time to reflect on the activities in your life that allow you to experience these three qualities.

Adapted from Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing by Eric Langshur and Nate Klemp, PhD.
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September 13, 2025