Mindfulness Exercises, with Sean Fargo

⁠Meditating regularly, at any time of day, can help us fall asleep sooner and sleep more soundly when it’s time for bed. During daytime meditation, we typically try to stay awake and alert while practicing. With sleep meditation, the invitation is to let calm and relaxation take over, to allow yourself to drift off to sleep.  This calm and spacious guided meditation with Sean Fargo can be used as...

Devotion is not a quality that’s often talked about in secular mindfulness. But perhaps it should be.  Devotion can be an inspiring means of getting out of our heads, out of our own way, and connecting to our own hearts and communities. It need not be reserved for the divine. For mindfulness teachers, devotion can also help reinforce a sense of humility and reverence that makes our teaching both m...

The three centers of belly, heart, and head are often the locus of strong emotions. We experience powerful sensations in these areas, both unpleasant and pleasant. With mindfulness, we can practice feeling whatever we feel in these areas, while softening labels of good or bad, right or wrong. In this guided meditation, Sean Fargo of Mindfulness Exercises presents a mindful body scan with a particu...

Myths and misconceptions about anxiety can prevent us from overcoming our struggles with it, holding us back from the greater calm and ease we seek. When we don’t understand the habit cycles around anxiety we can get stuck repeating them, unable to move forward. In this episode, best-selling author, researcher and psychiatrist Dr. Jud Brewer shines a light on anxiety. Dr. Jud combines ancient Budd...

A body scan meditation can be deeply relaxing, but relaxation is not the goal of mindfulness. Instead, mindfulness expands our capacity to be present with what is, whether or not what we experience is wanted.  When our mindfulness is imbued with a tender, caring, heartfulness, we’re capable of presence with that which may be uncomfortable or challenging. Paradoxically, lovingly accepting all that...

This episode is sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification. Register today for 80% off at ⁠⁠https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certify⁠ The value of mindfulness isn’t always recognized in professions where high performance, mental toughness, and physical strength are celebrated. But what if we expanded our view of what it means to be fit, applauding mental fitness the same way we...

When you bring mindfulness to the breath, do you include the entirety of your body, incorporating all your senses? Mindfulness of breathing is not merely a cognitive process, one that takes place in the head. In this guided meditation, Sean Fargo, founder of Mindfulness Exercises, invites us to observe our breathing using the body itself. Embodying awareness in this experiential manner connects us...

Offering compassion as a response to perceived suffering is a natural, human thing to do. Why then, is it so difficult to practice self-compassion when we, ourselves, are hurting? In this episode, Sean Faro identifies some common obstacles to self-compassion, and invites us to overcome them by slowing down and feeling our feelings with patience, tenderness and care. Sean Fargo is a former Buddhist...

When we’re going through difficult times, it’s easy to think we’re alone in our pain or that our hardships will never end. But challenging times are a normal part of being human. Embracing such moments as opportunities for self-compassion can help bring ease to our anguish.  In this guided meditation with Sean Fargo, we’re invited to journey through the foundations of self-compassion. We bring min...

Well-being can be an abstract term. We’ve all heard that things like eating well, exercising and meditating are good for us, but we might be unsure why, or if they even work.  For mindfulness and meditation researcher Dr. Richie Davidson, well-being is a measurable skill. And like any skill, it can be cultivated with practice. Well-being, he says, improves when we train in four specific areas: awa...

To pause, be still, and sense into the body and breath is a precious gift. These quiet moments of meditation benefit us greatly. Intentionally appreciating such moments increases their effectiveness, and further gladdens the heart and mind.  In this guided meditation with Sean Fargo, we ground ourselves in body awareness. We’re given permission to feel what we feel, and to welcome all of it. The m...

The directive to just ‘be here now’ as a solution to everyday discomfort and mental agitation sounds simple enough. But in practice, it’s not at all easy. Why does the mind seem to be inherently unstable?  In this episode, we hear from Liam McClintock, founder and CEO of FitMind and a graduate of the Mindfulness Exercises Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program . He shares both ancient wis...

In a state of contentment, we fully accept the truth of this present moment, just as it is. There’s nothing missing and there’s nothing here that shouldn’t be. Mindfulness meditation, the art of practicing non-judgmental presence, can help us cultivate contentment for a more satisfactory experience of our everyday life. In this guided meditation, Sean Fargo invites us to ground ourselves in the bo...

Positive states, such as happiness, joy, moments of embodied presence or mindfulness are common, but they’re often short-lasting. Is it possible to transform these fleeting states into lasting traits? Even in moments of hardship or suffering, we can still be rooted in happiness by growing the good that lasts.  In this episode, psychologist, author and mindfulness teacher Dr. Rick Hanson teaches us...

Who makes your heart sing? Sensing into the presence of someone who loves us deeply, who offers us unconditional kindness, can help us connect to present-moment feelings of gladness. This may be someone we know personally, or anyone we look up to as a source of care and comfort.  In this guided meditation with Sean Fargo, we’re invited to bring to mind one such person, and to sense into the gladne...

How can we bring mindfulness to grief? Grief is something we all go through, for ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, and our planet. And yet, many of us are afraid to open up to the strong emotions of grief, sorrow and loss.  In this episode, we hear from psychotherapist, author and soul activist Francis Weller on how developing a long-term apprenticeship with grief can help us metabolize...

Each of us is far more capable than we generally give ourselves credit for. This is especially true when it comes to mindfulness meditation. We may feel as though our minds are too busy or full to be still. And yet, we’ve all had glimpses of what it feels like to be fully present in body and mind. Sustaining this presence takes practice, but it’s something we can do. In this guided meditation with...

We are always modeling behavior for others, whether we are aware of it or not. We can choose to model a mindful way of being. When we embody mindful presence, we radiate a stable, calm energy that helps others feel safe and gives them permission to be their most authentic selves.  In this episode we hear from Sean Fargo on what it means to model mindfulness, and how we can do so not only as mindfu...

The body is our home. It carries us through our days and nights, collecting information along the way. Our bodies tell the story of past pleasure and pain, and hold the energy of our thoughts and emotions. Offering our bodies our tender, caring presence can help make this home a more comfortable place.  In this guided meditation with Sean Fargo, we’re invited to stand, sit or lie down with the bod...

What if falling asleep during meditation wasn’t a hindrance at all but, rather, an opportunity to mindfully explore liminal space? The intentional practice of liminal dreaming allows us to begin carrying mindfulness across the threshold between the waking and dreaming state.  In this episode, Andrew Holecek teaches us how to bring mindfulness to liminal states of mind. Liminal dreaming sets the fo...

⁠How often do we pause, not merely to acknowledge the breath, but to intently set our focus upon it with a caring and curious mind? The breath is perhaps the most consistent process and presence in our lives, and yet so often goes unnoticed.  In this guided meditation with Sean Fargo, we’re invited to answer the open-ended question, ‘how does this one breath feel, right now?’ As we explore, we set...

⁠Perhaps the most significant thing we can do to improve our relationships is to be more present in our conversations. But how do we train ourselves to lead with presence, especially when the exchange is difficult? In this episode, we hear from author and mindful communications expert Oren Jay Sofer on how being present refines both our listening and speaking skills. By practicing this, we learn t...

At any given moment, we experience sensations, thoughts and emotions, some of which are pleasant and some of which are not. This diversity of experience is part of the fullness of being human. By allowing for the truth of this moment, just as it is, we avoid the pain of resistance, suppression or avoidance. We touch the quality of contentment and experience great peace.   In this guided meditation...

⁠Meditation can help us heal from trauma, but only if we feel safe while practicing.  By implementing strategies for safety in meditation, we learn to be present with discomfort without becoming overwhelmed. We develop agency over our practice, and in the process, we become empowered to direct our own healing. In this episode, Sean Fargo speaks with educator, author and trauma-informed meditation...

We’re often “caught up in our heads,” pushed and pulled by our thoughts. In mindfulness practice, we typically balance this thought-centered focus by directing awareness away from the head to the body and heart. In this guided meditation, Sean Fargo invites us to take a different approach. We practice intentionally remaining in the headspace, observing sensation (versus thoughts) in and around the...