The Welcoming Way

I woke up at 2:30am certain I had made a mistake. After beating myself up for a while, I began to wonder, "what really is a mistake?" This poem, "No Mistakes", came as an answer. If you'd like to here the slightly longer episode that tells more of the story, here is a link to the episode "I Made A Mistake." This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the...

I woke up at 2:30am certain I had made a mistake. In this episode I share about my internal attack, and how I came to understand it is impossible to make a mistake. This episode contains a poem, here is a link to the stand-alone poem, "No Mistakes". This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcoming Way⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Do you have the feeling like you messed something up? Could have done something better? This exploration will help you navigate that particularly uncomfortable suspicion or certainty that you made a mistake. This is inspired by a short podcast episode called "I Made a Mistake (Podcast) " . This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcomin...

Sometimes we need a little break to catch up with ourselves. This can be in between meetings, after a hard conversation, or even just completing some task. Take these five minutes to arrive where you are, catch your breath and balance, before moving on to the next.

Did you know I host monthly in-person and online breathing journeys? I would love to have you join. This episode may sound like a plug, and it is, but it's also a personal reveal about something I've been passionate about and too shy to share! If you don't' know about breathing journeys, in this episode, I explain. You can find out a lot more about them at welcomingway.com/breathwork

Sometimes things happen that seem out of our control, and there's nothing we can seem to do but worry about them. This is an exploration to help alleviate the preoccupation with worry. By listening, you may become aware of some helpful action you can take, discover the situation doesn't even warrant your worry, or you might be more free from  the mental preoccupation with a (seemingly) stressful s...

This is a very short and funny story about how I recently learned why I worry. On the off chance you find yourself worrying about something more than you'd like to, here is an exploration to use any time you feel preoccupied with worry. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcoming Way⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you’re new to the concept of Dark Retreat, six months ago, so was I. It turns out to be just what it sounds like. Time (usually alone) in total darkness. In this episode I share about my most recent Dark adventure, which took place at Dark Havens, in southern Vermont.

Do you ever find yourself rushing while some part of you is begging you to slow down or stop or take a pause? You can listen to this exploration even while you're still in the midst of motion to explore the relationship between stillness and activity. Leah Pearlman at www.welcomingway.com

Recently, I spent four days alone in the dark. During that time, I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with pace. In this episode, I explore what it means to shift from living a life of fast-paced, goal-oriented outcomes to learning to take the scenic routes in life. If you are someone who finds yourself rushing, even when you suspect it would be healthy to slow down. Leah Pearlman at w...

This exploration is for times you're feeling like crap and have no idea why.

This morning I woke up feeling depressed. When I wake up feeling bad and bad about myself, I can feel like I’m the only one. Am I?

Perhaps there is wisdom in the Panic that accompanies indecision, overwhelm, or the lack of clarity we face when stumbling upon a free block of time. Inspired by the work of David Whyte, this is a short personal piece about accepting fear in the face of indecision. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcoming Way⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Finding the wisdom in the panic or overwhelm in the face of choice. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcoming Way⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

When faced with open time, many of us want to use it in the best way possible. That can be an overwhelming experience because there are so many "best ways" depending on our competing priorities. This exploration helps relieve the anxiety of that indecision, and hopefully helps the body/mind find it's way into easy and relaxed action. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

No. Period. (Story) by Welcoming Way

When you realize you might have a "No" to someone or something, this can feel scary, even to the point of preferring to lie. This exploration is a way to begin to be with a few of the relational fears that come up in the presence of your own "No." If this topic interests you, we go more in depth in the episode Learning To Respect The Inner No. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearl...

Saying "No" isn't always easy. This episode explores what it means to realize we have a "No" to something, and how and why to honor it within ourselves. This episode features a short new essay called "No. Period." As well as a personal story about realizing I had a "No" to something, and the internal journey and clarity that followed. The music is brought to you by ⁠Vale Tubert⁠⁠ If you like to si...

Do you ever wonder why little things bother you so much? In this episode I tell a fun story which may hold a clue. It's a friend of mine and lines at the airport. If you'd like support feeling big feelings in the face of big or small circumstances, checkout the resources below. -The ⁠Library of Explorations⁠ makes it convenient for you to find a meditation or teaching that speaks to whatever feeli...

Have you been recently felt triggered by politics, political figures, or people with different political views? You may find this 12 minute episode helpful; challenging, but helpful. Mentioned in this episode: - "⁠Anger⁠” by David Whyte in his book ⁠Consolations⁠ - An exploration for what to do "⁠After a Disagreement or Fight⁠' (13 min) - Music by ⁠Vale Tubert⁠. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

After a fight or disagreement with someone, whether it was verbalized or just happened internally, it's so easy to stew on the feelings and thoughts afterward. If you're stewing anyway, consider using your uncomfortable feelings as an object of meditation, to find your way back to connect and love either with that person, or at least with your own self to start. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

I woke up irritated that someone hadn't called me back. I was tempted to start my day by calling them back as a way of getting control of the situation. But then I realized that the phone call would be away to avoid my own feelings about the situation, so instead, I recorded this episode to explore what was REALLY going on. If you have a similar situation in your life and would like the support of...

Welcoming is not only an internal practice. It also helps us follow our hearts out in the world. In this short episode, we feature two artists: 1. ⁠Vale Tubert⁠ generously wrote and recorded this song inspired by the Welcoming Way Podcast. Vale has a new English album dropping on Jan 22nd, 2025. ⁠Check it out⁠. 2.⁠ Ryan Stover ⁠who helped dream the Welcoming Way into being, as well as designed and...

Sometime it can be VERY tempting to tell someone what they did wrong, or how they let you down, or blame them in some way. But this doesn't always lead to the best results. In this exploration, you can explore your own feelings behind the issue before engaging in a conversation about what happened. This episode brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah Pearlman⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcoming Way⁠...

Two Ways this Recording Can be used: 1. For high-functioning teams, play this recording at the beginning of a meeting for everyone to listen at once. 2. If you are going to be attending a meeting where this doesn't fit in the agenda, listen to it on your own before going to the meeting. All participants are coming from somewhere else and have been focusing on something else. Taking a few minutes t...