Mindfulness Exercises, with Sean Fargo

We explore how tiny shifts can interrupt emotional loops in seconds and help us access calm, clarity, and self-compassion when life feels overwhelming. 

Dr Elisha Goldstein connects mindfulness, emotional health, and longevity through a simple four-step framework we can practise in daily moments.

Dr Elisha Goldstein's website: https://elishagoldstein.com/tiny-shifts/

Buy his book, Tiny Shifts: https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Shifts-Emotional-Transforms-Relationships/dp/B0GP9T6L5T

Shownotes:
• Why “tiny shifts” beat big plans when we are stressed and overloaded 
• Emotional loops mapped as thoughts, emotions, sensations, and actions 
• Recog...

Eyes-open meditation can sound like the worst idea if you’re used to practice as a private escape. Then Susan Piver walks us through why keeping the eyes open may be the most direct path to mindfulness in real life, because you don’t have to “come back” when the sit is over. We talk about the simple mechanics of resting the gaze, why distraction and tired eyes are normal at first, and how the nervous system settles when we stop trying to force focus. 

From there, the conversation turns to what meditation is really for. We’re not trai...

“Namaste” might be the most repeated word in modern yoga, and also one of the least lived. 

Sean Fargo sits down with professor and longtime yoga and meditation teacher Jeremy David Engles to unpack what namaste actually means, how it traveled into Western yoga culture, and why the real practice starts after we roll up the mat. 

Visit Jeremy's website: https://jeremydavidengels.com/

Buy Jeremy's book: Living Namaste

Jeremy breaks the word down simply and precisely: “I bow to you,” an everyday greeting that becomes transformative when we treat it as an ethic o...

We talk with Dr John Demartini about using better questions to balance perception, dissolve emotional polarisation, and practise mindfulness as full awareness rather than escape. 

We connect values, fair exchange, and purposeful action to practical outcomes like less burnout, fewer intrusive thoughts, and more intrinsic motivation.

Visit his website: https://drdemartini.com/

• the DeMartini Method as a structured set of cognitive questions to reveal hidden information 
• highest values as the source of intrinsic drive and consistent follow through 
• the cost of living by “shoulds” and internalised authority 
• service plus reward as sustainable f...

Your phone is not just a gadget. It is a gateway into an economy built to capture attention, shape behavior, and keep you coming back. We bring on Jay Vidyarthi, mindfulness teacher, UX designer, technologist, and founder of Still Ape, to talk about the real world collision between contemplative practice and the modern attention economy. We start with a short, grounding practice of “doing nothing,” then zoom out to the strange fact that even this conversation is carried by microphones, data packets, and screens.

Jay shares what it feels like to grow up loving video games and earl...

We talk with Scott Berman, founder of Sky Cave Retreats, about what extended time in complete darkness actually does to the body and mind when distractions, orientation, and performance all fall away. 

Sky Cave Retreats: https://www.skycaveretreats.com/

We focus on nervous system safety, permission to feel what is here, and why the “right” darkness retreat is less about endurance and more about how you relate to yourself. 

• What a darkness retreat is and how Sky Cave cabins are designed for total blackout and near silence
• Why the retreat container and expect...

We guide a calm, focused meditation to envision a positive future and connect it to simple, repeatable actions. Breath, imagery, and gentle prompts help shift from analysis to embodied clarity you can carry into the rest of your day.

• settling the body and softening tension
• anchoring attention with natural breath
• asking what future feels deeply moving
• noticing feelings that arise with the vision
• identifying how to show up each day
• rehearsing small actions in the mind’s eye
• meeting challenges with steady qualities
• ending with a felt sense to guide the day

<...

We talk with Taoist meditation and qigong teacher Solala Tauler about returning to the source through simple practices that fit into real life. We explore how slowing down, sensing the body, and learning from nature can restore steadiness, vitality, and meaning.

Returning To The Source: https://www.amazon.com/Returning-Source-Meditations-Rediscovering-Everyday/dp/1645475085/

To learn more about Solala’s books, classes, tea ceremonies and his Qigong and Cha Dao tours to Taiwan go to www.abodetao.com/

• Solala’s origin story from Buddhism to Taoist practice and teaching 
• How qigong and stillness meditation work together...

We explore mindful hunger, silent monastic meal rituals, and how attention shifts taste, mood, and choice. Practical tools include raisin and chocolate meditations, body-based regulation, and tea practices that turn comfort into conscious care.

• setting a clear intention for mindful eating and drinking
• monastic meal rituals as training for presence
• discerning hunger, thirst, emotion and habit
• raisin and chocolate exercises for sensory awareness
• reducing resistance to hunger to reduce suffering
• mapping how foods affect clarity, mood and energy
• body scanning to soften held tension
• integrating tea ceremony as everyday presence
• applying m...

What if the fastest path to feeling rich is learning to see what’s already here? We take a clear, grounded look at abundance as a felt experience and show how mindful acknowledgment—not accumulation—shifts your baseline from scarcity to sufficiency. Guided by a simple quote and a handful of precise prompts, we map the places where real wealth hides: in relationships that show up, routines that steady you, spaces that protect you, and skills you’ve quietly earned over time.

We break down the difference between passive gratitude and practiced attention, then offer ways to make not...

We guide a short loving‑kindness meditation that begins with softening the body and ends with offering yourself the same care you give others. Simple phrases and steady breath help shift tension into goodwill you can feel.

• settling the body with relaxed, alert posture
• softening shoulders, easing belly, limiting visual input
• finding a natural breath rhythm
• visualising loved ones and wishing them happiness
• repeating phrases of kindness and ease
• turning compassion inward with May I be well, safe, at ease
• letting benevolence permeate the body and close with a deep breath

...

We explore equanimity as a heart practice that meets vulnerability without armor and shifts our relationship to identity, praise and blame, and social media reactivity. We offer practical steps to steady the nervous system and act with clarity in an age of fear.

• identity as a source of reactivity and friction
• the worldly winds of gain, loss, praise, blame
• equanimity as undefended openness across traditions
• the skydiving with no ground metaphor
• love transforming into compassion, joy, and equanimity
• caring without the fantasy of control
• small experiments to test catastrophic thoughts
• balancing activi...

We talk with mindfulness teacher and technologist Jay Vidyarthi about rebuilding a healthier relationship with attention in a world engineered for distraction and speed.

Jay's Book: Reclaim Your Mind

We move from tech burnout and Zoom fatigue to practical strategies that replace guilt with choice, including a guided practice that makes the “pull” of the phone impossible to unsee. 

• noticing false urgency and how language triggers the nervous system 
• working with tech burnout through rest, recovery time, and small in-call adjustments 
• understanding your attachment style with technology as a non-shaming map for change 

We explore equanimity as the art of falling, learning how to stay steady and open when life feels uncertain. We share how caring perspective helps us face world news, strong emotions, and personal hardship without losing our heart. 
• equanimity as surrender to change and uncertainty 
• staying caring without getting overwhelmed by current events 
• why few teachers teach equanimity and what depth requires 
• mindfulness vs equanimity and where they overlap 
• equanimity as love in the midst of vulnerability 
• “caring perspective” as a blend of heart and wisdom 
• the felt difference between present-moment awareness and time-vastness 
•...

We explore how to receive sights and sounds instead of chasing them, and why “looking through” loosens labels and brings clarity. We share practical ways to work with music, nature sounds, and eyes open or closed, and why silence can be the most healing teacher.

• moving from grasping to receiving sense experience
• looking at vs looking through and deconstructing perception
• working with labels and memories that cloud clarity
• using nature sounds, random audio, and gentle music
• eyes open or closed strategies and toggling
• everyday practice in stores, restaurants, and at home
• the role of silenc...

Someone joins your group meditation, the room goes quiet, and you realise not everyone is okay. What do you do next without panicking or making it worse? We talk through the real-world side of teaching mindfulness, where compassion is not a vibe, it’s a leadership skill you practice moment by moment. 

I share how I think about guiding as a teacher: less “expert with answers” and more “steady person creating safety.” We get specific about trauma-sensitive mindfulness without turning it into something scary or overly technical. If breath awareness feels uncomfortable or a participant seems dissociated, you’ll hear...

We guide a short mindfulness practice to help you feel and define what purposeful leadership means in your body and choices. Through grounding, breath, and gentle inquiry, we explore clarity, values, and the sensations that signal true alignment.

• settling posture, breath and attention
• letting questions land without forcing answers
• noticing images, emotions and bodily cues
• asking what matters most as a leader
• sensing alignment versus tension
• imagining the felt texture of purposeful action

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fea...

We explore how to meet anxiety, overwhelm, and dissociation with gentle presence instead of force. We focus on finding safety through sensory anchors, kind inquiry, and practical tools that help us return to the moment.
• navigating difficulty by building a safe harbor for awareness
• responding to dissociation with curiosity and questions about safety
• choosing anchors that feel safe enough: sound, breath, touch, movement
• using sound as a primary practice: bell, silence, breathing, repeating “love” or “safety”
• incorporating walking mindfulness and grounded movement
• exploring anxiety by tracking future vs past thoughts, intensity, and body sensations
• wi...

We guide a short mindfulness meditation that trains gentle awareness and helps us soften into the present moment. We breathe with the body, notice how the heart responds, and practise accepting sensations and emotions with quiet peace. 
• setting an intention to soften into now 
• breathing with the whole body as an anchor 
• noticing sensations as they change moment to moment 
• sensing how the heart relates to experience 
• practising acceptance of whatever we feel 
• reorienting through sound, temperature, and touch points 
• reconnecting with community when ready 

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach m...

You can’t breathe in the past or the future, and you can’t switch off thinking on command. That’s where Susan Piver brings a refreshing kind of relief to meditation practice, especially if you’ve ever judged yourself for having a busy mind. We talk about Shamatha Vipassana, the mindfulness awareness approach she teaches, and why the real skill is not perfect focus but the simple act of noticing and returning.

We also get practical about what mindfulness is and what it is not. Mindfulness is the trainable part: placing attention where you choose and coming b...

The loudest voice in your head might not be telling the truth. When the world feels more divided and more cruel, it gets easier to assume other people are bad and to quietly suspect the same about ourselves. 

I sit down with Buddhist teacher and author Lodro Rinzler to challenge that reflex with a grounded idea that’s both ancient and deeply practical: basic goodness. Not as a slogan, but as something you can recognise in real time, in your body, and in the most ordinary moments of your day.

We get specific about how sha...

We explore how to stay human amid fast tech change, from analog memories to AI worries, through the lens of community practice and elder wisdom. We share ADHD-friendly mindfulness tools, invite simple neighborhood circles, and reflect on courage, tenderness, and what really matters.

• analog upbringing shaping views on tech and empathy
• fear of online teaching balanced by lifelong practice
• starting small neighborhood mindfulness circles
• honoring elder teachers and their perspective
• podcasting as a way to meet people
• practical mindfulness for ADHD with sensory anchors
• playful practices for kids and adults
• gentle closing w...

We lead a short morning practice that wakes the body, settles the mind, and sets calm strong focused intentions for the day. We imagine small joys, plan simple acts of care, and choose one mindful moment to meet life with warmth.

• slow nasal inhales with open posture
• body scan from feet to head as aliveness
• calm strong focused mantra as embodied cues
• envision small moments of joy and meaning
• name one way to contribute to others
• plan simple care for body and heart
• choose one mindful minute without judgment
• carry warm intentions...

We guide a step-by-step gratitude meditation that moves from a single present sensation to unseen helpers, essential tools, a beloved person, today’s small blessing, and even a challenging moment reframed with care. The session closes by thanking the body, the mind, and the chance to pause.

• noticing one simple present sensation
• gratitude for unseen helpers in daily life
• honoring the tools and places that support work
• appreciation for a loved one and shared moments
• naming a small blessing from today
• exploring gratitude toward a current challenge
• closing thanks for body, mind, and the pr...

We explore why so many of us feel fundamentally flawed and how the Buddhist teaching of basic goodness offers a practical way back to ease. 

We share meditation-based tools for working with shame, self-doubt, and cultural messages of not-enoughness so we can act with more clarity and care. 

Buy Lodro Rinzler's Book: You Are Good. You Are Enough.
https://a.co/d/078HXYBb

Lodro's website: https://www.lodrorinzler.com/

• why Lodro writes You Are Good, You Are Enough amid divisiveness and rising self-doubt
• how to recognise basic goodness through ordina...

We guide a loving kindness meditation that starts with breath and grounding, then expands goodwill from self to loved ones, to those in struggle, to difficult people, and finally to all beings. We end by returning to intention with a gentle reminder to practice in a way that feels real.

• grounding the body with breath and relaxation
• repeating simple phrases for self-compassion
• extending care to a loved one with visualization
• holding someone in hardship with steady presence
• offering goodwill to someone difficult without condoning harm
• widening the circle to everyone nearby and all beings

Joy is easy to talk about when life is smooth and brutally hard to reach when your identity breaks, your plans collapse, or fear takes over. Sean Fargo sits down with leadership coach and author Jan Hoth, the “Joy Alchemist,” to get specific about what joy really is and what it is not. 

Visit Jan's website: https://www.janjoymentor.com/

Buy her book: Joy Anyway: https://a.co/d/0bAmOfeb

We draw a clear line between fleeting happiness and joy as a steady state of being that can hold grief...

We sit down with Susan Piver to get clear on what mindfulness trains and what awareness reveals, then we rethink what meditation is actually doing to the heart and mind. 

Visit Susan Piver's website: https://openheartproject.com/

We leave with a simpler technique, lower self-judgment about thinking, and a more realistic view of what students may experience as practice deepens. 

• mindfulness as attention training and awareness as insight 
• why awareness expands through receptivity not effort 
• simplicity in instruction and helping people discover 
• why you do not need to stop thinking 
• why medi...

Want a calmer mind without numbing out? We guide a focused loving kindness session that starts with the body and ends with a wider, steadier heart. You’ll relax the shoulders and face, even out your breath, and use plain, memorable phrases that shift you from tension to care in minutes. No fluff—just a clear path from self-kindness to universal goodwill, with gentle cues that make the practice accessible even if compassion feels awkward at first.

We begin by settling the nervous system so the phrases can land. Then we offer may I be well to ours...

We challenge the statue myth and show how mindful movement, posture changes, and somatic awareness can deepen meditation while keeping compassion at the center. We also share a slow, heart-forward approach to loving kindness that fits real life and helps practice mature over time.

• meeting discomfort with awareness and care
• when to stay, when to move
• how to move with intention and remain present
• chairs, floor, standing and what “grounding” really means
• elements, body, and connection to earth
• slow reading and journaling loving kindness teachings
• blending mindfulness and metta in daily life
• buildin...

Sleepless nights often start with a simple pattern: the lights go out, and the mind lights up. We’ve been there too—replaying the day, gaming out tomorrow, and feeling tension build with every loop. In this guided conversation and practice, we unpack why bedtime worry grabs the wheel and offer a grounded antidote: a mindful gratitude ritual designed to ease agitation, slow your breath, and help you drift into restorative sleep.

We begin by naming the common culprits—planning, replaying, and the feeling of “not yet finished”—and how these habits cue the body into alert mode right w...

We meditate on how gratitude feels and lives beyond polite words, asking how the heart expresses thanks and how that practice deepens love. We end with prompts to notice, act, and plan small, steady expressions of appreciation that others can feel.

• reflecting on the quote about heartfelt gratitude
• drawing personal meaning from repeated prompts
• noticing bodily signals of genuine appreciation
• naming how actions carry more weight than phrases
• exploring how gratitude nurtures trust and love
• observing how others express thanks without words
• planning future practices to anchor daily gratitude

BEC...

Start with a single breath and watch your circle of care expand. We begin by grounding the body—soft shoulders, easy belly, relaxed face—so the mind can rest, then we introduce the core loving kindness phrases: may I be well, may I be safe and free from suffering, may I be happy. From there, we guide you step by step: first offering compassion to yourself, then to someone you love, someone facing hardship, and even someone with whom you’ve struggled. Along the way we explore why intention matters more than perfect focus, how visualization can open the heart...

We guide a gentle gratitude meditation that moves from body awareness to health, relationships, money, and a sense of safety. We close by normalising mixed feelings and inviting nonjudgmental noticing that helps gratitude grow where it was missed.

• settling the body with breath and softening
• noticing health through simple, reliable functions
• recognising care and effort in relationships
• opening to appreciation around finances without shame
• naming where safety and protection are present
• integrating insights without self‑criticism

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and...

We rethink equanimity as a spacious, caring capacity that holds intensity without dulling life. We link Vedana—pleasant, unpleasant, neutral—as a direct gateway to balance, recovery, and frictionless experience across emotions and daily moments.

• equanimity not apathy or indifference
• the myth that calm cancels passion
• Vedana as the second foundation of mindfulness
• noticing feeling tone to create space
• shifting from neutralizing emotions to widening capacity
• frictionless experience and reduced defensive energy
• a working definition that includes recovery
• recovery speed as a marker of dynamic balance

Find “Quiet Strength: Find Peace...

We explore equanimity as open-handed love for parents and caregivers, moving from control to clear, steady presence. We share boundary-setting phrases, examine vulnerability, and offer tools to stay compassionate without burning out.

• reframing parenting through the open hand of love
• equanimity for providers facing crisis and burnout
• “not my emergency” as a compassionate boundary
• self and other equanimity phrases for daily practice
• vulnerability in letting go of control and identity
• Vedana and feeling tones as anchors for balance
• children as owners of their actions and path
• equanimity as innate, accessible, and trainable

Pause with us for a few quiet minutes that can change the tone of your whole day. We guide a gentle gratitude practice that starts with settling your body and softening your gaze, then moves into noticing one simple detail of your surroundings—light on your skin, the support of the chair, the hush between sounds. From there, we widen the circle to everyday helpers you rarely see: the bus driver who kept you on time, the person who stacked the fruit, the author whose words steadied you. Finally, we land on the breath as a living reminder that th...

We guide a short meditation into Howard Thurman’s reminder to ask what makes you come alive and act on it. Through questions and a poem about quiet usefulness, we show how to find patterns that reliably light you up and turn them into simple, repeatable choices.

• soft breath and body scan to settle
• Howard Thurman quote reframing purpose
• reflective questions to spot aliveness
• noticing patterns in vivid, energized moments
• moving beyond vague bliss toward specific contexts
• poem on usefulness over spectacle
• applying patterns to daily choices and actions

BECOM...

What happens when you stop treating death like a problem to avoid and start meeting it with mindful attention? 

We explore mindfulness of death as a grounded, breath-based practice that can jolt you out of autopilot and back into what matters: love, honesty, and the astonishing fact that you’re here at all. 

Instead of turning mortality into a gloomy story, we stay close to direct experience, sensing each inhale as potentially the last and noticing how that changes everything. 

We also get practical about how to share this work responsibly. 

Mindfu...

We guide a short meditation that begins with birdsong and ends with a steadier, kinder presence in the body. We soften tension and resistance, then steer our attention toward care, values, and the life we want to live breath by breath. 
• settling into the body and the space around us 
• softening breath and releasing unnecessary tension 
• noticing resistance as clenching, tightness, quick breathing 
• spotting resistance as judging or distancing 
• meeting fear with gentle space and care 
• grounding through contact with the seat or ground 
• steering intention toward values, love, and wisdom 
• returning through small...