Mindfulness is a way of meeting life as it unfolds, whether in pain, rest, or wonder. It invites us to slow down, notice our thoughts and feelings, and respond with presence, curiosity, and care rather than reacting automatically. Each week, I share reflections, insights, and simple practices that are helping me live more mindfully. These ideas are meant to inspire, guide, and support you in bringing awareness into everyday moments, cultivating calm, clarity, and connection. Mindfulness is not about perfection; it’s about showing up fully for each moment of life as it is.
What I’m Practicing: Mindfulness of Pain
A few days ago, I broke my ankle — a humbling reminder that mindfulness isn’t just something we teach; it’s something we live. Each movement now invites me to bring gentle awareness to both physical sensation and emotional reaction.
Two key mindfulness practices are guiding me through this experience:
- Separating physical pain from mental suffering. Pain is part of life, and resistance and judgment can add layers of tension that make it feel worse.
- Replacing judgment with curiosity. Instead of labeling pain as “bad,” I’m learning to meet it with caring attention — noticing sensations as they rise and fall, moment by moment.
I used to teach mindfulness of chronic pain to doctors and patients around the country. Now, I get to practice what I once taught fully, honestly, and with compassion.
Mindfulness can complement medical care for pain, not replace it.
What I’m Learning: Vagus Nerve Stimulation & Compassion Meditation
A 2025 randomized trial from UCL, led by Professor Sunjeev Kamboj and published in Psychological Medicine, tested whether stimulating the vagus nerve through the ear could boost self-compassion training in 120 healthy adults. It found a larger short-term rise in self-compassion when stimulation was paired with the training.
“Our findings reveal how neuroscience technology may have a meaningful impact on how we feel about ourselves. Neurostimulation alone had limited benefits, but it may support meditation therapies… helping people with mental and physical health problems.” — Professor Sunjeev Kamboj, UCL Psychology & Language Sciences
In other words, compassion meditation may work better for some people when paired with vagus nerve stimulation. It is early research in healthy volunteers in a lab, so it doesn’t yet tell us how this would work in therapy or in daily practice. You can read the UCL summary of the study.
What I’m Sharing: The Wisdom of Stoicism
I’ve been revisiting one of my favorite philosophical traditions — Stoicism, an old philosophy for navigating life’s challenges with clarity and equanimity.
In our latest article, 100 Stoic Quotes for Inner Strength and Resilience, we explore insights from Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. Here are a few that continue to ground me:
- “Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.”
- “I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it.”
- “He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.”
What I’m Nourished By: Deep Rest as a Mindful Reset
Sometimes, our minds and bodies don’t need more doing — they need deep rest. Without stillness, the mind may struggle to recharge. Without pause, our sense of purpose can start to fade.
Here’s a practice I’ve been leaning into: Schedule a full day of intentional rest once a month — no meetings, no errands, no to-do lists. Just rest, reflection, and presence.
If a full day feels impossible right now, that’s okay. Start with a half day or even a slow, mindful morning. The length matters less than the intention.
Rest however nourishes you most — lying in the grass, reading poetry, watching clouds drift by. Ironically, intentional non-productivity can restore energy and focus.
And because real rest fosters real connection, I’m excited to announce a new monthly live event — open to all at no charge — featuring a mindfulness talk, guided meditation, and community sharing.
🧘♀️ Join us on the 1st Wednesday of every month
👉 Free Live Mindfulness Talk & Meditation
A Poem I Love: Aimless Love by Billy Collins
Poet Billy Collins captures the simple tenderness of being awake to everyday life:
“This morning as I walked along the lake shore, I fell in love with a wren and later in the day with a mouse the cat had dropped under the dining room table…
This is the best kind of love, I thought, without recompense, without gifts, or unkind words, without suspicion…”
This poem reminds me that mindfulness is, at its heart, aimless love — an openhearted presence that meets the world just as it is.
Closing Reflection
This week’s practices from mindful healing to deep rest, remind me that awareness and compassion are inseparable. Whether through neuroscience, philosophy, or poetry, each path leads back to presence.
May you find stillness in your healing, courage in your curiosity, and love in the most ordinary moments.
