Personal Essays

First-person stories about what mindfulness looks like in real, messy, everyday life. These essays are honest, personal, and often funny - written by people who've found that paying attention changes everything.
Woman in spotlight, as part of an essay on vanity and letting go.
Personal Essays

5 Lessons on Vanity: An Invitation to Awareness and Letting Go 

Aging and death are inevitable. And while we know this intellectually, it is difficult to accept this particularly in a youth adoring culture. Teacher Patricia Rockman explores vanity and this tender, confusing, frustrating journey with our bodies, our attachment to the delusion of youth, and our halting interior growth towards acceptance. Read More

  • Patricia Rockman
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Exploring the concept of
Magazine
The Fine Art Of “Failing With Presence” 

If you've ever wondered how to recover when you've messed up big-time, Katherine Ellison shares the value of failing with presence—and learning from real, gentle accountability. Read More 

  • Katherine Ellison
  • March 1, 2026
Friends enjoying a sunset at the top of a climb
Magazine
Finding Your People 

While contemplative and mindfulness practices are often seen as solitary pursuits, Mindful founding editor Barry Boyce offers a case for why our search for peace and freedom is a group effort. Read More 

  • Barry Boyce
  • December 19, 2025
Navigating body grief
Eating & Body Image
Coming Home to Heal 

Traveling the path of body grief isn’t weakness. We can deeply embody our life as it is, finding our way to self-compassion and body trust. Read More 

  • Mara Gulens
  • December 17, 2025
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