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.
starry sky. loving our planet
Depression & Grief
Grieving For and Loving Our Planet 

Wilderness expert and renowned mindfulness teacher Mark Coleman shares how he is learning to hold the intense beauty of nature—and devastation of climate change—in his mindfulness practice. Read More 

  • Mark Coleman
  • February 25, 2019
meditating sick
Magazine
A Mindful Pity Party: Meditating While Sick 

When we're sick and sulky, the last thing we want is to do a mindfulness practice. Comedian and mindfulness practitioner Elaine Smookler describes this dilemma as only she can. Read More 

  • Elaine Smookler
  • February 22, 2019
Dena Simmons
Magazine
Finding Your Way Back Home 

For Dena Simmons, “mindfulness was not something that I got to do by sitting in a quiet space and meditating.” She shares her mindful journey from the streets of Bronx to the ivory towers of Yale and back. Read More 

  • Victoria Dawson
  • February 21, 2019
people on phones
Focus & Attention
Are We Distracted, or Just Rude? 

Armed with phones, we navigate our world with our heads down. But the basic project of mindfulness isn’t just self-improvement—it’s about being attentive to what’s going on around us, and where we fit in, says Editor-in-Chief Barry Boyce. Read More 

  • Barry Boyce
  • February 19, 2019
illustration of woman looking through binoculars
Magazine
Mindfulness Wants You to Get Real With Yourself 

Mindfulness is not about accessing bliss—it’s about tamping down on the temptation to opt out of the unpleasant and only seek the pleasant. The result? A healthier relationship with your thoughts and your emotions, no matter what comes your way. Read More 

  • Stephany Tlalka
  • February 15, 2019
People in argument
Magazine
The Good News about Being Wrong 

No one likes making mistakes or (even worse) admitting them. But there’s wisdom and resilience to be gleaned by learning to accept and acknowledge when you are wrong. Read More 

  • Elaine Smookler
  • February 4, 2019
woman reading in garden.
Creativity
The Mindfulness of Mary Oliver 

By illuminating the wonder found in the everyday, her award-winning poems remind us to slow down and experience the present moment in all its glory. Read More 

  • Steve Flowers
  • January 22, 2019
Ad for a mindfulness app with meditations, articles, and a section sidebar, shown on a phone held in hand.