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.
Illustration of city. embrace your life
Magazine
Embrace Your Life 

Can you welcome all experiences in your life for what they are? Barry Boyce finds, with practice, it’s a lot more doable than we may think. Read More 

  • Barry Boyce
  • August 21, 2018
Illustration of woman. blind spot
Magazine
Check Your Blind Spot 

We all have hidden emotions and beliefs that drive our unconscious impulses. By harnessing our untapped insight, writes Kelly Boys, we can discern those habits that may be keeping us stuck. Read More 

  • Kelly Boys
  • August 21, 2018
tent in mountains
Magazine
How Solitude Helps Us Heal 

This brief animation explains how the places we feel least at home often provide us with the ability to feel most like ourselves. Read More 

  • Nicole Bayes-Fleming
  • August 18, 2018
Toy van on beach
Magazine
Don’t Vacate Your Vacation 

Next time your thoughts are dragging you away from your well-earned holiday, instead try relaxing into the sensory world. Read More 

  • Elaine Smookler
  • July 31, 2018
Timer
Magazine
30 Days to the Same Old Me 

Self-styled stressball Stephanie Domet challenged herself to meditate every day for a month. Here’s what happened. Read More 

  • Stephanie Domet
  • July 31, 2018
Camp site at night
Magazine
No Roof, No Power, No Problem 

Going camping’s about more than braving (or savoring) the elements. By leaving our comfort zone at home, we can forge a new and wilder version of well-being. Read More 

  • Stephany Tlalka
  • July 31, 2018
illustrated of heads with flames
Magazine
The Importance of a Breakdown 

A breakdown can be inconvenient, but it comes with an important message. In this video from School of Life, philosopher Alain de Botton explains how breakdowns provide you with an opportunity to listen to what your body and mind really need. Read More 

  • Nicole Bayes-Fleming
  • July 20, 2018
Ad for a mindfulness app with meditations, articles, and a section sidebar, shown on a phone held in hand.