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.
From heart to head. Distorted path from soul to brain. Psychology concept about yourself listening for your psychology therapy blog article image or post.
Magazine
Values to Live By: A Cardiologist on the Importance of Wisdom 

Wisdom is something we all wish to possess, but how do we actually cultivate wise qualities (or know what those are)? In this second excerpt from Just One Heart, author and cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher reveals powerful ways we can tune in to the body to develop the wisdom of our emotional heart. Read More 

  • Jonathan Fisher
  • June 27, 2024
Doctor cardiologist listening to heart rate with stethoscope medicine
Magazine
A Steady Heart: A Cardiologist’s Advice for Lowering Stress 

A calm, steady mindset doesn’t just protect against stress, it also supports our heart health, writes cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Fisher. In this first Mindful excerpt from Dr. Fisher’s new book, Just One Heart, we learn some of his recommended strategies for cultivating steadiness. Read More 

  • Jonathan Fisher
  • June 15, 2024
sad young girl in depression fall down in spiral illusion on her mind, mental health concept
Depression & Grief
Please Die Soon: Finding Compassion for Unimaginable Thoughts 

When someone you love is dying, there could be a secret moment, when things are really bad, when you hear yourself silently whisper the unimaginable thought: Please die soon. Say what??? It is with a brave heart, writes Elaine Smookler, that we look at this whole journey of death and make peace with the wild currents that threaten to pull us under. Read More 

  • Elaine Smookler
  • May 15, 2024
An illustration of a woman that looks like in a cage with birds freeing her.
Loving-Kindness & Compassion
How to Grow From Your Regrets 

Avoiding or ruminating on our regrets can ultimately make them more harmful and stop us from learning from them. The key, writes Diana Hill, is to turn to our regrets with compassion. Read More 

  • Diana Hill
  • April 3, 2024
Loving-Kindness & Compassion
Mindfulness for Racial Healing 

Mindfulness can serve as the foundation for powerful conversations, transformational growth, and self-awareness when it comes to race and racism. Read More 

  • Tovi Scruggs-Hussein
  • February 15, 2024
Photo of a happy young woman lounging on a couch.
Learn
How Non-Attachment Can Help Us Succeed 

When we’re attached to a specific outcome, ideal, or metric, we limit our ability to see the big picture. Try these six science-backed ways to open up to more clarity and self-compassion. Read More 

  • Diana Hill
  • August 30, 2023
Ad for a mindfulness app with meditations, articles, and a section sidebar, shown on a phone held in hand.