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.
The gift of giving - Image of two friends taking a selfie with a smartphone
Gratitude
The Gift of Giving 

Give yourself the gift of rethinking gift giving, writes Sara Kate Gillingham. Reconnect with love and generosity and the rest will fall into place. Read More 

  • Sara Kate Gillingham
  • December 16, 2022
No One is Immune From Burnout at Work
Magazine
No One is Immune From Burnout at Work 

Even at Mindful magazine, we have to pay attention to burnout at work. Former editor-in-chief Heather Hurlock shares how she and her staff hold kind space for each other, while holding each other accountable. Read More 

  • Heather Hurlock
  • December 13, 2022
Watercolor painting of paper cut-out hearts with various designs on them hanging on a clothes line
Gratitude
What Self-Love Really Means 

Mindful editor-in-chief Heather Hurlock explores how calling in our communities both near and far is an essential part of deepening into self-love and gratitude. Read More 

  • Heather Hurlock
  • October 25, 2022
Loving-Kindness & Compassion
How Practicing Loving-Kindness Helped Me Find My Place in the World 

For Jane Anne Staw, the war in Ukraine increased the anxiety she was already feeling, with climate change, mass shootings, political upheaval and COVID. A reminder about the power of loving-kindness meditation helped her find her footing—and her connection with the world at large. Read More 

  • Jane Anne Staw
  • September 20, 2022
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