Why I’m launching a podcast
In case you missed it, my podcast – the Mindfulness Academy Podcast – is premiering on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. This has been a dream I’ve had for quite some time and I am elated to finally be able to share this project with you.
Many of you know how deeply I believe in the benefits of mindfulness, but you might not know about my journey to mindfulness. It started off many years ago during a difficult period in my life. I was deeply unhappy and felt completely stuck in my unhappiness. But I knew it was up to me to solve the tumultuous dissatisfaction I was experiencing.
Through a series of fateful occurrences (including deep conversations and personal research) I discovered that at the root of my unhappiness was the cold hard fact that I was never present. I was ruminating about the past and fretting about the future, but was never in the moment. I was unmindful, which caused me to suffer. After digging deeper, I realized that mindfulness was the answer. I checked out about every mindfulness book I could find at the library. I read, took notes, pondered, tried a practice here and a practice there.
Going it alone felt limiting, so I chose to study the basics of mindfulness in a more formal way. I signed up for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I sat, walked and engaged my senses mindfully. I spent a day in silence. I wanted to crawl out of my skin, but I stuck with it and my suffering eased. I faced my pain and breathed through it. I was equipped with tools when difficult emotions arose.
I met with many friends and colleagues who shared personal struggles that resembled the ones I had endured. I saw them suffering as I did: ruminating about the past and fretting about the future. I wanted to help.
I compiled all I’d learned about mindfulness through training and research, and wrote a book. The Chaos Antidote: A Fable About Mindfulness follows the tale of a small group of women learning mindfulness from their sage older leader, Veda. Meghan, Simone and Lucia’s problems do not disappear, but through mindfulness they are able to be more present for their own lives—and each other.
I wrote blog posts and enjoyed being a guest on podcasts, sharing my journey to mindfulness. I wrote a companion guide, The Chaos Antidote: Six-Week Mindfulness Workbook, which mirrors the mindfulness training that the women in the book complete. But I wanted to do more.
One priceless byproduct of my mindfulness journey has been meeting amazing humans. I met the director of mindfulness at IU Health, a mindfulness trainer for first responders and police officers, other mindfulness authors, podcasters, doctors, therapists and more. I saw that sharing their stories would shine the light on how mindfulness is supporting humanity in beautiful, life-changing ways. Enter The Mindfulness Academy Podcast.
Through the Mindfulness Academy Podcast, I hope to accomplish two things:
- To inspire our listeners by the amazing work that the mindfulness leaders I interview are doing to make the world a better place. It inspires me and I hope to do the same for our listeners.
- To equip our listeners with practical mindfulness tools they can use in their everyday life.
Mindfulness doesn’t require expensive equipment or hours of uninterrupted silence. It takes a willingness to sit or move with attention.
It’s an honor to serve as the host of the Mindfulness Academy Podcast.
Sign up to be reminded about launch day for the Mindfulness Academy Podcast and remember to subscribe on Oct. 20, 2022 wherever you listen to podcasts!