Episodios

  • Self-Love Is Not Selfish: The Real Inner Work of Mindful Leaders

    Self-Love Is Not Selfish: The Real Inner Work of Mindful Leaders
    Jul 8 2025
    In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, we explore how self-love is not a luxury or cliché — it’s a foundational practice of mindful living and teaching. Through reflections, real-life examples, and guided insights, you’ll learn how cultivating compassion toward yourself isn’t about indulgence — it’s about resilience, truth, and belonging. Whether you’re a mindfulness teacher, seeker, or someone in the process of healing, this episode reminds us that self-love isn’t the end of the path — it is the path. The difference between self-love and self-judgment disguised as motivation How mindfulness helps us witness ourselves without shame Why self-love is essential for those who teach or care for others Breath- and body-based practices to soften resistance and open the heart How to shift from "fixing" ourselves to befriending who we already are “You don’t need to become someone else to be worthy of love. You just need to come home to yourself.” Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 m
  • Francesca Maxime on ReRooting Safety in the Body and in Community

    Francesca Maxime on ReRooting Safety in the Body and in Community
    Jul 5 2025
    In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo speaks with Francesca Maxime—Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, certified mindfulness teacher, and founder of ReRooted Healing. Drawing from her lived experience as a Haitian-Dominican Italian-American and her years as a journalist, Francesca brings a deeply embodied and trauma-informed lens to mindfulness, healing, and racial justice. Together, she and Sean explore how mindfulness intersects with somatics, decolonization, and collective care. This conversation touches on everything from intergenerational trauma to the nervous system's role in social change. With warmth and clarity, Francesca invites us to move beyond disembodied practice and toward a felt sense of liberation—for ourselves and our communities. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ How somatic awareness supports healing from trauma and oppression ✔ Why decolonizing mindfulness means reconnecting with the body ✔ How racialized trauma shows up in the nervous system and how to tend to it ✔ The difference between coping and true healing ✔ Why “just observing” isn’t enough in trauma-sensitive mindfulness ✔ How to bring mindfulness into movements for justice, equity, and belonging ✔ What it means to create safety not just for individuals, but for entire communities 💡 Learn more about Francesca’s work 🔗https://maximeclarity.com/ Instagram 🧘 Ready to teach mindfulness with more depth, safety, and real-world care? Join Sean Fargo’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program for trauma-informed training, live mentorship, and a global community of mindfulness professionals. 👉 Enroll or learn more: 🔗 mindfulnessexercises.com/certify Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 19 m
  • How to Teach Mindfulness Without Bypassing Trauma

    How to Teach Mindfulness Without Bypassing Trauma
    Jun 30 2025
    Spiritual bypassing can quietly undermine our best intentions as mindfulness teachers — especially when trauma is involved. In this powerful episode, we unpack what it means to teach mindfulness without bypassing trauma, and why it’s so essential to adapt practices for the nervous system needs of trauma survivors. You’ll learn how to recognize subtle signs of trauma activation, adjust language and posture cues for safety, and create mindfulness environments where students feel seen, empowered, and respected. This is an essential listen for any teacher who wants to serve with integrity and avoid causing harm — while also deepening their own self-awareness along the way. 🔹 What spiritual bypassing looks like in mindfulness settings — and how to avoid it 🔹 How trauma impacts the nervous system and why standard practices can backfire 🔹 The most common language mistakes teachers make that unintentionally harm students 🔹 Practical, trauma-sensitive alternatives to traditional meditation cues 🔹 How to foster choice, agency, and psychological safety in every class or session 🔹 Specific red flags that may indicate trauma activation in students 🔹 Real case studies showing how skilled teachers adjusted in the moment 🔹 Why self-awareness, therapy, and ongoing education are essential for mindfulness guides 🔹 Resources and books to further develop trauma-informed teaching 🔹 Encouragement for holding space with humility, presence, and genuine care This is made for: Mindfulness and meditation teachers Therapists and coaches using contemplative tools Yoga and somatic practitioners Healthcare professionals Anyone guiding others through inner work, healing, or stress reduction Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠ Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 m
  • 4 Loving Kindness Meditations In 1

    4 Loving Kindness Meditations In 1
    Jun 27 2025
    This episode is sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification. Register today for 80% off at ⁠⁠⁠https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certify/ In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo guides a heartfelt exploration of loving-kindness—one of the most transformative mindfulness practices for connecting with ourselves and others. Sean shares reflections on what it really means to open the heart, even when we feel resistance, numbness, or emotional pain. This episode includes a guided meditation that weaves together four powerful styles of loving-kindness practice, offering listeners multiple ways to cultivate genuine care, empathy, and connection. Whether you’ve practiced Metta before or are new to it, this episode helps you meet yourself and others with more gentleness, compassion, and curiosity. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ Why loving-kindness can feel uncomfortable or even triggering at timesand how to work skillfully with that✔ How to meet resistance, grief, or doubt with gentle awareness✔ 4 unique ways to guide or practice loving-kindness meditation✔ Why Metta is more than just repeating phrases, it’s about emotional attunement✔ How to offer love to friends, difficult people, and yourself without bypassing pain✔ A complete, guided loving-kindness meditation you can return to anytime 🧘 Want to go deeper into loving-kindness practice and learn how to teach it skillfully? Explore the guest teacher workshop with Donald Rothberg on how to share Metta meditation with others—available inside our members area. Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 m
  • Michelle Maldonado on Mindful Leadership in a Divided World

    Michelle Maldonado on Mindful Leadership in a Divided World
    Jun 20 2025
    This episode is sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification. Register today for 80% off at ⁠⁠https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certify/ In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo speaks with Michelle Maldonado—founder of Lucenscia, leadership coach, Virginia state legislator, and author of The Conscious Mind. Michelle’s path from the corporate world to public service was shaped by a deep desire to bring compassion, clarity, and trauma-awareness into systems that often overlook them. Learning breath awareness as a child to help manage fear and anxiety, she would bring those same tools to her son, helping him navigate stress and emotional overwhelm with presence and compassion and into a political system often driven by reactivity and disconnection. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ How Michelle first learned mindfulness as a child—and how it shaped her early emotional awareness✔ Practical ways she’s taught mindfulness to her son (and how to help children regulate stress with breath)✔ Why she entered politics—and how mindfulness helps her stay grounded while legislating✔ How to spot signs of reactivity in your own body and choose how to respond✔ Why trauma-informed mindfulness is essential for leadership, parenting, and teaching✔ The difference between bypassing discomfort vs. holding it with care✔ How to create psychologically safe spaces at home, at work, and in communities✔ What it looks like to lead from wholeness in real-world, high-stress environments Connect with Michelle: 🔗 Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.lucenscia.com/⁠ 🏢 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellelmaldonado/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle4va Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠ 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 m
  • Breath as Medicine: Anthony Abbagnano on Healing Through the Breath

    Breath as Medicine: Anthony Abbagnano on Healing Through the Breath
    Jun 13 2025
    Discover how conscious connected breathing can guide us from trauma to presence, from chaos to calm. In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo sits down with Anthony Abbagnano—visionary breathwork pioneer, founder of Alchemy of Breath, and author of the upcoming book Outer Chaos, Inner Calm. Together, they explore the profound potential of conscious, connected breathwork to support healing, trauma integration, self-awareness, and spiritual growth. Anthony shares his remarkable journey—from a painful childhood experience in a British boarding school to becoming a global leader in trauma-informed breathwork. Through moving stories, practical insights, and embodied wisdom, Anthony offers a compelling case for why the breath may be the most accessible and transformative tool we have. This is an inspiring conversation for anyone curious about how breath can be used not just to calm the nervous system, but to catalyze deep emotional and spiritual shifts. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ What conscious, connected breath really means and why it’s different from other breathwork✔ How early trauma shaped Anthony’s path to healing through breath✔ The role of breath in navigating grief, anxiety, disconnection, and spiritual reconnection ✔ How breath becomes a mirror and a bridge for the parts of us we forget ✔ Why breathwork can sometimes accelerate healing faster than talk therapy✔ How Anthony trains facilitators through Alchemy of Breath to hold space with depth and integrity Connect with Anthony Abbagnano: 🔗 Website: ⁠https://alchemyofbreath.com/⁠ 📘 His New Book: ⁠https://alchemyofbreath.com/outer-chaos-inner-calm/⁠ 📦 Media Kit: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/jcirdmjuj8neqxuuhn0tg/ANCqVbDwuO0wzVCPNFccnNA?rlkey=ogggp1j5px8t4r0vv05pyshxd&e=2&st=h8u5iif3&dl=0⁠ 📱 Instagram: @alchemyofbreath Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠ 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠. In this heart-centered conversation, Sean Fargo speaks with visionary breathwork teacher Anthony Abbagnano—founder of Alchemy of Breath and ASHA retreat center in Italy. Together they explore how breath connects us to our past, our presence, and the power to transform suffering into resilience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h y 10 m
  • Dr. Judson Brewer on Using Mindfulness to Break Bad Habits for Good

    Dr. Judson Brewer on Using Mindfulness to Break Bad Habits for Good
    Jun 6 2025
    This episode is sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification. Register today for 80% off at https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certify/ In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo sits down with Dr. Judson Brewer—New York Times bestselling author, neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and Director of Research at Brown University's Mindfulness Center. Widely known as “Dr. Jud,” he’s one of the most influential voices in the science of mindfulness-based habit change and anxiety relief. Together, they explore the personal and clinical applications of mindfulness, from Dr. Judd’s early struggles with stress and his first meditation retreat, to groundbreaking research on how informal mindfulness practices can help break cycles of addiction and anxiety. With warmth and insight, Dr. Judd shares real stories from his patients and how practices like breath awareness, RAIN, and noting can rewire the brain toward greater ease and self-regulation. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ The role of informal vs. formal meditation in healing addiction and anxiety ✔ Why “short moments, many times” is more effective than long, infrequent practice ✔ How noting practice interrupts cravings and fosters non-identification ✔ The neuroscience behind habit loops and mindfulness-based behavior change ✔ Ways to bring mindfulness into clinical, secular, and real-life settings Dr. Judd brings both scientific rigor and compassionate wisdom to this conversation, making it a must-listen for mindfulness teachers, healthcare professionals, and anyone who wants to understand how mindfulness rewires the brain for freedom. 🌿 Tune in for an inspiring journey from stress and skepticism to clarity and change. Connect with Dr. Judson Brewer: 🔗 Website: drjud.com 📘 Books: Unwinding Anxiety, The Craving Mind, The Hunger Habit 🎥 TED Talk: A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit 📱 Instagram: @dr.jud Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠mindfulnessexercises.com Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community Instagram: ⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises LinkedIn: ⁠Mindfulness Exercises Facebook: ⁠Exercising Mindfulness 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 m
  • Sophie Chiche on How to Do More of What Matters

    Sophie Chiche on How to Do More of What Matters
    May 31 2025
    This episode is sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification. Register today for 80% off at https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certify/ In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo sits down with Sophie Chiche—life strategist, therapist, author, TEDx speaker, and founder of several impactful ventures dedicated to helping people live with more purpose and play. Sophie shares her path from trading pencils in the sandbox as a child to building multi-million dollar businesses and facilitating sessions alongside global icons like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. With humor and raw honesty, she dives into what it really means to do “more of what matters” in a world filled with distraction and pressure. Sean and Sophie explore how mindfulness intersects with accountability, creativity, and emotional awareness and why giving yourself permission to rest is more than just a luxury. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ Why doing “more of what matters” requires inner alignment, not just better productivity ✔ How mindfulness supports radical personal accountability ✔ The difference between “mental health” and true inner freedom ✔ What it means to show up in the world as your whole self ✔ How play and joy can be integrated into meaningful work Sophie brings fierce intelligence and lighthearted wisdom to this conversation, reminding us that the deepest healing often begins with being radically honest with ourselves, and each other. 🌿 Tune in for a refreshing take on presence, purpose, and play. Connect with Sophie: Website - sophiechiche.com Podcast - beplaylove.com ⁠LinkedIn - Sophie Chiche Instagram - @sophiechiche Media kit Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave us a review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice! 🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals: Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠ Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises 🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 m