We have arrived to Week 7 of The Artful Path to Mindfulness, where we are guided into a sacred pause. And I, for one, am grateful for it at the end of a long, hot summer of busy yang energy. To quote Bilbo Baggins, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.”

And that’s okay.

Mindfulness doesn’t mean we’re always peachy and zippy. Instead, we allow ourselves to “feel it all” while acknowledging the impermanence of our emotions. Emotions are important information, but they don’t define us. They’re just part of being human.

Feeling everything can be uncomfortable though, which I think is reflected in Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Summer Day.” Being still or quiet or alone sometimes reminds of our own impermanence, of the quick passage of time, the beauty and the difficulty of being human.

This week, we’re being gently invited to lean into that discomfort. To listen to our bodies and our lives with compassion. Daily for 40 minutes and then to take an extended day for ourselves.

To help you hold space, I’ve recorded this 40-minute practice that includes a guided meditation, gentle yoga practice, and journaling prompts. You can watch it each morning as your daily pause or use the video once as a jumping off point to inspire your unique, personal daily practice.

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And if the invitation from Week 7 to also take an entire day for yourself leaves you feeling like, “Who has time for that?!”, consider seriously how you can take a longer pause for yourself. It doesn’t have to be a full day, and it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. For myself, I’ll be borrowing a quiet, empty house from a friend who’s moved away and not yet sold her home.

Here are a few more ideas on how to get a break this week that won’t cost you much (if anything):

* Go to a coffee shop (Panera serves all 3 meals)

* Book a study room at the library

* Keep a friend’s pets company for the day while they’re at work

* Wander in the woods

* Pitch a tent or hammock beside a lake in a local park

* Find a camper/RV no one is using

* Drive to the beach/mountains, go for a walk, and drive back—in silence

Whether you take an entire day to yourself or a few hours, you will come away from the experience more centered and grounded and less frazzled. I guarantee it from my own personal experience. Something shifts the moment you decide to step away with intention.

Not sure what to do with open time? Use the guide in the book on pages 132-133.

Then join me this Thursday night from 7-8:30 for a free Community Reset. Find more information and register below.

Thank you for joining me on this 9 week journey in whatever way you’ve been able. We’re really getting into the good stuff now—the fruition of an entire summer of coming back to ourselves with creative, mindful intention. Let’s finish strong!

Namasté friends,

As always, let me know if there’s anything else we can do to support you. Leave a comment for the group below or, if you have a paid subscription, drop your artwork or comments in the community chat.

Join me for a sacred pause this Thursday night. We’ll move. We’ll rest. We’ll reflect on what’s most important in this moment. It’s free on Zoom.

Enjoy the daily practice recording? Watch for the launch of my newly updated and improved On-Demand Video Library — coming in September.

Whether you're looking for a short grounding practice, a full yoga class, 4-week creativity and yoga series, or recordings of my most popular Insight Timer classes, you'll find a growing collection of recordings to meet your needs.

Stream anytime, anywhere for just $20/ month or $100/ 6 months.

Welcome to Week Two of The Artful Path to Mindfulness—this week is all about acceptance.

So, what is acceptance? It’s not about giving up or being passive. It’s about loosening our grip—on rigid thinking, harsh self-judgment, and the need to control everything. It’s choosing to meet the present moment as it is, rather than wishing it were different.

Of course, wanting change is human—and healthy. But real growth starts by being honest about where we are right now.

We spend a lot of energy avoiding discomfort, but often, that discomfort is what helps us grow. In my own creative practice, I’ve seen how easy it is to get stuck in the past or lost in the future. While imagination and reflection matter, they can also pull us away from what’s happening right here, right now.

As Janet Slom writes in Week Two, “Mindfulness is about loosening the need for control and for things to be a certain way; instead it is spaciously receiving all experience—even challenging moments and times of loss—as an integral part of life.”

When we meet the moment with curiosity instead of judgment, something shifts. We start to feel more grounded, more clear, and more alive.

How about you? How does acceptance show up in your life these days? What helps you stay present when things feel uncomfortable or uncertain?

Please note: FI’ve opened comments on the posts for this series to all subscribers. Chat is still open separately for paid subscribers.

Body scan meditation and art journaling practice

In Week One, you may have completed the body scan activity, which Slom recommends you do each week of the course. (Or you may have done a body scan meditation and mindful art activity with me before.) This activity will help you practice acceptance and present-moment awareness through connecting with your breath and recognizing bodily sensations.

Supplies: art journal or paper, pens/markers/colored pencils

Time: 15 minutes

Instructions:

* Find a quiet space to sit.

* Complete the 5-minute body scan meditation above.

* When you’re finished, draw a ‘gingerbread person’ outline of a body—head, neck, torso, arms, hands etc. Leave plenty of space inside the lines.

* Use colors, marks, symbols, and words to draw inside and around the body outline. Describe what you found during the body scan. See example below.

* Reflect in your journal. Ask:

* What came up for you? What was pleasant? Unpleasant? Can you make space for both?

* What is the connection between your drawing and the sensations you found?

* Were you aware of any thoughts/emotions/memories?

* Does this experience hold a message for you?

Repeat this practice as many times as you’d like during the 9-weeks of Artful Path to Mindfulness.

Mindfulness tips from week two

Let’s connect

Share your experience of the body scan meditation activity or weeks one and two in the comments. Which activities have you chosen to complete? What have you learned? Have there been any surprises?

Summer can be full—especially if you have kids at home—but that doesn’t mean your creativity and self-care have to slip away. Slom’s workbook offers gentle structure and inspiration to help you build a mindful, creative habit at your own pace.

We’re starting this week and will wrap up by the end of August. I’ll check in weekly with encouragement and space to connect.

Join in when you’re ready—and let’s play!