In recent years, mental health professionals have raised the alarm about the growing epidemic of loneliness. Millions of people feel separated and isolated, even when they are surrounded by colleagues or thousands of social media acquaintances. 

In today’s guided practice, Shelly Harrell offers one mindful approach that can counteract this sense of lonely atomization. It is the South African greeting of Sawubona, which carries an intentional willingness to see and to be seen, in our fullness, vulnerability, mutual belonging, and radiance.  

This meditation is part of our Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement series, where we will be sharing guided practices from the women featured in our 2025 special edition of Mindful magazine. 

If you’d like the transcription of this guided meditation, it will be online on Mindful.org next week. 

Curious about the many benefits of being a member? Learn about our new subscription tiers and join Mindful here.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Join our community by signing up for our free newsletter, where we share compelling insights and actionable ideas to enrich your everyday life. Connect with us at mindful.org/signup.

Show Notes

Find more from Shelly Harrell here:

• The Soulfulness Center
• You can read Dr. Harrell’s story on Mindful.org, where we interviewed her for our 2025 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement feature.

And more from Mindful here:

• More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing [email protected].