Balanced Mind with Julie Potiker

Using your breath, breathe in peace and hope through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with a reading of the poem, "Hope", by Lisel Mueller."Hope", by Lisel Mueller

It hovers in dark cornersbefore the lights are turned on,it shakes sleep from its eyesand drops from mushroom gills,it explodes in the starry headsof dandelions turned sages,it sticks to the wings of green angelsthat sail from the tops of maples.It sprouts in each occluded eyeof the many-eyed potato,it lives in each earthworm segmentsurviving cruelty,it is the motion that runs the tail of a dog,it is the mouth that inflates the lungsof the child that has just been born.It is the singular giftwe cannot destroy in ourselves,the argument that refutes death,the genius that invents the future,all we know of God.It is the serum which makes us swearnot to betray one another;it is in this poem, trying to speak.

-Hope, by Lisel Mueller

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Find a quiet place to settle into your own stillness through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Natural Silence", by James Crews.Natural Silence, by James CrewsIt's not easy to find the silencebehind traffic noise and the rush of a jetdragging its contrails through the sky.But here it is again in the in-between,when I learn to listen long enoughto the call-and-response of birdsong,to wind pulsing in the canopies of trees,and every wing-flutter of the phoebewho's built her cup of a nest out of mossand mud beneath the eaves of our house.I know the stillness will last for justa few beats before the roar of a Harleytakes over, and a tractor rumbles throughthe rocky field outside my window.So I sink into it while I can, as I do into waterso clean and clear, for a moment at leastI swear I can see to the bottom of everything.-Natural Silence, by James Crews (from "Unlocking the Heart; Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Self-Compassion", by James Crews).

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

While sitting in quiet meditation - bring in phrases of loving kindness to yourself; may I be safe, may I be happy, and may I find moments of ease. Julie Potiker completes the meditation with the poem, "Choices", by James Crews."Choices", by James CrewsYou can grieve the leaves strippedfrom the maple, all that emptyspace between bare branches,or you can bless the abundanceof light shining through, buffingthe pine boards of the floor untilthey turn the color of clover honey.You can mourn the cone-flowersnow shriveled and brown, saythe whole world’s gone to ruin,or you can stand at the windowwatching the lively yellow blossomof a goldfinch feasting on eachcrown of seeds, sending more thana few back home, down intothe open ground, which knowshow to receive them.—James Crews

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Take some time to slow down your mind and your body - as you sit, relax and breath through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with her poem, "Self-Care.""Self-Care", by Julie PotikerSelf-care is in my spine, stampedin my vertebrae after a decadeof teaching mindful self-compassion.It keeps my skeleton fro collapsingin a heap on the earth when disaster strikes.It raises me a little taller when joy, awe,or ecstasy bursts out of me like a hoseaimed at a five-alarm fire. It saved my life,this practice of seeing and allowing all of me,the jagged and sticky bits included.It orients me to a wider lens, my feetin other shoes, with an impulse to help,if i can. The nuts-and-bolts changebased on circumstance, but there areconstraints - the breath, feet rootedon solid ground, hand on heart, prayersspooling out, connecting with peoplewho love me and whom i love,and remembering I belong, I am enough,I am complete -- and so are you.

"Self-Care", by Julie Potiker

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Slow down and connect to yourself and the beauty that surrounds around you through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Watson", by Julia Fehrenbacher.

"Watson", by Julia Fehrenbacher.I'm pretty sure our new kitten thingsour middle-aged dog is his mama.At first, he hissed and made himself bigwhenever he saw her, but nowhe nestles into the warm curveof her belly and purrs. He evencloses his eyes while shelicks him clean.The other day, he helped himselfinto the pantry, and, I swear, triedto open the doggy jerkyfor his new mama. After dinnerthey chase balls and each otheraround the house untilone of them has to lie down.Two entirely different speciesshowing us what love looks like,teaching us how to hissless, how to purr more.

-"Watson", by Julia Fehrenbacher.

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Compassion is the focus of this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. Breath in compassion for yourself - and out for others. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Komorebi," by James Crews.

Komorebi, by James Crews

For what must have been a full minutein the spacious eternity of an eveningat the ragged end of summer, I stoodin the kitchen as the sun dropped downbehind the trees at the exact right placefor it to dance, shadow and light, acrossthe swirled grain of the maple counter.The Japanese call it komorebi, this playof sunshine breaking through the gapsin leaves, now dappling my hand as Ireach for my mug of tea. One of thosecountless small miracles we seldom thingto name in English, a simple rewardfor laying down the knife and leavinga carrot half-chopped on the cutting board,to be heard for at least this one out ofthe 1440 minutes I was granted today.

-Komorebi, by James Crews.

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

The focus of this guided meditation is healing - through breathing. Julie Potiker completes the meditation with the poem," We Were Made for This," by Julia Fehrenbacher.

We Were Made for This, by Julia FehrenbacherI want to fill this spacewith words that will erase the distancebetween your certainty and minemake room under the big, empty skyfor grace to sit, move closeruntil skin touches skin, eyes see eyes.Maybe we can take a good, deepbreath, clear body and mind of allthat’s come before. Promiseto pay attention, to stay—especially when it hurts.Maybe this time we will seethat it has nothingto do with who we’ve beenor who we think we areand everythingto do with being fiercely here—like breath is for life. Yes,like that.Maybe—perhaps, we can beginand begin again with—I don’t know. Seethat it takes just one step towardto erase the distancethat was only ever a thought.Dinner is on the stove, will you join me?

©Julia Fehrenbacherwww.juliafehrenbacher.com

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Join Julie Potiker as she leads you through this guided meditation where you will use your breath to relax - and focus on what it is you need right now. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Rose-Breasted", by Kai Coggin, from the book, "Mother of Other Kingdoms, poems by Kai Coggin".

"Rose-Breasted", by Kai Coggin(for Pheucticus Iudovicianus)To be rose-breastedmpas in the grosbeak that gracedthe feeder today on my lunch breath,me, in my teaching clothes, bright red beret,black shirt buttoned to my neck covered in roses,somehow a reflection before this auspicious landing.I sit on the bed with my shoes on because I have to leave again soon--my wife has been sneezing and coughing, so I brought her a pharmacy runof cough drops allergy meds Kleenex, and from bed she's been watchingthe spring migration landing outside our bedroom window.I bring both our binoculars to bed and for a moment here we are,lunch-break lovebirds peering close and hopeful, and there!A sudden flash of black white and roses - he lands!A rare vibrant specimen, gorgeous Rose-breasted Grosbeak,his feathersred like summer tomatoesred like fire-engine crya red blazing sunrise cutting through the skyand I've been teaching simile and metaphor all morningto fourth-graders at the school down the road,so all I see are figurative languages in the way he perches there--a rose blooming in mid air,the roses on my shirt,the roses in my heart rising,rose-breasted chest bested onlyby this flying mirrored birdsongquiet flutterfeeding on seeds during my lunch-breakour binoculars glinting in the noonday sun.

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

In this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker you will focus on breathing goodness in - and out. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Holding the Light", by Stuart Kestenbaum 

Holding the Light, by Stuart Kestenbaum.

Gather up whatever is glittering in the gutter,whatever has tumbled in the waves or fallen in flames out of the sky,for it’s not only ourhearts that are broken, but the heartof the world as well.Stitch it back together. Make a place wherethe day speaks to the nightand the earth speaks to the sky.Whether we created Godor God created usit all comes down to this:In our imperfect worldwe are meant to repairand stitch together what beauty there is, stitch it with compassion and wire. See how everything we have made gathers the light inside itselfand overflows?A blessing.

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

In this episode of Balanced Mind - Julie Potiker leads you through a quiet compassion meditation. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Awakening", by Vera Haldy-Regier.Awakening, by Vera Haldy-RegierOh, lilacs,once again, your splendordelights my senses and speaksof the many past spring times of youththat promised lo ve, lifted my heartand then dashed it into the heat of summerwith all its sensual excessolder and furrowed now,I apologize for the gratitudenot then spokenwagering you would return unbiddenas though you were unexceptionalwiser now, I embrace your exceptional fragranceand dare not pluck your blossomsfrom the wood that streams its lifeinstead, I plant my humble basiland know the scent it will bestow on my evening mealand the delight it will impart towanderers who know basil-worthin its singular deep green time.-Awakening, by Vera Haldy-Regier

Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.