Centered in the City

Have you ever said, "I know meditation is good for me, but I just can't seem to stick with it"? Or maybe you've tried meditating before and found yourself wondering:

• Am I doing this right?
• Why can't I stop thinking?
• How long am I supposed to meditate?
• What if I'm too restless to sit still?

If so, you're not alone.

In this week's episode of Centered in the City, I'm answering some of the most common questions people have about mindfulness and meditation. Whether you're completely new to meditation or you've started and stopped more times than you can count, this episode will help you approach meditation with less pressure and more confidence.

You'll learn why meditation isn't about clearing your mind, what to do when thoughts inevitably arise, how long you really need to meditate to experience benefits, and simple ways to build a sustainable practice that works for your life.

The truth is, meditation is not about becoming a different person. It's about developing a deeper awareness of yourself and learning how to meet life's challenges with greater presence, clarity, and compassion.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• What meditation actually is (and what it isn't)
• Why having thoughts during meditation is completely normal
• The biggest misconception that keeps people from starting
• How long beginners should meditate
• Different types of meditation and how to find the right fit
• Practical tips for creating a consistent meditation habit
• The science-backed benefits of mindfulness and meditation

Next Steps:

• Share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade
• Check out free meditation resources to start or begin again with your meditation practice.
• Join us for the SOULstice Retreat on June 14th.
• Download Centered Walks right to your phone here.
• Order my book, 100 Mindful Moments to Balance & Energize here.
• Get on the waitlist for future Mindfulness Retreats

What happens when you step outside your normal life for three months?

In this episode, I'm reflecting on my recent chapter living abroad in Spain and sharing the lessons, surprises, challenges, and moments of growth that emerged along the way.

Whether you've dreamed of living abroad, are navigating a life transition, or simply feel the pull to slow down and live more intentionally, I hope this conversation offers encouragement and reflection for your own journey.

In This Episode, I Explore:

• Why I chose to spend three months living in Spain
• The unexpected challenges of uncertainty and constant decision-making
• How travel can reveal the patterns and habits we don't always notice at home
• The lessons of Spanish culture I am integrating into my life

Connect with Wade:

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message on Instagram @OneWade or join and reply to my newsletter and share: What's one thing you're longing to bring more of into your life right now?

And if you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who could use a reminder that sometimes the biggest transformations happen when we step outside our familiar routines.

Take the FREE Overwhelm Archetype Quiz here

Join me in Seattle on June 14th for the day-long SOULstice Mindfulness and Meditation Reretreat

In this episode, I explore a different approach to resilience—one rooted not in pushing harder, but in softening into strength.

Many of us were taught that resilience means holding it all together, staying productive, and bouncing back as quickly as possible. But what if true strength isn't found in force? What if resilience is built through self-trust, presence, rest, and the courage to stay connected to yourself during life's hardest moments?

Drawing from personal experiences with grief, healing, uncertainty, and recovery, I share how softening helped me cultivate a deeper sense of resilience and inner safety. This episode is an invitation to release the pressure to be unshakable and instead discover the quiet power of self-compassion, nervous system regulation, and beginning again.

Inside this episode:

• Why "pushing through" can disconnect us from ourselves
• The connection between softness and self-trust
• How nervous system regulation supports resilience
• Why rest is a resilience practice
• A new definition of strength during seasons of uncertainty
• The four Rs of Resilience
• Reflective questions to help you reconnect with yourself

Whether you are navigating burnout, grief, overwhelm, change, or simply feeling stretched thin by life, this conversation offers a grounded reminder that resilience does not require hardness. You do not need to force your way forward.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may need this reminder today and share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade.

Resources mentioned:

Overwhelm Achretype FREE Quiz - understand your primary patterns.

Join me for a day-long mindfulness retreat in Seattle to support you softening into your strength. Learn more and sign-up here.

Regulate your nercous system with Centered Walks or additional resources on Centered in the City

Do you finally sit down to rest, only to feel restless, guilty, or anxious?

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode I explore why slowing down can feel surprisingly uncomfortable and why so many of us feel a constant pressure to stay productive. Drawing on nervous system regulation, IFS and mindfulness, I unpack the deeper reasons behind our "addiction to doing" and offers practical tools to help you create a healthier relationship with rest.

If you've ever wondered:

• Why do I feel guilty when I'm not working?
• Why can't I relax, even when I'm exhausted?
• Why does being busy make me feel more in control?
• How do I stop tying my worth to what I accomplish?

This episode is for you.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How dopamine reinforces the habit of constant productivity
• Why the Default Mode Network becomes more active when you slow down
• How perfectionism and contingent self-worth fuel overwork
• The difference between being busy and being fulfilled
• How mindfulness helps regulate the nervous system and build comfort with stillness
• A simple reflection practice to uncover what you truly need

Join me in Seattle on June 14th for a SOULstice Day-long retreat. This is an opportunity to rest, receive and regulate your nervous system out of all the doing and activation of modern day life. There are limited spots so if you are interested, learn more and sign up here.

Resources:

• 100 Mindful Moments to Balance and Energize by Wade Brill
• Centered Walks: Guided walking meditations
• Overwhelm Archetype Quiz
• 1:1 Mindfulness Coaching with Wade. Sign up for a Connection Call to explore if working together is a fit.

Loved This Episode?

If this conversation resonated, please:

• Follow Centered in the City
• Leave a review on your favorite podcast app
• Share this episode with someone who needs permission to rest

Connect with Wade

• Instagram: @OneWade
• Website: centeredinthecity.com / / WadeBrill.com

Mother's Day can be a tender and complicated time, especially for those navigating life as a motherless daughter. In this episode, we explore the true importance of celebration as a meaningful practice of presence, healing, and self-compassion. You'll learn how to honor your experience, redefine celebration on your own terms, and create rituals that support you through grief and growth.

What You'll Learn:

• How grief can show up around Mother's Day
• Mindful ways to honor your mother and yourself
• Simple rituals for healing and reflection
• How to navigate holidays when they feel heavy

Share with me how you plan to celebrate your mama this Mother's Day on Instagram @OneWade.

Need time to tend to yourself? Take yourself on a Grief Walk. This is one of the guided walking meditations I have in the Centered Walks collection. Learn more and download here.

Curious to work together 1:1 schedule a complimentary connection call here.

Do you feel mentally exhausted but can't seem to shut your mind off? Even in moments of rest, your thoughts keep racing, pulling you out of the present moment.

In this episode, we explore how to find quiet in a loud, overstimulating world—without needing to escape your life or add another overwhelming self-care routine.

You'll learn simple, practical mindfulness tools to help you step out of autopilot, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with a calmer, clearer version of yourself. These practices are designed for real life—whether you're walking through a busy city, working on your computer, or moving through a full schedule.

If you've been craving more presence, more space in your mind, and a deeper sense of inner calm, this episode will show you how to access it—one small moment at a time.

This episode is for you if you:

• Feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, or mentally drained
• Struggle to slow down or "turn off" your thoughts
• Live in a busy environment and crave more calm
• Want to feel more present but keep slipping into autopilot
• Are looking for simple, realistic mindfulness practices

Want to go deeper? Join me for Mindfulness in May: Bloom into Presence. This is a month-long mindfulness program to help you bring more presence to your life. Sign up here.

Share your takeaways from this episode with me on Instagram @OneWade.

In today's episode, Kathryn shares her powerful journey of learning how to live truthfully and authentically. What began in an acting class became a profound awakening—guiding her into deeper self-awareness, emotional vulnerability, and a more fully alive way of being.

After building a successful corporate career and rising to the role of Vice President, Kathryn came face-to-face with a difficult truth: the path she was on no longer aligned with who she truly was. In this honest and inspiring conversation, we explore what it means to listen to your inner voice, navigate major life transitions, and choose truth over external success.

If you're feeling stuck, disconnected, or questioning your current path, this episode will remind you that it's possible to reconnect with yourself and create a life that feels true, aligned, and deeply fulfilling. Share your takeaways with us on Instagram @OneWade and @KathrynFlaschner

Curious to start or deepen your meditation practice? Join me for Mindfulness in May is a guided, month-long experience to help you reclaim your attention, calm your nervous system, and move through your days with more presence, clarity, and self-compassion.

Take my FREE Overwhelm Archetype Quiz and learn how you can more skillfully navigate overwhelm and your patterns.

*****

Kathryn Flaschner spent a decade in brand strategy, building global offerings for companies like Walmart and Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine — reaching Vice President by 30 — before leaving to ask the question at the heart of her own work: what happens when you stop performing success and start listening for what's true? That question became The Truth Is, a podcast exploring the examined life through long-form conversation, and Truth Circles, a coaching and facilitation practice built around the same premise. She's also an actor, writer, and yoga and meditation teacher, and believes the most important intelligence isn't in our heads. The Truth Is Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thetruthis_podcast The Truth Is Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetruthis_podcast/ Substack: https://substack.com/@kathrynflaschner

Step into the season of renewal with this guided springtime walking meditation designed to help you slow down, reconnect with your body, and cultivate mindful presence.

In this episode, you'll be gently guided through a walking meditation practice that invites you to awaken your senses, regulate your nervous system, and release stress as you move. Whether you're walking through nature, a city street, or simply pacing indoors, this mindfulness practice will support you in feeling more grounded, calm, and alive.

Spring is a powerful time to reset your energy, let go of what feels heavy, and open yourself to new possibilities. This walking meditation helps you align with that natural rhythm—one step at a time.

Perfect for beginners and experienced meditators alike, this practice can be done anytime you need a mindful reset.

Benefits of Walking Meditation:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Supports emotional regulation
• Improves focus and mental clarity
• Enhances mind-body connection
• Helps you feel more present and less rushed

Want to bring more mindfulness into your life? Join me for the Mindfulness in May: Bloom into Presence month-long program. When you join you will have the opportunity to deepen, reconnect to or start a meditation practice.

You will learn how to:

• How to be consistent with your practice
• Be in realtionship to your thoughts and emotions in more skillful ways
• How to bring mindfulness into your every day life
• How to support yourself managing stress and overwhelm

What does it really feel like to move abroad, start a family, and build a life in a new culture?

In today's episode, Anna Preston joins us for a soulful and honest conversation about navigating major life transitions with presence and alignment. From relocating to Europe to growing her family, Anna shares what it takes to stay grounded through uncertainty, change, and the emotional ups and downs of everyday life.

We explore the cultural differences between American and Spanish/European lifestyles, and how shifting away from a high-achieving, fast-paced mindset can open the door to a more balanced, connected, and fulfilling way of living.

Inside this episode, we talk about:

• Moving abroad and adjusting to a new culture
• Motherhood and identity shifts
• Mindfulness practices for staying grounded during change
• The tension between striving vs. slowing down
• How to build community and ask for support in a new place
• Letting go of pressure and embracing a more present, authentic life

If you're navigating a life transition, craving a slower pace, or seeking ways to stay centered in the midst of change, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Join Anna (@AnnaPreston__) and Wade (@OneWade) on Instagram to share your takeaways.

Want to start or deepen your mindfulness and meditation practice? Join me for Mindfulness in May. Sign up for early bird pricing. ***** Anna is a life coach supporting therapists, practitioners, and women to take up space, trust themselves, and build lives that feel aligned. She is the founder of WIILD Co., a community offering retreats, movement, and spaces for meaningful connection. Sign up for her women's spring backpacking retreats in ojai, ca April 25-26 or May 16-17: https://thrivexwiild.carrd.co/

Wearables like the Oura Ring and continuous glucose monitors (like Lingo) promise clarity—better sleep, balanced blood sugar, and optimized energy.

In this episode, I share my personal experience using wearables—what surprised me, what supported me, and what quietly started to pull me out of alignment.

Because while these tools can offer powerful insight into your body… they can also lead you to second-guessing it.

In this episode, I explore how to use wearable data in a way that supports your nervous system, deepens your self-awareness, and strengthens your intuition—rather than outsourcing your power to a score, a number, or an app.

If you've ever checked your readiness score and let it define your day… or questioned your food choices because of a glucose spike… this conversation is for you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• How I personally use the Oura Ring and glucose monitors (and where I've had to create boundaries)
• The subtle ways wearable data can disconnect you from your body
• A mindful framework to use wearables without increasing anxiety
• How to shift from control → curiosity → self-trust

Take a listen and share your takeaways with me on Instagram @OneWade. Drop me a message here.

Want to add more movement in your life? Download your Centered Walks Here to get out of your head and into your body.