Former Buddhist monk and Mindfulness Exercises founder Sean Fargo lays out a clear, compassionate roadmap for teaching mindfulness and meditation — with confidence, credibility, and heart. Drawing from his journey (from cloistered practice to prisons, clinics, classrooms, and companies), Sean distills what actually works so you can help others be more present, resilient, and self‑compassionate—without overcomplicating the practice.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why compassion is the foundation of every effective mindfulness teaching

A simple way to meet fear, judgment, and imposter feelings—and keep going

How to introduce mindfulness experientially (story → teach → tool)

Three techniques to make it practical and relevant: prepare, listen, ask

The templates & credentials that open doors (e.g., MBI‑TAC, Search Inside Yourself)

How to find your voice for guiding meditations (and a non‑fussy recording setup)

Essentials of trauma‑sensitive mindfulness and the window of tolerance

The #1 long‑term success factor: community and consistent teaching practice

Mentioned resources: A Clinician’s Guide to Teaching Mindfulness; Learn to Teach Meditation and Mindfulness; MBI‑TAC; David Treleaven’s Trauma‑Sensitive Mindfulness; Peter Levine’s Waking the Tiger; Search Inside Yourself; Insight Timer.

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When I first started teaching mindfulness, I thought I had to sound wise, calm, and enlightened — like a “real” teacher.

But one unexpected moment — in a tiny community room in Berkeley — changed everything I thought I knew about guiding others in mindfulness.

In this episode, I share the hidden truth I discovered after years living as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and training more than 30,000 mindfulness teachers around the world:

You’ll hear:

If you’ve ever wondered, “Who am I to teach mindfulness?” — this episode is for you.

Listen and Subscribe:

Learn more:

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In this Mindfulness Exercises Podcast episode, Sean Fargo sits down with Mark Walsh, founder of Embodiment Unlimited, to explore the profound connection between mindfulness, embodiment, and trauma-informed coaching.

Mark is a leading voice in embodied mindfulness, known for blending humor, honesty, and heart-centered awareness into the worlds of coaching, somatic psychology, and body-based transformation.Together, Sean and Mark dive into practical, embodied tools for:

They also explore Mark’s 26-Pose Embodied Toolkit, discuss embodiment in war zones and leadership, and challenge the rise of politicized mindfulness with curiosity and courage.

👉 If you’re a coach, counselor, mindfulness teacher, or healer seeking to integrate embodied awareness into your work, this conversation will inspire new depth, courage, and laughter on your journey.

00:00 – Introduction

02:37 - Mark’s story from addiction to martial arts and mindfulness

06:25 - The mental health cost of disembodiment

07:01 - What Presence Really Means

9:51 - Simple practices to reconnect with the body

15:16 - Meeting fear and discomfort with compassion

21:14 - The politics of Mindfulness

23:20 - Practical ways to explore posture and awareness

28:48 - Bringing embodiment into coaching and leadership

The Embodiment Coaching Channel

The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

⁠Certification of Embodiment Coaching (CEC)

⁠⁠⁠The Top 12 Embodiment Coaching Techniques eBook⁠

Feral Philosophy

🧘 Want to teach mindfulness with skill, depth, and compassion?

Join Sean Fargo’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program to access live mentorship, trauma-sensitive training, and a global network of mindfulness professionals.

👉 Learn more or enroll here:🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/certify⁠⁠⁠⁠

Enjoyed this episode?

⭐  Please take a moment to leave a 5-star review and share how mindfulness enhances your personal or professional practice!

🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Keywords

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In this episode of Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo, Sean explores how mindfulness can transform the way we set and communicate boundaries.

Saying “no” doesn’t have to come from guilt or fear—it can arise from awareness, care, and self-respect.

Sean guides listeners through a 10-minute meditation to sense the body’s inner “yes” and “no,” offering practical scripts for real-life situations and trauma-sensitive tips for mindfulness teachers, therapists, and coaches.

Listeners will learn how to recognize their limits, express needs with compassion, and maintain relationships rooted in authenticity and presence.

Tune in to experience how mindful boundaries can bring more balance, integrity, and peace into your daily life.

https://mindfulnessexercises.com/

Timestamps:

Keywords:

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In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo talks with Dr. Stefanie Broes, founder and CEO of Moonbird, about how tactile, screen-free technology can help us reconnect with the body through mindful breathing.

Moonbird is a handheld device that literally breathes with you—expanding and contracting in your hand to guide calm, slow breathing for stress relief, better sleep, and heart-rate-variability (HRV) coherence. https://www.moonbird.life/

Sean and Stefanie explore the science and simplicity behind breathwork, how therapists and counselors are using Moonbird in clinical settings, and why a tactile approach can make mindfulness more accessible for children and adults alike.

Listen in to learn how mindful breathing transforms anxiety, improves emotional regulation, and strengthens our connection between mind and body—one conscious breath at a time.

🔗 Learn more: mindfulnessexercises.com/podcast

Keywords: mindful breathing, breathwork, HRV, sleep, stress relief, mindfulness tools, trauma-sensitive mindfulness, Moonbird, Stefanie Broes, Sean Fargo, breathing device, counselors, therapists, anxiety support, mindfulness exercises podcast

🕒 Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Welcome to the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In this episode of the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo explores how to lead trauma-sensitive body scan meditations with compassion, choice, and safety. Designed for mindfulness teachers, coaches, therapists, and wellness professionals, this session offers practical tools for guiding clients who may carry trauma in their bodies.

Discover how to balance awareness with grounding, introduce choice and agency, and cultivate safety in every meditation experience. Sean also walks you through a full trauma-sensitive body scan practice—helping you embody these teachings yourself before sharing them with others.

If you’re a mindfulness or meditation teacher, this episode will deepen your understanding of how trauma impacts the body and how to create inclusive, healing spaces for your clients.

00:01 — Introduction: Why trauma-sensitive practices matter for mindfulness professionals

01:30 — The Impact of Trauma on the Body: Understanding vigilance, numbness, and tension

02:40 — Gratitude & Self-Compassion: Gentle practices to shift from scarcity to abundance

03:54 — Mindful Movement: How physical awareness supports grounding and safety

05:35 — Preparing for the Body Scan: Setting up comfort, safety, and empowerment

06:25 — Guided Body Scan Begins: Step-by-step awareness from head to toe

11:08 — Grounding & Safety Techniques: Using breath and gravity as anchors

13:30 — Pendulation: Moving between comfort and discomfort with care

14:43 — Empowering Client Choice: Restoring agency and safety in the body

15:59 — Working with Emotions: Welcoming sensations with curiosity and compassion

19:02 — Titration & Pacing: Introducing small doses of attention safely

20:32 — Rupture & Repair: Reestablishing trust when difficulty arises

22:44 — Subtle Energy Awareness: Sensing life force within the body

23:22 — Integrating Practice into Daily Life: Micro meditations and mindful pauses

24:47 — Closing Reflections: Healing as integration, not erasure

Trauma-sensitive mindfulness prioritizes safety, choice, and empowerment.

Techniques like pendulation and titration help clients regulate and stay present.

Your own embodied awareness is essential to guide others effectively.

Healing is not about erasing the past—it’s about integrating and transforming it with compassion.

If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Subscribe for more free teachings and meditations at MindfulnessExercises.com.

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When pain shows up in practice, it can feel overwhelming but it can also be a doorway to deeper awareness.

This is an excerpt from our Community Gathering wherein a student opens up about the challenge of neck pain becoming overwhelming during meditation. Rather than offering a quick fix, Sean Fargo invites a gentler approach: turning toward discomfort with curiosity and compassion instead of resistance or judgment.

This conversation is a reminder that pain in meditation isn’t a barrier to practice, but an opportunity to deepen presence, patience, and care.

Chapters

00:00 – The Question

01:51 – Resources for Pain & Mindfulness

03:27 – Pain vs. Suffering

04:54 – Approaching with Gentleness

06:48 – Exploring the Geography of Pain

08:50 – Visualization & Self-Compassion

10:41 – Movement Practices

11:48 – The Mantra of Softening

🧘 Want to teach mindfulness with skill, depth, and compassion?

Join Sean Fargo’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program to access live mentorship, trauma-sensitive training, and a global network of mindfulness professionals.

👉 Learn more or enroll here:🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠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:

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In this powerful conversation from the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast, Sean Fargo speaks with Julie Lythcott-Haims — New York Times bestselling author, activist, politician, and former Stanford dean — about how mindfulness can help us face shame, rewrite old stories, and create space for authentic belonging.

Julie shares how she first discovered mindfulness in her 30s, how body awareness helped her get out of her own way, and how storytelling became a tool for healing unprocessed pain. She reflects on writing Real American, her memoir on race and belonging, and the liberation that came from releasing stories she had carried for decades.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro

04:11 – mindfulness as a path to self-awareness

06:40 – Writing as emotional release

10:35 – Holding space with compassion

14:41 – The courage of vulnerability

21:16 – Helicopter Parenting: lesson in parenting and self-growth

30:25 – Post-It notes of connection

33:00 – Freeing others through your story

36:57 – Releasing fear and finding courage to be seen

38:25 – A moment of belonging with a taxi driver

41:03 – Building bridges across difference

46:25 – Living authentically with compassion

Julie Lythcott-Haims: julielythcotthaims.com

Substack: julielythcotthaims.substack.com

TED Talk: How to Raise an Adult

Books: How to Raise an Adult, Real American, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult

🧘 Want to teach mindfulness with skill, depth, and compassion?

Join Sean Fargo’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program to access live mentorship, trauma-sensitive training, and a global network of mindfulness professionals.

👉 Learn more or enroll here:🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠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:

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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At some point in practice, many of us wonder: Why does it feel like I’m not growing anymore?

In this excerpt from our Community Gathering Q&A, a student opens up about reaching a plateau after years of mindfulness and healing work.

Sean Fargo offers a compassionate reframing that feeling stuck is not failure, but often a sign that something deeper is asking for attention. Along the way, he shares practical ways to soften this stuckness — from grounding in nature, to seeking help and support, to practicing forgiveness and self-compassion.

This conversation reminds us that plateaus are not the end of the journey, but turning points that can open us into greater freedom, resilience, and wholeness.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:32 – Updating the Blueprint

02:26 – Stuck Energy

03:30 – Asking for Support

04:40 – Grounding & Renewal Practices

🧘 Want to teach mindfulness with skill, depth, and compassion?

Join Sean Fargo’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program to access live mentorship, trauma-sensitive training, and a global network of mindfulness professionals.

👉 Learn more or enroll here:🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠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:

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In this episode of Mindfulness Exercises, Sean Fargo and Loch Kelly explore the essence of effortless mindfulness—a direct shift into awake, loving awareness that doesn’t rely on heavy concentration.

CHAPTERS

06:18 - Catching "glimpses"

16:14 - Effortless mindfulness

19:18 - Going back to your ego center

24:55 - Guided Glimpse Practice

32:22 - What's doing the glimpsing

41:01 - How to release your barriers?

49:58 - Shortcut to understanding the mind

1:09:08 - Imposter Syndrome as a facilitator

🔗Know more about Loch Kelly

🌐Website

📱Mindful Glimpses App (Get it 20% off)

🧘 Want to teach mindfulness with skill, depth, and compassion?

Join Sean Fargo’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program to access live mentorship, trauma-sensitive training, and a global network of mindfulness professionals.

👉 Learn more or enroll here:🔗 ⁠⁠⁠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:

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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