Mindfulness Exercises, with Sean Fargo

Someone joins your group meditation, the room goes quiet, and you realise not everyone is okay. What do you do next without panicking or making it worse? We talk through the real-world side of teaching mindfulness, where compassion is not a vibe, it’s a leadership skill you practice moment by moment. 

I share how I think about guiding as a teacher: less “expert with answers” and more “steady person creating safety.” We get specific about trauma-sensitive mindfulness without turning it into something scary or overly technical. If breath awareness feels uncomfortable or a participant seems dissociated, you’ll hear practical options you can offer right away, from grounding in the senses to opening the eyes to shifting the whole practice toward self-compassion. We also cover the language that helps people feel supported rather than controlled, especially in Zoom meditation groups where cues can be harder to spot. 

Then we go into what to do if someone is actively triggered or spiralling. You’ll learn how to offer a break, adjust the meditation in real time, and when it’s appropriate to stop and seek more support, including encouraging therapy, using a mental health hotline, or calling emergency services if there’s immediate risk. We also unpack whether you should bring an assistant or co-teacher for in-person sessions at a yoga studio or community center, and how to build the confidence to lead even when you’re still learning. 

If you’re guiding group meditation, teaching mindfulness, or starting a regular practice group, subscribe, share this with a fellow teacher, and leave a review. What’s one phrase you can say today that would help your group feel safer?

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We guide a short mindfulness practice to help you feel and define what purposeful leadership means in your body and choices. Through grounding, breath, and gentle inquiry, we explore clarity, values, and the sensations that signal true alignment.

• settling posture, breath and attention
• letting questions land without forcing answers
• noticing images, emotions and bodily cues
• asking what matters most as a leader
• sensing alignment versus tension
• imagining the felt texture of purposeful action

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We explore how to meet anxiety, overwhelm, and dissociation with gentle presence instead of force. We focus on finding safety through sensory anchors, kind inquiry, and practical tools that help us return to the moment.
• navigating difficulty by building a safe harbor for awareness
• responding to dissociation with curiosity and questions about safety
• choosing anchors that feel safe enough: sound, breath, touch, movement
• using sound as a primary practice: bell, silence, breathing, repeating “love” or “safety”
• incorporating walking mindfulness and grounded movement
• exploring anxiety by tracking future vs past thoughts, intensity, and body sensations
• widening emotional vocabulary with lists of emotions and sensations over time
• using self-compassion and the question “What would I like for myself?”
• starting softly with comfort, gratitude, and connection before deeper practice
Go to self-compassion.org

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We guide a short mindfulness meditation that trains gentle awareness and helps us soften into the present moment. We breathe with the body, notice how the heart responds, and practise accepting sensations and emotions with quiet peace. 
• setting an intention to soften into now 
• breathing with the whole body as an anchor 
• noticing sensations as they change moment to moment 
• sensing how the heart relates to experience 
• practising acceptance of whatever we feel 
• reorienting through sound, temperature, and touch points 
• reconnecting with community when ready 

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

You can’t breathe in the past or the future, and you can’t switch off thinking on command. That’s where Susan Piver brings a refreshing kind of relief to meditation practice, especially if you’ve ever judged yourself for having a busy mind. We talk about Shamatha Vipassana, the mindfulness awareness approach she teaches, and why the real skill is not perfect focus but the simple act of noticing and returning.

We also get practical about what mindfulness is and what it is not. Mindfulness is the trainable part: placing attention where you choose and coming back when it wanders. Awareness is the wider field that opens over time, often on its own. Susan shares why insight lives in awareness, why deeper practice can make us feel more (sometimes unexpectedly), and why teachers should expect inner states to shift in ways that do not follow a tidy script.

Along the way, we touch on what science can measure like stress and cortisol, insomnia support, and reduced depression relapse when paired with other care, while also honoring the contemplative side that doesn’t fit neatly in a chart. If you teach mindfulness, support clients, or simply want a kinder relationship with your own mind, this conversation gives you a clear frame you can use immediately. Subscribe, share this with a friend who thinks they’re “bad at meditating,” and leave a review. What belief about meditation do you want to unlearn next?

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

The loudest voice in your head might not be telling the truth. When the world feels more divided and more cruel, it gets easier to assume other people are bad and to quietly suspect the same about ourselves. 

I sit down with Buddhist teacher and author Lodro Rinzler to challenge that reflex with a grounded idea that’s both ancient and deeply practical: basic goodness. Not as a slogan, but as something you can recognise in real time, in your body, and in the most ordinary moments of your day.

We get specific about how shame and “not enoughness” take over, and why the stories we repeat can become a cocoon that blocks intimacy, courage, and joy. 

Lodro shares simple mindfulness and meditation practices for seeing thoughts as thoughts, loosening identity labels like “I’m an anxious person”, and returning to what’s actually happening right now. We also explore a helpful bridge to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: acceptance is not giving up. When we meet the present clearly, we become more skilful, more honest, and more able to take action without burning ourselves out.

Then we zoom out to the culture we’re swimming in: subtle advertising, status pressure, and consumerism that profit from insecurity. We talk about why deeper practice and meditation retreats can “reveal the water” and restore perspective, compassion, and agency. If you’re searching for self-worth, emotional resilience, and practical tools for mindfulness, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with the moment that hit you hardest.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We explore how to stay human amid fast tech change, from analog memories to AI worries, through the lens of community practice and elder wisdom. We share ADHD-friendly mindfulness tools, invite simple neighborhood circles, and reflect on courage, tenderness, and what really matters.

• analog upbringing shaping views on tech and empathy
• fear of online teaching balanced by lifelong practice
• starting small neighborhood mindfulness circles
• honoring elder teachers and their perspective
• podcasting as a way to meet people
• practical mindfulness for ADHD with sensory anchors
• playful practices for kids and adults
• gentle closing with space, grace, and intention

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We lead a short morning practice that wakes the body, settles the mind, and sets calm strong focused intentions for the day. We imagine small joys, plan simple acts of care, and choose one mindful moment to meet life with warmth.

• slow nasal inhales with open posture
• body scan from feet to head as aliveness
• calm strong focused mantra as embodied cues
• envision small moments of joy and meaning
• name one way to contribute to others
• plan simple care for body and heart
• choose one mindful minute without judgment
• carry warm intentions into ordinary tasks

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We guide a step-by-step gratitude meditation that moves from a single present sensation to unseen helpers, essential tools, a beloved person, today’s small blessing, and even a challenging moment reframed with care. The session closes by thanking the body, the mind, and the chance to pause.

• noticing one simple present sensation
• gratitude for unseen helpers in daily life
• honoring the tools and places that support work
• appreciation for a loved one and shared moments
• naming a small blessing from today
• exploring gratitude toward a current challenge
• closing thanks for body, mind, and the practice

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...

We explore why so many of us feel fundamentally flawed and how the Buddhist teaching of basic goodness offers a practical way back to ease. 

We share meditation-based tools for working with shame, self-doubt, and cultural messages of not-enoughness so we can act with more clarity and care. 

Buy Lodro Rinzler's Book: You Are Good. You Are Enough.
https://a.co/d/078HXYBb

Lodro's website: https://www.lodrorinzler.com/

• why Lodro writes You Are Good, You Are Enough amid divisiveness and rising self-doubt
• how to recognise basic goodness through ordinary moments rather than abstract belief
• the cocoon of self-stories and the shift from identity to present experience
• how acceptance supports commitment and more skillful action in the world
• subtle cultural messaging that reinforces not-enoughness and self-judgment
• why retreats and longer sits can reset perspective on distraction and presence
• choosing space over busy and aligning work with a clear intention
• four immeasurables practices including loving-kindness for self and others
• a practical “loving-kindness photo” for someone you struggle with
• navigating imposter syndrome for mindfulness teachers without chasing perfection
• healthy regret versus harmful shame and learning from mistakes
• a nuanced view on “evil” as distance from basic goodness rather than a fixed essence

Please check out Lodro Rinzler's website at https://www.lodrorinzler.com/ where you can find all those free guided meditations that we talked about, links to his past books, which I highly recommend.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER 

Teach mindfulness with confidence and skill — without self-doubt, fear of judgment, or imposter syndrome. Our internationally accredited certification is for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and helping professionals. Accredited by the IMMA and CPD; endorsed by Gabor Maté and Rick Hanson. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/certification/

NEW HERE? START FREE 

Explore 3,000+ free guided meditations, scripts, and worksheets — for your own practice or to share with the people you teach. → https://mindfulnessexercises.com/free-mindfulness-exercises/

ENJOYING THE PODCAST? Follow the show in your favorite app and leave a quick rating or review. It takes a moment, and it genuinely helps more teachers and practitioners find these conversations.

———————————————————————————

ABOUT THE SHOW

Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life.

Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — the show explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work.

Each episode offers a mix o...