Wonder often fades as we move through adulthood, but it matters deeply at every age. In this episode I talk about what tends to get in the way, from judgment we absorb along the way to the sheer busyness of adult life, and I share a simple way to start mindfully noticing the wonder that's already around you.

Research articles referencing the benefits of wonder and awe:

• PubMed Central: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9049271/
• Nature Scientific Reports:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-95435-7

This episode references lyrics from the song "Click Clack Symphony" by Raye: https://youtu.be/HtVcltkn3HI?si=tMe49UaO1WxJLu1j

This episode is also available as a blog post at: https://www.thelotusplace.com/allowing-wonder-back-in

Jennifer Sigrest is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and the founder of The Lotus Place, a mindfulness meditation teaching practice rooted in accessible, grounded, real world presence. Learn more and explore offerings at thelotusplace.com. Follow The Lotus Place on Instagram and Facebook.

I didn't learn to swim until my 30s, and getting there meant confronting a fear I'd carried since childhood. In this episode, I share that story and what it taught me about the difference between what feels safe and what actually is, along with the neuroscience of fear and how mindfulness practice can help us respond instead of react. This episode closes with a short guided meditation, using breath and body awareness to find a sense of grounding and presence.

This episode is also available as a blog post at https://www.thelotusplace.com/letting-go-and-learning-to-float

Jennifer Sigrest is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and the founder of The Lotus Place, a mindfulness meditation teaching practice rooted in accessible, grounded, real world presence. Learn more and explore offerings at thelotusplace.com. Follow The Lotus Place on Instagram and Facebook.

Milestone birthdays have a way of making you look at things differently, including what you see in the mirror. This month I'm reflecting on what happened when I finally began to allow my natural gray hair to grow in, and why the results surprised me in ways that had nothing to do with hair. Drawing on the Five Remembrances as translated by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, this episode is about aging, authenticity, and what we lose when we stay in battle with the nature of our own existence.

The Five Remembrances referenced in this episode are translated by Thich Nhat Hanh and available at Plum Village: https://plumvillage.org/daily-contemplations-on-impermanence-interbeing

This episode references the song "Chinese Fire Horse" by Garbage: https://youtu.be/LjFKYqZpwW4?si=bPl2zsUjYtrYZoQi

This episode is also available as a blog post at: https://www.thelotusplace.com/not-dead-not-done

Jennifer Sigrest is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and the founder of The Lotus Place, a mindfulness meditation teaching practice rooted in accessible, grounded, real world presence. Learn more and explore offerings at thelotusplace.com. Follow The Lotus Place on Instagram and Facebook.

Life transitions can feel uncertain and disorienting, but what if you knew you had a wise, intuitive voice within you to guide you through them? Beverly Keaton calls it your Heart Filled Living Voice. In this episode I talk with Beverly, certified life coach, certified intuitive painting facilitator, and founder of Heart Filled Living, a coaching and community practice supporting women in navigating life transitions. Beverly's new book, Heart-Filled Living: Creating What's Next, explores how to unearth and trust that voice, the authentic inner wisdom that can guide you toward living aligned with who you're truly here to be and opening up possibilities for what's next.

Find Beverly and her work here:

Website: beverlykeaton.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/HeartFilledLiving 

Get Beverly's book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/05ub4hvM

Jennifer Sigrest is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and the founder of The Lotus Place, a mindfulness meditation teaching practice rooted in accessible, grounded, real world presence. Learn more and explore offerings at thelotusplace.com. Follow The Lotus Place on Instagram and Facebook.

Social media is designed to keep you hooked, and most of us don't realize how much it's costing us until we're already in deep. In this episode I'm sharing a personal reflection on what excessive social media use actually did to my attention, my mood, and my sense of presence, and what it took to find my way back. This episode is part of The Tangible Way, an ongoing mindfulness series exploring what it means to stay grounded in real life in an increasingly digital world. You can find the full series at thelotusplace.com/thetangibleway.

Birdsong recorded on my back porch.

Hummingbird audio courtesy of jefftbyrd via the Freesound Community on Pixabay. 

Jennifer Sigrest is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and the founder of The Lotus Place, a mindfulness meditation teaching practice rooted in accessible, grounded, real world presence. Learn more and explore offerings at thelotusplace.com. Follow The Lotus Place on Instagram and Facebook.

Inspired by the Artemis II mission and the four astronauts who traveled further into deep space than any humans ever have, this episode is a reflection on perspective, interconnection, and what it means to zoom out from the noise of daily life. What they saw out there moved me deeply, and I think it has something real to say about mindfulness and what we so easily forget about being alive on this one remarkable planet. 

Read the full blog post at www.thelotusplace.com/the-view-from-out-there

Astronaut audio courtesy of NASA.

Jennifer Sigrest is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and the founder of The Lotus Place, a mindfulness meditation teaching practice rooted in accessible, grounded, real world presence. Learn more and explore offerings at thelotusplace.com. Follow The Lotus Place on Instagram and Facebook.