Ofosu and Leah answer their most commonly asked question—How do you empty your mind while meditating?—and share the things they do when they're experiencing an active mind during meditation. They also discuss where this idea of emptiness originated, why it isn't always conducive to today's lifestyle, and how to embrace the thoughts that come our way while meditating.

You can watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/mKeMHqSuhis 

About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3.5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store:

In celebration of World Mental Health Day, Ofosu and Leah talk with Miwa Yasui, PhD, a clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, about her research into how people’s backgrounds and geographical locations affect their perception and treatment of mental health. She also discusses how we can support others' mental health journeys—even when our cultures differ.

TW: This episode mentions genocide.

You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/svQaKyUleYk 

More about Miwa: 

Miwa Yasui, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and a clinical psychologist. Her treatment model—culturally infused engagement—explores how culture influences how people think about mental health. You can learn more about Miwa's work here: https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/crownscholars/m-yasui

About Balance: 

Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3.5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

You don’t want to put off listening to this episode. Ofosu and Leah talk with Micah Caldwell, a clinical therapist, the Resident Psychology Expert for the award-winning brain training app Elevate (www.elevateapp.com), and a self-proclaimed procrastinator. He shares a few theories on why we procrastinate, why it shouldn’t be confused with laziness, and the tips he’s learned from his own struggle with procrastination.

You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/NrSWZuOtSm0

More about Micah: Micah Caldwell is a clinical therapist, the Resident Psychology Expert for the award-winning brain training app Elevate, and the co-creator of Neurotransmissions, a successful YouTube channel. You can learn more about his work here: https://www.youtube.com/user/neurotransmissions

About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3.5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store:

https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Even meditation coaches get angry from time to time. Ofosu and Leah work through some things that make them angry with Tara Brach, a psychologist and leading mindfulness meditation teacher. They discuss RAIN, a technique that can help you respond—not react—when you're experiencing strong emotions like anger.

More about Tara:
Tara Brach is a psychologist, meditation teacher, and the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. She’s the bestselling author of several books, including “Radical Acceptance,” “Radical Compassion,” and “Trusting the Gold.” You can learn more about Tara’s work on her website — https://www.tarabrach.com/

About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3.5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Ofosu and Leah talk with sleep specialist and Director of YogaUSC Sara Ivanhoe about how to have a healthier night’s sleep. She shares the impact sleep has on our bodies, the neuroscience behind how sleep works, and learnings from her own struggle with sleep.

You can watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/KIL9OR13j8w

More about Sara:
Sara Ivanhoe is the Director of YogaUSC, the Yoga and Meditation Content Curator for Glo, and the teacher of a class called “Sleep” for the MindfulUSC program. You can learn more about Sara on her website — https://www.saraivanhoe.com/

About Balance:

Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3.5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store:

https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

You can watch this episode on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/BU7OCDKJ-YE 

As Ofosu and Leah make their debut as YouTubers, they reflect on the vulnerability of sharing images of their lives with friends, neighbors, and the public. They also explore how shaping that image—whether it's how we maintain our homes, what we wear, or what we post on social media—can both help and harm us. 

About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

Ofosu and Leah talk with meditator and martial artist Hakim Tafari about how he finds mindfulness outside of meditation—even when he's brushing his teeth. They discuss practical tips for becoming more mindful in situations where it can be difficult, and how mindfulness can feel like seeing life in 4K.

More about Hakim:
Hakim Tafari is a runner, meditator, martial artist, yogi, and musician. Hakim brings mindfulness to everything he does—especially exercise. You can follow him on Instagram @hakstao https://www.instagram.com/hakstao/ 

About Balance:
Well Balanced is co-hosted by the expert meditation coaches of Balance. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

To wrap up National Wellness Month, Leah reflects on the benefits of each week's challenge with Amy Tran, a Ph.D candidate in clinical psychology. They also discuss why these small, everyday behaviors make a big impact on our mental health, and from a neurological perspective, how we can start to effectively incorporate more positive habits into our lives.

More about Amy:
Amy Tran is a Ph.D candidate in clinical psychology, artist, and author. Her first book, “This Book is a Safe Space,” releases soon. Join the waitlist to get notified when it’s available for pre-order — https://marvelous-composer-6841.ck.page/9eca508909 — and follow her on Instagram @doodledwellness

About Balance:
Well Balanced is co-hosted by the expert meditation coaches of Balance. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

In continued celebration of National Wellness Month, Ofosu and Leah (and some special guests) want to help you make wellness a priority in your life. So each week in August, they’ll announce a new wellness challenge for you to try with them.

This week, Ofosu and Leah talk with Josiah Frazier, also known as "Guy with the Hair" on social media, about his struggles with mental health, the creative way he practices self-compassion, and the fourth Wellness Month challenge. Plus, hear Ofosu and Leah give it a try on the spot!

Tune in next Monday to hear more about how the challenge went for them, and don’t forget to share your experience, too. You can email a voice memo to [email protected]. Or you can participate when prompted on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, or you can even tag @balance on a post on your personal account. The more you participate, the more you increase your chances to be featured in next week's episode!

More about Josiah:
Josiah Frazier is a TikTok and Instagram creator, known best for his daily song posts. You can learn more about him at https://guywiththehairofficial.com/

About Balance:
Well Balanced is co-hosted by the expert meditation coaches of Balance. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji

In continued celebration of National Wellness Month, Ofosu and Leah (and some special guests) want to help you make wellness a priority in your life. So each week in August, they’ll announce a new wellness challenge for you to try with them.

This week, Ofosu and Leah talk with productivity expert Jessica Holsman about how to set healthy boundaries with your phone and social media. They also discuss how following a tech-free morning routine can help reduce stress and boost productivity, and they reveal the third Wellness Month challenge.

Tune in next Monday to hear how the challenge went for them, and don’t forget to share your experience, too. You can email a voice memo to [email protected] . Or you can participate when prompted on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, or you can even tag @balance on a post on your personal account. The more you participate, the more you increase your chances to be featured in next week's episode!

More about Jessica:
Jessica Holsman is a best-selling author, content creator, entrepreneur, and speaker, specializing in helping people maximize their productivity and enhance their well-being. You can learn more on her website — www.studywithjess.com  — and you can order her new book here: https://amzn.to/3PK25hD

About Balance:
Well Balanced is co-hosted by the expert meditation coaches of Balance. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 3 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/h3qp/icji