Mindfulness Exercises, with Sean Fargo

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Return To The Belly Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

Your mind can think its way into knots, but your body already knows how to come home. Sean Fargo sits down with longtime Qigong teacher, Taoist meditation guide, and author Solala Towler to explore a simple, practical reset: bring attention down into the belly. We talk about the lower dantian as the foundation of Taoist practice, and why “understanding” the Tao is less about collecting ideas and more about doing the breathing, movement, and stillness that changes how you live day to day.
From there we wander into story and source. Solala shares the legendary tale of Lao Tzu leaving a crumbling society and writing the Tao Te Ching at the last gate, then disappearing into the wilderness. It becomes a lesson in clarity, humility, and letting nature finish the teaching. We also unpack what Solala calls Source, another name for Tao: the sacred, nameless ground where being arises and where we return, especially when modern speed and distraction pull us away from what is natural.
We get concrete with practices and maps you can use right away, including “manzou” (go slowly) as a lived mindfulness method, plus Taoist organ balancing through the five phases used in Chinese medicine. Solala explains how organs link to emotional qualities like anger, joy, worry, grief, and fear, and how breath, qigong, tai chi, and acupuncture all aim at one thing: restoring the free flow of qi through the body’s meridians.
If this conversation helps you feel more grounded, share it with a friend, subscribe for more guided mindfulness, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

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.

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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...

Fit Mind: From Neuroscience To Monkhood With A Four-Step Path To Lasting Bliss Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

We catch up with Liam McClintock, founder of FitMind and author of “FitMind: Four Steps to Lasting Bliss,” on how his neuroscience background and years as a Buddhist monk reshape what “mental fitness” really means.

We focus on metta as a heart-based training that supports mindfulness, reduces over-efforting, and offers a clear method for returning to the present through the four Rs.
• why ordaining as a monk becomes a way to simplify life and deepen practice
• shifting from retreat as a sprint to meditation as a full lifestyle
• metta as the core training for many Western practitioners who live in the head
• jhana explained as stable, blissful metta awareness and why it matters
• a practical way to start metta by sparking a warm feeling and expanding it outward
• the four Rs: recognize, release, relish, remain
• using tension in the forehead and head as biofeedback for craving and distraction
• mindfulness and loving-kindness as inseparable as practice matures
• right effort as moving from unfit states to fit states rather than forcing concentration
• reintegration after disrobing, boundaries, and building a “mental diet”
“I highly encourage everyone listening to check out Liam's book and to contact Liam for trainings and coaching.”
“I encourage everyone listening to check out FitMind, the book, FitMind the app, FitMind the Programs, FitMind the Teachings.”
“I recommend [the Mindfulness Exercises program] to all the listeners, if they're not already a student of yours.”
“I just encourage us all to practice to continue along this path together.”
Book: https://a.co/d/0eOlYnpM

FitMind.org

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

What If Reclaiming Your Mind Means Reclaiming Your Tech Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Your feed can feel like reality, until you notice how quickly it makes you tense, reactive, and certain. We sit down with Jay Vijarthi, a mindfulness teacher, designer, and technologist, to unpack what’s really happening when algorithms shape our attention. We talk about filter bubbles and echo chambers, but we keep coming back to a more actionable truth: attention is still primary, and mindfulness gives us tools to work with it directly.
A big highlight is Jay’s concept of “false urgency,” the manufactured pressure baked into headlines, notifications, email subject lines, and even well-intentioned marketing. We dig into why the attention economy thrives on stress, why regulation may lag behind innovation, and why individual practice still matters right now for digital wellbeing. Along the way, listeners share the most relatable struggle: the relief of being phone-free on retreat versus the reality of needing technology to run a business and connect with clients.
We also go straight at the ethical edge of mindful marketing. If urgency tactics feel “icky,” what does promotion look like when it’s aligned with compassion and service? Jay offers a grounded strategy for engaging with social media on your terms, including clear boundaries, intentional posting, and the courage to opt out of platform defaults. He calls this “attention activism” and frames it as reclaiming your mind and reclaiming your tech at the same time.
If you want a practical, values-driven approach to mindfulness and technology, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who feels burned out by their phone, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

Susan Piver On The Heart Sutra And The Real Point Of Sitting Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Meditation gets marketed as a calm-down button, a focus trick, or the ultimate self-improvement tool. Then you try it and discover your mind did not get the memo. Sitting with us is Susan Piver, Buddhist teacher and author of Inexplicable Joy on the Heart Sutra, to name what’s actually happening when we practice and why the usual promises can miss the point.
We talk about the misconception that meditation is mainly self-help. Yes, it can help in measurable ways, but Susan argues the deeper shift is learning to see reality clearly and to relate to the world directly instead of hiding inside a private “fix myself” project. From there we unpack the three qualities that naturally emerge through consistent Buddhist meditation practice: wisdom as clear seeing, compassion as the capacity to feel and care, and power as courage and authenticity. That “power” can sound uncomfortable in Western mindfulness culture, but her definition is refreshingly grounded: real practitioners feel more real, not more elevated.
We also get practical and specific about what meditation actually is: body, breath, and mind. Posture, attention on breathing, noticing thoughts, letting go, returning. Simple does not mean shallow, and we dig into why adding endless hacks can distract from the transformation. Then we go straight at another myth: meditation does not necessarily make you more peaceful. It often reveals and amplifies what’s already inside, which is exactly why trauma-sensitive teaching matters. Finally, we answer a listener question about 90-second bursts, consistency, and why formal sitting still matters even if you only have five minutes.
If you found this clarifying, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who thinks meditation is just a life hack, and leave a review. What meditation myth do you want to retire next?

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

How Small Emotional Pivots Break Stress Cycles Aug 11, 2026

Show notes

Your calendar is packed, your phone never stops, and somehow your body still thinks every moment is an emergency. We sit down with clinical psychologist and mindfulness teacher Dr Elisha Goldstein to talk about his book *Tiny Shifts* and the practical reality behind emotional steadiness: you do not need a new personality or a perfect morning routine, you need a reliable way to access your skills when stress hijacks your brain.
We break down the “emotional loop” that drives reactivity, shutdown, self-criticism, doomscrolling, and those “not this again” moments. Elisha explains how thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and actions link together, and why simple recognition changes what is possible by bringing more perspective and impulse control online. From there we get concrete about “release” as nervous system regulation: lowering the shoulders, lengthening the exhale, softening the jaw, shaking out tension, or even writing down intrusive thoughts, not to suppress emotions but to create capacity.
We also go deep on emotional vocabulary and communication, including lessons from nonviolent communication and how AI can act as temporary training wheels when hard conversations feel impossible. Along the way we explore what emotional health actually means, how self-worth grows when we can receive kindness without deflecting, and why repeating a tiny phrase like “I am loving awareness” can be a powerful pivot when you are stuck in an old pattern.
If you want mindfulness that holds up in real life, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels overwhelmed, and leave a review with the tiniest shift you are going to practise this week.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

Five Keys To A Deeper Mindfulness Practice, with Melvin McLeod Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

Mindfulness is everywhere now, but the way we talk about it can feel strangely small: a tool for stress, a way to focus, a better “hack” for busy lives. I sit down with Melvin McLeod, editor-at-large at Lion’s Roar, co-founder of Mindful Magazine, and a practitioner for over 40 years, to make a bigger claim that stays grounded in reality: mindfulness can be a complete path of living in a secular, evidence-based world.
Melvin's new book: With a Single Breath: The Complete Path of Mindfulness

https://a.co/d/0aIwcRC6
We trace how modern mindfulness took shape through teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn, and why the early success of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may be the foundation for a deeper cultural shift. Melvin shares why he believes the movement is ready for its next step: not abandoning the practical benefits, but expanding them through a fuller definition of practice that includes insight, compassion, ethics, and community.
Melvin lays out five keys he builds on in With a Single Breath: meditation, insight, love and compassion, ethics, and community. We dig into the often-missed second phase of mindfulness: using a steadier mind to investigate the nature of experience, see what truly causes suffering, and learn what creates real happiness that is “win-win.” Along the way, he offers simple contemplations, including looking at the universe in a single flower, to bring interdependence from concept into direct experience.
If you’ve ever felt that mindfulness should be more than self-improvement, this conversation is a clear, practical invitation to go deeper. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who practices, and leave a review with the one part of mindfulness you want to strengthen next.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

A Grounded Eyes-Open Meditation With Susan Piver Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Your meditation doesn’t need better willpower, a quieter mind, or a more “spiritual” seat on the floor. With renowned meditation teacher Susan Piver, we practice a clear, grounded approach to mindfulness meditation that starts where your body already is: feeling your weight land, sitting upright with dignity, softening the belly, and letting the jaw and shoulders finally unclench. If you’ve ever wondered whether a chair “counts,” you’ll love her reminder that it does.
We also explore eyes-open meditation in a way that feels surprisingly gentle. Susan shares how to cast the gaze down, let vision mix with space, and stop turning attention into a hard stare. From there we move into breath awareness without breath control, and a key insight that changes everything for overthinkers: don’t just notice the breath, feel it as expansion and letting go.
Then we get honest about thoughts. Thinking isn’t the enemy, and spacing out isn’t failure. When you catch yourself lost in a storyline, you silently label “thinking,” let go, and return. The best part: you get infinite fresh starts. We close with a behind-the-scenes conversation on teaching meditation, timing silence, and adjusting pacing online or in a room by reading the group’s energy with humility.
Subscribe for more practical mindfulness, share this with a friend who wants a simpler practice, and leave a review. What helps you most right now: more guidance or more silence?

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

How Taoist Meditation And Qigong Turn Stress Into Flow Jul 25, 2026

Show notes

Trying harder can feel like the only option until it stops working. We sit down with Solala Towler, a longtime teacher of Qigong, Taoist meditation, and the Way of Tea, to explore a different approach: alignment over strain, flow over force, and practice that meets you where you are. Solala shares his personal path into Eastern philosophy, the early hunger for something more grounded than words, and the moment Taoist teachings clicked with a sense of “coming home.”
From there, the conversation turns deeply practical. Solala explains how chronic fatigue syndrome left him bedridden, how Chinese herbs helped him stand again, and why Qigong became central to his healing journey. We talk about Taoism as the root of many Chinese medicine principles and how working with qi is not reserved for the ultra-fit or the already-calm. Standing, moving, seated, and even lying-down forms make Taoist meditation and Qigong accessible tools for stress relief, recovery, and steady energy.
We also dig into the core Taoist principles that change how you live day to day: flexibility, authenticity, and especially wu wei, often misunderstood as doing nothing. Here it becomes something sharper and kinder: not forcing, not overextending, not pushing the river. The metaphor of water runs through it all, showing how adaptability can be strength rather than compromise. Finally, we explore why nature is considered the highest teacher in Taoism, and how seasonal rhythms can guide your body and mind back toward balance.
If you found something helpful here, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share the episode with a friend who needs a softer way forward, and leave a review. What’s one place in your life where you could practice wu wei today?

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

Leaving New York To Rebuild A Daily Meditation Practice Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Busy can start to feel like a personality, especially when you’re doing meaningful work and getting rewarded for it. Sean Fargo sits down with Buddhist meditation teacher and author Lodro Rinzler to unpack what happened when external success still left him exhausted, stretched thin, and craving something he couldn’t schedule: space.
We talk about the real-life shift from New York City to the Hudson Valley, and why changing your environment can be a powerful mindfulness practice all by itself. Lodro shares how he and his wife clarified a single intention for his work, what it looks like to protect relationships while still serving others, and why doubling down on daily meditation and longer retreats can be the most practical form of self-care. If you’ve been searching for mindfulness for burnout, a sustainable meditation routine, or a way to stop feeling “always on,” you’ll hear a grounded path forward.
Then we move into heart practices drawn from Tibetan Buddhism that are widely shared across traditions: the four immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Lodro explains how loving-kindness for yourself includes the parts you like, the parts you regret, and the parts you’d rather ignore, and he offers an unexpectedly simple “loving-kindness photo” exercise for working with people you find difficult. We also point you to free guided meditations on Lodro’s website so you can practice immediately.
If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s running on empty, and leave a review with the heart practice you want to try first.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

Are Your Goals Truly Yours Or Borrowed Values? Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Your mind does not just record reality, it edits it, polarizes it, and then makes decisions based on the edit. That is why we can feel certain we are “right” while repeating the same relationship patterns, motivation struggles, and self-sabotaging habits. We welcome world-renowned human behavior expert Dr. John DiMartini to unpack a practical way out: the DiMartini Method, a structured series of cognitive questions designed to balance perception, surface what we have been unconscious of, and turn apparent chaos into usable feedback.
We talk about how quickly we can idealize or demonize people by staying conscious of upsides and unconscious of downsides, and how that split perception fuels infatuation, resentment, and regret. Dr. DiMartini shares how asking higher-quality questions can equilibrate the mind, reduce emotional reactivity, and help us become more present so life feels “on the way, not in the way.” If you care about mindfulness, emotional resilience, and personal transformation, this is a concrete framework you can apply immediately.
From there, we go deep into values based living and why your hierarchy of values quietly runs your goals, your habits, and your sense of self-worth. Dr. DiMartini explains the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, why misaligned goals require constant pushing, and how adopting someone else’s “shoulds” can erode authenticity. He also points to his free values determination process at drdmartin.com as a way to clarify what truly matters, set congruent goals, and fill your days with high-priority actions instead of low-priority distractions.
If this conversation helps you see your patterns more clearly, subscribe for more practical mindfulness tools, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.

BECOME A CERTIFIED MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER

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.

Each episode offers a mix o...

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