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Sean Fargo

Mindfulness Exercises Podcast with Sean Fargo
Guided Meditations, Mindfulness Teacher Training & Expert Interviews
Looking to deepen your mindfulness practice or become a certified mindfulness meditation teacher? The Mindfulness Exercises Podcast helps you develop embodied presence, inner peace, and the skills to confidently share mindfulness with others.
Hosted by Sean Fargo — former Buddhist monk, founder of MindfulnessExercises.com, and certified instructor of the Search Inside Yourself program born at Google — this podcast blends wisdom, compassion, and practicality for mindfulness seekers and teachers alike.
🎧 What You'll Find:

Guided meditations: mindfulness of breath, body scans, self-compassion, trauma-sensitive mindfulness, sleep meditations & more

Expert interviews with renowned teachers like Sharon Salzberg, Gabor Maté, Byron Katie, Rick Hanson, Ellen Langer, Jud Brewer, and others

Mindfulness teaching tools to help coaches, therapists, educators & wellness professionals teach with confidence and clarity

Whether you're navigating imposter syndrome, burnout, or seeking to grow your mindfulness career, Sean shares insights from his training with Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, Mark Coleman, and more to help you grow in both depth and service.
🌱 Ready to take the next step?
 Learn about our internationally accredited Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification.
Subscribe now for guided meditations, mindful interviews, and real-world tools to live and teach with more awareness, resilience, and purpose.

Mindfulness Exercises

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Imposter to Impact: 8 Keys to Teaching Mindfulness

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:
that teaching mindfulness is actually much simpler than most of us realize.

You’ll hear:
🪶 The surprising moment that transformed the way I teach mindfulness
🪶 A profound lesson from my Thai Forest teacher that changed how I see presence
🪶 The biggest mistake new teachers make — and how to avoid it
🪶 Why your humanity and imperfection are your greatest teaching tools

If you’ve ever wondered, “Who am I to teach mindfulness?” — this episode is for you.
By the end, you’ll see that mindfulness teaching isn’t about perfection… it’s about presence.

Listen and Subscribe:
🎧 Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Google Podcasts

Learn more:
🌿 Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification — a self-paced, internationally accredited program designed to help you teach mindfulness with confidence, integrity, and care.

mindfulness, mindfulness meditation, mindfulness teacher training, how to teach mindfulness, mindfulness for therapists, meditation, self compassion, presence, sean fargo, buddhist monk, mindfulness exercises

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hidden Truth I Learned as a Monk About Teaching Mindfulness

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:

 Reconnecting the body and mind through mindfulness and movement

 Cultivating self-awareness, resilience, and compassion through embodiment

 Creating healthy boundaries and overcoming people-pleasing tendencies

 Approaching trauma with sensitivity without fragility

 Bringing humor and authenticity back into mindfulness teaching

 Building a mindfulness or embodiment coaching business in the age of AI and disconnection

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.

⏱️ Chapters

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

🔗 Learn more about Mark Walsh
Instagram - @warkmalsh
www.embodimentunlimited.com

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:

Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Keywords

Mark Walsh, Sean Fargo, Embodiment Unlimited, embodied mindfulness, mindfulness exercises podcast, trauma informed coaching, embodied awareness, mindfulness coaching, somatic mindfulness, embodiment training, mindfulness teacher training, embodied leadership, mindful presence, body based mindfulness, embodiment and trauma, embodiment for coaches, mindfulness embodiment practices, Mark Walsh interview, Sean Fargo podcast
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Embodied Mindfulness with Mark Walsh: Healing, Humor & Trauma-Informed Coaching for a Disconnected World

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:
00:00 – The moment between yes and no
00:25 – Welcome and introduction to today’s theme
01:10 – Why mindful boundaries matter
02:25 – What compassionate boundaries really are
07:00 – Guided meditation: Feeling your body’s “yes” and “no”
17:00 – Practical boundary scripts for real-world situations
21:45 – Mindfulness teaching tips for therapists, coaches, and helpers
25:30 – Weekly practice for integrating compassionate boundaries
27:15 – Closing reflections and invitation to deepen your mindfulness journey

Keywords:
mindful boundaries, compassionate boundaries, mindfulness podcast, mindfulness meditation, saying no with kindness, self-care mindfulness, mindful communication, emotional boundaries, Sean Fargo podcast, mindfulness teacher training, meditation for boundaries, mindfulness for therapists, mindful self-awareness, Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Compassionate Boundaries: How Mindfulness Helps You Say “No” with Kindness and Clarity

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
🔗 Explore Moonbird: moonbird.life

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
01:00 – Stefanie Broes’ story: From insomnia and stress to discovering breathwork
04:30 – The science behind slow breathing and the body’s relaxation response
06:00 – How Moonbird was born: from avocado prototypes to embodied calm
09:30 – Why touch and tactility matter for mindfulness and sleep
12:00 – From tracking to acting: turning data into embodied calm
15:00 – Heart Rate Variability (HRV): why coherence matters for stress and recovery
18:00 – Breathwork vs. mindfulness of breathing—complementary or separate?
22:00 – Custom breathing rhythms and guided exercises inside the Moonbird app
25:00 – Therapeutic uses: how counselors and psychologists integrate Moonbird
30:00 – Moonbird for kids & classrooms—introducing the “Moonbuddy”
35:00 – Why embodiment makes mindfulness more emotionally safe
37:00 – Sean on mindfulness & clear comprehension (Satipaṭṭhāna / Ānāpānasati insights)
39:30 – Future of breath tech and mindfulness in schools and organizations
42:00 – Closing reflections: embodied calm as a universal practice

🔗 Join our community to connect with other mindfulness professionals:
Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breathing Made Tangible: How Moonbird Brings Calm, Sleep & Embodied Awareness with Stefanie Broes

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.
Your feedback helps others discover the Mindfulness Exercises Podcast and supports this growing community of mindful practitioners.

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trauma-Sensitive Body Scan Meditations for Healing and Presence

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:
Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Deal with Overwhelming Pain During Meditation

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

🔗Know more about Julie

 
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:
Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie Lythcott-Haims on the Power of Telling Your Truth

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:
Mindfulness Exercises Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Connect Community for Mindfulness Teachers: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulnessexercises.com/connect-mindfulness-community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Mindfulness.Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Exercising Mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎧 Explore more guided meditations and mindfulness resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mindfulness Exercises⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Your Mindfulness Practice

In this episode, Sean Fargo explores the deep relationship between mindfulness and concentration — two practices that are often taught separately but in reality support and sustain each other. 

Drawing inspiration from his teacher Ajahn Chah, Sean reflects on how concentration serves as the foundation that allows mindfulness to stay steady with the unfolding present moment.

Through personal stories from his years as a Buddhist monk and practical concentration exercises, Sean highlights how simplicity, stillness, and focus can help us extend the duration of our presence. 

From visualizations in the belly to counting breaths, focusing on external objects, or repeating loving-kindness phrases, concentration practice becomes a refuge from the busyness of modern life and a gateway into joy, clarity, and perspective.

Listeners are invited to experiment with lengthening their meditations, stringing together multiple sessions, or even holding mini at-home retreats. 

Sean Fargo also shares candid reflections on challenges like the five hindrances, the difference between grasping and genuine focus, and how deep concentration can lead to profound insights, stillness, and even some of life’s happiest moments.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

 
Why mindfulness and concentration are “two ends of the same stick”

 
Practical techniques to stay present longer, from breath counting to visualization

 
How concentration fuels mindfulness and supports choiceless awareness

 
The role of concentration in overcoming the five hindrances

 
Insights into stillness, joy, and clarity that arise with deeper practice

Resources & Links:

 
Watch the full session on YouTube: Staying Present Longer

 
Learn more about Ajahn Chah’s teachings: ajahnchah.org

 
Explore free meditations, courses, and trainings at MindfulnessExercises.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Imposter to Impact: 8 Keys to Teaching Mindfulness

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