Mindful

Since the previous issue of Mindful magazine was published, a lot has happened behind the scenes. We’ve joined the passionate and skilled team behind the popular app Mindfulness.com, and they’ve joined us. For over a year, we’ve been exploring and learning from one another. Amid all the newness, this collaboration has also allowed us to return to Mindful’s roots—to making this magazine for you. But first, we’d love to introduce ourselves. We’re Amber Tucker and Ava Whitney-Coulter, editors who have been with Mindful through many waves of change, have helped produce dozens of past issues, and are now humbled to be at the helm of this very special annual edition. We’re also deeply grateful to the wise minds and beautiful hearts that came before us (like founding editor Barry Boyce, who…

We are dedicated to inspiring and guiding anyone who wants to explore mindfulness to enjoy better health, more caring relationships, and a more compassionate society. By reading Mindful and sharing it with others, you’re helping to bring mindfulness practices into the world where the benefits can be enjoyed by all. Thank you! Print magazine & mindfulness products 30-Day Mindfulness Challenge Well-being for modern workplaces Mindfulness video courses Visit online at mindful.org Get More Mindful…

How do you practice self-compassion? Journaling, which I curiously resisted for years but ultimately found to be genuinely helpful and often revealing. Keep learning, keep growing. reticent.grace Slowing down, stepping away, and taking some deep slow breaths when I feel stressed or overwhelmed. Never fails to regulate my nervous system. womenandbalance Learning to say "no." If it’s going to stress me out, affect my health, mess with my calm, I have learned it’s ok to say "no," and if people can't understand that, then I probably don't need them in my life. Sharon P. Taking naps and not criticizing myself when I fall asleep. Kathleen M. Spending quality time with people I love. Angie T. When was the last time someone extended compassion to you? An acquaintance reached out during…

LIBRARIAN LOVE “People tend to underestimate the impact children’s books have on our lives,” reads one post on the Storybook Maze Instagram. Baltimore librarian Araba Maze has dedicated years to increasing literacy and access to books in impoverished neighborhoods. From setting up a free book-vending machine, to reading aloud at “stoop storytimes,” and sharing book recommendations on social media, her creativity and resourcefulness help children discover the joy of reading. At time of writing, she’s fundraising for a book trolley: a quaint portable library to serve Baltimore’s book deserts. PASSION PROJECT Over the past 15 years, the married couple and filmmakers behind Wavecrest Films, Julie Bayer and Josh Salzman, have been using their craft to create a series of short documentary films, Mindful Shorts. The first film, Just Breathe, is…

PAY IT FURWARD When a lost puppy hopped on the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Colleague Bus Shuttle a week before Christmas, he had no idea he was stepping into a whole new future. When no one claimed him, hospital colleagues saw something special in this lost critter. An Animal Therapy volunteer adopted Teddy, and he’s on his way to helping others as a therapy dog! HAPPY BIRTH-TREE Climate activist Leah Namugerwa replaced her 15th birthday party with planting 200 trees. But that’s not all: Determined to counteract deforestation in Uganda, she then launched the Birthday Trees Project. Now a UN Youth Advisory Board Member, Namugerwa gives away seedlings for others to plant on their birthdays, showing that no action is too small to make a difference. THIS TEEN’S AN ACE When…

Confession: We’re partial to any stretch that we can do from the comfort of our bed. Explore these three movements first thing in the morning, before you hit the hay, or after work, to gently release tight muscles in your hips and lower back. 1 Back extension Begin on your bed, lying on your belly. Place your hands on the bed under your shoulders. As you inhale, straighten your arms to lift your upper body, looking straight ahead or slightly up. Exhale as you come back down. 2 Windshield wiper legs (90-90 stretch) Next, lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the bed. Let both legs fall over, first to one side, then to the other side, keeping your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Repeat a…