Subscriber-only episodeLowering anxiety can have a wide range of positive effects on both your mental and physical well-being. Lower anxiety levels are associated with fewer feelings of unease, worry, and fear, which can lead to an overall improvement in your mood and emotional state.Anxiety can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep. Reducing anxiety can result in improved sleep quality, which in turn contributes to better overall health. Anxiety can...

Subscriber-only episodeThere are days when we can’t exactly pinpoint what is going on in our heads. Either too much or too little, but either way you can feel a bit distressed. Even if you feel like everything is fine, it can never hurt to find a blissful place through guided meditation.Listen to this guided meditation a few times a week until you can do the meditation on your own, then the skill is yours forever. Thanks for listening, Dr. Colleen

Subscriber-only episodeThis guided meditation walks you through embracing positive emotions and using them to push aside any anxiety or depression you are feeling. You will then drop them along the road and keep going without them.Visualization involves using your imagination to visualize or see in your mind's eye what you want to achieve or experience. Its effective because the brain cannot differentiate between a vividly imagined image and an actual experience, activating similar neural pat...

Subscriber-only episode Mindfulness can help improve the quality of your sleep by calming your mind and body. It can reduce the mental chatter and rumination that often keeps people awake at night. By practicing mindfulness, you can create a more conducive environment for falling asleep and experiencing deeper, more restful sleep.Consistent mindfulness practice before bed can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle and promote longer sleep duration. By establishing a relaxing routine that in...

Subscriber-only episodeAs you become aware of your thoughts, practicing non-judgment. Instead of labeling your thoughts as good or bad, simply observe them without attaching any value or judgment. This helps create a sense of detachment from your thoughts and prevents you from getting entangled in them.Allow your thoughts to come and go without holding onto them. Recognize that thoughts are transient and not a reflection of who you are. Imagine your thoughts as clouds passing through the sky,...

Subscriber-only episodeThis is the 5th Lesson Podcast episode, here we discuss the ability we forget we have to let things sit as they are in the moment and let the urgency pass us by. This ability can lower emotional distress as we learn we have more control over our reactions to things than we think. I've included two guided meditations on here for you; Body Scan Meditation which is good for pain, illness, and body image issues; and the Loving Kindness Meditation. All Rights...

Subscriber-only episodeBreathe in compassion for yourself and breathe out compassion for others. This is an exercise in learning self-compassion and then expanding it to people you care for. There is an extra couple of minutes of music at the end to allow you a slower transition out of the meditation session. Thank you for listening. Dr. Colleen

Subscriber-only episodeThis is the full Loving Kindness Guided Meditation, not the lesson from the course. We start out experiencing kind and loving thoughts about someone we care about and then transition to focusing those feelings on ourselves. This can be hard to do, as most people are kinder to others than themselves. It is okay if it is a bit of a struggle at first. Thanks for listening, Dr. Colleen

Subscriber-only episodeIn this lesson I go over all 7 (and add an eighth) foundation of mindfulness. If you have ever wondered "WHY Mindfulness?" - This is a good lesson for you. The entire course is best if you listen to the entire thing, but this episode also works well as a standalone introduction to Mindfulness as a concept. Thanks for listening, Dr. Colleen

Subscriber-only episodeTreating ourselves with kindness can be a challenge. Some of us are hard wired to help others, sometimes until we wear ourselves out. This is a lesson and guided meditation that starts by offering loving, supportive, and kind thoughts and phrases to others and then turns them toward yourself. I have included some music at the end of the meditation to allow you time to come out of the meditation at a slower pace. Dr. Colleen

Subscriber-only episodeStress can refer to both a psychological and physiological response to a challenging or threatening situation.Psychological stress can be caused by a variety of factors such as work, relationships, financial problems, health issues, or major life changes. It is a feeling of emotional or mental strain that can manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings.Physiological stress is the body's response to a perceived threat or ...

Subscriber-only episodeBreathing meditation is a practice that involves focusing on one's breath as a way to calm the mind, reduce stress, and promote relaxation. It can be done in a variety of ways, but the basic idea is to pay attention to the sensation of breathing in and out, and to let go of any distracting thoughts that may arise.Some of the benefits are: Stress reduction: Focusing on the breath can help calm the nervous system and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.Improved con...

Subscriber-only episodeForgiveness is one of the hardest things we need to do. Sometimes, we need the reminder that forgiving someone is about us being able to move on and not about them at all. Dr. Colleen

Subscriber-only episodeI originally had this course available on my website but when I decided to start this podcast, I knew I would record the lessons and put them here as episodes. The Compassionate Mindfulness Meditation Course is about you learning you. One of the reasons meditation took off is because it works, no matter what you are struggling with, being able to 'be in the moment' helps. With my therapy clients, I frequently talk about taking a mental breath. To me, that is m...

Subscriber-only episodeIn this meditation, you focus on a moment of your life that stands out. A moment you bring into your mind to savor it, recalling the feelings and thoughts you felt at the time. Bathing in that warm, safe, and wonderful feeling allows you to ease your current stress by putting in a moment of joy. You can train yourself to be able to bring up this feeling any time you want by practicing this meditation.