50 Moments of “Mindfulness Made Meaningful”

Ever reflect on the ‘meaning’ of your LinkedIn headline?

Mine has read ‘meaningful’ for ages. But I never said why.

I talk about Mindfulness a lot on LinkedIn. And share lots of content.

But why does my headline read “Mindfulness made meaningful”? 🤷‍♂️

So I took a few moments to reflect…

…insert totally made up image of mindful reflection 🧘‍♂️ …

And decided to set myself a new challenge!

“50 Moments of Mindfulness Made Meaningful”

Each week, I’ll share a meaningful mindfulness moment.

I’ll add a write up, visual or link to the list below 👇

It might be…

- A past experience
- A fresh learning
- A new creation
- A nostalgic post

It’s that simple. I hope it's meaningful.

---

The 50 Meaningful Moments

No #1 The Wheel of Mindfulness
No #2 The Mindfulness Well of Presence
No #3 Radio Mindful
No #4 The Tree of Mindfulness
No #5 Eat the Frog (Mindfully)
No #6 The Mindful Game of Zen-ga
No #7 The Morning Mindful-news
No #8 Your 8-week Guide to De-Stress
No #9 The Carousel of Stress…
No #10 Your Mindfulness Prescription
No #11 Unravelling The Mindful Myths
No #12 Mindful Leader’s Burnout Beating Balance Sheet
No #13 The 4 Elemental Powers of Mindful Leaders
No #14 Essential Courses for Mindful Leaders
No #15 Round the Clock Mindful Leadership Presence
No #16 9 Feline Mindful Leadership Skills
No #17 50 Mindfulness Paths to Presence
No #18 The Evening Mindful-news
No #19 The A-Zen of Living Mindfully
No #20 The Art of Gratitude
No #21 The Circle of Compassion 🫶
No #22 The Non-Trivial Pursuit of Mindfulness 🪷
No #23 The 3 Stages of Stress 🔥
No #24 Brief History of Stress 📖
No #25 Kintsugi: Joining with Gold 🏺✨
No #26 The Mind(fulness) Map 🗺️
No #27 Cat vs Dog: The Mindful Attitude Debate 🐾
No #28 Mindfully Unscrabbled 😌
No #29 The Mindful Intentions Countdown 🕛
No #30 The A-Z of Mindfulness Misunderstanding 🤔
No #31 The Lenses of Mindfulness 🔎
No #32 Doing Nothing: Mindful Truth about Being 🙆
No #33 The Mindful Pomodoro 🍅
No #34 The Melody of Living Mindfully 🎼
No #35 Mindfulness Mirrors 🪞
No #36 Mindful Leader’s Attitudes 📗
No #37 The Wake of Mindful Leaders ⛵️
No #38 The Sphere of Mindful Influence 🌟
No #39 TBC….

Edition 1 of the magazine is now available for purchase!

No #1

Monday 10th June

The Wheel of Mindfulness

“A seed of creativity and a snapshot of mindfulness”

The Wheel of Mindfulness 🎡

Being open and curious towards new ideas, experiences and learning, is at the heart of mindfulness. What is known as a “Beginner’s Mind” attitude - as if seeing the world through the eyes of a child. This attitude also provides fertile conditions for creativity in our work. When I first created “The Wheel of Mindfulness” a year ago, I approached my challenge with a Beginner’s Mind.

How could I take something old, like the “Emotion Wheel” which shared so much insight and inspiration - a snapshot of our emotional world in a single view - and use it as inspiration to share a snapshot of the world of Mindfulness?

So I took the old and rebuilt it with fresh eyes. This process provided the catalyst for so much creative exploration in my work, courses and writing. In how I approached creating visuals on Canva and even how I generated ideas, structured and prepared audio courses I’ve shared without thousands on Waking Waves and Insight Timer.

So “The Wheel of Mindfulness” feels the perfect place to begin this journey, which is both reflective and creative. A beginning revisited. And fresh gratitude for the seeds of inspiration which made it possible.

Take a spin on The Wheel of Mindfulness

No #2

Monday 17th June

The Mindfulness Well of Presence

“Draw from The Mindfulness Well of Presence”

The Mindfulness Well of Presence 💧 
(and “The Mindfulness Map”)

There are many reasons we come to Mindfulness. We want to relieve stress or find a reliable source of calm. We feel we need to get control of our emotions, or our working lives. Or perhaps there is something missing. And this fills a gap?

And although these are likely outcomes, we often discover much greater depths beneath the surface. The Mindfulness Well of Presence is a glimpse beneath. A reliable source of awareness and presence we can return to any time.

1) Practice

Our intention to live mindfully paves the way to presence. Being open, curious and trusting enriches meditation and connection with the world and others.

💧 Without practice, presence soon runs dry.

2) Presence

Increases through non-judgemental attention on whatever is here right now. A practice, a difficult conversation, a busy mind, or a stressful work task. 

💧 Without presence, we’re lost in future and past.

3) Awareness

Is always present. Always now. It grows when we bring mindful attention to sensations and thoughts or to emotions and difficulty. 

💧 With awareness, comes calm, focus & compassion.

4) Insight

Deepens when more time is spent in awareness and presence. Our appetite and capacity for change grows. 

💧 With insight we reveal more nourishing choices.

No #3

Monday 24th June

Radio Mindfulness

“Tune into your favourite focus of attention”

Radio Mindfulness 🎙️

Recently during a guided meditation, a teacher said “Now change your focus to the breath, as if you were switching stations on a radio”

Simple guidance. But crystal clear. And a powerful choice too. To consciously switch the focus of our attention Tuning in to whatever is present 📻

Because whether it’s a difficult meditation, meeting, or conversation, sometimes we simply need a shift in awareness. So we neither resist nor cling to what’s here.

• We create space. 

• We relieve stress. 

• We gain perspective.

So in post #3 of 50 moments of "Mindfulness Made Meaningful” I’m sharing 6 ever-present stations…on Radio Mindful 🎙️

📻 Breath AM

Breathe deeply to benefit from parasympathetic calm.

📻 Sensation CITY 

Mindfully scan head to toe to regulate & destress

📻 Taste CLASSIC 

Tantalise your tastebuds with a mindful awareness classic

📻 Thought FM

Observe not judge the busy mind, to ease anxiety

📻 Movement GROOVE

Get a feel-good high as you mindfully move

📻 Open RADIO 

Be open to all experiences to reduce reactivity

No #4

Monday 1st July

The Tree of Mindfulness

“Find your inspiration for growth on…”

The Tree of Mindfulness 🌳

Last year my daughter suggested “Why not create a Tree of Mindfulness Daddy?”. This planted a seed for me. First, I created a guided meditation. But the seed continued to grow. And then last week, I thought “Ah, I wonder if I could create something else?”

Just as inspiration for mindful practice comes from many sources, the practice of Mindfulness can become the source of inspiration for the self-supportive wellbeing choices we make in life. 

This might be to exercise more, to practice meditation daily, to mindfully move in the morning. To pick up the phone and call our friends for social support. To create something new from something old. To begin again. 

It can be a seed we plant long ago, which becomes our Tree of Mindfulness 🌳

No #5

Monday 8th July

Eat the Frog (Mindfully)

“Turn daily productivity into Mindful Practice”

Eat the Frog (Mindfully) 🐸

Download here

I first heard about “Eating your Frog” in a training session. And I loved it! Coming from a sales background, I was all too familiar with pushing out of my comfort zone and ‘just getting on with it’. The times I ate the frog, I was more productive and fired up for the day ahead. Sometimes I’d feel good about myself! But sometimes not.

And in reflection, I was aware how many times I chose to ignore the frog, despite knowing it made perfect sense to ‘eat it’? Why do this? Why couldn’t I make it a habit? With all the benefits I experienced. Why avoid the very tool to overcome procrastination and increase productivity?

Because we’re not all wired the same. We’re not all morning people. And we change. The pressure of “eating the frog” can generate stress and anxiety, which impacts our performance and wellbeing.

So I thought, what if we made it mindful? 

🐸 Instead of telling ourselves to ‘eat the frog’, we set an intention.

🐸 Instead of “getting on with it” we mindfully assess our capacity and energy levels.

🐸 Instead of diving in regardless, we create an environment of focus and mindful calm. 

🐸 Instead of striving for more performance, we reflect on the experience good or bad.

“Eating the Frog” might take on a whole new mindful meaning 😌

No #6

Monday 15th July

The Mindful Game of Zen-ga

“Find wellbeing balance or begin again with…

The Mindful Game of Zen-ga 🧱

I was inspired to create Zen-ga, while building another mindful project. Back then a mindful seed was planted by someone’s suggestion. And it clicked straightaway - I’d build a moving game of Jenga and make it mindful!

But it didn’t work out that way!

Instead I created a visual image and focused the message on finding wellbeing balance at work. Exploring a message I wanted to share with people, in that moment. Although my original idea stuck in the back of my mind. Like the piece of a Jenga puzzle, which I could have used but didn’t. 

But that’s the wonderful thing about Mindfulness. We can always begin again. Fresh in any day or moment, with more awareness, focused attention, and intention to turn up in a particular way. With a supportive attitude. In our next mindful choice. So I did. And created a second “moving” version of “The Mindful Game of Zen-ga”.

No #7

Monday 22nd July

The Morning Mindfulnews

“Wake up to a routine for calm and focus with…

The Morning Mindfulnews ⛅️

I was reflecting recently on just how much morning routine, wellbeing and leadership hacks are packed into our news and social feeds. 

Piling the pressure and expectation. And doing little to relieve our stress or anxiety.

So I decided to create a different kind of news for your feed…The Mindful-news

I hope you enjoy this Summer’s edition 🗞️

No #8

Monday 29th July

Your 8-week Guide to De-Stress

“Discover mindful meaning and wellbeing balance with…

Your 8-week guide to De-Stress 🌱

4 years ago I’d just wrapped up something special.

But knew it was only a beginning. I was nearing the end of a group “Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction” (MBSR) course having just finished the silent retreat on week 6.

I’d already noticed so much change. 

In the middle of a global pandemic.

But Stress at an all time low 📉

In an uncertain and unpredictable world.

But feeling connected and balanced ⚖️

In between my latest working roles.

But crystal clear on direction🚶‍♂️

2 teaching qualifications later, launching Waking Waves 🌊 and delivering my own courses, it planted the seed for so much.

So for #8 of 50 moments it felt fitting to create this snapshot of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s 8-week Gold Standard “MBSR”

“Your 8-week Guide to De-Stress”

🌱 8 x Core teachings

🌱 15 x Meditation and practices

🌱 11 x Challenges you may meet

🌱 19 x Wellbeing Benefits 

🌱 8 x Mindful Attitudes

No #9

Monday 5th August

The Carousel of Stress 🎠

“95 eye-catching insights on…

The Carousel of Stress 🎠

1 year ago, I’d not long created moment “The Wheel of Mindfulness” ( #1 of this series) and while creating the sections on Stress, I realised it needed a wheel of its own. Because you can’t go far in conversation (or courses!) on Mindfulness without encountering Stress. Our automatic reactions both hard-wired and conditioned over time, have a profound impact on the quality of life and wellbeing we experience. And being mindful of stress is crucial.

Through practicing mindfulness and living mindfully, we are far better able to create space between the experiences, pressures and challenges we encounter and our automatic responses to them. As Victor Frankl said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

So I turned it around quickly…and it turned out to be my highest performing post ever reaching 167,000 and shared 182 times. And no shortage of stress (and gratitude) responding to the many kind comments and messages, in a short space of time! 

So today, 1 year on, it felt fitting to share one of my favourite Waking Waves creations “The Carousel of Stress”, a moment of mindfulness made meaningful.

Take a spin on The Carousel of Stress 🎠

No #10

Monday 19th August

Your Mindful Prescription 🧪

3 steps to enjoy less Stress with…

Your Mindfulness Prescription 🧪

There are no shortage of quick fixes to boost health and wellbeing. To make you fitter, happier and healthier. To reduce your stress. To improve your relationships. To boost your career. To find your best self!

And they might just work. 

 - But few have evidence to back it up.

 - Fewer still come without a hefty price tag. 

 - None come without considerable investment in your time and energy.

But I know one habit which is 

✅ Won’t empty your bank 

✅ Costs you 10-20 mins daily

✅ Is evidence-based to boost lifelong wellbeing.

“Download your 3-step Mindfulness Prescription”

1) Set your intention 🧪

2) Choose a focus of attention 🧪

3) Bring a mindful attitude 🧪

No #11

Friday 30th August

Unravelling the Mindful Myths 🧵

Find the 1 thread at the heart of your Mindfulness journey by

Unravelling the 10 Mindful Myths 🧵 

It’s easy to get lost in a Maze of Mindfulness misunderstanding. With so many distortions, interpretations and misunderstandings of Mindfulness generated by the media and wellness world.

When all we really ever find at the heart is one common thread - Present moment awareness.

Without judgment or labelling

With compassion

But it takes practice to find this thread.

So it helps to unravel the myths first!

I hope you enjoy unravelling yours 🧵

No #12

Monday 2nd September

Mindful Leader’s Burnout Beating Balance Sheet ⚖️

There’s may be no end to Burnout but there is a healthy place to start with…

The Mindful Leader’s Burnout Beating Balance Sheet ⚖️

Last year, I was reflecting on the many solutions and strategies we see to end Burnout. To finally stop, or prevent it! ✋

And although many are full of good intention (and great advice!), I did feel a number of them lacked a little realism. After all, to end Burnout, would mean to end chronic Stress and simultaneously all unhealthy workplaces which exacerbated, or otherwise contributed to generating Stress in the first place.

So I thought, where do we really need to start when it comes to bringing lasting change? 

👉 Leadership.

And what kind of leader might bring about sustainable change, in a healthy, empathetic and connected way?

👉 a Mindful Leader

So I created a “Burnout Beating Cheatsheet which 3 key components for Mindful Leaders:

Stress Awareness 💚 

i) The 4 Types of Stress

ii) The Health Impact of Stress

iii) GAS Model & Allostatic Load 

iv) Interventions to manage Stress

Balance ⚖️

i) In the Zone VS Zone of Delusion

ii) Business Needs VS Boundaries

iii) The Gas and The Brakes 

iv) Isolated or Connected?

Mindfulness 🪷

i) 8 attitudes for Mindful Leadership

ii) 10 Mindful intentions to embody

iii) 5 Myths of Mindfulness

iv) 3 Mindful practices

This year, I decided it needed a little makeover…and a little more balance, to become:

The Mindful Leader’s Burnout Beating Balance Sheet ⚖️

No #13

Monday 9th September

The Elemental Powers of Mindful Leaders 🌀

Whether you need to feel purposefully fired up or be a grounding presence, there’s an element for you in…
The Elemental Powers of Mindful Leaders 🌀

Recently, I enjoyed once more a guided “4 elements” meditation. It takes you through the 4 elements and how these could be found within bodily sensations, the breath, present moment experience and the space around you. It is a powerful and energising practice.

I made a note to write my own one day and coming back to it realised that the ‘elemental powers’ have much in common with those expressed when we lead mindfully - the grounded presence, an open always-learning leader who is adaptable in adverse times and shows empathy, even while passionately sharing their purpose and vision.

So I decided to connect a simpler practice, to the deeper benefits and impact experienced when we apply this to leading mindfully.

The Simple Practice

🌱 EARTH: Ground in the body

🌬️ AIR: Accept what’s present. Follow breath.

💧 WATER: Scan bodily sensations to release tension 

🔥 FIRE: Sense inner warmth and energy

What element do you connect with?

Discover your elements here today

No #14

Monday 16th September

Essential Courses for Mindful Leaders 🧑‍🍳

There may be no perfect strategy to serve those you lead. But Mindful Leaders have a few reliable recipes up their sleeves, when they serve the…

Essential Courses for Mindful Leaders 🧑‍🍳

There’s no shortage of strategies, courses and guidance to become the ‘the perfect leader’. Or how to serve your team selflessly. With plenty of success stories and apparent failures. 

It’s as if there were are recipe for becoming one. To absorb the advice and methodologies and develop the necessary skills to repeat the same incredible ‘results’ or achieve the outcomes of individuals and organisations, often in totally different contexts.

So I thought, how might a mindful leader go about this? What recipes would we need? 

They soon became the dishes we’d serve others and the qualities, behaviours or attitudes we might embody to create them. 6 very familiar dishes:

🍣  Starter  

🍲 Soup

🥗 Salad

🍝 Main

🧀 Cheese

🍧 Dessert

Dive into the menu and the reflections they inspire in…

Essential Courses for Mindful Leaders 🧑‍🍳

No #15

Monday 23rd September

Round the Clock Mindful Leadership Presence 🕰️

Got “no time” to practise Mindfulness? Discover 4 powerful practices in…

Round the Clock Mindful Leadership Presence 🕰️

For some, Mindfulness conjures up visions of endless sitting. Stealing precious time from business-critical tasks. 

Yes, a meditation takes up clock time. But it richly returns in focus, calm, cognitive flexibility and creativity.

But being mindfully present?

This only requires your non-judgmental attention

 - on a task 

 - on a conversation

 - on your next breath

To help you find more Round the Clock presence, you only need to find minutes for these 4 practices:

🕖 Morning practice 

“Phone free breath of fresh air”

Time: 2-5 mins

Benefit: Sets an intentional tone. Alert. Focused.

🕛 Mindful pause 

“The STOP practice”

Time: 1-10 mins

Benefit:  Reset + parasympathetic calm when overwhelmed.

🕕 Self-compassion 

“Boundary keeping de-stress deadline”

Time: 1 min

Benefit: Helps balance emotions and builds team trust.

🕚 Gratitude

“Taking in ‘the good’ of your day”

Time: 5-10 mins

Benefit: Rewires brain for positivity and builds stress resilience

Remembering…

“If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life” - Thich Naht Hanh

Keep your appointment with life with…

Round the Clock Mindful Leadership Presence 🕰️

No #16

Monday 30th September

9 Feline Mindful Leadership Skills 🐈

In stress and overwhelm, even the greatest of leaders lose their mindfulness. We lose perspective. We disconnect, we fatigue. We Burnout too. But what if we have the…

9 Feline Mindfulness Leadership Skills to Live By 🐈

Alert Presence 

Intentionally alert. Always one ear ready to listen. Always one eye noticing behaviour change.

Open, Curious

Explores new places, people & ideas curiously and sensitively. Without diving in, or assuming.

Keeps boundaries

Connects with others to reach shared goals. Respects mutual boundaries. Ready to say “No”

Open & Curious

Explores new places, relationships and ideas curiously & sensitively. Won’t dive in or assume.

Responds not reacts

Attuned to their environment, this leader responds mindfullly and instincitively to adversity,

Agile. Adapts.

Takes small steps towards big leaps. Bounces back resiliently after difficulty or challenges.

Non-Strives

Brings authentic presence to goal-seeking and relationships. Not seeking to prove or please.

Invites play

Encourages spontaneity & fun to inspire creative exploration, sharpening skills and thinking.

Seeks to Connect

Consciously seeks meaningful connection. Enables a culture of compassion and belonging.

Rests. Recharges.

Pushes boundaries but never beyond limits. Models healthy self-care habits. Avoids Burnout.

You’d be much less likely to lose your mindfulness with …

9 Feline Mindfulness Leadership Skills to Live By 🐈

No #17

Monday 7th October

50 Mindfulness Paths to Presence 🏔️

There’s no peak to summit in Mindfulness but there’s…

50 Mindfulness Paths to Presence 🏔️

A source we can all access in practice. And if there was anything ‘to seek’ in Mindfulness…then this might be it.

Your present moment awareness.

Your engaged and conscious awareness of this moment - this experience - as it is, right now. What it contains and what you learn from it.

But this sense of presence and awareness can be elusive. And the many ways to learn and practice mindfulness meditation, can feel like a lot to grasp. A lot to remember!

But what if we had one place to capture it all?

What if we had the…

50 Mindfulness Paths to Presence

🪷  4 x Inspiring Quotes for Life

🪷  8 x Mindfulness Attitudes

🪷  3 x Healthy Habits

🪷  12 x Meditations

🪷  15 x Intentions

🪷  3 x Postures

🪷  5 x Focuses

Choose your path on the…

50 Mindfulness Paths to Presence 🏔️

No #18

Monday 14th October

The Evening Mindful-news 🌅

Learn to transform suffering with Self-Compassion…this and more in Autumn’s edition of

The Evening Mindful-news 🌅

🗞️ Coping with change through compassion

🗞️ The Daily Insight Columnist

🗞️ Practices for deeper sleep + self-compassion

🗞️ Insight from author and psychologist Tara Brach

🗞️ Burnout beating boundary benefits 

🗞️ The Daily-Destress: The Two Wolves

Which will get your attention this season?

No #19

Monday 21st October

The A-Z of Living Mindfully ☯

There’s no perfect guide or guru in Mindfulness but there’s a pocket-sized one in…

The A-to-Zen of Living Mindfully ☯

A - Acceptance 

B - Beginner’s Mind

C - Compassion 

D - Doing Vs Being

E - Empathy 

F - Focusing Attention 

G - Gratitude 

H - Happiness

I - Intention

J - Journey

K - Knowledge

L - Letting Go

M - Movement

N - Non-Judgement

O - Observing

P - Patience

Q - Quick Practices

R - Reflection

S - (Non) Striving

T - Trust

U - Understanding

V - Values

W - Wisdom

X - X marks a STOP 

Y - Your Experience

Z - Zen

A year and a half ago, I set myself a mindful challenge - to condense Mindfulness into an A-Zen, so I wrote an audio course on Insight Timer called “The A-Zen of Living Mindfully”, intended to be a pocket-sized guide to all things Mindfulness, with 2.5 hours of meditations, practices and mindful insight.

A year and half later, I thought - what if I could squeeze it into a 1 page A-Z visual guide too? Which presented a totally different kind of challenge! 

Because although Mindfulness can be reduced to “non-judgemental present moment awareness”, the reality of how the practice impacts our lives, is far-reaching and expansive in its impact. Far more than can be squeezed into an A-Zen!

So today, as part of 50 Moments of Mindfulness made Meaningful, I wanted to revisit this A-Zen, which provided the inspiration for many more courses and visual guides. 

I hope it inspires you too.

The A-to-Zen of Living Mindfully ☯

No #20

Monday 28th October

The Art of Gratitude 🎨

Where do we find the most powerful expression of Leadership? Not in a book, course or conference BUT in…

The Art Of Gratitude 🎨

While mulling over another “gratitude” visual, I thought about the many powerful expressions of leadership we share. And how many of these can be found through the practice of Gratitude.

👉 A conscious, intentional acknowledgement of “The Good” in your life, boosting wellbeing and strengthening social bonds.

And by doing this on repeat, leaders:

❤️  Uplift energy and passion

We activate reward pathways for engaged motivation.

💛 Enhance positivity and wellbeing 

We enjoy “feel good” moments, happiness and fulfilment.

💙 Increase calm and balance

We mindfully ease stress reactivity and regulate emotions.

🧡 Boost creativity and innovation

We’re open-minded, enabling ideas and inspiration to flow.

💜 Expand empathy and compassion

We deepen social bonds building connection and trust.

💚 Grow adaptable and resilient 

We rewire our brain for mindful response and flexibility.

…with the

The Art Of Gratitude 🎨

No #21

Monday 4th November

The Circle of Compassion 🫶

There’s one universal truth in life - we all struggle.

But there is also a powerful antidote. And you’ll find it on…

The Circle of Compassion 🫶

❤️‍🩹  Self-Compassion

💗  Compassion for Others

👩‍🏫  Models and Deeper Learning

🧘‍♂️  Practices and Meditations

🧠  Stress and Compassion

❤️‍🔥  Compassion Fatigue

🪷  Mindful Compassion

🧑‍⚕️  Your Health Impact

Discover your point of connection on…

The Circle of Compassion 🫶

No #22

Monday 11th November

The Non-Trivial Pursuit of Mindfulness 🪷

What’s meaning-filled and inspires leaders and their teams to ask 6 vital questions?

The Non-Trivial Pursuit of Mindfulness 🪷

---

The idea of a Trivial Pursuit for “Mindfulness” has bounced about in my head for about as long as I’ve creatively explored or gamified Mindfulness. But I hadn’t yet given it the attention.

In my head, I’d always referred to it as “The Not-So Trivial Pursuit of Mindfulness” but it was only when I started working on it that ‘Non-Trivial’ came to mind.

I can’t find the exact quote but I remember Jon Kabat Zinn talking about Mindfulness being Non-Trivial. In a far more elegant way than I ever will! So the two came together, in the right mindful moment.

Like others before, it’s my first version - I’ve ideas for how it can be developed. And of course there are always thousands of questions to answer in…

The Non-Trivial Pursuit of Mindfulness 🪷

🔵  Stress Relief

💖 Connection

🟡 Mindful Attitudes 

🟤 Meditation

🟢 Brain Science 

🟠 Wellbeing 

No #23

Monday 18th November

The 3 Stages of Stress 🔥

We were warned about GAS before all this Burnout. But we can learn to respond, not just react to:

The 3 Stages of Stress 🔥

I stumbled across the 3 Stages of Stress while diving a bit deeper into Stress research and its impact on our wellbeing. And with our more recent understanding of the impact of mindfulness on Stress Reduction, I expected everything significant we know, to have originated in the last few decades.

I was way off the mark!

And fascinated to discover the 88 year old origin of Hans Seyle's work and incredible research and developments it has inspired. So a year ago, I went digging for some visual illustrations to bring it life. Most were older and more wordy.

So I decided to (visually) breathe fresh life into an inspiring piece of research. To bring you…

The 3 stages of Stress 🔥

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No #24

Monday 25th November

Brief History of Stress 📖

Burnout has been making headlines for decades. But you’ve got a 600 million year history with Stress. Take a shortcut with…

Brief History of Stress 📖

I created this “Brief History of Stress” last year in another format. But it was always my intention to include it as part of the 50 Moments of Mindfulness made Meaningful.

Why?

Because modern Mindfulness based interventions have their source in Stress too! The Stress Reduction Clinic was started by Jon-Kabat Zinn in 1979 and led to the development of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. And without MBSR, we wouldn’t have many of the incredible evidence-based interventions we see today.

So, I couldn’t have 50 Moments of Mindfulness without it. And we can’t talk about Stress or Burnout without understanding the deeper roots at play.

So here’s a fresh chance to grasp those deeper roots in the…

Brief History of Stress 📖

No #25

Monday 2nd December

Joining with Gold 🏺✨

How can I turning flaws into Mindful Leadership Resilience?

Through the the Japanese art of Joining with Gold 🏺

Last year, a course participant shared a beautiful metaphor about seeing beauty and strength in imperfection and flaws. I’d never heard of Kintsugi. I loved the word and its meaning deeply resonated.

So often, in our modern world, we disguise our flaws and otherwise, seek to paper over the cracks in our lives and relationships. We feel the pressure to be perfect. As if this were possible.

This striving can be a great source of stress. Our inner critic running run riot, zeroing in our flaws and accentuating our failures. Kintsugi for me was a beautiful and memorable visual antidote.

So I wrote a post and created a video. But always felt it deserved a little more visual exploration. And what better way than the Moment #25 of 50 meaningful Moments where together we practice:

Joining with Gold 🏺✨

No #26

Monday 9th December

The Mind (fulness) Map 🗺️

'Sit in lotus' isn’t the only route to leadership presence. Which awareness-filled route will you take on

The Mind-fulness Map 🗺️

6 months I created the Mindfulness Map as a visual guide. It was through creating it, that I recalled the many ways we ‘find presence’ in our lives. Sitting in meditation, is just one. How we live mindfully, is so much richer and more deeply integrated.

The very next week, I took Route 5 to a “Creative Place” and with some support and guidance from my intentions and attitudes in Route 8, embarked on a 52 week journey of creative expression.

It feels fitting having surpassed the halfway point, to reflect on the road which got me here. The original intention for this creation was a moving image…so I revisited with fresh eyes to give you a fresh (moving) version of…

The Mind-fulness Map 🗺️

No #27

Monday 16th December

Cat vs Dog: The Mindful Attitude Debate 🐾

Can you settle it?

Cat vs Dog: The Mindful Attitude Debate 🐾

I had no intention of creating a mindful attitude ‘debate’, until last Friday. Inspired by a few documentaries and animal themed posts, a question popped into my head, which challenged a long held assumption.

“Are cats the most mindful of our furry friends?” 

“Of course they are”, I thought.

Until I thought a bit harder. And realised, it isn’t that simple. Especially when we involve the foundational attitudes of Mindfulness. Their meaning and connection with how we live life, is far more nuanced.

And applying this to our much loved pets, the stereotypical image of a mindful cat broadened to include many of the mindful qualities, more readily found in dogs.

🐈 Cats the epitome of patience and effortless calm. With lazer sharp focus, balance and responsiveness. Their boundaries are crystal clear. A cat sitting calmly is a picture of presence

🐕 Dogs may not exude mindful calm, true.

But try match them on…

Non-Judgement and Trust? It’s never conditional.
Beginner’s Mind? Could be a dog’s mind.
Gratitude? Boundless!

So I decided to settle the debate by creating a moderately humourous but wholly sincere (and hopefully meaningful)  debate

🐈 Cat vs Dog 🐕

Who’s got the most Mindful Attitude?

Cat vs Dog: The Mindful Attitude Debate 🐾

No #28

Monday 23rd December

Mindfully Unscrabbled 😌

Bored of 2024 unwrapped OR stressed wrapping up? You need to get…

Mindfully Unscrabbled 😌

This mindful creation came easier than most! I like to bring alternative perspectives and paths to understanding Mindfulness - occasionally to ‘gamify’. Scrabble is one of the most famous board games!

And at this time of year, all the rushing round, wrapping up and endless unwrapped, can leave us feeling a bit muddled, stressed or fed up, before the festivities even get started.

Bringing awareness to these moments can give us the pause and presence we need, to de-stress, reconnect and feel revitalised. And there are no shortage of practices to help us do this.

So, count your score (I’ll add the key later!) and find some pockets of calm over the festive break, as you get 

Mindfully Unscrabbled 😌

The Scores

GAP 🪑 (10 mins) — Move 🙆‍♂️ (18 mins) — STOP ✋  (12 mins) — Pause ⏸️  (21 mins) — Anchor ⚓️  (42 mins) — Standing 🧍‍♀️(13 mins) — Gratitude 🙏 (33 mins) — Body Scan 😌 (38 mins) — Compassion 💚 (32 mins)

No #29

Monday 30th December

The Mindful Intentions Countdown 🕛

Need a resolution that really sticks? Set yours after you’ve visited the…

The Mindful Intentions Countdown 😌

New Year wouldn’t be New Year without New Year’s resolutions!

A great way to seed motivation, hope and challenge. 

But it can also become an annual opportunity to set ourselves totally unrealistic goals with potentially disappointing (and de-motivating!) outcomes. Especially when we set our resolutions from a place of pressure, or stress.

But this doesn’t mean that all resolutions are doomed to failure. Nor that we shouldn’t set them in the first place.

We have a much better chance of making them stick. And enjoying the outcome, when we fuel them with intention.

So as we count out 2025, make a lasting resolution with…

The Mindful Intentions Countdown 😌

No #30

Monday 6th January

The A-Z of Mindfulness Misunderstanding 🤔

There’s 100’s of ways to misunderstand Mindfulness 🧘

Consciously clarified in…

📘 The A-Z of Mindfulness Misunderstanding 

You won’t enter the world of Mindfulness without encountering a world of Mindfulness misunderstanding and myth.

From ‘emptying the mind’ to monks sitting on mountain tops, there’s no shortage of misleading imagery and memes too.

Taking us far from the Practice 🧘‍♂️

And further from Presence 😌

And whether you’re new to mindfulness or a seasoned practitioner, we’ve all lost sight of what Mindfulness IS and ISN’T.

So for mindful clarity, why not search:

📘 The A-Z of Mindfulness Misunderstanding 

No #31

Monday 13th January

Lenses of Mindfulness 🔎

8 hidden leadership talents revealed through regular practice in…

The Lenses of Mindfulness 🔎

👁️ The Lenses 

1) Clarity
2) Curiosity
3) Discovery
4) Creativity
5) Vision
6) Focus
7) Observation
8) Connection

Many see mindfulness as a reliable path to calm, focus and lower stress levels.

A quick fix to uplift energy and happiness levels.

“Meditate for 10 mins”

“Take a mindful walk in nature”

“Consciously listen to a colleague”

All powerful pathways to presence ✔️

All reliable ways to lower stress ✔️

All great wellbeing habits! ✔️

And yet…

All easily forgotten in the face of overwhelming workload and competing priorities 😕

BUT what if we:

Intentionally practice on repeat? 

Reflect on emotional weather? 

Seek guidance or support? 

We begin to see with fresh eyes. 

We consciously ‘take in’ the benefits

We rewire our brains to make habits stick.

We reveal…

8 hidden Leadership talents in…

The Lenses of Mindfulness 🔎

No #32

Monday 20th January

Doing Nothing: The Mindful Truth about Being 🙆

You can’t transform your life ‘Doing Nothing’, can you?

Doing Nothing: The Mindful Truth about Being 🙆

No #33

Monday 27th January

The Mindful Pomodoro 🍅

Turn a world famous productivity hack into a Mindful practice with…

The Mindful Pomodoro 🍅

8 months ago, I needed to get a lot of writing done in a short space of time - a 3 day course in 1 day. I’d always enjoyed the Pomodoro technique but felt it could be supercharged with some mindfulness.

So I came up with “The Mindful Pomodoro” by bringing mindful awareness, intention, attitude, attention and choice throughout the process.

My productivity leaped: 3 days done, plus I was inspired to create the visual to accompany the practice. And best of all, I felt rested and calm throughout the process!

🍅 The “Mindful Pomodoro”

1) Awareness 

Mindfully prioritising we activate our pre-frontal cortex

2) Intention

A purposeful approach activates motivation-reward pathways 

3) Attitude

More patient + self-kind = lower stress response

4) Attention 

Strengthened neural pathways for sustained focus

5) Choice

Deeply replenishing energy = more decisive and regulated 

Maybe you can try the recipe for…

The Mindful Pomodoro 🍅

No #34

Monday 3rd February

The Melody of Mindfulness 🎼

5 noteworthy habits and 1 invisible ‘rest’ to compose a Mindful Life in…

The Melody of Living Mindfully 🎼

What began as a reflection on silence, ended with a Mindful Melody.

It was only while reflecting on the role of space and silence in our lives, that this mindful visual sprang to life. I’d long wanted to create a musical instrument based visual but the ‘right’ note hadn’t sounded.

But a bit of patience and tuning in, I saw , it was already there, sitting in front of me. Guitars and stringed instruments provide powerful metaphors for living mindfully.

I ran out of space to do explore all the notes and tones. But felt it was time to ‘rest’ and let go. Now hopefully you have all you need to tune in to…

The Melody of Living Mindfully 🎼

❶ The Strings

E - Meditation

A - Breathwork

D - Movement 

G - Reflection

B - Communication

E - Compassion 

❷ Tuning

A mindful intention gives us a purposeful sense of direction. But life stresses and adversity make us waver. Conscious re-tuning to our values-aligned path, becomes a lifelong habit.

❸ The Bridge

Without the supportive anchor of awareness, or foundational attitudes like patience and trust, practice drifts. We’re disconnected and passive, not grounded and integrated.

❹ The Body-Mind

Our body is the vessel in which our lived experience resonates. Aware and connected? Those emotional vibrations bring clarity, wellbeing and balance.

❺ Fretboard: learning pathway

In life and in meditation practice, we miss notes - distracted by thoughts, worries, feelings and emotions. But returning on repeat non-judgementally, with compassion IS our practice. How we find meaning. How we rewire body and mind for presence.

[ The Invisible Rest ］

Without space? 

Without silence?

Without rest?

No matter the instrument, intention or expertise, no melody is possible. 

Just notes and noise 😕

A path to stress and overwhelm.

But bring the Habits and Rest together…

And you compose…

The Melody of Living Mindfully 🎼

No #35

Monday 10th February

Mindfulness Mirrors 🪞

Mindfulness Mirror on the wall…which leadership foundation do I model most of all?

Look within and without your…

Mindfulness Mirrors 🪞

It’s no secret Mindfulness is a self-reflective practice.

A non-judgemental and compassionate witnessing of your unfolding experience. Now. Whatever it contains.

However…

The foundational habits at its core can be applied to both our INNER and OUTER worlds.


🪞 Intention

Inner → Aligned Intention
Outer → Purposeful Action

Pre-frontal-cortex powered goal-setting 🧠


🪞 Curiosity

Inner → Reflective Inquiry
Outer → Beginner's Mind

Increased cognitive flexibility and memory 🧠


🪞 Empathy

Inner → Self-empathy
Outer → Mirrored neurons

Insula-tuned empaths keep healthy boundaries 🧠


🪞 Gratitude

Inner → Rewiring positively
Outer → Builds stronger bonds

Neural pathways wired for positivity 🧠


🪞 Compassion

Inner → Self-compassion
Outer → Compassion for others

Oxytocin infused caregiving 🧠

Want a deeper reflection?

Take a look inside the…

Mindfulness Mirrors 🪞

No #36

Monday 17th February

The Mindful Leaders Attitudes 📗

Meditation is just sitting without mindful presence. Mindful Leadership?

Just a title without…

The Mindful Leaders Attitudes 📗

1) Beginner's Mind

We put aside our expert mind. Open to fresh ideas & innovation. Curious to life-long learn.

- Open 

- Curious 

- Fresh eyes

2) Non-Judging

We witness our experience and others without labelling. Walk in their shoes. Discern not judge.

- Observing

- Empathetic

- Understanding

3) Non-Striving

We recognise the stress caused by endless seeking. Inspires not expects. Engages ‘now’.

 - At ease

 - Present

 - Realistic 

4) Accepting 

We learn to ‘be with’ life as it is now. Adapt responsively to adversity. Grow wisely with change.

 - Flexible

 - Resilient 

 - Non-reactive

5) Gratitude

We consciously take in ‘the good’ to rewire for positivity. Give without strings. Visibly recognise. 

 - Generous

 - Intentional 

 - Appreciative

6) Lets Go

We release fixed views and attachments to ideals. Reframes flexibly. Moves on fairly.

 - Versatile

 - Impartial

 - Non-attached

7)  Patient 

We see wisdom in allowing life and learning to unfold. Composed in stress. Calm for others.

 - Tolerant

 - Focused

 - Balanced 

8) Trusts

We trust in our ability, gut and intentions of others. Mutually accountable. Enabling autonomy.

 - Intuitive

 - Supportive

 - Empowering 

Which attitude supports you?

The Mindful Leaders Attitudes 📗

#37

Monday 24th February

The Wake of Mindful Leadership ⛵️

There's only 1 place leaders can ever steer their ship ⛵️

Not in the past. Not the future. But the Unfolding Present

Set your sights on…

The Wake of Mindful Leadership ⛵️

Being Intentional

- Inner: Values in alignment
- Outer: Trusted and Inspiring

🧠 Executive function activated
🌊 Inspiring a sense of purpose in others



Being Reflective

- Inner: Self aware. Calm. Grounded
- Outer: Empathetic. Compassionate

🧠 Learning pathways engaged
🌊 Strengthening bonds and collaboration



Being Present

- Inner: Responds not reacts
- Outer: Engages and Listens

🧠 Emotionally regulated and stable
🌊 Helping others feel valued and heard

Explore now in…

The Wake of Mindful Leadership ⛵️

PS…This visual has been drifting in the back of my mind for over a year now. And each time I came close to attempting, it would disappear. Trail off, like the wake of a ship. The energy, or creativity needed would fizzle out. I knew it would fall short! But the original inspiration, and intention to create it, never has. Why? Because it came courtesy of Alan Watts and his profound, yet, as always, beautifully simple reflection:

“We think that the world is limited and explained by its past. We tend to think that what happened in the past determines what is going to happen next, and we do not see that it is exactly the other way around! What is always the source of the world is the present; the past doesn't explain a thing. The past trails behind the present like the wake of a ship and eventually disappears.” -Alan Watts

So I stopped worrying about the past and the perfect idea, I once had. And created something simple. In the present.

#38

Monday 3rd March

The Sphere of Mindful Influence 🌟

Imagine you could invite any influential mindfulness or meditation teacher to dinner.

“Which leading lights might you invite?”

From the…

The Sphere of Mindful Influence 🌟

This turned out to be a broader question than naming teachers alone. Because family, friends, animals and nature give us plenty of lessons daily!

But for the purposes of sharing leading lights (accessible to all) I kept it to those on this particular circle.

Because each of these (and others!) have influenced my practice and teaching, in some way. From the powerful body, breath and stress managements practices of Jon Kabat-Zinn and Mark Williams to the peace and joy-filled presence possible through the work of Thich Naht Hanh - they’ve all been the foundations I’ve relied upon. 

I doubt I would have got started without the profound and transformative wisdom of Alan Watts and Eckhardt Tolle. Or kept going without the heartfelt compassion of Tara Brach! All have inspired many mindful moments. 

So for each I’ve shared:

  - a book 

  - a quote 

 -  a practice (see sphere👆)

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

🪷 Jon Kabat-Zinn

🪷 Thich Naht Hanh

Great for?  Body scans + Mindful breathing

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 | 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

🌊 Alan Watts

🌊 Eckhardt Tolle 

Great for? Profound life-changing Reflection

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 | 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

🙏  Jack Kornfield

🙏  Sharon Salzberg

Great for? Deep gratitude + Connection

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞

❤️‍🩹 Tara Brach

❤️‍🩹 Pema Chödrön

Great for? Heartfelt courage + Acceptance.

Take a closer look at the…

The Sphere of Mindful Influence 🌟

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All the best,

Derek

Waking Waves
📧 hello@wakingwaves.com
☎️ book call to discuss courses or coaching