Myth of Self-Commitment, Dr. Dan Siegel & The Solanism of Healing

Mindfulness is not just about meditation. It is about how you encounter the joys and challenges of life with consciousness, compassion and presence.

Every week I share five reflections, practices and inspiration.

As I navigate the ankle fractures, repeated headaches, and the ongoing challenge of being a human, I realized how quickly the barriers to self-care arise. Self-compassion is often misunderstood, but mindfulness helps to see through mythology.

“Self-compassion is self-remarkable.” Meeting in pain with softness helps me feel weaker and more stable.

“It makes me weak.” Providing care to yourself is actually a practice of courage.

“I’m selfish.” The more I treat myself with love, the more I have to give to others.

“It makes me off hook.” Self-compassion removes judgment and leaves space for true responsibility.

“Too soft.” It feels like a quiet strength that helps me stay open without shutting down.

Which of these myths resonate with you the most?

I’m excited to be sitting with Dr. Dan Siegel for upcoming podcast episodes. Dr. Siegel is a world-renowned psychiatrist, author and teacher whose research on interpersonal neurobiology has changed the way mindfulness, relationships and the brain understands.

He is also the creator of Wheel of Awareness, a powerful practice to develop a presence.

If you could ask Dr. Siegel one question about mind, resilience, or mindful living, what would it be? I want to bring your curiosity into the conversation.

Sometimes mindfulness is about simplicity. This week my practice is as follows:

I sit quietly and rest my tired body.

It’s nothing more than, not less.

Most of us carry sadness – often quiet. The passage of our loved ones, the end of relationships, changes in health, and even sadness over the state of the world can oppress our hearts.

Therefore, we recommend Dr. Rick Hanson’s Grief and Loss Course starting Saturday. This course provides tools to deal with sadness, increase your inner strength, and feel the light again.

If you are carrying your own losses and want to learn how to make space for your grief without being overwhelmed, this is a great opportunity.

Mark Nepo’s poems have a way of reaching deep within the soul. This is what leads me to:

“No one will let you get away from the journey, no rabbis or priest, no mother you want to dig into for the treasure she has placed an ornament, or a father who doesn’t make a single life sufficient, no lover will measure your worth by what you might give up…

It reminds us that we are each explorers. Our own compass and coast are discovered.

Mindfulness is not about perfection. It is learning to listen to our bodies, minds, and minds with presence and care. Meditation this week reminds us that self-compassion, silence, sadness, and poetry all holds wisdom for our healing.

Find something here that feeds your own journey.