4.1 - Self Compassion Journey

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss our natural resistance to change.  Given the pandemic, we have all been subject to an enormous amount of unexpected change.  This gives rise to stress and anxiety.  Barbara and Matthew discuss methods to ease the resistance and creatively open to the possibilities presented by change.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Zen Buddhist nun with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew saw his meditation practice developing quickly and easily with Barbara's instruction. He found applied mindfulness practices to be extremely helpful for relating skillfully with emotional reactivity.  While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate with regard to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that straightforward, practical guidance could help other people find their way to long-term, sustained well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich further explore methods to reconnect and recharge, focusing on instances where it is challenging to see beyond the negative.  Matthew specifically touches on his own experience with practical, proven activities which can help us pull out of a stubborn downward spiral.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Zen Buddhist nun with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew saw his meditation practice developing quickly and easily with Barbara's instruction. He found applied mindfulness practices to be extremely helpful for relating skillfully with emotional reactivity.  While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate with regard to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that straightforward, practical guidance could help other people find their way to long-term, sustained well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich share from personal experience how important, even life-changing, it can be to recognize and really take in what nourishes and enlivens us every day. 

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Zen Buddhist nun with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew saw his meditation practice developing quickly and easily with Barbara's instruction. He found applied mindfulness practices to be extremely helpful for relating skillfully with emotional reactivity.  While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate with regard to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that straightforward, practical guidance could help other people find their way to long-term, sustained well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss the very common human tendency to have a negativity bias in our view of what's happening around us and inside of us.  In a pandemic or other times of strong challenge, it's particularly useful to be aware of how negativity bias may be skewing our perceptions - which in turn can fuel unhelpful reactions. Barbara and Matthew touch on the evolutionary basis for this bias and ways to access a fuller, more accurate picture of the outer and inner realities, so we can respond skillfully rather than react unconsciously.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Zen Buddhist nun with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew saw his meditation practice developing quickly and easily with Barbara's instruction. He found applied mindfulness practices to be extremely helpful for relating skillfully with emotional reactivity.  While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate with regard to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that straightforward, practical guidance could help other people find their way to long-term, sustained well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss ways of coping with higher levels of stress which a number of people are experiencing around the coronavirus pandemic.  They touch upon the understandable urge to cut off, avoid, or numb painful feelings such as panic or rage. Mindfulness allows us to be more aware of the choices we make, and their positive (and not so positive) effects.  Barbara and Matt revisit the key practice of resourcing, noting in particular that some individuals may, for a period of time and under the supervision of a healthcare professional, benefit from using prescription medication to ease intense suffering and manage their daily lives.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Zen Buddhist nun with Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew saw his meditation practice developing quickly and easily with Barbara's instruction. He found applied mindfulness practices to be extremely helpful for relating skillfully with emotional reactivity.  While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate with regard to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that straightforward, practical guidance could help other people find their way to long-term, sustained well-being through mindfulness.

A 10 minute guided meditation focused on deeply connecting to the body.  This meditation is particularly helpful in calming the mind and preparing for sleep.

Barbara Newell is a mindfulness and meditation. For over 12 years, she trained and taught as a Buddhist nun in Plum Village in France under Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. During that time, she not only mastered her skills, but had the opportunity to teach throughout the world as part of ongoing retreats.

Barbara left monastic life and returned to the United States in 2015 with a mission to bring the knowledge and experience she had gained to a wider audience.  Since then, she has worked with numerous other mindfulness experts including Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.

Barbara brings a unique perspective to mindfulness and meditation, as she was an accomplished lawyer in Washington, DC prior to her monastic life.  She understands the stresses and challenges of modern life and can provide practical advice and guidance on how to successfully integrate techniques of mindfulness into a busy schedule.

Visit barbaranewell.com for more resources.  Also Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss methods for quieting the mind by quieting the body.  During these difficult times, somatic (i.e. body) quieting can be extremely effective in reducing the "noise" in our mind to allow us to be more mindful.  Barbara and Matthew also specifically discuss the body scan meditation which is a highly effective method for quieting.  A guided meditation is included at the end of the podcast.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Also Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Buddhist nun who trained under Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

This collaboration was born out of a desire to provide a more structured approach to developing long-term sustainable well-being through the cultivation of mindfulness.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew accelerated quite quickly and with relative ease in developing his meditation practice.  Upon reflection with his teacher Barbara, it became apparent that recent therapy focused on reducing emotional reactivity was extremely helpful and contributed to this benefit.  While Barbara had extensive experience and knew the immense benefit of addressing emotions in a mindfulness practice, she and Matthew noted that the traditional teachings were often missing or didn’t sufficiently explain the role of emotions.

While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate related to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that a more structured approach with practical guidance and techniques could help numerous people find their way to well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss dealing with the emotion of fear during these challenging times with the coronavirus pandemic.  They specifically touch on the fact that it is normal to have fear in a circumstance like this, however there are skillful ways to react versus unskillful and unhelpful ways of reacting.  They also explain the various mindfulness techniques which can help all of us manage the unprecedented changes around us.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Also Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Buddhist nun who trained under Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

This collaboration was born out of a desire to provide a more structured approach to developing long-term sustainable well-being through the cultivation of mindfulness.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew accelerated quite quickly and with relative ease in developing his meditation practice.  Upon reflection with his teacher Barbara, it became apparent that recent therapy focused on reducing emotional reactivity was extremely helpful and contributed to this benefit.  While Barbara had extensive experience and knew the immense benefit of addressing emotions in a mindfulness practice, she and Matthew noted that the traditional teachings were often missing or didn’t sufficiently explain the role of emotions.

While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate related to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that a more structured approach with practical guidance and techniques could help numerous people find their way to well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss Matthew's journey to self-compassion.

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Also Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Buddhist nun who trained under Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

This collaboration was born out of a desire to provide a more structured approach to developing long-term sustainable well-being through the cultivation of mindfulness.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew accelerated quite quickly and with relative ease in developing his meditation practice.  Upon reflection with his teacher Barbara, it became apparent that recent therapy focused on reducing emotional reactivity was extremely helpful and contributed to this benefit.  While Barbara had extensive experience and knew the immense benefit of addressing emotions in a mindfulness practice, she and Matthew noted that the traditional teachings were often missing or didn’t sufficiently explain the role of emotions.

While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate related to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that a more structured approach with practical guidance and techniques could help numerous people find their way to well-being through mindfulness.

Barbara Newell and Matthew Aldrich discuss the importance of compassion in a comprehensive mindfulness practice.  They specifically touch on self-compassion and bonus material is available that dives down into Matthew's experience with self-compassion. 

Visit barbaranewell.com or thewaytowellbeing.com for more resources.  Also Barbara offers free initial consultations which can be booked here.

The Way to Well-Being is a collaboration between Barbara Newell, mindfulness + meditation teacher and a former Buddhist nun who trained under Thich Nhat Hanh, and Matthew Aldrich, mindfulness student.

This collaboration was born out of a desire to provide a more structured approach to developing long-term sustainable well-being through the cultivation of mindfulness.

As a newcomer to mindfulness, Matthew accelerated quite quickly and with relative ease in developing his meditation practice.  Upon reflection with his teacher Barbara, it became apparent that recent therapy focused on reducing emotional reactivity was extremely helpful and contributed to this benefit.  While Barbara had extensive experience and knew the immense benefit of addressing emotions in a mindfulness practice, she and Matthew noted that the traditional teachings were often missing or didn’t sufficiently explain the role of emotions.

While there are numerous books about mindfulness, the information can sometimes be conflicting, too conceptual, or just inadequate related to the actual implementation in a busy modern life.

It became apparent that a more structured approach with practical guidance and techniques could help numerous people find their way to well-being through mindfulness.