Most of the time, when people talk about mindfulness and law practice they talk about the stress of dealing with our cases. This is true for me, but one additional stressor for many lawyers is business development.
Years ago, though, I really struggled networking and business development. I was convinced I couldn’t do it because I was an introvert and not a natural salesperson. Mindfulness practice has helped me make peace with business development, largely because it helped me make peace with myself.
I got to talk about this journey on a new episode of the BE THAT LAWYER podcast with Steve Fretzin. Steve if a business development coach and consultant. He helps lawyers make the whole process less painful and more effective.
About the Podcast and Episode
On his podcast and in his latest book, he shares the stories of lawyers who have found success with business development. If business development makes you nervous, if you worry about losing your soul or feeling inauthentic trying to sell, Steve is a good person to listen to and this episode is for you.
Ultimately, I think business development is about building relationships and offering value to the your community. I think this idea comes through well in the episode. It also shares some insights about how mindfulness practices can support it.
How Can Mindfulness Help with Business Development?
As Steve and I discuss in interview, mindfulness practices can support business development in a number of ways.
If you want to learn more about mindfulness and business development for lawyers, check out the interview. Here are several options for how you can do.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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Summer tends to be a slower time for me as a lawyer. As a mindfulness teacher, though, my summer is pretty exciting. I am thrilled to have to wonderful events regarding mindfulness for lawyers coming this July.
Keep reading to learn the details for both and find ways to participate.
Anger Management CLE for Lawyers in Pennsylvania
On July 16th at 10 AM, I will be offering a virtual CLE for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute on anger management for lawyers. Mindfulness is a powerful tool that can help lawyers manage and care for our emotions. Anger is no exception.
This webinar is available virtually through the Pennsylvania Bar Institute but CLE credit may be available in other states as well. You can watch on-demand here.
The second day will include a retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Spirit Rock is a beautiful facility founded by some of the most well-known meditation teachers in the United States. This day will be an opportunity to practice mindfulness with other lawyers in community.
To participate, register for both the conference and retreat separately at the links provided above.
This Will Be a Great Summer for Mindfulness in Law
I hope to see you or maybe even meet you at these events. If you cannot attend, the MILS Virtual Sits happen twice a week and are another great option for lawyers and others in the legal profession. Keep checking my events page for more opportunities to practice and learn about mindfulness.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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Whenever I get the chance, I talk about self-compassion. It is one of the biggest and most beneficial changes I have made over the course of my life. As a lawyer, it is essential to help me manage the stresses and challenges of law practice. The other day, though, a friend reminded me of yet another reason. Self-compassion can help with anger.
I teach about self-compassion all the time, but it was honestly nice to be reminded of this fact. For one thing, it was good timing because I am preparing to present a CLE on anger management for lawyers. In addition, self-compassion is not always easy to practice, so it was nice to remember yet another benefit of this trait.
The Relationship Between Self-Compassion and Anger
The friend who told me about the positive impact self-compassion can have on anger is another mindfulness teacher. I didn’t doubt her memory, but I wanted to confirm for myself. As a result, I visited researcher, Kristin Neff’s, website to see what I could find.
In a quick search, I found at least 3 studies that confirmed that self-compassion indeed had an impact on anger. These included the following studies showing that:
These are just a few examples, but all of these studies reveal that my friend was right. Indeed, self-compassion has an impact on anger and how we process it.
How Are Self-Compassion and Anger Related?
If you read any of the studies above, you may get some insights about the way that self-compassion can help us navigate and let go of anger. As a mindfulness teacher and someone who has historically struggled with anger, I have seen exactly how the two things are related.
Here are just a few ways that I believe self-compassion has helped me to be a less angry person.
I practice anger and judgment less. This means I disrupt the habitual anger reaction. Instead, I have replaced it (most of the time) with remembering common humanity.
I allow my feelings more and block them less. It took years but quite literally I have learned to let myself feel my emotions. This has created clarity about what matters and what doesn’t.
I focus more on honoring my own needs. When I meet my needs more, I feel better and don’t feel angry as much.
All of these things help me see others with kinder and gentler eyes. When I accept how I feel and what I need, I remember more often the humanity of other people.
Why Should Lawyers and Professionals or Anyone Else Care?
This one is obvious to most lawyers. Anger is a constant and frequent threat for us, just like it is for many business professionals. Our jobs often entail stress, time constraints, and conflict. This is a breeding ground for anger in and of itself.
In addition, as I have written before, anger and judgment are strongly correlated. Nothing will create an anger reaction more than the perception that someone has broken the rules or invaded a personal boundary. This kind of analysis is a lawyer’s stock and trade. To some degree, this means that many lawyers and other professionals practice anger every day at work.
Easy Ways to Begin Exploring Self-Compassion Even If You Are Unsure about It
Despite the promising research, many people remain skeptical or unsure about cultivating self-compassion. Even though research exists to the contrary, they may be concerned that self-compassion will make them weak. In addition, they may be concerned that they can never change, even though countless studies demonstrate that self-compassion can be cultivated.
If this is you, I encourage you to first be self-compassionate towards yourself by not pushing too far. You don’t have to change your mind right away. All of those fears are normal and besides change takes time.
If you want to explore self-compassion more deeply, including to help you manage anger, I hope this list of resources will help:
Anger is a human emotion that happens to us all. Though we should not strive to never be angry in life, many lawyers and professionals may need help managing it. If you have a busy, stressful, or conflict-heavy job, you may need to pay extra attention to the role that anger plays in your life and work. The good news is that self-compassion is a trait you can cultivate with simple practices over time. If you give them a try, you may help yourself build a happier, healthier, and less angry life.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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This was not always true, but I am now one of those people who cannot stand to go a day without exercise. A few years ago, I would have found this comment annoying. Over the course of time, though, I found a way to prioritize movement each day. Now, I don’t just enjoy exercise. I need it to feel physically good and to support my mental health.
The Joy of Movement Is Not Just Another Fitness Book
If you think this sounds like an artless humble brag, then you might want to read The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal (paid link). This book explains why movement is so essential to our well-being. It’s not a self-help book that tries to identify the “best” way to get fit or maximize calories burned.
Instead, The Joy of Movement is truly about the joy that moving can inspire in us as humans. The short book is composed of 7 chapters that each explain a different concept relating to movement. Most of the book discusses various exercise modalities, but other activities are covered as well.
About the Author, Kelly McGonigal
As I have written before, Kelly McGonigal is one of my favorite wellness authors. She’s a psychologist at Stanford and the author of other great books, including The Science of Compassion, and The Upside of Stress. As she explains in The Joy of Movement, McGonigal is also a fitness fanatic. She wrote the book in part to explain where her love of exercise originated.
This quest inexorably leads to a scientific analysis of the impact of movement on the body. McGonigal provides scholarly analysis on that subject in The Joy of Movement. But she also goes one step further. The book doesn’t just talk about cardiovascular and bodily benefits that arise from movement. It explains how movement offers us mental health, emotional, social, and even spiritual benefits.
The Joy of Movement Is Not Just a Science Book Either
In truth, though, McGonigal does not merely explain these benefits at all. Rather, she illustrates them with well-told stories. This is one of the reasons why I like McGonigal’s work so much. Her books do not merely cite studies or discuss concepts. She demonstrates the truth of the studies with stories.
For example, in The Joy of Movement, McGonigal explains the connection between the mythic “runner’s high” and our evolution from a hunter gatherer society. She examines popular fitness programs, including Orange Theory, Soul Cycle, and Peloton to explain how movement encourages social connection. And she shares stories of how real life people use exercise to build self-confidence, move past grief, or become more engaged in their communities.
A Health Book That Inspires Enthusiasm Rather Than Guilt or Shame
Most of us understand that exercise is good for us. Unfortunately, though, that message often inspires guilt, apathy, or even shame because it often comes with hidden pressure. Many discussions of exercise are linked, whether intentionally or not, to diet and fitness.
Those are certainly important, but I have learned that joy is a much better motivator than a “should.” In The Joy of Movement, McGonigal does not nag or scold. She does not emphasize health in the strict sense or longevity. And she does not waste time arguing about what form of movement is best for burning fat or calories or building muscle.
How Movement and Joy Are Connected
Instead, as the title suggests, McGonigal’s goal is to help us see how movement cultivates joy in individuals and supports communities. If you read The Joy of Movement, you might think that you should start exercising again but only because it will remind you how awesome it feels.
In truth, The Joy of Movement is a book that feels good to read. It shares essential information about the human body and mind from an author with sufficient training to explain the concepts well. The book also shares stories that exemplify how good, generous, resilient, and kind the human race can be when it at its best.
The Joy of Movement Is a Great Read
If you read the book, though, it will be hard to forget that movement in its many forms is an important part of being at our best as humans. Whether you are a fitness fanatic or a reluctant runner, rower, or whatever, The Joy of Movement by Kelly McGonigal is a great read. It may motivate you to start or keep exercising or help you understand why you never want to stop. Even more importantly, it will help you explore how to live a joyful life.
Founder’s Note: The link to the book mentioned in this review is an affiliate link. The review is unsponsored and sincere but the link to Amazon is paid.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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Most people who meditate long enough will eventually face the problem of sleepiness. For those new to practice, it can actually be a good a sign. Sleepiness can signify that the body and mind are relaxing, which is a good thing.
Severe or persistent drowsiness, though, can create some problems. You can’t cultivate mindfulness or compassion in meditation if you can’t stay awake. I have been dealing with sleepiness a lot lately. In fact, I just went on a seven-day retreat and sleepiness was my biggest challenge.
Here are the things that I learned on retreat that helped me deal with sleepiness in meditation.
1. Identify the early signs of sleepiness.
Once full on sleepiness sets in, it can be nearly impossible to correct it. That’s why it helps to identify your early signs of sleepiness. These can be subtle, so it may take some trial and error. Even so, sleepiness happens at some point for all of us. This means that you are bound to get plenty of time to practice this.
The early signs of sleepiness may vary for us all. For me, though, I notice a lack of energy, tired eyes, and a general droopiness in my body. My shoulders might slump and my head might lean forward ever so slightly. If I am clear enough, I usually also notice mental haziness.
One of the clearest signs is a subtle ripple of energy that starts in my face and radiates down my body. When I notice this, it is like an alarm that tells me to immediately take some of the actions identified next to wake up.
2. Ways to Wake Yourself Up.
When you feel sleepiness come on, one or a combination of these steps may help you wake up.
1. Remove your sweater or blanket.
Temperature control is huge for meditation. To avoid sleepiness, a slightly cool room is ideal. Removing your sweater or blanket to cool your body down may help you wake up.
2. Sit or stand up.
It can be hard or even awkward at times to move during meditation. Sometimes it is the right call. If you are falling asleep when you practice, sitting or standing up can help. Walking meditation is always an option if you need movement to raise your energy levels.
3. Lift Your Head.
This one is subtle, but sometimes sleepiness happens because we unwittingly let our heads bow. This can block our airways slightly and may simulate our experience during sleep. Raising your head so your eyes are level with the horizon may clear your airway and wake you up.
4. Open Your Eyes
What do all sleeping people hate the most? They hate it when you turn on the lights. If sleepiness comes when you meditate, open your eyes. You may also consider practicing in a room with some light to keep yourself alert during practice.
Sleepiness in meditation is hard. It would feel so good to just succumb to the siren call of the impromptu power nap. Struggling through that temptation is rough. When this happens to me, I recall my intention for practice. I meditate daily precisely for moments like these. I want to build skills for navigating inner challenges with more grace and kindness. Remembering this usually helps me focus and wake up.
7. Shift to a more active style of practice.
I recommend keeping your daily meditation practice very simple, but it also helps to have a few options at your disposal. One reason is that some meditation styles are more active than others. Open awareness practice or even breath focus may induce relaxation and eventually sleepiness. Something more active, like body scan, noting practice, or even one of the heart practices may energize your mind and body.
3. Be Sure that You Aren’t Unconsciously Causing or Just Ignoring Sleepiness.
If you have tried all the strategies above and sleepiness persists, you may need to dig dipper. Ask yourself the following questions if drowsiness continues when you meditate.
A. Are You Sleeping Enough?
Most Americans do not get enough sleep. This is specifically true for lawyers as well. There are many reasons for this but the pervasiveness of screens is a common culprit. If you can’t stay awake during meditation, it is worth asking yourself if you just need some rest. Focusing on quality sleep will improve your meditation practice and overall health.
B. Are You Trying too Hard?
Another common problem for many professionals, especially lawyers, is unconscious overwork. Some of us may habitually try hard. We may be so used to striving that we do it in meditation. This may be true even after years of practice and instruction that reminds us to avoid striving.
Trying too hard can induce sleepiness for the simple reason that it wears our minds out. While sleepiness may be a sign indicating a need for more focus, it can also indicate a need to relax too. You can do this by bringing in an attitude of play and lightness into practice. You can also try giving yourself breaks in practice by shifting the practice type or taking small breaks within your practice.
C. Is there an underlying medical condition you should explore?
Sometimes sleepiness can be a sign of an underlying medical or mental health condition. If the sleepiness persists despite interventions, it may be time to talk to your care provider. Meditation is just one means of taking care of ourselves. A doctor or mental health care provider can help you ensure that all of your needs are met.
4. Learn about Acceptance and Self-Compassion.
Even if you do all the things right, the odds are that sleepiness still may happen during meditation. Meditation is not about controlling your body or your mind. Instead, it’s about learning to work with your body and your mind better.
As discussed above, sleepiness in meditation gives you a chance to see what strategies energize and deplete you. When all those fail, though, sleepiness can give you a chance to practice something arguably more important. It can give you a reason to practice acceptance and self-compassion.
You can’t always be energized. You can’t always be “on.” Your mind does not always want to focus. Your body may not always want to sit. Practicing self-kindness in the midst of this lack of control is part of meditation. Though I know exactly how frustrating this can feel, I can also say that this life skill is very helpful to have.
Conclusion
Fatigue or drowsiness during meditation is a very human thing. It does not mean that you are a bad meditator or the practice isn’t right for you. Instead, sleepiness is a normal challenge for most meditators. Learning to manage sleepiness in meditation can build skills and teach you about yourself.
To deal with problems in meditation practice, including sleepiness, check out the Pause and Begin Again ebook. This free resource offers tips for starting and restarting a meditation practice and facing common challenges.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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Making things work is a skill that most lawyers have to learn. As a mindfulness teacher and practitioner, it’s a great skill for meditation too. Anyone who works in or around the law must find ways to fit our well-being practices into our busy lives. For this Well-Being Week in Law, I am leaning into making things work.
I’m really pleased that my friends at the Mindfulness in Law Society are supporting me in doing so. They asked me a while back to offer a guided meditation in honor of Well-Being Week in Law. I told them I would love to, but I had a hearing set the whole week.
Then I took a breath and got creative. I knew that my hearing would end by late afternoon. I also knew that it would be great for my well-being to have a reason to commit to meditation during that time. I pitched the idea of an evening meditation and MILS agreed.
Why Evening Meditation Is Great for Professionals in Law
The first reason why an evening meditation is great for lawyers is obvious. Evening practice allows lawyers to avoid cutting into their work day. Most mindfulness teachers recommend morning practice, but I have never been able to make that work.
The evening is when I can consistently find time to meditate. The good news is that there are several good things about evening practice. It can help you let go of the stresses of the day. Evening meditation can also help you relax your body and mind and prepare for sleep.
Evening meditation also offers a chance to reflect on the day. This means it can help you heal, recover, and course correct before tomorrow. While morning meditation can be great, evening meditation can be great for professionals in law.
Details for the Evening Meditation
When Is It: 7 PM EST / 4 PM PST
Who Can Join: Anyone in law or the legal profession. This includes law students and professors. Lawyers, regardless of practice status, and all staff who work for a law firm. Judges and their staff are also welcome to attend. Prior meditation experience is not required.
How to Join: Register on Zoom to get the meeting link.
Style of Practice: Light instruction will be offered before the guided meditation. We will set an intention for practice. The practice style will be a simple mindfulness of breath or other focal point. It will conclude with some metta (loving-kindness). The meditation should take about 20 minutes.
Join the Evening Meditation to Support Well-Being in Law
As I have written here before, community is essential for maintaining a mindfulness practice long-term. The theme for Well-Being Week in Law this year is social connection. Most of us working in law meditate on our own most of the time. The evening meditation on Thursday May 8th offers you a chance to practice mindfulness in community. I hope you will join us to support your own own well-being and that of other professionals in law.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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It’s no secret that law students are seriously struggling—over 75% report increased anxiety, and over 50% experience depression. Other stats say a staggering 96% face significant stress—far more than medical students or other graduate students.
But the stress doesn’t start in law school—it begins long before. With admissions growing more and more competitive, students must craft applications that are both deeply personal and meticulously calculated.
They’re expected to be both authentically themselves and exactly what hard-to-impress admissions committees want to see. Balancing vulnerability with strategy, storytelling with structure, and passion with polish is exhausting.
And that’s only one hurdle. Students also juggle time-consuming extracurriculars designed to impress, competitive internships, near-perfect GPAs, months of LSAT prep, and applying to a dozen or more schools—all under the looming fear of rejection.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. While the pressure is real, there are ways to manage stress, protect your mental health, and set yourself up for success—strategies that can help you not just survive the process but maybe even beat the stats.
The science behind this link is complex. Some studies suggest exercise affects brain chemicals like serotonin, stress hormones, and endorphins, while others point to the connection between inactivity and mental health struggles. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that movement helps!
But this isn’t about forcing a strict workout routine into your already packed schedule. Exercise shouldn’t feel like another obligation—it should be something you enjoy. Whether it’s walking, yoga, pilates, or light stretching, find what lets you take a breath and quiet your mind. You can pair it with binaural beats or calming music for added effect!
Express Your Emotions During the Law School Application Process
The emotions you experience during this process—stress, anxiety, frustration, self-doubt—are valid. Bottling them up will only make them feel heavier. Finding an outlet to release these emotions can help prevent them from spiraling into overwhelming anxiety or burnout.
Talking to someone—a friend, family member, or mentor—can be incredibly helpful. If speaking to someone isn’t for you, consider journaling. Writing your thoughts down, even if no one ever reads them, can be a cathartic way to process your emotions. The simple act of transferring your worries from your mind onto paper can create a sense of relief and perspective!
Take a nap—Without Guilt to Support Your Mental Health
You don’t need me to tell you how important sleep is, but when you’re buried under deadlines and LSAT prep, it’s easy to sacrifice rest in the name of productivity.
While getting a full eight hours every night might not always be realistic, ignoring your body’s need for rest only makes the process harder in the long run. Instead of running on fumes (or another cup of coffee), give yourself permission to take a nap if you need one.
Even a short 20-minute reset can improve focus, memory, and mood. And if you need a full hour or two? Take it. The time you “lose” to sleep won’t make or break you, but being well-rested will make everything else feel a little more manageable.
We’ve all heard the joke of telling people who are chronically online to “touch grass” as a reminder that there’s a real world beyond their screen. But it’s more than just a joke—literally walking barefoot on grass is a common grounding technique that can help reduce stress, lower anxiety, and bring you back to the present.
When stress keeps you stuck at your desk, a few minutes outside can be the reset you need to clear your mind, refocus, and feel a little more human again.
Zoom Out to Remember that Law School Application Is Just the First Step
It’s easy to get tunnel vision when applying to law school. Your success starts to feel like it hinges entirely on getting the right grades, getting into the perfect program, and getting that coveted job. However, defining success solely through academic and professional achievements can set you up for more stress and disappointment.
Creating a vision board that extends beyond law school can be a great way to maintain perspective. Think about what else makes you feel fulfilled—hobbies, travel, personal goals, new skills you want to learn.
By diversifying your definition of success, you remind yourself that your worth isn’t solely tied to your legal career. Plus, updating your vision board with small wins along the way can help you feel a sense of accomplishment throughout the journey, not just at the finish line!
Final Thoughts
Stress is an unfortunate but inevitable part of the law school journey. You’re entering one of the most demanding careers, and the path to getting there isn’t any easier. But you don’t have to do it alone.
Juris Education can help shoulder the burden—guiding you through applications, essays, and interviews—so you can focus on putting your best foot forward without burning out.
At the same time, small habits can make a big difference. Moving your body, expressing your emotions, resting when needed, getting outside, and maintaining perspective can help you manage stress in a healthier way.
Law school will come with its own challenges, but building these habits now will set you up for success—both in your application process and in your future career!
Author Bio: Jesse Wang is a published author and attorney based in New York City. He completed a JD/MBA from the USC Gould School of Law, where he was Secretary of the Student Bar Association, Co-President of the Diversity Committee, and Founder and President of Gould’s Legal Technology Association. Prior to law school, Jesse graduated magna cum laude from Emory with a Bachelor’s in business administration with dual concentrations in information systems and operations management and marketing and Chinese language and literature. In 2020, he published a novel titled “Underdog” about his law school experience, as well as the experiences of classmates, professors, law school deans, and startup founders within the USC Gould legal community. Jesse has a strong track record of supporting students in their writing processes, having tutored both undergraduate and graduate students across various subjects. Jesse excels at providing comprehensive strategies for the admissions process. He helps students craft persuasive narratives, optimally structure their arguments, and leverage their unique qualities to make an impression on top-tier law schools. He is committed to helping students reach their goals and become part of the nation’s elite legal community. Having faced and overcome the challenges of applying to law school himself, he understands the stress and pressure students experience and works diligently to give them the best chance of success.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
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Most of us know that looking for a job can be a hard thing to do. If you haven’t looked for work in recent history, you probably know some job seekers who have. Many people, including a lot of lawyers, are actively looking for work or trying to transition to a new role.
When I was asked to talk about mindfulness to a local group that supports job seekers, I quickly said yes. Though I had not experienced joblessness in my career, my friends and relatives have. I also knew from personal experience that mindfulness and compassion are essential for facing adversity in life.
In this post, I will share details about and access to my talk.
The group offers support and community, skills classes, and access to volunteer speakers and coaches. People local to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati attend events in-person at the library. Many people outside of the Cincinnati metro area access the programs online and via Zoom.
I share this information here so that everyone can learn more about the program. Please review their offerings and share with any job seekers who need support.
Highlights from the Presentation to Job Seekers
In my talk, I spoke about my experience handling personal setbacks that led to professional growth. My talk was entitled Navigating Life’s Trials: A Story of Mindful Transformation and Community Impact. In it, I shared my story with postpartum depression and how it led me to explore mindfulness.
Besides sharing my story, the talk also included some teachings about mindfulness and compassion. Specifically, it explained how these human faculties help us navigate hard times in life. This is essential for job seekers and anyone dealing with life’s challenges.
The active engagement from the audience further enhanced the talk. They asked great questions and shared their own experiences and challenges.
How to Watch the Presentation
Another great thing about the Northern Kentucky Accountability Group is its online library of talks from past speakers. The library has recordings from many of its speakers dating back to 2022. All of the talks are tailored to active job seekers and others looking to build professional skills. You can browse through each year of the library to find a variety of excellent talks.
My talk, Navigating Life’s Trials, is listed under April, 2025. You will find a link and a password to view the recording. The session is about an hour in length. Don’t sleep on the Q&A session at the end. The questions were good and I mention extra resources too.
More Resources for Job Seekers
When asked about confidence and imposter syndrome, I mentioned these resources from the blog:
All of these resources offer valuable insights for those handling change in life and work.
Community and Mindfulness Can Support Job Seekers
If you are searching for a job, communities like the one I discuss here can be a great support. As I shared in my talk, building critical skills like mindfulness and compassion can also help too. I wish all of the job seekers out there the best. I also hope that the resources and ideas shared here will support you in your job search.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
Over the last few months, I stumbled into a simple breath technique that has helped me enjoy exercise more. As a general matter, I usually enjoy exercise. I have written before about being a loyal Peloton user, especially the Power Zone rides.
To my surprise, all those yoga teachers turned out to be right. Syncing my breath to my movements really has made a big difference. In this post, I will share why and offer strategies that can help you explore this in your workouts.
How to Sync Your Breath During Exercise
Some activities lend themselves more easily to coupling breathing with movement. It came quite easily to me with rowing because the movement is segmented. In fact, when I got my Peloton rower, I spent time breaking my form down into pieces. This made it easy to inhale on the return, and exhale on the push.
Seeing the benefits of this approach, I also applied it to my strength workouts. I inhale on the release and exhale when I exert power to pull or push the weight.
Like with meditation, you likely won’t sync your breath perfectly or naturally at the beginning. That’s okay. You can always refocus and sync again when you notice you have strayed.
The Benefits of Syncing Your Breath During Workouts
Over time, I have noticed myself more often in a flow state when I work out. This has enhanced the activities I enjoy, like cardio. On the other hand, it has also helped me get into the ones I enjoy less, like lifting.
This small amount of mindfulness helps make the most of my precious time in the gym. As a lawyer, I have only a few spaces in my day where I get to be with me. When I am working out, I want to experience it fully. Staying attentive for the experience helps me notice how good it feels to move.
Don’t Force It
Avoiding force is a standard instruction for meditation. I find that the same thing is true for syncing your breath during exercise. Much like pranayama, this involves some conscious breath control. But leaning too heavily on the control aspect will kill the enjoyment.
My advice to deal with this is like my advice for meditation: learn to play. Ideally, exercise is something that you do on a regular if not daily basis. This gives you time to explore new ways of doing it. Mixing things up can support your enthusiasm for the habit.
As you work out, play with ways to sync up the breath with your movements. Find what feels good. Start with the easiest modality for you. Once you have mastered one, you can always branch out.
Conclusion: Sync Your Breath to Find Flow in Your Workouts
I firmly believe that enjoying habits is the best way to make them stick. Most of us want to make exercise a regular habit if it isn’t one already. Syncing breath with movement is a small thing you can do to cultivate mindfulness and enjoy exercise more.
Even better, it’s something you can play with over time to keep your exercise routine fresh. Next time you hit the gym, try syncing your breath and movements and notice how good it feels to move.
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Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
“Just sit there.” This was some of the best meditation advice I ever got. When my meditation practice was still young, a teacher gave me this instruction during an interview on a retreat. I had been doing breath focus practice for a while and explained that I was rushing back to the breath. Though I didn’t know the term then, my teacher suggested that I try open awareness or open monitoring meditation.
On the very next sit, that is what I did and I quickly fell in love. As I will explain in this post, open awareness meditation has some disadvantages. But for me the advantages were clear. I had honed focus pretty well, but I needed to learn to relax and let go. If this sounds familiar to you, keep reading. In this post, I will briefly explain what open awareness practice is. I will also tell you how to do it. Finally, I will show you how to embed it in your meditation practice.
What Is Open Awareness Meditation?
As the instructions from my teacher indicated, the beauty of open awareness practice is its simplicity. With this style, you drop all specific focal points and just sit there. The thing is, of course, that you don’t merely sit there. Instead, you sit there and pay attention to whatever comes up in your awareness.
This includes thoughts, sensations in the body, emotions, and external stimuli. In short, with open awareness meditation the practice is to note all of your awareness. Ideally, you will also do so with mental clarity but without judgment.
Why You Should Try Open Awareness Meditation?
Many people assume that focus is the primary benefit of meditation. That can be true for many people, but I don’t think it is true for all. Many people, including lots of lawyers, may have pretty strong focus skills already. As I learned, though, meditation can also impart other important traits.
These include things like relaxing, letting go, non-judgment and kindness. Open awareness helps to cultivate these things in particular because the practice literally invites everything into awareness. Nothing is off limits. It’s all part of the practice. As you practice welcoming everything in experience into awareness, you build patience, flexibility, equanimity, and self-kindness.
Potential Benefits of Open Awareness Meditation
Because all of us are different, the potential benefits of open awareness meditation are varied. With that said, I quickly experienced more access to insight when I started open awareness meditation. I also noticed an increase in intuition and creativity. When I allowed space in my mind, I became clearer about my life and more receptive to my own ideas.
I also soon started to understand myself better because I started to see my patterns in real time. Instead of merely focusing on the breath, I could see familiar narratives arise and fade. By watching this play out, some of those stories lost their power. These included my tendency to doubt myself and to do everything on my own. This made room for new wholesome ones, like self-compassion and opening to creative pursuits like writing.
How to Explore Open Awareness Meditation
If this sounds attractive, you may next wonder how you can start exploring open awareness meditation. As I already mentioned, the classic way to start this practice is to start just sitting. Let go of all focal points, broaden the scope of your awareness, and see what comes up. For people with some experience with meditation, this can be a great way to explore a new style of practice.
Some may worry that this openness can cause confusion. However, there are ways to expand awareness more gradually. One choice is to try a noting practice, in which you note things that arise in experience. You can also try practices that categorize experience, such as a practice that focuses on feeling tones (neutral, pleasant, unpleasant). Shinzen Young also has a style called “see-hear-feel” that categorizes the visual, auditory, and sensory experiences that arise.
Dealing with Disadvantages or Problems
Now, some people may worry that their mind isn’t automatically open or won’t stay open for this practice. The easy answer is that starting with open awareness practice is not necessary. You don’t need to begin with it in order to do it. Instead, you can begin a meditation session with breath focus. You could also use a body scan or a mantra. Then transition to open awareness. This is what I have done for years, though the time I need to spend settling with a focus practice has decreased over time.
You may worry that open awareness could lead to dullness. It might also cause spacing out. This is something that happens to the best of us. One way to tackle this is to manage sleepiness. Watch your temperature, practice at a good time of day, and don’t try to meditate after a big meal. Another solution is to bring back in elements of focus practice to support mental clarity when needed. For example, if you find yourself spacing out you can energize the mind with a focus practice.
Conclusion: Open Awareness Meditation Is a Practice to Try
In truth, though, you can’t learn open awareness meditation from reading about it in a blog post. I wrote this post to encourage you to consider and explore the practice. The best way to learn about open awareness meditation and what it can do for you is try it yourself. To that end, I give you the same advice my teacher gave me years ago. Set a timer. Find a quiet safe space. Just sit there. See what open awareness meditation can do for you.
Want to learn more about mindfulness and compassion? Check out my new book, How to Be a Badass Lawyer, for a simple guide to creating a meditation practice of your own in 30 days. And to share mindfulness with your little one, check out my new children’s book, Mommy Needs a Minute.
