Generally speaking, mindfulness means living in the moment. It means being aware of your feelings and experiences without passing judgment or reacting rashly. It allows you to slow down and process things, rather than being disconnected and going through the motions without understanding why you’re behaving a certain way.
Some practices used to help people achieve mindfulness are meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong.
The American Psychological Association believes mindfulness can have benefits for both psychologists and their patients. These bloggers have taken on the challenging task of teaching us how to live, breathe, and be in the moment. If you’re looking for more peace and perspective in your life, check out their insightful posts.
Oxford Mindfulness Centre
The Oxford Mindfulness Centre is a research-driven organization. They strive to help improve the lives of people with depression by using mindfulness techniques. The site is a good resource to understanding more about mindfulness and how it can help with stress, depression, and overall mental and physical health. New to mindfulness? Try it out with their short video guiding you through the process.
Mindful
Mindful is a place for the mindfulness community to go for connections, resources, and information to live a more mindful daily life. A team of writers and medical advisors work to create magazine articles and online content that explore issues related to mindfulness. Posts tackle topics like how to avoid your cell phone’s power of distraction and meditation techniques to help with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.
Tiny Buddha’s Blog
Lori Deschene founded Tiny Buddha to bring happiness and peace to her readers. The blog is guided by Buddhist philosophies and focuses on making ancient wisdom applicable to the daily issues of today. Tiny Buddha also has guest posts from mindful practitioners like holistic love coach Laura Smilski, who writes about learning from heartbreak and eventually appreciating the experience.
The Wheel
The Wheel, a blog by independent publisher Shambhala Publications, is definitely ahead of the curve. Shambhala was founded in the 1960s when mindfulness, meditation, and yoga were all considered counterculture. The company never gave up on its mission. They continue to bring Buddhist teachings to Western culture. Blog posts also announce and explain upcoming workshops presented by Shambhala.
Zen Habits
Much like its founder Leo Babauta’s philosophy, the Zen Habits blog keeps things simple and clear. You’ll notice a difference from other blogs right away. The site has a no-frills design, using black text against a solid white background with no ads or images. Posts address a variety of topics, like how to reduce procrastination and tips to develop new thinking patterns and skills.
Wisdom Publications’ Blog
Wisdom Publications is another publishing company that focuses on publishing content related to classic Buddhism. Blog posts are written by several authors and each has a different flavor. Some even play with pop culture references.
Mindful Matter: Holstee
Brothers Dave and Mike Radparvar quit their jobs to found their T-shirt company, Holstee. The guiding force behind their decision — the idea that this is your life and you should do what you love — became a manifesto for the new company. Holstee’s blog continues to stay true to its values. Posts tackle a range of mindful topics, like how to enjoy the little things and reminding us to practice self-compassion.
A Lust for Life
The Lust for Life team is a small group focused on growing the social enterprise to spur positive change in society. They’re all volunteers who use funds raised by events to reinvest in the social initiative they believe in: sharing information to help people live a healthier and more holistic, purposeful life. The initiative and blog is based in Ireland, so you’ll get perspectives at times that are a bit different from U.S. views. Posts, like the reflections from the editor, do their best to remind people we’re all in this together and many of us share the same issues.
Mrs. Mindfulness
Melli O’Brien is a mindfulness teacher who believes mindfulness is her passion and her purpose. In addition to blogging, she teaches meditation and yoga. She also hosts retreats. Her blog strikes a nice balance between introducing mindfulness to beginners and giving new advice and perspective to people who’ve practiced for a long time. Melli even shows you her own reading collection in one post, with a comprehensive list of mindfulness poetry.
The Art of Living
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living in 1981 as a nonprofit to provide people with the tools they need to lead lives free of stress and violence. Blog topics range from reducing and controlling anger to using yoga and mindfulness for weight loss. You’ll also find free e-courses divided into categories of focus: yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and reducing stress.
Breathedreamgo
Mindfulness is a technique that can serve you wherever you go. That’s what blogger Mariellen Ward believes. She writes about traveling to India, Thailand, and England — just to name a few. Mariellen also focuses on sustainable travel with wildlife conservation and sharing authentic cultural experiences.
The Blissful Mind
Since 2014, blogger Catherine strives to help visitors reduce stress and create confidence. The mindset coach gets her followers into the right frame of mind via blog posts, weekly emails, and coaching availability. The blog is one of the best places online to learn self-care practices, time management strategies, and how to develop a healthy and positive mindset.
Dr. Rick Hanson’s Blog
The New York Times best-selling author has written and taught about everything from psychological growth to relationships, family life, and raising children. A recurring theme in his work is the need for mental resources, such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and positive emotions.
Tasting Mindfulness
Lynn Rossy, PhD, is a health psychologist specializing in yoga and mindfulness-based interventions. Her two main areas of focus are on mindful eating and mindful movement, and her blog posts cover an array of subjects, from improving communication skills to the need to take a mindful pause. The blog content is thorough, focused, and timely.
YogiApproved.com
As the name suggests, this blog is the place to go for all things yoga… but visitors will also find information on mindfulness, travel, and food. (Recipes for Maple Walnut Granola and Fiber-Rich Chocolate Protein Smoothies? Yes, please!) You can also get a free trial of unlimited access to hundreds of
premium yoga and fitness classes from top instructors around the world.
Green Girl Leah
Leah Thomas promotes brands and causes that support the environment as well as minority cultures. She describes her goal as trying to “make the world a little more equal for everyone and a little nicer to our home planet.” She explores mindfulness and meditation with a focus on self-care and mindful activism. You’ll find tips on brands and causes that are both environmentally friendly and socially just, such as “Organic basics: Conscious clothing for yoga and relaxing.”
Melanin Therapy
The Melanin Therapy blog is primarily a directory of treatment options and therapists who meet the unique mental health challenges encountered by African Americans and people of color. Finding mental health treatment that focuses on the cultural and spiritual needs of Black families can be difficult. The blog offers a directory of Melanin therapists throughout the United States, as well as a list of resources, a product marketplace, and a classified services section.
Black Zen
Black Zen is a meditation approach that focuses on opening up wellness spaces to black and brown communities, removing social and financial barriers to the practice of meditation. The blog is written and curated by the founders of the Black Zen movement, sisters Stacey and Jasmine Johnson. Both have practiced meditation for more than a decade. Jasmine was trained at UCLA’s Meditation and Research Center, and Stacey is the founder of BE Meditation Group.
Have a favorite blog you’d like to nominate? Email us at [email protected].
