Balanced Mind With Julie Potiker

Visualize a calm lake, a reflective, peaceful body of water, to help you relax into this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with an untitled poem from Mark Nepo's book of poems (in progress), "Tales of the Ferryman".From Mark Nepo's, Tales of the Ferryman.A German proverb saysthat windows are the eyesof the house.And an old Jewish beliefsays that the heart is thewindow between the souland the world.And when the mind is asclear as a still patch of lake,it is the window to the deep.And the mouth, so sorry forall it carries, is the windowto silence.So, care for your windows.They let us out. They let usin. They let us put downall we hide.-Mark NepoContinue your mindfulness journey with Julie - through her writings. Her latest book is, "Gentle Currents: Poems of Pause & Peace", a collection of poems focusing on themes of nature, self-compassion, and tranquility.Her other books include,"SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for

Visualize a calm lake, a reflective, peaceful body of water, to help you relax into this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with an untitled poem from Mark Nepo's book of poems (in progress), "Tales of the Ferryman".This is from Mark Nepo's book of poems in progress, Tales of the Ferryman.A German proverb saysthat windows are the eyesof the house.And an old Jewish beliefsays that the heart is thewindow between the souland the world.And when the mind is asclear as a still patch of lake,it is the window to the deep.And the mouth, so sorry forall it carries, is the windowto silence.So, care for your windows.They let us out. They let usin. They let us put downall we hide.-Mark NepoContinue your mindfulness journey with Julie - through her writings. Her latest book is, "Gentle Currents: Poems of Pause & Peace", a collection of poems focusing on themes of nature, self-compassion, and tranquility.Her other books include,"SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You

Using your breath, breathe in what you need for yourself - and then breathe out what you want to send to others. Julie Potiker completes her meditation with the poem, "Drifting Ochre", by Sam Aureli.This meditation ends with music to allow you to drift off into sleep.Drifting Ochre, by Sam AureliA single leaf of yellow ochrefloats along the water's gentle current.It spins and twirls, as if rememberingall it had known - the warmth of spring,the quiet labor of becoming,a life steeped in sun and rain.The stream nudges it forward,over rocks and eddies, past rootsand shadows, urging it onalong a path unasked, untraced.The leaf didn't need to know.There was onlythe freedom of letting go.And as I watched, I thought:all things drift in time,each in our own rivers and bends,our passage carved by wind and water,until the earth calls us back,her soil richwith all that has come before.-Drifing Ochre, by Sam Aureli (from On the Edge of Knowing).Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books,

Using your breath, breathe in what you need for yourself - and then breathe out what you want to send to others. Julie Potiker completes her meditation with the poem, "Drifting Ochre", by Sam Aureli.Drifting Ochre, by Sam AureliA single leaf of yellow ochrefloats along the water's gentle current.It spins and twirls, as if rememberingall it had known - the warmth of spring,the quiet labor of becoming,a life steeped in sun and rain.The stream nudges it forward,over rocks and eddies, past rootsand shadows, urging it onalong a path unasked, untraced.The leaf didn't need to know.There was onlythe freedom of letting go.And as I watched, I thought:all things drift in time,each in our own rivers and bends,our passage carved by wind and water,until the earth calls us back,her soil richwith all that has come before.-Drifing Ochre, by Sam Aureli (from On the Edge of Knowing).Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have

Find yourself in stillness as you listen to this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Invitation", by Mary Oliver.Invitation, by Mary OliverOh do you have timeto lingerfor just a little whileout of your busyand very important dayfor the goldfinchesthat have gatheredin a field of thistlesfor a musical battle,to see who can singthe highest note,or the lowest,or the most expressive of mirth,or the most tender?Their strong, blunt beaksdrink the airas they strivemelodiouslynot for your sakeand not for mineand not for the sake of winningbut for sheer delight and gratitude –believe us, they say,it is a serious thingjust to be aliveon this fresh morningin the broken world.I beg of you,do not walk bywithout pausingto attend to thisrather ridiculous performance.It could mean something.It could mean everything.It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:You must change your life.-Invitation, by Mary OliverFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie

Find yourself in stillness as you listen to this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Invitation", by Mary Oliver.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.Invitation, by Mary OliverOh do you have timeto lingerfor just a little whileout of your busyand very important dayfor the goldfinchesthat have gatheredin a field of thistlesfor a musical battle,to see who can singthe highest note,or the lowest,or the most expressive of mirth,or the most tender?Their strong, blunt beaksdrink the airas they strivemelodiouslynot for your sakeand not for mineand not for the sake of winningbut for sheer delight and gratitude –believe us, they say,it is a serious thingjust to be aliveon this fresh morningin the broken world.I beg of you,do not walk bywithout pausingto attend to thisrather ridiculous performance.It could mean something.It could mean everything.It could be what Rilke meant, when he wrote:You must change your life.-Invitation, by Mary OliverFi

This meditation focuses on using your breath to breathe in loving kindness for yourself and out for others. Julie Potiker completes the meditation with the poem, "Reciprocity - When redpolls arrive in Minnesota," by Holly Lamond.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.Reciprocity- when redpolls arrive in Minnesota, by Holly Lamond - Poetry Tracks in the SnowA gallup of redpollsappeared this morningat our feeders, the firstto arrive this winter.Thankful for seed, theydescended in drovesas if they knew that here,there would be enough.I did not begrudge theirhunger.I needed this reminderas I read the news today,that goodness beginswith giving,that survival is a two-waystreet – today, an exchange ofsuet and seed for the sight,sound of so many birds –saving my soul from turning to ice.-Holly LamondFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Mi

This meditation focuses on using your breath to breathe in loving kindness for yourself and out for others. Julie Potiker completes the meditation with the poem, "Reciprocity - When redpolls arrive in Minnesota," by Holly Lamond.Reciprocity- when redpolls arrive in Minnesota, by Holly Lamond - Poetry Tracks in the SnowA gallup of redpollsappeared this morningat our feeders, the firstto arrive this winter.Thankful for seed, theydescended in drovesas if they knew that here,there would be enough.I did not begrudge theirhunger.I needed this reminderas I read the news today,that goodness beginswith giving,that survival is a two-waystreet – today, an exchange ofsuet and seed for the sight,sound of so many birds –saving my soul from turning to ice.-Holly LamondFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on Yo

Julie Potiker leads you through this guided meditation focusing on loving kindness. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Small Kindness", by Denusha Lameris.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleepSmall Kindness, by Denusha LamerisI’ve been thinking about the way, when you walkdown a crowded aisle, people pull in their legsto let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”when someone sneezes, a leftoverfrom the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.And sometimes, when you spill lemonsfrom your grocery bag, someone else will help youpick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smileat them and for them to smile back. For the waitressto call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.We have so little of each other, now. So farfrom tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.What if they are

Julie Potiker leads you through this guided meditation focusing on loving kindness. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Small Kindness", by Denusha Lameris.Small Kindness, by Denusha LamerisI’ve been thinking about the way, when you walkdown a crowded aisle, people pull in their legsto let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”when someone sneezes, a leftoverfrom the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.And sometimes, when you spill lemonsfrom your grocery bag, someone else will help youpick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smileat them and for them to smile back. For the waitressto call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.We have so little of each other, now. So farfrom tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, thesefleeting temples we make toge

Visualize the waves of the ocean to anchor you in this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "It is Born", by Mary Heebner.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.It is Born, by Mary HeebnerHere I came to the very edgewhere nothing at all needs saying,everything is absorbed through weather and the sea,and the moon swam back,its rays all silvered,and time and again the darkness would be brokenby the crash of a wave,and every day on the balcony of the sea,wings open, fire is born,and everything is blue again like morning.-It is Born, by Mary Heebner, translated by Alastair Reidfrom Neruda; On the blue shore of silence, poems of the sea.Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.com

Visualize the waves of the ocean to anchor you in this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with the poem, "It is Born", by Mary Heebner.It is Born, by Mary HeebnerHere I came to the very edgewhere nothing at all needs saying,everything is absorbed through weather and the sea,and the moon swam back,its rays all silvered,and time and again the darkness would be brokenby the crash of a wave,and every day on the balcony of the sea,wings open, fire is born,and everything is blue again like morning.-It is Born, by Mary Heebner, translated by Alastair Reidfrom Neruda; On the blue shore of silence, poems of the sea.Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywher

Set your intentions for the new year through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with a reading of two poems, "Don't Hesitate", by Mary Oliver and "This New Year", by James Crews.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.Don’t Hesitate, by Mary OliverIf you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plentyof lives and whole towns destroyed or aboutto be. We are not wise, and not very oftenkind. And much can never be redeemed.Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps thisis its way of fighting back, that sometimessomething happens better than all the richesor power in the world. It could be anything,but very likely you notice it in the instantwhen love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraidof its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.This New Year, by James Crewscrumbs will no longer be enough.You want whole loaves of joy,feast of exuberance laid outon the table of each wai

Set your intentions for the new year through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with a reading of two poems, "Don't Hesitate", by Mary Oliver and "This New Year", by James Crews.Don’t Hesitate, by Mary OliverIf you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plentyof lives and whole towns destroyed or aboutto be. We are not wise, and not very oftenkind. And much can never be redeemed.Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps thisis its way of fighting back, that sometimessomething happens better than all the richesor power in the world. It could be anything,but very likely you notice it in the instantwhen love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraidof its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.This New Year, by James Crewscrumbs will no longer be enough.You want whole loaves of joy,feast of exuberance laid outon the table of each waiting day.You want awe for the smallest things—drop of honey lifted

Relax into this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker as you breathe into what it is you need right now. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Joy", by Donna Asworth.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.Joy, by Donna AsworthJoy does not arrive with a fanfareon a red carpet strewnwith the flowers of a perfect lifejoy sneaks inas you pour a cup of coffeewatching the sunlighthit your favourite tree, just rightand you usher joy awaybecause you are not ready for heryour house is not as it should befor such a distinguished guestbut joy cares nothing for your messy homeor your bank-balance, or your waistline, you seejoy is supposed to slither throughthe cracks of your imperfect lifethat’s how joy worksyou cannot truly invite heryou can only be ready when she appearsand hug her with meaningbecause in this very momentjoy chose you-Donna AshworthFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Do

Relax into this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker as you breathe into what it is you need right now. She completes the meditation with the poem, "Joy", by Donna Asworth.Joy, by Donna AsworthJoy does not arrive with a fanfareon a red carpet strewnwith the flowers of a perfect lifejoy sneaks inas you pour a cup of coffeewatching the sunlighthit your favourite tree, just rightand you usher joy awaybecause you are not ready for heryour house is not as it should befor such a distinguished guestbut joy cares nothing for your messy homeor your bank-balance, or your waistline, you seejoy is supposed to slither throughthe cracks of your imperfect lifethat’s how joy worksyou cannot truly invite heryou can only be ready when she appearsand hug her with meaningbecause in this very momentjoy chose you-Donna AshworthFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chao

Breathe in goodness, strength, love, hope - whatever it is you need right now - and then send it out into the world. Julie Potiker completes her meditation with some words about Chanukah.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.As we come out of meditationand return to the movement of the day,we remember that this is the week of Chanukah —the week when light is kindled, night by night.Before any flame is struck,we pause with what the light represents:a people who have known loss and fear,and who continue to choose presence and endurance.We carry the memory of thosewho were killed simply for being who they were,and we hold that memory with care.When evening comes,and the candles are kindled,may they remind us that light does not rush —it is tended, protected, and renewed.May we move through this dayas quiet bearers of that light,choosing dignity over despair,and awareness over numbness.May the light we will kindle tonightbegin its work in us now.-Julie Potiker Find out more about using

Breathe in goodness, strength, love, hope - whatever it is you need right now - and then send it out into the world. Julie Potiker completes her meditation with some words about Chanukah.As we come out of meditationand return to the movement of the day,we remember that this is the week of Chanukah —the week when light is kindled, night by night.Before any flame is struck,we pause with what the light represents:a people who have known loss and fear,and who continue to choose presence and endurance.We carry the memory of thosewho were killed simply for being who they were,and we hold that memory with care.When evening comes,and the candles are kindled,may they remind us that light does not rush —it is tended, protected, and renewed.May we move through this dayas quiet bearers of that light,choosing dignity over despair,and awareness over numbness.May the light we will kindle tonightbegin its work in us now.-Julie Potiker Find out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From C

Settle in to peace and quiet through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She competes the meditation with the poem, "Why read poetry if it won't make you rich?", by Joy SullivanThis version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleep.Why read poetry if it won't make you rich?For starters, your soul will get bigger.Your love, more terrible and luminous. Soon, you'll say tender things at parties after too much champagne. A sidewalk quince, wet with midnight, will stop you in your tracks. In time, you'll find the perfect metaphor for your child's face. All at once, you'll see the world and want it again: clothes flapping on the line, lilacs strewn and seeding, the luck of worms. An artichoke with its heart torn hot and steaming from the throbbingcrown will suddenly turn you on.—Joy SullivanFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos".

Settle in to peace and quiet through this guided meditation led by Julie Potiker. She competes the meditation with the poem, "Why read poetry if it won't make you rich?", by Joy SullivanWhy read poetry if it won't make you rich?For starters, your soul will get bigger.Your love, more terrible and luminous. Soon, you'll say tender things at parties after too much champagne. A sidewalk quince, wet with midnight, will stop you in your tracks. In time, you'll find the perfect metaphor for your child's face. All at once, you'll see the world and want it again: clothes flapping on the line, lilacs strewn and seeding, the luck of worms. An artichoke with its heart torn hot and steaming from the throbbingcrown will suddenly turn you on.—Joy SullivanFind out more about using mindfulness in everyday life through Julie's books, "SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". Both are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Face