Minding the Waves

07/30/2026

To all Phoenix residents, I am pleased to announce a collaborative effort with Blue Zones and to present an Introduction to Mindfulness class on Tuesday, March 25th at 5:30pm. Because we anticipate a full house, kindly register as soon as possible to secure your place!

To register, use the QR code in the graphic or this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-mindfulness-meditation-p9-right-outlookbzp-scottsdale-tickets-1995816587138?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Learn how to reduce stress, manage physical pain, decrease negative emotions, and create a healthier and happier life with Mindful-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Self-Compassion resources and coaching from Minding the Waves founder and University of California, San Diego certified teacher...

06/29/2026

EXPLORING GRIEF with Minding the Waves:

I will be having 2-3 special sessions of our group exploring grief through the lens of Mindfulness and Compassion. As so many of you know, grief can be a debilitating emotion that can seemingly have no end. There are many forms grief can show itself to us through our lives : loss of a loved one through death, divorce or intentional healthy separation to care for ourselves. There can also be grief around identities we lose due to the loss of a job, a friend, volunteer work, our health and many other things.

We will safely investigate ways to meet grief in a mindful and compassionate way that can help us move through the emotions and bring us more peace.

If this resonates with you, please join us.

Registration link: https://www.mindingthewaves.com/mindfulness-events

06/09/2026

Are there prettier pictures I took in Portugal? Absolutely!! But I picked this one because it gives a deeper sense of what the experience was like for me on this trip. I was lucky to be able to take in the amazing country of Portugal filled with mindfulness and compassion.

Read more here: https://www.mindingthewaves.com/post/a-beginner-s-mind-compassion-mindfulness-and-a-portugal-adventure

04/01/2026

I went into the Self Compassion for Shame retreat with the thought that I wanted to teach this course, but believed that I personally do not have much shame. I have come to find out that this was completely wrong. Shame is everywhere. Just like all emotions, it can be low on the activation scale or higher on that scale. Either way, shame affects us all in significant ways that possibly we don't want to face, admit or even realize is there. As many of you know, I am a longtime Mindfulness...

I went into the Self Compassion for Shame retreat with the thought that I wanted to teach this course, but believed that I personally do not have much shame. I have come to find out that this was completely wrong. Shame is everywhere. Just like all emotions, it can be low on the activation scale or higher on that scale. Either way, shame affects us all in significant ways that possibly we don't want to face, admit or even realize is there. As many of you know, I am a longtime Mindfulness...

Read more at: www.mindingthewaves.com -

03/03/2026

New Blog post! Start reading part 6 of my blog on cultivating Mindful Self Compassion.

The Pause:

The elusive pause. It is so difficult to step out of the habit of thought and pause to be with what is actually present in the moment. Even for a long time practitioner of Mindfulness, this practice is imperative to continue cultivating. Our thinking mind does not typically want to be in the present moment especially when there is difficulty. We can easily spend our lives living in the realm of thought instead of in the present moment. We are likely not even aware of the amount of added suffering this causes us.



Read the rest here: https://www.mindingthewaves.com/post/cultivating-compassionate-awareness-the-pause

02/01/2026

Radical Acceptance - learn the importance of this valuable way of being in Part 5 of my blog. My hope is that it is nothing but helpful.

Link to blog: https://www.mindingthewaves.com/post/copy-of-mindful-self-compassion-a-personal-story-part-5-by-laurie-hallih

01/01/2026

I just created a new blog post to help you begin 2026 with Mindfulness and Self Compassion. Read my essay here:

Learning about self-compassion began for me with the Mindful Self Compassion Course (MSC) I took back in 2012. However, I found it difficult to practice as I was still filled with self-loathing and deep emotional pain. Self-compassion felt about as far from the truth as it could be. The MSC course provided the opening and knowledge, but I still needed to address the internal turmoil that had plagued me for most of my life. In 2015 , I began practicing with a weekly meditation group or Sangha as they call it in Buddhist circles.

Read more here: https://www.mindingthewaves.com/post/mindful-self-compassion-a-personal-story-part-4-by-laurie-hallihan

01/01/2026

Happiest of new years to everyone!