Cultivating the Jewel of Mindfulness Class 3 One of the most practical shifts in mindfulness training is learning where to place attention. In Class 3 of Cultivating the Jewel , we explore two simple strategies: “Focus In” and “Focus Out”, and how they can profoundly change our experience of stress, clarity, and daily life. At this stage in the training, mindfulness becomes more intentional. “Focus In” means turning toward your inner world—your thoughts and emotions. “Focus Out” means placing...

What Happened When I Asked Corporate Managers Not to Check Their Phones for One Hour Person checking their smartphone while distracted, illustrating the habit of constantly checking phones. I recently ran a mindfulness session for a group of corporate managers. At the beginning of the session, I invited them to try a simple experiment. For the next hour, the invitation was not to check their phones or smart devices, and to be fully present to the session. If anything urgent came up, they...

From Distraction to Empowerment: Turning Walls into Windows Ever sat down to meditate and realised your mind feels louder than before you started? Modern life bombards us with input — news alerts, social media, emails, conversations, expectations. Before we’ve even had breakfast, the nervous system can already be overstimulated. Class 2 of Cultivating the Jewel  meets us precisely here. It doesn’t promise a perfectly quiet mind. Instead, it teaches us how to work skillfully with distraction,...