Skillful Means Podcast offers practical wisdom for everyday life. Host Jennifer O'Sullivan explores navigating life's challenges through the lenses of Buddhist mindfulness, yoga, Internal Family Systems, and positive psychology. Each month, episodes feature grounded guidance and accessible practices for meeting whatever arises with greater ease. Jennifer is a Certified IFS Practitioner with over 20 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness. Find out more:…
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Text me your feedback. The constant barrage of terrible news can be overwhelming and exhausting. While big feelings are normal responses to what we're seeing our feeds, we also need to metabolize those feelings so they don't take up residence in our hearts and minds and prevent us from finding pathways forward. In this guided practice, Jen takes you through an embodied and grounded practiced…
Text me your feedback. We're kicking off the new year with an exploration of the ways in which we can capture the energy and freshness of a new calendar year to every day moments, creating new beginnings whenever we need them. Topics include: how temporal landmarks, like a new year, pull us out of the ordinary how walking meditation teaches us how to start over in the present moment and we can…
Text me your feedback. Working through dilemmas and challenges usually involves trade-offs, compromises, or imperfect third options. After all, if there was a lot of internal consensus, it wouldn't be a dilemma. Sometimes, parts may feel bruised and disappointed, making you feel unsure about whether you made the right choice. In this parts work practice, Jen helps you connect with your inner…
Text me your feedback. The busy holiday season is here, and that means lots of demands on our time and attention. It also means navigating tricky family gatherings with difficult people. A common question this time of year is whether or not to engage your trollish Uncle Jerry or stand down to keep the peace. This episode is all about how to tap into what will feel true and authentic to you, so you…
Text me your feedback. Rug up and head outside for this outdoors walking meditation. Practiced by the Buddha himself, walking meditation is an antidote to restless and aching joints and can be practiced anywhere you you're already walking. The meditation starts at 2:56 if you want to jump ahead, but assumes you're already outside and ready to go. Halfway through the practice (~15mins), you'll be…
Text me your feedback. Jen's back from a brief hiatus to talk about how to build a sustainable spiritual/contemplative practice that can withstand the shifting demands of your time and energy. You can't really lose a practice, but circumstances change and your practice can and should change with you. In this episode you'll find Why "class" as a construct isn't the paradigm you need to follow when…
Text me your feedback. While Jen's taking a mini-break to get her homework done, here's the second of two short practices based on research she did last summer. If you're curious about the theory behind these yin yoga micro-practices, check out the last segment of Episode #113, where she talks about how practices like this can boost your mood by reducing tension and elevating your energy. In this…
Text me your feedback. While Jen's taking a mini-break to get her homework done, she's bringing you the first of two short practices based on research she did last summer. If you're curious about the theory behind these yin yoga micro-practices, check out the last segment of Episode #113, where she talks about how practices like this can boost your mood by reducing tension and elevating your…
Text me your feedback. This is an encore practice with former co-host Sarah Jane Shangraw from back in November 2019. Developed by Tara Brach, RAIN is a technique you can use to skillfully relate to difficult emotions in life, whether they turn up in a meditation session or in daily life. The acronym — which stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture — invites us to accept inner discord…
Text me your feedback. To wrap up the 4-part series on practices and teachings that nature open-heartedness, we're focusing on self-compassion. We can be our own worst critics, but the wisdom teachings want us to remember that compassion shouldn also be directed towards ourselves. We are, after all, manifestations of the divine. So, in this episode we look at what Buddhism, Yoga, and Taoism have…