Meet Andrea Thorfinson

Meditation in everyday life isn’t about perfect stillness; it’s about giving yourself permission to pause. Permission to step away from the noise of daily life, even briefly, to reconnect with yourself, find your center, and tap into a sense of inner calm. You don’t need a dedicated cushion or hours of silence. All it takes is a willingness to turn inward, even for just a few minutes. Over time, you begin to notice yourself pausing before a difficult conversation, taking a mindful breath, or checking in with your body during a hectic afternoon. Even one minute of conscious breathing can help reset your nervous system and remind you that peace is always within reach right where you are.

We are often so distracted by our to-do lists, or caught in the mind’s pull toward the what-ifs of the future and the should-haves of the past. But our attention is what colors our experience. Meditation teaches us to notice—not just our thoughts, but the rhythm of our breath, the way we’re holding ourselves, the subtle energy of a room. Over time, this awareness seeps into the fabric of daily life. We start to notice when we’re rushing, when we’re holding our breath, or when something feels just a little off. And the more we notice, the more we can respond instead of react. That awareness creates space for calm, clarity, and presence in the little moments that make up a life.

Meditation also helps us live more fully in the present. As someone with aphantasia, I can’t recall vivid mental images from past experiences, but meditation has taught me how to truly inhabit the moment I’m in. It invites me to slow down, to take in my surroundings, to notice emotions as they arise, and to fully experience life as it’s happening, rather than simply letting it pass by.

Science backs what many meditators have known for years: this practice changes both the brain and body. It supports emotional regulation, lowers stress hormones, and strengthens the neural pathways that help us respond with steadiness rather than panic.

But lived experience often says what research can’t: resilience isn’t about never falling; it’s about how we rise. It’s not the absence of anxiety or doubt, but the capacity to meet those moments with compassion, curiosity, and courage.

Meditation doesn’t remove life’s challenges. It changes how we relate to them. We learn to pause, to breathe, and to return to ourselves more quickly when we’re thrown off balance. That return—that steady coming back—is resilience.

We often think change has to be dramatic to matter. But it's the small, consistent acts that quietly reshape our inner world. A single breath before a meeting. A two-minute body scan before bed. A quiet moment of gratitude with your morning coffee. These simple gestures, repeated over time, rewire the nervous system. They teach the body that safety, calm, and presence are always available. Stress doesn’t disappear, but it becomes easier to meet with grace. Less like a tidal wave, more like a ripple. Manageable. Milder. And sometimes, even meaningful.