Mindfulness on the Rocks: Meditation Solutions for Maximum Life Impact

10/31/2025

Still one of the most popular videos produced at Health Sciences North with over 11,000 views! Lots of science since its creation that validates how mindfulness can help persons with Diabetes. Gary

Introduction and testimonials of Health Sciences North's Mindfulness Meditation for Persons with Diabetes, part of the Diabetes Care Service Education progra...

10/30/2025

The Game

I am not a baseball fan. Having said that, I find myself—like so many others—glued to the World Series. I’m amazed by the intention and calm that Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers brings to the game, not surprised to learn that he has a meditation practice. I delight in the beginner’s eyes of Blue Jay’s pitcher Trey Yesavage, taking the mound in a World Series for the very first time as a humble 22-year-old. From what I remember of an interview, Trey said that he felt that his teammates had his back, he trusted them and that he knew he’d make mistakes and learn from them. Beginners eyes is a pillar of mindfulness.

I’m struck by the quiet precision of Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who I understand has a longtime meditation practice. As well I admire the calm and centered demeanour that Blue Jay, Bowden Francis brings to the game, also a long time mindfulness and yoga practitioner.

I find myself smiling as Dodgers and Jays chat, laugh, and occasionally embrace each other. Two teams, both striving for the same goal - yet kind to one another in the process.

That’s what makes this series, in my mind, a real pleasure to watch. It’s a reminder that we can celebrate each other’s dreams and differences. We can be responsive rather than reactive. A true win-win for all.

—Gary

Gary Petingola, MSW, RSW
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Mindfulness on the Rocks | mindfulnessontherocks.ca
Certified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Center, Brown University School of Public Health / Qualified to teach MBSR, Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, & Society, UMASS. Author ofThe Response: Practising Mindfulness in Your Daily Life.

10/22/2025

Waiting

Sitting in a busy medical clinic — waiting.
A Hollywood game show hums on the television,
its laughter and applause a soft lullaby,
pulling me toward sleep.

Stopped at an intersection —
a long freight train groans by,
car after car after car.
It feels like the longest red light in the world.
Nowhere to go.
Just waiting.

Standing in line at the gas station,
the attendant helps an older woman
choose her lucky lottery tickets —
the ones she hopes will bring
a million-dollar dream.
I watch the clock,
and wait.

Just ordered a cappuccino, non dairy,
I watch the barista whip it a work of art,
Navigating the steamy frothing machine,
The smell of coffee, comforting,
I wait.

We spend so much of our lives waiting —
and perhaps that’s okay.

Each pause is an invitation:
to feel the body sitting or standing,
to notice the heartbeat,
the breath,
the sounds of life unfolding.

Instead of rushing ahead,
what if we simply allowed this space —
this moment of not-doing —
to be a quiet gift?

If you find yourself waiting today,
may you take a breath,
soften your shoulders,
and give thanks
for this unexpected opportunity
to come home to yourself.

—Gary

Gary Petingola, MSW, RSW
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Mindfulness on the Rocks | mindfulnessontherocks.ca
Certified to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Center, Brown University School of Public Health / Qualified to teach MBSR, Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, & Society, UMASS. Author ofThe Response: Practising Mindfulness in Your Daily Life

09/30/2025

Today, on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we pause to honour the children who never returned home, the survivors of residential schools, and the families and communities who carry these stories.

In Session Two of then Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program – Perception and Creative Responding, we explore how our conditioning shapes the way we see and respond to the world. This practice mirrors the work of reconciliation: learning to see more clearly, listening deeply, and responding with compassion instead of reactivity.

Mindfulness teaches us that our perceptions are not the whole story. Truth and Reconciliation invites us to open to perspectives we may not have seen, to bear witness, and to meet what arises with humility and care.

May our practice today — and every day — nurture clarity, compassion, and healing. Cover art is from today’s Globe and Mail, a beautiful painting by Cree artist Betty Albert.