
Beauty in the Break
Beauty in the Break is a new podcast that explores the powerful moments when life shatters—and the unexpected beauty that follows.
Hosted by public speaker Cesar Cardona & filmmaker and poet Foster Wilson, each episode dives into conversations of healing, transformation and resilience through self-awareness, storytelling and mindfulness. Whether you’re navigating change or seeking inspiration, this series uncovers the common threads that connect us all, to help you achieve personal or professional growth.
Beauty in the Break
A Guided Growth Mindfulness Meditation (BONUS)
In this bonus meditation episode of Beauty in the Break, Cesar guides you through a Growth Mindfulness meditation to quiet your inner critic and reconnect with the present moment. You’ll learn how to release tension, calm the noise in your mind, and cultivate mindful awareness. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, emotional healing, or a simple practice to ground yourself, be sure to save this guided mindfulness meditation so you can return to it anytime.
To work with Cesar on Growth Mindfulness and meditation one-on-one, you can reach out to him via his website at www.cesarcardona.com.
Be sure to listen to How to Quiet Your Inner Critic: The 4 Steps of Growth Mindfulness. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube.
If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps!
Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram.
Cesar Cardona:
- Attend his upcoming speaking engagements
- Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and Spotify
- Receive his monthly newsletter Insights That Matter
Foster Wilson:
- Buy her poetry book Afternoon Abundance
- Learn about her postpartum services
- Receive her monthly newsletter Foster’s Village
Created & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson
Executive Producer: Glenn Milley
Hey beloved, welcome to Beauty in the Break.
Wherever you are in this world, I am happy you're here with me now.
That previous episode, we talked about quieting your inner critic through my practice, Growth Mindfulness.
Now I want to give you a guided meditation that will help you do just that.
Be sure to save this episode so you can go back to it at any time.
If you're driving, please don't listen to this meditation.
It's a little too soothing.
But if you are on a walk and you want to take a seat, or if you are just finished with an
exercise, or if you're about to lay down, this is the perfect time to hear this meditation.
Alright, let us get started.
We are going to practice some Growth Mindfulness meditation.
So wherever you are, if you're in your chair, or sitting on a cushion, or waiting in line
somewhere, this is the perfect time to focus on your awareness.
First start by doing a mental scan of your body.
Imagine the light from the sun scanning from the bottom of your feet, the soles of your feet
upward.
Through your feet, your ankles, and shins, knees, to your thighs and hips, to your belly and lower
back.
Up through your rib cage, your lungs and chest, collarbone.
And when you get to your shoulders, make sure they are relaxed.
We hold a lot of tension in our shoulders, so relax those things.
Imagine the golden sun scanning down your shoulder, through your arms, elbows, forearms, until it
gets to your hands.
And then again, relax the tension in your hands.
The scan goes back up.
Meets you at your neck.
And then scans to the bottom of your head, where your jaw can be relaxed, as we hold so much
tension in our jaw.
The light scans upward.
To your nose, your eyes, your forehead.
Until it gets to the very top of your head.
The crown of your head.
And then imagine that light is pulling the crown of your head upwards.
Just straightening your back a little more.
And now, ever so gently, close your eyes.
Settle into wherever you are right now.
You're not where you were yesterday.
You're not where you're going to be tomorrow.
You are here.
We're going to take six deep breaths in.
Each breath a little bigger than the one before it.
We'll start with the first one.
Inhale through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth.
Inhale this one a little bigger through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth.
And now this one even bigger.
In through the nose.
And exhale through the mouth.
Inhale even bigger now.
Feel your rib cage rising.
Inhale through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth.
This time notice the texture of your shirt as you inhale.
Through the nose.
Exhale through the mouth.
For this last one, take a deep inhale as big as you can.
Feel your lungs.
Feel your rib cage.
And feel your chest rising.
Hold that breath.
Hold that breath.
Keep holding.
Sip a little more air in through your mouth.
And release.
Go back to your neutral breath.
And as you're going back to your neutral breath.
Notice the air.
Rising in and out of your nostrils.
Is the air silky?
Or is it friction?
Is it a bit of both?
Whatever it is.
There's no wrong answer.
Just be aware of it.
When you inhale the air, is it cool?
And when you exhale the air, is it warm?
There's no wrong answer.
Just be aware.
Does the air flow easy in or out?
There's no wrong answer.
Just be aware.
Now naturally,
you will have a distracting thought.
And that is okay.
For every distracting thought you have,
mentally say thank you to the thought.
And just so effortlessly,
guide yourself right back to the focus of your breath.
And it will happen again.
You'll have a hundred distracting thoughts.
But 101 times,
will you go back to your breath?
Keep your awareness on that breath.
It's okay to have a distracting thought.
You just go right back to the breath.
I'll be back in one minute,
so you can practice this
on your own.
For every new thought, you say thank you to it, and you drift back to your breath.
Now that we've put some space between ourselves and our thoughts, let's introduce a new phrase.
A mantra even.
Take an inhale.
And on every exhale, think the words, "I am more than my thoughts."
inhale.
I am more than my thoughts.
On an exhale.
Inhale.
And on the exhale, say, "I am more than my thoughts."
Last one.
Inhale.
And exhale, "I am more than my thoughts."
Now slowly open your eyes.
My friend, you are more than your thoughts.