Charel Morris Of Stone Circle Productions On How To Develop Mindfulness

Be Mindful of Your Information Diet Be aware of what you’re watching or hearing online and on television. News is no longer required to be factual, which is deeply problematic. My high school history teacher assigned us to find any book we wanted about the historical period we were studying, but he pointed out that our chosen history book was only as reliable as its author. “Look them up as well!” he advised. I’ve carried that wisdom throughout my life. In the past 30 years, what’s called “news” is often just someone’s opinion and may not reflect truth. So investigate: who owns the station or platform you’re consuming? My suggestion: minimize time watching TV or consuming online content that increases anxiety rather than informing constructively.

As a part of my series about “How To Develop Mindfulness”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Charel Morris.

Charel Morris is a visionary event producer, spiritual practitioner, and former audio engineer who bridges creative technology and mindful connection through her diverse projects and community initiatives.

After working in Hollywood’s film and television industry, she founded Stone Circle Productions and brought Maker Faire to New Mexico, establishing a nonprofit that celebrated creative expression for seven years. Her unique background combines shamanic practice with technical expertise, making her a passionate advocate for creative liberation and spiritual growth in both business and personal realms.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I was born in Hollywood, CA as the first and only child to parents who weren’t planning for a child at their ages, but they welcomed me with excitement and love that continued throughout my life. Most of their friends had teenagers, not much interest in spending time with a 5-year-old. They weren’t mean about it — they just had other priorities.
This arrangement actually suited me fine because from the moment I began speaking, I preferred talking with adults, and surprisingly, they enjoyed conversing with me too. I wasn’t any kind of genius, but I was a good listener and communicator — skills that have proven invaluable throughout my life.

The early years of my childhood established a pattern of relocating every few years. One significant move took us from Hollywood to Acuff, Texas (outside of Lubbock) when the Korean War began and Hollywood work
opportunities shifted. We moved in with my mother’s family, who were cotton farmers in Texas. I learned many lessons there, though not all were pleasant.

One of my most vivid childhood memories is of our eventual departure back to California — chicken farming hadn’t worked out for us. I remember sitting behind the wheel of our car on a rainy night, with my mother instructing me to “Just keep it going straight.” I did as told while the car moved forward, pushed by both my parents up the driveway to the road. Once we reached the road, they climbed into the front seat, my mother held me close, the engine started, and we drove away.

Throughout my childhood and into adulthood, my family functioned as a team, and I was always happy to contribute my part.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Well, one of my most fascinating experiences combines technology, AI, and what you might call high-stakes online gaming. It happened during my time as the Planner for DEF CON, a role I’d held since about 1999. In
2016, I learned we would be collaborating with DARPA on one of their contests scheduled for two years later. What unfolded over those next two years was truly astounding.

The project was a unique, massive Capture the Flag competition — something DEF CON was world-renowned for, but this was far beyond our typical scope. About a year and a half before the event, I attended a meeting with the DARPA team, key staff from the Paris Hotel, and the top operations person for all Caesar’s properties. When serious questions began flowing, the DARPA tech person asked how much electricity for
cooling the hotel could provide during August in Las Vegas. After hearing the numbers, the DARPA representative enthusiastically said, “Great, that’s enough for us!” Our Caesar’s lead politely but firmly responded, “No, you get none of that…it’s how we keep people alive!” After a brief silence, the DARPA team pivoted: “OK, we’ll bring in trucks to create the cooling for us. Show us where we can cut through the outer walls to access the main ballroom.” At that moment, I knew this wouldn’t be anything like a regular DEF CON – and DEF CON’s “regular” is already far beyond most peoples normal.

Later that year, as we prepared for the upcoming DEF CON, DARPA conducted a run-through that included cutting through walls and testing the external cooling system they needed. Working alongside them, I heard
fascinating stories about their previous contests, like their early driverless car challenges. DARPA had created an online qualification challenge for teamso weeks with the same listener. The result? Employees stayed with their jobs because their stress levels decreased — they felt seen and heard.
Has anyone tried something similar recently? I believe this approach speaks to a fundamental human need that fancy perks can’t satisfy being truly heard and acknowledged as part of a community, not just a workforce.

Traditional mindfulness practices are valuable and effective tools that I’ve incorporated into various environments. But mindfulness alone may not be sufficient — particularly for workers facing intense time pressures or personal challenges. What I’ve found most effective is creating structured opportunities for genuine connection that transform a workplace into a community where people feel they truly belong.

In my experience leading teams across different industries, I’ve discovered that a fantastic work community emerges when you combine three elements: shared purpose that connects daily work to meaningful collective impact, authentic recognition that acknowledges each person’s unique contribution to the whole, and intentional community-building rituals that create psychological safety and mutual support.

For example, at Stone Circle Productions, we instituted “wisdom circles” where team members could share both professional and personal challenges in a structured, supportive environment. This practice originated from indigenous traditions but worked remarkably well in our modern context. We also celebrated milestones together, supported each other through life transitions, and created spaces where people could bring their whole selves to work. The result wasn’t just happier employees — we saw measurable improvements in collaboration, innovative problem solving, and ultimately, project outcomes.

Creating a fantastic work environment isn’t about perks or policies — it’s about fostering a community where people feel valued as complete human beings with interconnected lives, not just productive units. When leaders prioritize genuine connection and community-building alongside performance, the culture naturally evolves toward one where both people and the organization can thrive together, supporting each other through challenges and celebrating collective achievements. interested in competing in their Cyber Grand Challenge at DEF CON. The stakes were enormous — being crowned champion of this unprecedented Capture the Flag contest, the opportunity to program a supercomputer, and a $2,000,000 prize for the winning team.

Seven teams ultimately qualified for the DEF CON CYBER Grand Challenge. It was a spectacular sight — the massive supercomputers now lighted up like the hottest rock concert in town (and we are in Las Vegas!). The stage was entirely sealed in air-locked environment. No one even the team that created it’s code could physically access them. We streamed the entire competition like a television show. The question remained whether any team would overcome the initial challenge and advance to the all-night battle. Everything had to conclude by a strict cutoff time, as the entire ballroom needed to transform for DEF CON’s opening in just four hours.

That’s where my expertise became crucial. From the beginning, the DARPA production team had envisioned having the ballroom to themselves, but I had to explain that DEF CON traditionally begins setup on Monday for our Friday opening, when 20,000 hackers would arrive. Their Thursday event had to be designed so all the technology –on stage and the lights, cables, audio, camera positions — would work for both shows since there was virtually no turnover time. The three ballrooms being used would become 7 massive DEF CON spaces overnight.

Everything came together beautifully. The Challenge crowned a winner, and remarkably, the winning supercomputer was invited to compete against humans in DEF CON’s regular Capture the Flag contest. It
performed admirably, finishing in third place — impressive for a machine!

Afterward, the supercomputer was moved to the Smithsonian in Washington DC, complete with its DEF CON black leather jacket and special black badge allowing it to return to DEF CON for free anytime.
The entire experience required every skill I’d developed throughout my career — production management, energy coordination, maintaining calm while standing my ground, and I even used some shamanic techniques to keep everything flowing smoothly. What we accomplished during those days has apparently contributed significantly to advancing AI to where it stands today.

Surprise!

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

We know that many corporations create places with kitchens and at times chefs, chill-out rooms, and similar amenities. But not every business owner can add those perks. And while the fancy stuff is nice, it often comes alongside long hours and crushing deadlines. It’s challenging to cultivate a work culture that truly addresses what’s needed daily, especially when we can’t predict each person’s experience.

In the film and TV industry when I was there, we would arrive at our call time — say 7:00 AM — with no idea whether we’d be heading home after 8 hours or perhaps 18 hours, only to return at 7:00 AM the next day.
That continuous uncertainty takes a toll. Plus, in most projects, you could be let go any day. I hope conditions have improved, but I haven’t heard of significant changes.

Creating not just a work culture but a true work community that retains employees is a fascinating challenge. I believe it requires a thoughtful blend of approaches. What can genuinely help everyone? What enables your employees to have better relationships with their families and colleagues? And what helps the CEO and CFO to improve the bottom line by meeting deadlines and retaining well-trained staff who understand the
operation. My first step would be to directly address the stress your employees and teams are experiencing.

In the early 90s, I read about an intriguing study involving fast food establishments and employee retention costs. They noticed workers often left after just a few months, so they tried something different. They
arranged for trained ministers — who promised not to proselytize — to simply be available to listen. These ministers would answer questions about life events like baptizing a new baby when employees no longer had
a church connection, or just provide space for people to release pain and frustrations they couldn’t share elsewhere. As I recall, this was implemented at Taco Bell properties in Texas. They ran it for six months,
allowing all employees to schedule 20-minute sessions every tw.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

This is a tricky question. The foundation of all my work reflects “The Science of Mind” from Ernest Holmes. While many books have been amazing, since we’re focusing on mindfulness and business, there’s a book that has held my attention over the past 5 years: a small yet profound work by Michel Pascal titled “Meditation for Daily Stress: 10 Practices for Immediate Well-being.”

I met Michel in early 2020 when he spoke at a church in Ojai, CA. I was part of that church while living in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, managing their Zoom services. After hearing him talk and sing, I decided I wanted his
book. Michel’s background is unique and extensive — he’s a French writer, meditation teacher, singer, photographer, composer, and director of spiritual documentaries. Before moving to America, Pascal lived in the Kopan Monastery in Nepal, where he was a monk and photographer for the Dalai Lama. He divides his time between NYC and LA, teaching in both cities. As I write this, he’s training 125 CEOs in techniques to release stress in the most amazing, easy, and profound ways. I know this will be astounding for them, just as it was for me when I trained with him. That year was life-changing.

Since we’re exploring mindfulness, which relates back to Buddhist teachings, Michel’s work connects to his teacher, high master Chepa Dorje Rinpoche (a descendant of Marpa), with a lineage going back 4,000 years.
While teaching me, Michel often noted that 4,000 years ago, Shamans and Buddhists were very close in their practices. I recently discovered that the first Buddhist was made a sacred leader by a Chinese Shaman — what a surprise!

As I learned to be calm and to “be the mountain,” I realized the power and magic of his work. When I introduced these practices to my clients, I discovered unexpected benefits. One brilliant woman in a very stressful university position found that her stress completely disappeared after just 30 seconds of practice. She called me one day sounding astounded, like a child experiencing multiple birthdays at once.

She began by reminding me we were in one of the 4-week phases at the university when stress reached nightmare levels, yet she had remained calm, happy, and at ease. But that day she noticed something remarkable: she had dealt with ADH since childhood, and one symptom was that her hands were always moving. After performing our 20-second process, she realized her hands were completely calm and still. She tracked this effect and found the ADH symptom remained absent for almost an hour — no medication, just her choice to step into a 20-second magical healing moment.

We both marveled at how she could eliminate that constant movement since early childhood in fact she couldn’t remember a time without the movement. a Today a simple practice released it for an hour. When I
mentioned this unexpected benefit to a friend in our healers group, she called me later about her brother who struggled severely with ADH — to the extent that he couldn’t keep jobs. Though a good writer, he frequently got off track and missed deadlines. She asked if I would work with him. Over several sessions, he reported experiencing hours of focus and calm. While other family issues eventually disrupted his progress, on days when he took a few moments for this practice, his day became manageable and potentially productive.

How does this affect businesses, including multinational corporations? Simply put: STRESS KILLS. The conditions leading up to burnout or a slowdown of work, creating foggy brains in your top coders, designers, and department leaders. A foggy brain doesn’t give you a creative leader. And someone going home each day to lash out at their family isn’t productive either. And STRESS LEADS TO OTHER ILLNESSES.
Watch your insurance bills go up.

When Michel compiled his work, he presented it at Harvard University. Dr. Natalie L. Trent from Harvard wrote the foreword to his book, stating: “Meditation for Daily Stress is the beginning of a revolution in the world of
meditation, with profound implications for the world of Medicine. To meditate for any amount of time is valuable, but Michel Pascal has created a new way to be mindful, one that requires only a minute of your time. He proves that this is all the time you need to receive the benefits of meditation and makes it incredibly easy to adopt these practices throughout the day and throughout the week.” She continues: “Michel’s meditation techniques activate regions of the brain involved in intention and attention that can inhibit activity in the amygdala, the older, more primitive region of the limbic system that can trigger our fight-or-flight acute stress response — slow and full. This positive change in your breathing is incredibly important for regulating the sympathetic nervous system and the replication response.”

Can you see the importance of this book in my work, my world, and my own life? Another aspect I love connects to the lineage of this knowledge. In teaching me, Michel passed this ancient Buddhist lineage forward to me, much like how shamanic training and knowledge is transmitted. With this came two powerful concepts crucial to my work: “phowa,” meaning the transmission or transfusion of energy, and “tonglen,” to give and receive, which translates to “recycle.” How do we use the energy of stress in a new way? In today’s world, this is a vital question to consider.

As we continue our conversation, I’ll be weaving in this unique approach to managing stress and helping people reclaim their lives and businesses.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. From your experience or research, how would you define and describe the state of being mindful?

In my view, mindfulness is a state of awareness — being awake within and connected not just to your intuition but to all your senses: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin, as well as the senses within you. Your imagination,
instinct, and for some, a mix of perceptions that expand when in nature. It’s all about basic awareness, though I’m not convinced it all originates from our minds. Nevertheless, “mindfulness” is an appropriate
term for this experience.

I grew up in Southern California with freeways growing and expanding everywhere. I often wondered if humans were truly designed to look out that front windshield while simultaneously keeping an eye on the each side mirror, checking who was coming up alongside, all while monitoring the rear-view mirror. Was this natural? How could we continue doing this for the next 50-plus years? Who thought this was a good plan?

Did I think about all my senses then — not really, nor did I focus on being aware. I concentrated on not hitting anyone or getting pulled over by an officer. This was in the late 60’s.

I believe my first step into what later became known as “mindfulness” occurred when I started teaching guitar. It was the era of rock ’n’ roll and the Beatles, and even seven-year-olds wanted to play guitar. Learning
guitar presents unique challenges when you have sheet music in front of you. You look up at this page with odd lines going in various directions. Your right hand with a pick is trying to find the correct string while you
look down, then you look over to your left to position those fingers correctly. The challenging part? All these physical movements and visual choices must happen simultaneously. Frustration was a major component of learning guitar — perhaps true for other instruments as well, though I didn’t play or teach anything besides guitar.

By the second lesson, I had developed a strategy. Students needed to see the music, but both hands needed to become somewhat automatic based on what they saw. So I brought in a large towel and some clips. With
the towel draped around their necks and covering both hands, they could play the song. It taught them to trust their senses in ways that made their experience much more fulfilling. And the music emerged correctly for their minds and ears to enjoy.

Mindfulness as commonly taught probably doesn’t require a towel, but I believe it’s essential to recognize what’s happening within yourself that can ease your life and reduce stress. Breathing is one of the most powerful tools we have and are learning to work with. Setting aside quiet time allows you to become aware of the world around you — something increasingly vital in our overstimulated society.

What I’ve come to understand over the years is that true mindfulness in today’s fast-paced business environment isn’t about escaping the chaos — it’s about developing the capacity to remain centered within it.
Those guitar lessons taught me something profound that applies directly to modern workplace challenges: when we trust our deeper intelligence and release our grip on controlling every detail visually, we access a flow state where complexity becomes manageable. This is particularly relevant for today’s leaders who are constantly bombarded with information from multiple channels. The mindful approach isn’t about slowing down the world — it’s about expanding our capacity to navigate it with greater ease and wisdom.

This might be intuitive to you, but it will be instructive to spell this out. Can you share with our readers a few of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of becoming mindful?

Let’s start with physical benefits. For most of us, mindfulness and physical activity seem like opposite sides of the bridge, but consider people preparing for the Olympics, any major sport, or ask coaches. Mindfulness isn’t just about being quiet, sitting on the floor, and just being there. The awareness involves being attuned to your body. If you want to be the first one down the mountain skiing, you see it, feel it, and use all your senses while mentally moving your body and muscles through the run. Though I’m not a trainer in that realm, I would be surprised if they don’t have athletes imagining the entire process, visualizing themselves winning every time they fly down that mountain.

Moving to mental benefits, you might use very similar approaches to secure that important contract. You’re not literally flying down a mountain — although if that imagery gets you energized and ready to outperform competitors, perhaps the mountain is your best friend. You might rehearse your plan, speaking aloud or in your mind, imagining the conversation with clients and hearing their agreement. We’ve learned a lot about how various breathing techniques can help you achieve the mental state you desire.

In the late 40s, my father worked with a major car company to train their sales teams across the country, well before “mindfulness” became a recognized term. His approach used primary colors. Artwork was displayed on three different walls in the sales offices. One piece featured predominantly red tones — if a client was drawn to it, the salesperson would emphasize the car’s power, strong engine, and durability. For those attracted to the blue painting, the salesperson would focus on safety features: “Your family — your children will never be hurt, it’s an amazing car.” Then there was the yellow painting, signaling to the salesperson that this client wanted numbers and details — all the information available, perhaps even wanting to read the fine print. This was a sales process that incorporated awareness of how people respond to colors that connect with their mind, emotions, or physical senses. Being mindful of the other person — the one you want to do business with — creates more effective interactions.

Emotional benefits may seem almost the most challenging aspect of mindfulness, yet they’re crucial. For naturally emotional people, the aspect of calm might be most appealing — a sense of ease, not having to step outside their comfort zone but instead staying present with their emotions while noticing what’s happening within their body and senses. Working with emotionally-driven clients might be more effective in natural settings or even with images of nature — providing a real or virtual space where they can consider their next steps or decisions.

What I’ve observed in my work is that the integration of physical, mental, and emotional awareness creates a powerful synergy. When leaders develop this comprehensive mindfulness, they make better decisions because they’re accessing all their intelligence systems simultaneously. The physical benefits include reduced stress hormones and improved immune function, while mental clarity and emotional regulation allow for more authentic communication and stronger relationships. This holistic approach to mindfulness becomes particularly valuable in high-pressure business environments where maintaining perspective is essential for sustainable success.

Ok. Here is the main question of our discussion. The past 5 years have been filled with upheaval and political uncertainty. Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to develop mindfulness during such uncertain times? Can you please share a story or example for each.

The past five years have been some of the most difficult I’ve witnessed in my life — and I had to duck and cover in third grade. Fortunately, there are practical options for navigating these challenging times.

Step One: Be Mindful of Your Information Diet Be aware of what you’re watching or hearing online and on television. News is no longer required to be factual, which is deeply problematic. My high school history teacher assigned us to find any book we wanted about the historical period we were studying, but he pointed out that our chosen history book was only as reliable as its author. “Look them up as well!” he advised. I’ve carried that wisdom throughout my life. In the past 30 years, what’s called “news” is often just someone’s opinion and may not reflect truth. So investigate: who owns the station or platform you’re consuming? My suggestion: minimize time watching TV or consuming online content that increases anxiety rather than informing constructively.

Step Two: Manage Your Energy and Influence Whether you run a major business or work for yourself, stay informed with verified facts without panicking. Keep family, friends, and even the person at the store calm.
Don’t hide truth, but check and double-check before announcing that the sky is falling. You set the energy in your world and maintain the atmosphere of both your workplace and home. People look to leaders — whether formal or informal — for emotional cues about how to respond to uncertainty.

Step Three: Reconnect with Nature Regularly Consider spending time in nature on a regular basis. The earth is the original place for natural mindfulness. Take time to discover whether you respond more to earth, water, air, or fire elements. If you’re drawn to the earth, consider becoming an Earth Keeper — either with a group or individually — and hold that responsibility close to your heart. Our Mother Earth has always watched out for her children, but we’ve damaged our home. You might want to consider this relationship as you make decisions both at work and at home.

Step Four: Learn Immediate Stress Management I want to be transparent here: I studied with Michel Pascal for a year to teach what he has created, and I believe everyone on the planet should learn this simple process to remove stress from our world. That may sound ambitious, but I don’t want children and future generations to experience stress the way we do now. I recommend reading “Meditation for Daily Stress: 10 Practices for Immediate Well-being.” Then consider working with me or I can connect you with someone closer to your location. The techniques take less than a minute and can transform your entire day.

Step Five: Cultivate Your Spiritual Connection Now that you have your stress under control, address something crucial: over the past 50-plus years, many people have moved away from any spiritual or sacred element in their lives. I’m not talking about religion or attending church — I mean taking time to open to the sacred, spiritual, or light within you. Give yourself a chance to discover your own sense of inner presence. It
might be something within you, or you might find that being near water — a beach, lake, or river — brings you peace. This isn’t about what someone else tells you to do. Look within yourself and discover what brings a
sense of peace, love, connection, or oneness with the world or universe. Maybe it’s simply connecting with other humans. We’ve been separated significantly over the past five years, and perhaps it’s time to return to
your tribe, community, or even just your family at home or your work family.

These five steps work together to create a foundation of resilience. When we’re grounded in truth, managing our energy responsibly, connected to nature, equipped with stress management tools, and spiritually centered, we become sources of calm and wisdom for others navigating these uncertain times.

From your experience or research, what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?

Supporting others who are feeling anxious essentially builds upon the five steps we discussed earlier, but with caring for others at the center of your heart. The key insight that guides all of this is: IT IS YOUR COMMUNITY! This community could be 60 floors of apartments where you don’t know anyone — well, now is the time to change that. Over the past five years, many of us have disconnected from regular friends and stopped even smiling at strangers on the street. As we’ve moved farther from our communities of origin, we’ve lost much of our community of choice. But choice means we can recreate and expand that circle.

As a shaman in my work, I often think in circles. I maintain a circle of earthkeepers — a small group that can stretch and grow as circles are designed to do. Think about your circle from about 10 years ago. What has
changed? Who moved? Who drifted away yet still lives nearby? Where are you in this circle? Start by becoming aware of who is in your circle this year. You might also have a business circle — examine how that has evolved over the past 12 months. To support others, we need to know who they are, why they matter to us, and what we’re planning to do for them.

Step One: Identify Your Approach Determine whether this is someone you know or a person nearby you don’t know but are concerned about. Both paths are valuable but require different approaches. For someone
you know, perhaps start with a phone call. For someone you don’t know, make a face-to-face introduction — it’s easier to “read” their energy when you’re present.

Step Two: Have a Genuine Reason to Reach Out For either path, have a concrete reason to connect. Can you do something for them? Are you available to help in their home or yard? Are you going to the store and want
to see if they need anything? Authentic offers of assistance create natural opportunities for connection without seeming intrusive.

Step Three: Exchange Practical Information For both known and new connections, ensure you both have current phone numbers, including cell phones. Consider exchanging emergency contact information — someone to call if needed — though be careful with this as it’s very personal territory. This practical step demonstrates genuine care and creates a safety net.
Step Four: Extend This to Your Professional Community Consider how all of this could apply to your business environment. Bring your employees together to increase the sense and energy of community in
your workplace. This might involve team gatherings, check-in protocols, or simply encouraging more personal connection among colleagues who may be working remotely.

Step Five: Follow Up Consistently Come back even if they didn’t initially seem to need anything. Lives can change quickly, and we want to support people as ongoing members of our circle, not just during crisis moments. Consistent connection builds trust and ensures people know they can reach out when challenges arise.

What might seem like “throwing a party” is actually rebuilding the social fabric that supports mental health and resilience. In times of widespread anxiety, becoming someone who actively tends to their community becomes both a service to others and a pathway to your own well-being. When we strengthen our circles, we create networks of mutual support that benefit everyone involved.

What are the best resources you would suggest for someone to learn how to be more mindful and serene in their everyday life?

I don’t feel like I’m pushing this — stress may truly be the greatest epidemic of our time, and it’s expanding globally. The resources I recommend address this crisis from multiple angles.
Essential Books Start with foundational texts from Jon Kabat-Zinn, particularly “Full Catastrophe Living” and “Wherever You Go, There You Are.” These books provide scientifically-backed approaches to mindfulness
that have helped millions. Thich Nhat Hanh’s “The Miracle of Mindfulness” offers gentle, accessible practices rooted in Buddhist wisdom. And of course, I strongly recommend “Meditation for Daily Stress” by Michel
Pascal — this small but profound book provides techniques that take less than a minute but can transform your entire day.

Working with Trained Teachers Consider working with someone trained to teach mindfulness and stress management. It’s a practice that benefits from guidance, and while all approaches take some time to develop, remember that the results can change your life and possibly save it. I offer training in Michel Pascal’s techniques, and I can connect you with qualified instructors if you’re not in my area. And most of my work is virtual and that works well around the world. But it is your choice. Digital and App-Based Resources For daily support, apps like Headspace, Calm, or Jon Kabat-Zinn’s meditation app provide guided practices you can access anywhere. However, be selective — some apps can become another source of overwhelm rather than relief.

Nature-Based Practices Don’t underestimate the power of simply spending time in nature regularly. The earth provides the original template for mindfulness. Whether it’s a daily walk, gardening, or sitting by water,
natural environments inherently support nervous system regulation.
Community Resources Look for local MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) programs, often offered through hospitals or community centers. Meditation groups, whether secular or spiritually-oriented, provide both instruction and the powerful support of practicing with others.

Professional Support When Needed If anxiety or stress feels overwhelming, don’t hesitate to work with mental health professionals who integrate mindfulness approaches. Therapists trained in MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) or ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) can provide personalized guidance.

The key is starting somewhere and remaining consistent. Even five minutes daily of mindful breathing can begin shifting your nervous system’s baseline. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s developing the capacity to
remain centered amid life’s inevitable challenges. In our current global climate, these aren’t luxury practices — they’re essential life skills for maintaining both personal well-being and our ability to support
others.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

“You can set all the intentions you want, but if you’re stressed, your energy blocks them.” — Michel Pascal

This quote from my teacher Michel Pascal fundamentally changed how I approach both personal goals and business outcomes. For years, I operated under the belief that if I just worked harder, planned better, and set clearer
intentions, I could force results. I was the master of detailed project plans, vision boards, and ambitious goal-setting — yet often found myself frustrated when things didn’t manifest as expected.

The breakthrough came during my training with Michel when I was struggling to expand Stone Circle Productions. I had all the right intentions: growing the business, creating more meaningful events, reaching broader audiences. I had spreadsheets, marketing plans, and clear objectives. But I was also carrying enormous stress — worrying about funding, second-guessing every decision, and operating from a constant state of anxiety about the future.

Michel observed my approach and shared this quote during one of our sessions. He explained that stress creates energetic static that interferes with our ability to align with opportunities and make clear decisions. When we’re in fight-or-flight mode, we literally cannot access the creative, intuitive intelligence needed to navigate complex challenges effectively.

I decided to experiment. Before any important business meeting or creative planning session, I would take two minutes to use Michel’s stress-release techniques. The shift was remarkable. Instead of forcing conversations toward predetermined outcomes, I found myself naturally attuned to unexpected opportunities. Partnerships emerged organically, funding appeared from sources I hadn’t considered, and the work itsel became more joyful and sustainable.

This quote now guides how I approach everything from daily tasks to major life transitions. It reminds me that our internal state is not separate from our external results — they’re intimately connected. When we address stress first, intentions have clear channels through which to manifest. It’s become a cornerstone of how I work with clients, helping them recognize that their stress isn’t just an inconvenience to endure — it’s often the primary obstacle
between them and their goals.

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https://www.cosmicquantumshaman.com/calendar

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!