{"product_id":"a-skillful-life-free-orientation","title":"A Skillful Life: Free Orientation","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eMost of us know mindfulness is good for us. Far fewer of us know what to actually do when we're in the middle of a hard moment — and that gap is not a failure of effort. It's a gap in how mindfulness is usually taught.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eIn one hour, I'll walk you through what's missing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eWe'll look at what mindfulness actually is, and what it looks like in an ordinary day — not on a cushion, but in the email that annoys you, the conversation that goes sideways, the moment you hear yourself snap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eWe'll name what's missing in most practice. We pause, we breathe, we feel calmer for a few minutes. Then we get up and our default ways of thinking and reacting are unchanged. Calm is where practice starts. It was never meant to be where it ends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eAnd we'll go through the eight skills — Awareness, Compassion, Curiosity, Energy, Appreciative Joy, Inner Calm, Focus, Equanimity — and the eight default habits each one disrupts. Then how we actually build them: micro-practices you can use in the middle of a real day, and dedicated practices for when you have more time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eAll of it is evidence-based, and all of it is designed to fit inside a busy life rather than asking you to make more room. We'll use proven strategies like habit stacking — attaching a new practice to something you already do — so that returning to mindfulness becomes a habit rather than one more thing you're failing to get to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou'll leave with:\u003c\/strong\u003e a clear picture of what mindfulness is and isn't, the eight skills and the patterns they interrupt, and practical ways to begin — today, in the life you already have.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eFree. One hour. Come as you are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eIf this resonates with you, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gifts.asamalife.com\/products\/the-skillful-life-foundations-course?variant=49130170581144\" title=\"join the 8-week class\"\u003ejoin the eight week class starting on July 28 \u003c\/a\u003ewhere we dive into each of the skills with dedicated meditations and specially designed micro-practices to strengthen each skill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eAbout Shalini B Bahl, PhD\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can read more about my work and reasearch on my website \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/asamalife.com\/about-dr-shalini\/\"\u003eaSamaLife.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Tbs_eatwBrQ?si=PZApcuI8tInY9-8f\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFrom people who have practiced with me...\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI was somewhat familiar with mindfulness practice through my work as a clinical psychologist, but had never learned from a mindfulness expert. Through this course, I learned all 8 qualities of mind, instead of just awareness and compassion that I was already familiar with. I have already started incorporating some of the concepts into my therapy practice, What really caught me by surprise, though, was how incorporating all 8 components opened up my own personal experience. I had always dreaded writing, especially if it involved creative writing. Suddenly I found myself writing poetry about my daily experiences. Who was this person?! Now I continue to use Shalini's guided practices, and love choosing which quality to work with depending on how I'm feeling.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e~ Pamela Drury, PhD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeurofeedback Expert and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Founder, Boost Neurofeedback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"et_pb_text_104 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_flex_module preset--module--divi-text--d1w5w79786\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"This has been a true healing journey, and for the past year I have been studying the 8 Mindfulness Skills and practicing the 48 micro-practices more naturally, every day. I find myself asking, 'Which micro-practice matches the challenge I am facing right now?' — finding a practice, doing it, and then moving on with my day. Easy peasy, quick, and they bring me into the present moment. I Return, Listen, and Begin Again. These practices can be done any time, anywhere, on the fly or sitting at home. If I were still practicing as a Nurse Practitioner, I would be recommending these skills to every one of my patients. They are priceless for dealing with the everyday stresses and challenges of life.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e~ Linnie Mickle\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eRetired Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\"Sama life circle has been just the restart that my regular mindfulness practice needed. As a parent juggling work and life the micro-practices have been such wonderful addition to my routine...Shalini is a caring and thoughtful mindfulness teacher who offers such a depth of knowledge in the ways to bring mindfulness off of the mat and into everyday life.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e~ \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eJulianna Eve, PhD\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUMass Chan - Baystate Research Coordinator II and Tobacco Treatment Specialist\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sama Life","offers":[{"title":"Thursday July 23 2026 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET","offer_id":49459427672216,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0743\/6795\/9192\/files\/FREEORIENTATION.png?v=1783965050","url":"https:\/\/gifts.asamalife.com\/products\/a-skillful-life-free-orientation","provider":"Sama Life","version":"1.0","type":"link"}