What Should You Teach First as a Mindfulness Teacher?

One of the biggest questions new mindfulness teachers face is simple but daunting: Where do I even begin?This episode comes straight from a live Zoom call with Sean Fargo and his students, Sean Fargo responds to a heartfelt question: “When you’re just starting out, how do you know what to teach first?”

Sean shares his own journey of finding direction as a new teacher, including moments of fear, uncertainty, and surprising inspiration — from teaching mindfulness in prisons, to healthcare, to corporate boardrooms. Rather than following a rigid curriculum, he emphasizes starting with who your heart feels called to help.

Whether you’re just starting to guide mindfulness or refining your teaching path, this conversation offers heartfelt encouragement: you don’t need to have it all figured out before you begin.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:37 – Sean’s First Advice

03:05 – Teaching from Shared Struggles

04:17 – Early Teaching Story

05:59 – Following Opportunities

07:17 – Letting Your Practice Lead

09:14 – Finding Your Niche

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About the Podcast Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo is a practical, grounded mindfulness podcast for people who want meditation to actually help in real life. Hosted by Sean Fargo — a former Buddhist monk, mindfulness teacher, and founder of MindfulnessExercises.com — this podcast explores how mindfulness can support mental health, emotional regulation, trauma sensitivity, chronic pain, leadership, creativity, and meaningful work. Each episode offers a mix of: • Practical mindfulness and meditation teachings • Conversations with respected teachers, clinicians, authors, and researchers • Real-world insights for therapists, coaches, yoga teachers, educators, and caregivers • Gentle reflections for anyone navigating stress, anxiety, burnout, grief, or change Rather than chasing peak experiences or spiritual bypassing, this podcast emphasizes embodied practice, ethical teaching, and mindfulness that meets people where they are—messy, human, and alive. If you’re interested in: • Mindfulness meditation for everyday life • Trauma-sensitive and co...