mindfulness, and what these practices can teach us about living our everyday lives.
Hosted by longtime meditation teacher Deb Phelps, each approximately 10–15 minute episode offers practical reflections, gentle humor, and simple ways to bring mindfulness off the cushion and into real life—from navigating a busy mind and building a meditation practice to meeting uncertainty, listening more deeply, practicing self-kindness, and being present for the life already happening around us.
Each regular episode includes a short guided meditation, along with a simple Gentle Practice you can carry into your week. Periodic Quiet Pause episodes offer a little more time to simply practice together.
Whether you’ve struggled to meditate, are just beginning, or have practiced for years, you’re welcome here. You don’t have to meditate perfectly. You simply have to begin where you are.
debphelps.substack.com (https://debphelps.substack.com/s/why-cant-i-meditate?utm_medium=podcast)
Ep. 29: When You Feel Like You Should Be Further Along
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, I really thought I’d be further along by now?
Maybe there’s a goal you’ve been working toward, a change you’ve been hoping to make, or an expectation about where you thought your life would be at this point. And sometimes, looking at what others seem to be accomplishing only makes that feeling stronger.
In this episode of Why Can’t I Meditate? — Meditation for Real Life, we’re exploring the timelines we carry, the habit of comparing ourselves with others, and how mindfulness can help us recognize progress that doesn’t always look the way we expected.
Sometimes growth is quieter than we realize. It might be noticing an old habit sooner, responding differently to a difficult situation, or recognizing that a goal no longer fits who we are today.
We’ll also explore how to acknowledge where we are without giving up on where we’d like to go.
This episode includes a short guided meditation, Beginning Where You Are, along with a simple practice you can bring into your everyday life.
You can have hopes for where you’re going without criticizing yourself for where you are.
You’re warmly invited to join my free Skool community (https://www.skool.com/peaceful-wellness-6341), where we explore meditation together and connect with others who are building a more mindful life.
You can also access my Audio Meditation Library on Palette for $5 a month (https://palette.audio/@meditatewithdeb), with meditation recordings from the past 60 days available anytime you’d like a practice to return to.
Details on my website: meditatewithdeb.com (https://meditatewithdeb.com/)
Get full access to Meditate with Deb | Peaceful Wellness at debphelps.substack.com/subscribe (https://debphelps.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
26 Oct 2026
Quiet Pause: A Little Room to Breathe
Sometimes our days become so full of things to think about, respond to, and take care of that we hardly notice how little room we’ve left ourselves to breathe.
Even when we finally have a few quiet minutes, our minds may already be moving toward whatever comes next.
In this bonus Quiet Pause from Why Can’t I Meditate? — Meditation for Real Life, I’m inviting you to step away from the usual pace of the day and enjoy a little time simply being present.
A Little Room to Breathe is a gentle guided meditation with spacious pauses and extended periods of silence. You’ll be invited to settle into a comfortable position, notice the support beneath your body, and allow yourself to rest without needing to accomplish anything or change how you feel.
There’s no need to arrive feeling calm, and no particular experience you need to create. Whether your day has been busy, stressful, or simply full of ordinary responsibilities, you’re welcome to begin exactly where you are.
Sometimes a little breathing room is enough.
You’re warmly invited to join my free Skool community (https://www.skool.com/peaceful-wellness-6341), where we explore meditation together and connect with others who are building a more mindful life.
You can also access my Audio Meditation Library on Palette for $5 a month (https://palette.audio/@meditatewithdeb), with meditation recordings from the past 60 days available anytime you’d like a practice to return to.
Details on my website: meditatewithdeb.com (https://meditatewithdeb.com/)
Get full access to Meditate with Deb | Peaceful Wellness at debphelps.substack.com/subscribe (https://debphelps.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
19 Oct 2026
Ep. 28: When Did Life Become So Complicated?
Have you ever started out doing something simple, only to discover you’ve somehow turned it into a much bigger project?
Maybe you intended to organize one drawer and ended up rearranging half the house. Or perhaps a straightforward decision turned into hours of researching, comparing, and wondering whether you’re making the right choice.
Sometimes life really is complicated, but sometimes we unknowingly add a few extra layers ourselves.
In this episode of Why Can’t I Meditate? — Meditation for Real Life, we explore how easily our minds can turn ordinary situations into something more overwhelming than they need to be. We’ll talk about overthinking, the pressure to do things perfectly, and why we sometimes make getting started much harder than it has to be.
We’ll also explore how meditation can help us recognize when we’re caught up in unnecessary complications and gently return to what’s actually happening.
This episode includes This Week’s Gentle Practice and a short guided meditation, Returning to Simplicity, offering a few quiet minutes to step away from analyzing, planning, and figuring everything out.
Because sometimes the next step can be simpler than the story we’re telling ourselves about it.
You’re warmly invited to join my free Skool community (https://www.skool.com/peaceful-wellness-6341), where we explore meditation together and connect with others who are building a more mindful life.
You can also access my Audio Meditation Library on Palette for $5 a month (https://palette.audio/@meditatewithdeb), with meditation recordings from the past 60 days available anytime you’d like a practice to return to.
Details on my website: meditatewithdeb.com (https://meditatewithdeb.com/)
Get full access to Meditate with Deb | Peaceful Wellness at debphelps.substack.com/subscribe (https://debphelps.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
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