
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
Gwen, The Slow Living Guide
Life doesn’t have to feel like a constant race against the clock. If you’re craving a slower, simpler, more balanced way to live, this podcast is for you.
I’m Gwen, your guide on this journey to ditch the overwhelm and embrace what truly matters to you. In The Balance Blueprint, we’ll talk about what it really takes to create a calmer, more intentional life - without unrealistic rules, or pressure to 'do it all'. Think of this podcast as your pause button—a space to slow down, breathe, reflect, and create.
Every two weeks, I’ll share something to inspire and guide you:
•Soothing guided meditations and visualisations to help you unwind, find clarity and reconnect with yourself in this busy world
•Solo episodes filled with heartfelt insights, slow living practical tips, and the lessons I’ve learned about creating balance in real life
•Conversations with guests who’ve found their own rhythm and have stories, wisdom, and warmth to share
This isn’t about chasing perfection or squeezing more into your already full day. It’s about slowing down, showing up for yourself and finding joy in the small, precious moments.
Whether you’re balancing a career, motherhood, or the sometimes chaos of midlife, I'll give you the tools to simplify, refocus, and create a life that feels like yours.
So, let's settle in and explore what it means to live with intention, balance, and a touch of everyday magic.
Subscribe now and let The Balance Blueprint be your guide for slowing down, savouring life's 'glimmer moments' and creating the balance you've been searching for- one thoughtful episode at a time.
Gwen, Your Slow Living Guide xo
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Top 10 The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

A Moment to Repair - Guided Meditation
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
10/17/23 • 12 min
Do you feel a little hard done by?
A heaviness in your heart because you felt someone let you down.
Perhaps you had a disagreement, or felt unsupported by a loved one or a colleague you thought knew you better.
Feeling unheard, misunderstood and well, even a little bit angry having bumped up against an uncomfortable situation or conversation that went down a road you might now regret.
This happens us all. You are human! And this short mindful meditation will help you feel into this moment with care and kindness and help you repair.
It will guide you to a place of allowing things to be the way they are and to let go of having to feel the weight of your emotions so tightly.
If this helps you feel lighter and less controlled by your heavy thoughts, I have more to offer you in my new Ultimate Guide to a Balanced Home and Work Life. It gives you 4 steps to help quieten the noisy mind, build resilience and strengthen relationships so you can unlock the balanced lifestyle you deserve.
Access your FREE GUIDE HERE
And if we're not already connected, come find me on Instagram @the_mindfulguide for more ways to live a beautiful balanced life, you love
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals
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A Moment to Forgive- Guided Meditation
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
06/04/24 • 14 min
This is a guided mindful meditation called a Moment to Forgive.
It offers mindful guidance if you’re coming through conflict and feel you've been harmed or hard done by, and it feels like ALOT.
Take this moment to pause, quieten the body and mind and give yourself this momentary sanctuary of peace- which is what Forgiveness will also offer you.
But forgiveness is hard and typically, we’re not able to forgive because we’re holding on to a lot of pain. This forgiveness practice shines a spotlight of awareness on how it feels right now, and invites compassion to the pain you're holding onto.
It's not easy to forgive but you can start by opening up and creating a little more space.
Allowing anger, bitterness or resentment to be here, but loosening the grip they have on you. Forgiveness is really the release of the emotional charge that comes with the bitterness and even vengeance towards the person that may have harmed you. Regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.
This brave and gentle practice of forgiveness can help you turn toward the future instead of resenting the past. To realise you don't need to keep torturing yourself, with sleepless nights, being physically sick, exhausted, panic attacks. This is already enough - let go of the pain and consider the possibility of freeing your heart and untangling the knot it's managed to wrangle itself into.
Forgiveness is not condoning what's happened, or agreeing with it. You don’t even have to like it. It’s the realisation that holding onto what happened is in itself painful.
‘'Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future’', Paul Boese
Forgiveness can be a practice, and one worth practicing because it can be so liberating and freeing. Letting go of resentment and grudges and bringing more compassion, more love and more care to the world.
[credit to Dr Diana Winston for her inspiration for this guided meditation and thoughts]
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals
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A Moment to Reflect- Guided Meditation
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
12/12/23 • 11 min
If you do anything this week, take these ten precious minutes for yourself. Find a quiet cosy spot, grab a hot drink and journal and get ready to fill your heart with the essence of YOU.
The guidance will invite you to come into stillness during your busy day, and land right where you are. You'll create a beautiful space to let go of the busyness and open up to reflecting back on how the year has been for you.
What lit you up, what brought you down, and what lifted you back up again? What did you learn, what changes did you navigate and how have they brought you to where you are right now? Present, still and strong.
This exercise will be such a powerful support to you as you turn towards the holidays and the end of 2023. It's particularly hard to know how to show up during this devastatingly sad time of war and violence. Bearing witness to what is happening weighs heavy I'm sure for us all. Allow this to be your time to reflect. To bear witness to yourself and to how you want to live, love and be, in the new year that awaits you.
Listen to your voice within. Hold it softy, without judgement. Let the light in when things feel dark and difficult.
When the guidance has ended I encourage you to continue your reflections by journaling what has come up for you. These ten minutes can be the door way to a room full of exploration and presence.
Namaste xo
Want more help?
If you are inspired to bring the power of mindfulness to your one precious life - download my FREE 'Mindful Living Starter Kit'. It's a wonderfully supportive resource to help you reduce the stress in your life and make positive change - starting TODAY
GET YOUR MINDFUL LIVING STARTER KIT HERE
Join Tune in Thursdays
Need quality Me time, and can’t find the time during your busy week – are you free at 8pm GMT on Thursdays?
Carve out 30 minutes for yourself - helping you ease into a restful nights sleep.
Come join my FREE 'Tune in Thursdays,' a weekly online meditation circle.
I will guide you through a mindful meditation with a specific theme each week on zoom. No meditation experience is necessary – simply show up, and tune in, however you are, whatever you’re feeling. I hope it can help you rest~relax and restore.
SIGN UP FOR TUNE IN THURSDAYS HERECome find me on Instagram @the_mindfulguide for more mindful ways to stress less and find more calm in your busy life
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

A Moment to Release - Guided Meditation
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
04/09/24 • 14 min
This is a ten minute or so, guided mindful meditation called a Moment to Release.
When it all gets too much, how can you get through?
You let it go. You unclasp the grip overwhelm has and you take a breath. You feel down into your strong core, and you let go of the hurt.
Listen to this guidance when you're feeling overwhelmed and you don't know what to do or how to shake off the negative vibes.
Mindful meditation, even just these 10 minutes will help you lift the heaviness and guide you to the other side with hope and compassion.
If you like this practice please give the episode a 5 star rating and follow so you don't miss these ten minute bite size practices to help you navigate life transitions as a busy professional juggling it all.
If we're not already connected on Instagram you can find me HEREI post regular mindful living tips and approaches that I think you will love. Hope to see you there.
Gwen, The Mindful Guide
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

How to Make Decisions Easier - with Gerry Rickard, Founder - Mindwise
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
05/21/24 • 42 min
This conversation is a treat.
It will inspire you and hopefully, give you much food for thought as you navigate the big decisions in your life.
Gerry (originally from Ireland) completed a four-year Masters in Mindfulness-Based Teaching (with me!) at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University in Wales, one of the most renowned institutions for mindfulness research and practice in the world.
Before this he was a Vice President in a large American entertainment company based in Amsterdam, and has worked in marketing for almost thirty years. He and his wife, Christina (from the Netherlands ), are now living in Vilanculos in Mozambique, where they run MindWise (www.mindwise.me) offering mindfulness and yoga-based retreats in Mozambique, South Africa and in Europe, teaching mindfulness to local schoolchildren, running face-to-face themed workshops and teaching mindfulness to corporate companies. Together they also offer mindful holiday retreats to their little home in Mozambique overlooking the Indian Ocean, which I hope one day to experience!
We hear how Gerry faced burnout in his executive career and after much reflection and struggle made some very big changes in his life. He shares his experience and weaves in some beautiful poetry and images to highlight the beauty and strength of mindfulness in navigating this one precious life we all have.
There is so much to unpack here and here are the top three takeaways of the discussion:
1. Life is Change and the essence of our experience is change. It makes us who we are. The more you navigate, the stronger you become, each decision and opportunity preparing you for the next
2. Flow like a river. Be open to what's here, without judgement, blame or pushing it away. Realising that it's already here. Instead, unfold like a river, bending and twisting around it's undiscovered bends. Be carried away by the surprise of your own unfolding path
3. Embrace the groundlessness. Like the birds who have to leave the nest to learn how to fly, take that chance and jump into the unknown. You never know, it might just be the best thing you ever did!
You can find Gerry on Instagram HERE
DECISION MAKING MASTERCLASS
Are you grappling with a decision right now? Or maybe you're facing a big life transition? Come spend an hour with Mindful MariB and I where we work through your decision and offer mindfulness based approaches to taking the first step and unblocking whatever it is that's holding you back. Uncover the clarity and confidence you need to start your next chapter.
Join us online ~ 11 June at 8pm BST. We can't wait to see you there.
SIGN UP FOR THE MASTERCLASS HERE
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

Want Better Relationships? Learn how with Mindful Mari B
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
08/08/23 • 49 min
You are in for a treat!
In this episode with my beautiful friend Marianna, mindfulness teacher and relationship coach, you will hear how you can turn your relationships around.
How you can transform your people pleasing tendencies into trust based relationships that nourish your soul!
Using mindfulness based techniques and approaches, Mari offers simple and highly effective ways to bring that sense of balance and connection back to how you interact and feel about the people you love.
Mari even wrote her Masters in Mindfulness thesis on 'How can mindfulness shape our relationships' (especially if we have a tendency to be quite anxious ) so we are in good hands on this topic!
If you want tangible step by step ways you can enjoy more balanced relationships today, listen to this insightful episode. I think it might just change your life!
And to find out more from Mari come follow her mindful relationship work HERE on Instagram
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

How to R.A.I.S.E. Your Conversation Game- finding your voice and being understood
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
09/05/23 • 24 min
Struggling to have conversations that work? Where you feel understood and have a meaningful exchange?
Today's episode offers you a mindfulness based method to R.A.I.S.E. your Conversation Game.
Listen to how you can implement this 5 step approach to being really present for your interactions with others. How to listen with empathy AND get your point across.
Conversations can be tricky. Exchanging information will always come with emotion. Throw in the ego, time constraints, different agendas, personalities and you've got the makings of a prickly situation :-)
Change how you approach conversations forever;
R. RESET
A. ASSESS
I. INTEND
S. STOP
E. ECHO
Listen to this episode to learn how to apply R.A.I.S.E. to every conversation ~ making them worth your time, attention and presence
If you like The R.A.I.S.E. method to wonderful conversations, come find me on Instagram, where I post similar tips and techniques helping you get closer to a more Balanced and meaningful lifestyle
You can follow me HERE
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

Busy juggling it all? How to put yourself on top again
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
10/03/23 • 20 min
Part 1 of a 3 part mindful series called 'Work Life Balance for Busy Working Parents'
Stop the juggling act and prioritise self-care. Yes please!
This episode invites you to stop. To take off all the hats you might be wearing, new Mom, teacher, carer, partner, financial advisor, CEO of the household... and just pause life for one moment
Then in that moment ask yourself WHAT DO I NEED?
Press play and explore:
- How feeling upset because you're bottom of the queue again is normal
- That another day going by without any time for YOU is hard
- How you can start to put yourself first again (so you can continue to be there for everyone else)
- Tuning into your needs with these 5 vital questions
- Ways to pay attention, on purpose, non-judgementally to your life's desires
Discover your answers to these 5 essential questions and unlock the balance and connection you deserve.
To support this work, download my FREE 'Ultimate Guide to a Balanced Home and Work Life' HERE. The questions are inside along with 3 other practical steps you can take today to get started.
Last thing ~ If we're not yet connected (and I'm sure we should be!) come follow me on Instagram @the_mindfulguide to finally lock in the balance you've not quite yet mastered :-)
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

Want to start a Mindfulness Practice? Here's how
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
11/28/23 • 32 min
How to start a Mindfulness Practice
Today's episode has actionable steps to just start now - to take you from thinking that mindfulness isn't for you, or that you don't have time, to realising it's for everyone.
Finally understanding that you don't have to add another thing to your to-do-list to be mindful. It can happen naturally, and all you have to do is sit back and observe.
I explore these 5 steps to starting a mindfulness practice. Listen to the episode to hear how:
1. Setting Intentions- define your purpose for practicing mindfulness
2. Beginning to notice your breath – mindful breathing for stress reduction
3. Practicing a body scan- scan the body from top to toe tuning into what's here, connecting the mind and body
4. Embracing mindful observations – opening to what's here without judgement or striving for things to be any different to what they already are
5. Bringing self compassion – and loving kindness
Want more help?
If you are inspired to bring mindfulness to your one precious life - download my FREE 'Mindful Living Starter Kit'. It's a wonderfully supportive resource for this episode and continues my step by step actions to make positive change in your life - starting TODAY
GET YOUR MINDFUL LIVING STARTER KIT HERE
Date for your Diary:
- Free Guided Mindful Meditation
- Thursdays 8pm GMT
- Tune in Thursdays
- On Zoom
- No meditation experience needed
- Join our friendly meditation circle
- Relax, restore and find your moments of calm
Email [email protected] for detailsCome find me on Instagram @the_mindfulguide for more mindful ways to stress less and find more calm in your busy life
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals

A Moment to Heal - Guided Meditation
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance
04/23/24 • 12 min
With all the different hats we wear, it's natural that we bump up against conflict from time to time. The juggling act of a busy home and work life, where we spend a lot of our time trying to please everyone else, can be all consuming.
It's no wonder we might blow our top every once in a while. Or feel we've been hard done by when we spend all our time trying to keep everything together and no one notices our efforts or the sacrifices we make.
Or perhaps it goes a little deeper for you right now and you're grappling with a big knot in a relationship that you're struggling to untangle.
Tune into this 10 minute guided mindful meditation to heal and lift the heaviness in your heart.
Find some ease, self-compassion and love.
FREE Guided Walking Mindful Meditation
And if you have more time this week - tune into Mother Nature for life's natural healing remedies all around you. Download my FREE guided walking meditation HERE
The Mindful Guide~Work-Life Harmony for busy professionals
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance have?
The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance currently has 20 episodes available.
What topics does The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance cover?
The podcast is about Meditation, Calm, Health & Fitness, Stress, Parent, Alternative Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Professional, Podcasts, Connection, Balance, Clarity and Mindfulness.
What is the most popular episode on The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance?
The episode title 'A Moment to Repair - Guided Meditation' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance?
The average episode length on The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance is 20 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance released?
Episodes of The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance?
The first episode of The Balance Blueprint: Slow Down, Simplify, and Create a Life of Balance was released on Jun 29, 2023.
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