In Real Time with Katoya Palmer

In this episode of Mindfulness in the Middle, I explore how mindfulness reshaped my relationship with desire—food, comfort, beauty, longing, pleasure, and the parts of wanting that were once considered off-limits. Growing up, desire wasn’t named; it was managed, judged, or tucked into silence. But noticing desire through a mindful lens changed everything.This week’s reflection looks at why the things we’re told not to want become more magnetic, how the science of anticipation shapes our cravings, and how desire can be a guide toward nourishment—or a warning toward depletion. I talk about the difference between chasing sparks and listening for alignment, and how pausing to ask “Will this feed me or empty me?” has become part of my inner compass.This episode invites you to consider your own relationship with wanting:Which desires have you honored without apology?And which ones are still waiting for your attention?Next week’s card is Say Yes—an exploration of what we agree to, why, and whether our yeses are truly aligned.A written companion to this episode is available on Substack.

In this episode, I explore what happens when the labels we once wore like armor start to feel more like chains. This week’s mindfulness card challenged me to look at the identities I defended out of habit—daughter, church girl, overachiever—and ask myself which ones actually belonged to me, and which ones I kept out of fear.I share how old beliefs about success, gender, politics, and “being right” shaped me for years, and how learning to let them go felt like molting—uncomfortable, vulnerable, and strangely freeing. Through reflection and mindfulness practice, I began to realize that not every battle deserves my energy, and not every identity is meant to travel with me into adulthood.This episode is an invitation to question what you’re still holding on to:Which labels no longer fit? Which beliefs are draining more than they serve? And what might become possible if you loosened your grip?Mindfulness reminds us that identity is fluid, curiosity is a teacher, and release can be a form of self-protection.

In this episode, I sit with a card that asks me to notice the signs of aging—and it takes me somewhere deeper than wrinkles or birthdays. I explore what time has taught me about work, networks, class ceilings, and the uncomfortable truth that effort alone doesn’t always change the room you walk into.I talk about the wisdom that only comes with age: slowing down before entering new spaces, reading the room, noticing how people move before deciding how I’ll move. And I name the other side of aging—the quiet, accumulating losses no one warns you about, the kind that only make sense when you look back across decades.You’ll hear reflections across three generations: my mother in her 60s, my 19-year-old son stepping into adulthood, and me at 43, watching us all shift in real time. Even the objects in my life—my Cadillac, my old but faithful devices—carry their own stories about time, memory, and change.Aging, in this conversation, becomes less about decline and more about perspective: knowing what matters, what to release, and what to protect.I close with a preview of next week’s card, Defending and Defining, where I’ll explore the identities we inherit, the ones we outgrow, and the ones we choose.

This four-part reflection invites you to explore what it means to care for your body—especially in seasons of stress, transition, or healing. From grounding rituals and breathwork to family beauty legacies and honest truths about weight, this episode holds space for both grace and growth.You’ll hear how I’m redefining care—not as performance, but as practice. This episode includes:A mindfulness exercise from the weekly cardA sensory deep dive into my “everything shower” ritualReflections on legacy, body image, and sacred self-expressionA closing reminder that rest is not weakness—it’s wisdom🪞✨ Listen, reflect, and return to your body with love.📖 Read the full written companion on Substack: katoyapalmer.substack.com#MindfulnessInTheMiddle #RestAsResistance #LovingKindness #BodyCompassion #HealingInProgress #BlackWomenHealing

I almost didn’t share this one.But this is where the work starts.According to Buddhist tradition, aversion is one of the three afflictive mind-states—alongside greed and delusion. It’s the quiet repulsion we feel when we just want someone or something gone.This week, I felt it in my chest.Lingering trauma. Workplace flashbacks. Deep resentment that bubbled into dreams.But mindfulness asks us to notice—not numb.To track the moment aversion arises, and what sense impression may have triggered it: a sound, a smell, a memory.“Anger does not cease through anger, but through love alone.”So I stayed with the discomfort. I let it speak.And today, I practiced love—not just for others, but for the parts of me that still hurt.Card from Mindfulness on the Go by Dr. Jan Chozen Bays

This is where it begins—my journey to reclaim peace, presence, and purpose after burnout and transition. Mindfulness in the Middle is a series about meeting life where it actually happens: between the past that shaped us and the future we’re still becoming.In this intro, I share what mindfulness really means to me—not as a buzzword, but as a daily practice of awareness, compassion, and truth-telling. This video sets the stage for Episode 1: Notice Dislike.Topics: mindfulness, healing, emotional wellness, self-recovery, personal growth, trauma recovery, mental health awareness