A pediatrician’s revolutionary meditation practice challenges the modern compulsion to either deny problems or frantically fix them, offering a third path that could transform how you handle life’s inevitable difficulties.
Story Highlights
- Dr. Mark Bertin introduces a guided meditation that teaches acceptance without passive resignation
- The practice addresses the common human tendency to either deny problems or compulsively try to control them
- Released on Mindful.org, the meditation emphasizes compassionate awareness over reactive problem-solving
- The approach combines clinical expertise with ancient mindfulness principles for modern stress management
The Third Way Beyond Denial and Control
Dr. Mark Bertin, a pediatrician and mindfulness teacher, has developed a meditation that tackles a fundamental human struggle: our tendency to either ignore our problems or exhaust ourselves trying to fix everything. His guided practice, released on Mindful.org, presents a third option that sidesteps both extremes. The meditation teaches participants to observe their sensations, feelings, and thoughts with what Bertin calls “awareness, skill, and care.”
This approach diverges sharply from typical self-help advice that either promotes toxic positivity or endless strategic planning. Instead, Bertin guides practitioners toward a middle ground where acknowledgment doesn’t equal helplessness, and peace doesn’t mean inaction.
Clinical Wisdom Meets Ancient Practice
Bertin’s unique position as both a medical professional and mindfulness instructor brings credibility to practices that skeptics might dismiss as wishful thinking. His meditation draws from Buddhist traditions of equanimity while maintaining practical applications for modern stressors. The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing societal uncertainties have created unprecedented demand for accessible mental health tools that don’t require years of therapy or expensive interventions.
The meditation specifically addresses what psychologists recognize as common maladaptive coping strategies. Rather than oscillating between avoidance and hypervigilance, practitioners learn to sit with discomfort without immediately rushing to eliminate it. This skill proves particularly valuable for middle-aged adults who’ve spent decades believing they should have everything figured out by now.
Beyond Passive Acceptance
Critics of mindfulness often argue that acceptance leads to complacency, but Bertin’s approach explicitly counters this misconception. His meditation emphasizes that being at peace with circumstances doesn’t preclude taking appropriate action. Instead, it promotes clarity over reactivity, allowing for more effective responses when intervention is genuinely needed and helpful.
The distinction matters enormously in a culture that glorifies constant productivity and problem-solving. Bertin’s teaching suggests that our compulsive need to fix everything often creates more problems than it solves. By learning to discern when action is truly needed versus when acceptance serves us better, practitioners develop what philosophers might call practical wisdom.
Practical Implementation in Daily Life
The meditation’s strength lies in its concrete applicability to everyday situations. Whether dealing with difficult family relationships, health concerns, financial stress, or career transitions, the practice offers a consistent framework for responding rather than reacting. Bertin guides listeners through recognizing their habitual patterns of denial or control, then practicing a more balanced approach.
This resonates particularly with conservative values that emphasize personal responsibility while acknowledging human limitations. The meditation doesn’t promote victimhood or endless grievance, nor does it demand superhuman control over uncontrollable circumstances. Instead, it cultivates the wisdom to know the difference and respond accordingly with dignity and grace.
Sources:
Mindful.org – Meditation to Be At Peace With How Things Are
Insight Timer – At Peace with How Things Are
