232 Five days. No talking. No technology. Just awareness.

Nadine shares her powerful experience from a five-day silent Vipassana retreat—and what emerged when there was nowhere left to escape. From boredom and resistance to unexpected joy, grief, and clarity, Nadine opens up about the emotional and spiritual breakthroughs that unfolded in stillness.

She reflects on self-compassion, non-reactivity, and the freedom that comes from releasing expectations and the constant desire for things to be different. A moving loving-kindness meditation becomes the catalyst for deep emotional release and insight, revealing a simple but radical truth: happiness doesn’t live in the future—it’s available now.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and discover what silence can teach us about presence, peace, and being fully alive.

Get access to the full episode when you become a paid subscriber on Substack.

Covered in this episode:

1. Why she chose to do a silent retreat for the second time
2. What was different (and disappointing) this time
3. What it was like to renounce technology
4. The rules she broke
5. The breakthroughs she had
6. The shocking vision that made her weep

Reclaim your writing time with the following offerings in 2026:

1. Revision Made Easy: A 3-Step Process to Up-level Your Writing Virtual, Feb 28
2. Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI

About Nadine:

Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column...

What happens when you don’t fully step away — but you stop rushing forward?

Nadine reflects on the key takeaways from her semi-sabbatical: a year of working part time, studying deeply, and intentionally becoming a beginner again. Instead of chasing output, she followed curiosity. Instead of mastering, she practiced.

This episode explores what a slower, experimental year taught her about identity, learning, rest, and growth — and why becoming a beginner might be one of the most transformative choices we can make.

If you’ve been craving space to learn, try something new, or rethink your relationship with work and productivity, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

1. How jealousy inspired her sabbatical
2. What she scaled back on and give up completely
3. The silly and scary things she wanted to try in 2025
4. How she funded her sabbatical
5. What her fears were
6. The unexpected experiences that unfolded
7. What changed when productivity wasn't driving everything
8. The key lessons she learned

Reclaim your writing time in 2026:

1. Publish the Personal (Virtual): Fridays Jan 23-Feb 27
2. Revision Retreat: Craft Your Best Draft (In-person): Aug 2026, Madeline Island School of the Arts, WI

About Nadine:

Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.

On the next episode of Heart of the Story, Nadine shares takeaways and surprises from her Sabbatical Year, 2025.

About Nadine:

Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings, Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a weekly column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.