A meditation for your daily practice - no chat beforehand, no distractions. Just you, the forest, and your breath.Join me for this Green Witch-inspired meditation. Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:nickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproWatch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

In this episode, we continue our exploration of personal power through the archetypes of the witch. Together, we will journey through the Water Witch and the Swamp Witch archetypes, uncovering their unique connections to water, the moon, and the balance between conformity and wildness. The Water Witch draws rituals from aquatic environments, emphasizing adaptability, while the Swamp Witch thrives in the liminal spaces, representing untamed freedom.Being fluid in change is the superpower of both of these witchy archetypes.At the end, there is a 20-minute guided meditation devoted to the Water Witch, inviting all of us to sync with the rhythm of our breath and metaphorical ocean waves, fostering inner peace and presence.

“You are the sister to the wolf and friend to the hawk. You know in your heart the language of the plants and the songs of the wind. You have an innate connection to the wild edges. You know the beauty of the bee in flight, and hear the call of freedom on the horizon. And yet, as you go through your day today, it may be easy to miss the drum call of the Earth.”  – Wild WomanThe Green Witch is one who sources her sense of power and nourishment from the Earth itself. She is one who might feel deeply connected to plants and animals and finds balance with time outside. The Green Witch likely spends more time than most contemplating the understanding that we are nature. In our exploration of the earth and forest archetype, we look at reciprocal relationships with the earth as a source of power and grounding. Join me for today’s talk and Green Witch-inspired meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s custom-crafted soundscape, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:nickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproWatch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

Welcome, Witches.This all new meditation series is devoted to the archetype of the witch. Why, you ask? Well for starters, it is spooky season, but perhaps more importantly, because the witch archetype is especially potent for those of us grappling with reclaiming our personal power. There are so many ‘types’ of witches: the kitchen witch, the green witch, the water witch, etc. And,all of these sub-types refer to the place or activity where we source the majority of our power. Today’s episode is devoted to the Kitchen Witch:In ancient Greece the word for “cook”, “butcher” and “priest” was the same -‘mageiros’- and the word shares an etymological root with the word magic.– Michael PollanThe Kitchen Witch is one who finds her power in the kitchen. She is deeply committed to nourishment - with a cauldron bubbling and tea brewing She is drawn to family recipes connecting her to ancestorsHer ingredients connect her to the earth elementAnd perhaps most importantly, cooking on stove or hearth-fire, connects her to the alchemical power of fire. Fire resides in the belly. It is the heat of action, of purpose, intention and passion. It is also the fire that burns the ghosts that haunt us.This fire is directly tied to the heart space, the home of air/breath/spirit, this is where our caring, compassion and love originate. For the kitchen witch, these two domains are intimately linked - our fire transforming our love - making love manifest.Join me for today’s episode devoted to the alchemy of the kitchen witch complete with a 20-minute guided kitchen witch meditation and a custom-made kitchen witch soundscape from Nick McMahan. Enjoy!Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s custom-crafted soundscape, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:nickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproWatch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

More often than I can count, I have conversations with students asking me what’s next in their meditation practice, how to go deeper, or how to feel better in the toughest of times… and today, I am delighted to share a powerful conversation offering a few answers to these tough questions.Andrew Holecek is a returning guest to the podcast, as well as a renowned author and humanitarian who teaches internationally on spirituality, meditation, lucid dreaming, and the art of dying. His many books include Reverse Meditation and Dream Yoga. And now, he has a new book out - I’m Mindful, Now What? Moving Beyond Mindfulness to Meet the Modern World. This book, and our discussion today, reveals how the form of mindfulness many of us know is merely one thread in a much older, greater tapestry of contemplative practice. For anyone who has sensed the potential for something much deeper and more profound - this conversation is for YOU.Andrew and I talk about: Brining meditation off the cushion and into our day-to-day experiencesPractices that move beyond simply “calming down” The near enemies of practice, which include spiritual bypassing, spiritual materialism and the tricky distinction between tranquility and liberation. Waking up vs. growing upFive nocturnal meditation practices, the value of the dream state, and the magic of liminality.Lastly and most importantly, we talk about why these practices matter when the world is on fire. At the end, Andrew shares a guided meditation that he does every morning to start off his day. Join me for this inspiring conversation and practice. And listeners, I need to know - should I have Andrew come back to tell us more about these dream practices?!?There is so much richness in this practice, here is a breakout of some of the key moments:01:32 The Five-Year Retreat Experience04:42 Beyond Mindfulness: Deeper Practices06:54 Shamatha and Vipashyana Explained12:18 The Importance of Waking Down15:48 Therapeutic and Somatic Support18:32 Traps on the Meditative Path24:16 Waking Up vs. Growing Up26:48 Nocturnal Meditations27:16 The Importance of Dreams27:34 Polyphasic vs. Monophasic Cultures28:16 Ego and Altered States of Consciousness29:06 The Three-Dimensional View of Reality31:00 The Five Nocturnal Practices32:51 Exploring Liminal Dreaming34:14 The Science Behind Liminal Dreaming35:23 Observational Intent and Thought Image Amalgamation36:37 Deconstructing the Sense of Self42:56 The Collective Mind and Quantum Entanglement48:44 Guided Meditation PracticeLearn more about Andrew Holecek and find his new book here: https://www.andrewholecek.com/Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at:instagram.com/brianna_podcastproWatch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

Today’s episode is an invitation to settle into the deepest listening and to celebrate what we find when we move beyond the noise of humans. Today, we embark on a meditative listening experience crafted by nature field recordist Nick McMahan. Earlier this year, Nick spent several days seeking out the quietest spot in Oregon. Exploring nature’s whispers and finding serenity in the sagebrush are what inspired today’s guided audio experience - a recording of Nick’s exploration.Together, we will listen to the symphony that arises within Oregon’s quietest ecosystem.What does it mean to listen to such quiet? What can we learn in the absence of human-made noise?Grab your headphones, close your eyes, and join Nick on a journey through the Basque Hills of Oregon:High and dry. There is hardly anything here. No water, no trees, just a small two-track (dirt road where people have driven enough times to form a road, but the ground has never been graded), and a distant horizon. The terrain appears endlessly flat, but after some time walking, I cannot see my car anymore. No towns, people, highways, or aircraft. A strange silence seems to be suspended in the still air. I sit down in the sagebrush and the wind calms. Looking closer I see various small wildflowers growing in clumps, thoughtfully placed near roots and sage. I lay down. It doesn’t feel dirty here. The dusty soil is cool, almost soothing. Eyes close, it is not long before a whir of wings pass not far overhead. Quickly followed by another and a hushed chirp. Something imperceptible has shifted. There is another soft chirp. Another whir, over to the left. Then a trill. Gradually building, a mesmerizing chorus of Brewer’s sparrows and a steady drumbeat of a common poorwill in the distance weave the song of this quiet sage land.These sounds were recorded on the ancestral land of the Northern Paiute people.Today’s episode was written, recorded and edited by Nick McMahan. Nick is a nature sound recordist and photographer, seeking projects to promote a more conscious world. Learn more and check out his sound libraries by visiting: nickmcmahan.comSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production, editing and social media support: instagram.com/brianna_podcastproWatch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

Soundscape Alchemy.Friends, what an episode I have for you today! Months ago, I took an impromptu trip to Canaveral National Seashore to visit acoustic artists Perri Lynch Howard and Gordon Hempton.Frequent collaborators on the podcast, I was ecstatic to spend a weekend practicing the art of listening with them both. We walked mangroves, explored shorelines, and discussed the interplay of human voice, aerospace traffic, and birdsong.The creative collaboration of Gordon and Perri resulted in a stunning piece of environmental art titled, “Hear Me Out.” Join me today for a discussion of what it means to listen with honesty, to weave ourselves into the natural world we inhabit, and to move “in close proximity to lifelong love.”In this episode, Perri and Gordon delve into their experiences during their artist residency at Canaveral National Seashore through the Soundscape Field Station Artist Residency Program. The conversation highlights their collaborative project 'Hear Me Out', which investigates the changing soundscapes and their artistic interpretations influenced by the environment. They share their journey of recording, the emotional challenges faced, and how Doris Leeper's legacy inspired their work. The discussion also touches on the significance of natural sound preservation and future projects related to soundscapes and environmental art.At the end, pop in your headphones, close your eyes, and listen to “Hear Me Out.”Gordon HemptonAcoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton has circled the globe three times in pursuit of the Earth’s rarest sounds. His sound portraits which record quickly vanishing natural soundscapes have been featured in People magazine and a national PBS television documentary, Vanishing Dawn Chorus, which earned him an Emmy. Hempton provides professional audio services to mediaproducers, including Microsoft, Smithsonian, National Geographic and Discovery Channel. Recipient of awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise he is co-author of One Square Inch of Silence: One Man’s Quest to Preserve Quiet (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2010) and Founding Partner of Quiet Parks International.https://soundtracker.com/Perri Lynch HowardPerri Lynch Howard is a multi-disciplinary artist working in painting, drawing, installation, and sound. Her visual work and sound installations convey the passage of light, sound, and signal through landscapes on the front lines of climate change - a phenomenology of place. Howard received her BA from The Evergreen State College, BFA from the University of Washington, and MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her art has a global reach through projects completed in Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Canada, the Arctic Circle, and in South India as a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar.https://www.perrilynchhoward.com/Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s sound design and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:nickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproLastly, thank you to Atlantic Center for the Arts and the ACA Soundscape Field Station for making this collaboration possible.https://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/home/soundscape-field-station/Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

In this Monday night meditation class, we delve into the concept of listening and silence amidst the constant noise of modern life, especially during the election season. Today’s discussion touches on the various sources of human-made noise and their impact on inner peace, the varied definitions of silence, and the key to mindful listening.David G. Haskell wrote, “listening opens us to what is hidden or unappreciated,” and together we will explore this hidden, unappreciated terrain.Today’s guided meditation, featuring natural sounds from the quietest place in Oregon as recorded by Nick McMahan, encourages listeners to practice deep listening, find tranquility within themselves, and hear what was previously unheard.Let’s practice!The nature sounds you hear in today’s episode are from the ancestral lands of the Northern Paiute people. Now considered the edge of the Great Basin or the Basque Hills area of southeastern Oregon.Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:nickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

U.S. Poet Laureate and fellow meditator Ada Limón joins me today on Our Mindful Nature to chat about her Signature Project, 'You Are Here, Poetry in Parks.' Y’all this was a dream conversation for me - full of presence, hope and truth. Full of poetry and beauty even as we discuss climate crisis and environmental activism. Together, we delve into the origins of ‘You Are Here: Poetry in Parks’, its deep connections between nature and poetry, and its aim to foster mindfulness and presence. Ada shares thoughts on the power of small actions amid climate crises, the inclusivity of the project's installations in national parks, and the importance of everyday nature. We also talk about the power of realizing that You. Are. Here. “'You Are Here: Poetry in the Parks' aims to deepen our connection to nature through poetry,” said Limón. “I believe the way we respond to this crucial moment on our planet could define humanity forever. In conceiving of my signature project, I wanted something that could both praise our sacred and natural wonders and also speak the complex truths of this urgent time. Above all, this project is about rising to this moment with hope, the kind of hope that will echo outwards for years to come.”   At the end, as a mini practice, Ada reads her stunning poem Sanctuary.Ada Limón is the twenty-fourth US Poet Laureate and the author of The Hurting Kind, as well as five other collections of poems. These include The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, and Bright Dead Things, which was named a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Award. Limón is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and American Poetry Review, among others. Born and raised in California, she now lives in Lexington, Kentucky.Learn more about You Are Here: Poetry in Parks: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/3-6-24-poetry-in-parks.htmFind Ada’s book You Are Here; Poetry in the Natural World here: https://milkweed.org/book/you-are-hereThe Methow people were the first people to hear the sounds of Methow Valley, Washington that are included in today’s episode. Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:nickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

In this guided meditation, we explore an elemental balancing practice for anxiety management and nervous system regulation. Reflecting on personal experiences with balancing extreme temperatures and anxiety, I share a visualization and sound meditation that has been deeply supportive in my own practice. I hope it will be useful in your own practice as well! No discussion, no distraction - just the meditation for your daily practice.Enjoy!Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Gordon Hempton for today’s nature field recordings, to Nick McMahan for sound design, and editing, and to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:soundtracker.comnickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproWatch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

In this guided meditation, we explore an elemental balancing practice for anxiety management and nervous system regulation. Reflecting on personal experiences with balancing extreme temperatures and anxiety, I share a visualization and sound meditation that has been deeply supportive in my own practice. I hope it will be useful in your own practice as well!  Together, we will guide our energy to move from the root chakra to the third eye, integrated with breath work and visualizations to promote balance and cooling. The supportive soundscape in today’s episode is a recording of a summer night in Olympic National Park from acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. You will hear a summer breeze swirl through tall grasses while chattering birds and a distant coyote settle down for the night.In this episode:00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:46 Balancing in Extreme Temperatures01:25 Dealing with Anxiety and Imbalance03:05 Elemental Balancing Practice04:32 Combining Practices: Elemental Balancing and Still Lake of the Mind07:58 Guided Meditation: Journey Through the Elements27:56 Closing and Returning to the PresentThe sounds in today’s episode were recorded on the ancestral lands of eight tribes: Hoh, Jamestown S'Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Quileute, Quinault and Skokomish. Thank you to Gordon Hempton for today’s nature field recordings, to Nick McMahan for sound design, and editing, and to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:soundtracker.comnickmcmahan.cominstagram.com/brianna_podcastproSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

7 a.m. It’s a cool, blue morning, and we are seated alongside the Coosa River in Alabama. Our guided meditation practice begins with mindful breathing and sensory awareness. This is an opportunity for cosmic connection and deep relaxation.It is silent except for the birds’ morning chorus and a whisper of wind through the river grasses.Gradually, a family of geese make themselves known, and we are instantly reminded of Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese, which ends with the line - {...} the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things.Today’s poetic meditation is inspired by this invitation to remember our place in the family of things, to maintain a mindful awareness of our relationship with nature, to re-weave ourselves into the animate earth around us. Join me for this 6-minute, nature-inspired meditation.Creek Native Americans were the first people to hear the sounds of the Coosa River that are played in this meditation.Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at:instagram.com/brianna_podcastproIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week.Want to support this podcast? Consider sending this episode to a friend or leaving a review. It is free and it really helps this show to grow!merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

Today’s episode is the meditation offered at this year's Summer Solstice inspired by the poem An Inn for the Coven by Gabrielle Calvocoressi.No discussion, no distraction - just the meditation for your daily practice.Enjoy!Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them athttps://www.nickcmcmahan.com/https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast

Today’s meditation is a live recording from this year’s Summer Solstice Meditation Retreat.Midsummer and the temps are hot… literally and figuratively. As a way to explore the feelings that come with rising temperatures, in today’s class I share two powerful poems:An Inn for the Coven by Gabrielle CalvocoressiThe Guest House by Rumi These poems speak of a place where we are safe. The Inn feels lush, abundant, filled with love and the possibility of beauty.The Guest House feels sturdy, spacious enough for all our feelings to reside without conflict.We hear of our loves, our hurts, and our divinity in these poems; all different and all the same and all inside. And so, this midsummer meditation is an invitation to explore the inn. To travel the grounds finding all the hidden trails.To open all the doors. It is an invitation to create or discover an internal experience of deep, nourishing safety, a place to nurture our love and hope. A place to rest well and to feel fully. Join me for today’s discussion and guided meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them athttps://www.nickcmcmahan.com/https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@ourmindfulnature

Today, as the final installment in our Edges series, I am joined by writer, poet, memoirist, teacher, yogi, activist, and mother - Nadia Colburn.Nadia has recently released her newest book of poetry, I Say the Sky - and y’all know how much I love exploring the intersection of poetry and mindfulness. As a start, I want to share one of the review blurbs about Nadia’s newest book because I feel that it so perfectly sums up her work:"From the opening poem and on through this glorious book, Nadia Colburn strikes the difficult balance between celebrating the splendor of the world we inhabit and acknowledging the grief and devastation that none of us can escape. As much a book of love songs as a book of elegies, I Say the Sky is a heart opening and mind sharpening collection."   ~Camille T. DungyI couldn’t agree more.In our conversation today, Nadia,who feels like an old friend, and I discuss:Writing from the bodyAgency in times of distressMeeting edge places in a state of opening rather than contractionWe talk of generative, supportive action and of course we explore mindful writing practices to support ourselves in times of change. Grab your journal and join us!Learn more about Nadia Colburn here: https://nadiacolburn.com/Lear more about Project Regeneration here: https://regeneration.org/ Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production support of this episode. https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Please sign up for my newsletter at merylarnett.substack.com to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast

As you have likely noticed in this month’s episodes, we have moved from the stars to the soil. We will spend the next several episodes exploring edges and ecotones - spaces rife with the very best type of tension. The tension that inspires growth, expansion and action. Today, I am talking with artist, edge-walker, and dear friend Perri Lynch Howard about her experiences in a variety of ecotonal landscapes.Perri is an artist dedicated to forging new narratives from the front lines of climate change. Working in the context of extreme environments is an essential aspect of Howard’s practice, driving her curiosity to seek a deeper sense of place, beyond the dichotomy of near and far. Her artwork resides within the emerging genre of New Polar Aesthetics, expressed through painting, drawing, sculpture and sound.In this episode, Perri shares three of her unique, ecotonal field recordings with us as a way to explore the edges both within and without. We will hear the sounds of Vashon Island, the Great Basin Desert, and Svalbard and throughout we discuss:Non-judgement Listening for the truth of the momentThe relational words we use when discussing the land and ourselvesReciprocal relationship in the time of climate crisisThe first rule of field recording AND meditating (!!)At the end, there is a guided meditation experience of the Vashon Island soundscape as an opportunity for you to explore your own relationship with edges. Thank you to the residencies and agencies that provided the time, space, and resources for Perri to record these incredible landscapes - The Arctic Circle Residency, PLAYA Artist Residency, Vashon Artist Residency, The Puffin Foundation, Artist Trust, and Quiet Parks International.Finally, deep gratitude to Nick McMahan for editing and the sound design of this episode, and to Brianna Nielsen for production support.Learn more about: Perri Lynch Howard: https://www.perrilynchhoward.com/Nick McMahan: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/Brianna Nielsen: https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Please sign up for my newsletter at merylarnett.substack.com to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast

Last week, we began a new meditation series devoted to exploring the edges - both in the natural world as well as our internal landscape - and today’s interview and meditation practice do exactly that. Marisela B. Gomez is a community activist, public health professional, and physician-scientist. She is a co-founder of Village of Love and Resistance in Baltimore Maryland, organizing for power, healing and the reclamation of land. And,she is a meditation and Buddhist teacher, and a student of the late Zen Master Thich Nhat Han.She recently co-authored a new book, Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy & Liberation.In today’s episode, Marisela and I talk about the edges and the intersections of contemplative practices, community care and social justice.We talk about the role of love in practice and actionthe misconceptions of self-carehow and why spiritual or contemplative practice is vital for the healing of the planet and all beings.At the end, Marisela guides a beautiful meditation inviting us to explore and soften around our internal edges. Join me!Learn more about Marisela and find her new book here: https://www.mariselabgomez.com/Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

Have you heard of an ecotone before?An ecotone is a transition area between two adjacent and different patches of landscape, such as forest and grassland.Ecotones do not simply represent a boundary or an edge; the concept of an ecotone assumes the existence of active interaction between two or more ecosystems with properties that do not exist in either of the adjacent ecosystems. An ecotone is a meeting place that creates something entirely distinct from either side of the boundary. In essence, 1 + 1 = 3.And this third space is what I want us to explore in this month’s meditation series.Edges, ecotones and third spaces are places of life, energy & growth; they are places of speciation - of creation and evolution.Third spaces are invitations into expansion - into knowing ourselves, our lands, and our actions in a way that wouldn’t be possible if we only resided on one side of the edge.Join me for today’s discussion of ecotones both within ourselves and in the outside world. Thank you to Gordon Hempton for the use of the incredible soundscape in today’s guided meditation. Recorded in North Carolina at Joyce Kilmer National Forest, the Cherokee were some of the first people to hear the sounds of this hardwood forest.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

*Today's episode is a replay of a fan-favorite episode, The Stagnation Layer part 3, from September 2022*We started this meditation series, Are You Stuck, with the connective idea that the human body is a microcosm of the universe; that we can view the universe as a mirror image of what goes on inside.And, we looked to the Voyager space expedition, in particular the experience of Voyager 1 in the Stagnation Layer of the cosmos, as a metaphor for how we might engage with moments of ‘stuckness’ or stagnation.Today, 45 years after its launch and 14.6 billion miles from Earth, Voyager 1 and 2 have now spent 10 years in interstellar space. Interestingly, Voyager 1 went through the Stagnation Layer, and Voyager 2 did not. Yet, 10 years later, these two spacecraft are in the same place, both doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and both wildly, improbably successful. I think there are 3 vital lessons for us within this statement - - Community is vitally important for our movement through Stagnation.- It is our engagement that makes these moments magical and rich rather than scary and confusing.- We don’t need to worry about what anyone else is doing or experiencing within their meditation practice. Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature as we explore these three lessons and how they enrich both our meditation practice and our lived experience. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

*Today's episode is a replay of a fan-favorite episode, The Stagnation Layer {part 2}, from September 2022*Part 1 of this meditation series introduced The Stagnation Layer of the cosmos and the periods of stagnation we experience both as individuals and as naturally occurring phenomena. Part of the description NASA shares for the Stagnation Layer says - There is a doubling in the intensity of the magnetic field in the stagnation region. Like cars piling up at a clogged freeway off-ramp, the increased intensity of the magnetic field shows that inward pressure from interstellar space is compacting it. Higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space.As a personal experience, when we stagnate we likely feel an increased pressure to DO something, to figure it out, or to move. And, all our creative mojo feels like it is draining away. We find ourselves both anxious to move and possibly frozen in place. This is a tricky combination.Luckily, in these moments, there are ancient and wise teachings that can be so helpful. Even if we know or think we know, it is helpful to hear of the wisdom that has come before. Of course, what isn’t helpful is buying ALL the books. Or listening to ALL the teachers. This is overwhelming, and very likely frustrating. Instead, I encourage you to look for what I call ‘Threads of Truth’ - I came up with this term to describe the overarching themes within meditation that continue to appear across time, lineage, and geography. The words might differ, but the underlying wisdom is clearly the same. And, it is these threads of truth that serve as a compass when we are lost in the Stagnation Layer.Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature as we unravel the Threads of Truth and share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

*Today's episode is a replay of a fan-favorite episode, The Stagnation Layer part 1, from September 2022*When you read poetry of the mystics, when you study ancient tantric & buddhist texts, not to mention so many indigenous cultures across the world, we learn of the universe as a metaphor for the internal experiences of consciousness.The macrocosm and the microcosm… As goes the outside, so goes the inside…And the more time I spend connecting my meditation practice with the natural world, the more I experience the wisdom of this truth, perhaps never more so than as I reflect on The Stagnation Layer.Devoted listeners won’t be surprised to hear me bring up the Voyager space expedition yet again - it is one of my favorite stories and something that continues to capture my fascination - In 1977 two spacecrafts were launched with the mission of leaving our solar system and exploring interstellar space. In 2012, Voyager 1 achieved this goal, but not before spending a year in the transitional realm of space deemed by scientists as “The Stagnation Layer”.Scientists write:“Data obtained from Voyager over the last year reveal this new region to be a kind of cosmic purgatory. In it, the wind of charged particles streaming out from our sun has calmed, our solar system's magnetic field is piled up, and higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space.”A cosmic purgatory?Have you ever felt you were stuck in a cosmic purgatory? Are you in one right now? Sometimes I think this feels like a dark void, like you are stuck in a doorway and can’t step through, or perhaps like a dense fog that you are lost inside. Lucky for us, the universe itself is providing the answer for what we do in stagnation, if we only remember to listen. Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature as we discover the Stagnation Layer and explore how we might move through. As always, there is a brief talk followed by a 20-minute guided meditation.Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

Last week’s episode (We Are Made of Star Stuff; An Interview with Dr. Kimberly Arcand) is a personal favorite of mine, and this week, I’m highlighting the meditation from that episode to make sure you have a chance to listen. The sonification of stars, black holes, galaxies and more invite a new way of knowing the cosmos. It is one thing to see a static image of the night sky and an entirely different experience when we hear that same data in an embodied way. Meditation is exactly the same - we think we know ourselves, but then we get still and quiet and learn to listen, and suddenly a whole new field of insight and awareness is made available to us.This meditation is an experience of mapping the cosmos of the body alongside 3 sonifications from NASA’s Chandra Xray Observatory - Perseus Black Hole, Milky Way Galactic Center, and Chandra Deep Field South. You will also hear a thread of ocean waves throughout to keep us grounded and centered, even as we journey through the cosmos.Thank you to NASA for the sounds and images in today’s episode, to Nick McMahan for the ocean wave field recording as well as the sound design and production of today’s episode, and to Brianna Nielsen for production support.Find them here: https://nickmcmahan.com/https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Learn more about Dr. Arcand and NASA’s sonification project here:https://chandra.si.edu/sound/https://plus.nasa.gov/video/listen-to-the-universe/https://www.kimarcand.comLastly, be sure to Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice.  Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

In 2020, experts at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Center began the first ongoing, sustained program to “sonify” astronomical data. The sonification project is led by my guest today, Dr. Kimberly Arcand (Chandra Visualization Scientist) along with her colleagues Dr. Matt Russo (astrophysicist/musician) and Andrew Santaguida (musician/sound engineer) at System Sounds.The sonification of stars, black holes, galaxies and more invite a new way of knowing the cosmos. It is one thing to see a static image of the night sky and an entirely different experience when we hear that same data in an embodied way. As we talk about the sonification of the cosmos, you will see that this is really another way of knowing or connecting to something that we think we know. Meditation is exactly the same - we think we know ourselves, but then we get still and quiet and learn to listen, and suddenly a whole new field of insight and awareness is made available to us.This interview was such a bucket list interview for me. Dr. Arcand - a fellow meditator - helps us to more fully grasp the words of Carl Sagan when he told us we were made of star stuff and the words of Kabir when he wrote that inside the body there are hundreds of millions of stars.Dr. Kimberly Arcand is the Visualization scientist & Emerging tech lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Arcand is an award-winning producer and director. She is a leading expert in studying the perception and comprehension of high-energy data visualization across the novice-expert spectrum. As a science data storyteller she combines her background in molecular biology and computer science with her current work in the fields of astronomy and physics.In this episode, Kim and I chat about:What a Science Data Storyteller does and how this relates to our work as meditatorsThe origin of the sonification project at NASAHow data is translated into embodied knowingBlack Holes as cosmic recycling centersWhat happens when a star explodes (hint: the same thing happens to us when we ‘explode’!!)Learning to hear what is unhearableAfter our conversation, I guide a really unique meditation that uses 3 sonifications from Kim and her team to help us map the cosmos inside our bodies. Join me for an exploration of the cosmos - both within and without.Learn more about Dr. Arcand and NASA’s sonification project here:https://chandra.si.edu/sound/https://plus.nasa.gov/video/listen-to-the-universe/https://www.kimarcand.comThank you to NASA for the sounds and images in today’s episode, to Nick McMahan for the ocean wave field recording as well as the sound design and production of today’s episode, and to Brianna Nielsen for production support.Find them here: https://nickmcmahan.com/https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Lastly, be sure to Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice.  Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

Sometimes the simplest practices are the most helpful. When lost, overwhelmed, sad or scared, I often find myself simply walking outside, lying down, and staring up at the sky. There's nothing specific to do, nothing specific to feel. It's simply a moment to watch the movement of the clouds or stars, and to remember that the earth is nothing more than a pale blue dot rotating in a vast galaxy of stars, planets, moons, and more. This practice connects us to something larger than ourselves and this one moment in time. What we experience through the cosmos surrounding us tells us about ourselves.A little perspective is always a good thing. Join me for today’s 10-minute meditation; it is perfect for a reset, a brain break, or a moment of calm on a hectic day.Sign up for my newsletter at to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature!“Back when humans lived in communal caves and tribal encampments, we told stories about the stars. When we started sailing, we used these same pinpricks of light to estimate our own location. When we began planting, we relied on the constellations and the Sun to plant and sustain crops. Yet today, most modern humans have lost this deep connection to the cosmos that was once central to our daily lives.” ~Sarah ScolesToday’s episode is a replay of a 2022 interview that is still one of my favorites and is a perfect fit for our astronomical focus this month. Enjoy it!I have devoted more episodes to the night sky and the cosmos surrounding us than any other singular topic, and today’s interview with science journalist and author Sarah Scoles perhaps best sums up why the skies above serve as such a powerful connection to our meditation practice and our deepest selves. Sarah, along with astronomy professor Chris De Pree, wrote a unique guidebook (and a perpetual guest on my nightstand) titled Astronomical Mindfulness.In today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature, Sarah and I talk about the power of the sun, moon, stars, and planets to offer engaging exercises that deepen your knowledge of the solar system, help you take necessary pauses every day, and foster a renewed sense of presence in the universe. The focus is on short, simple practices that immediately create a sense of connection and provide context for the hectic moments of our day-to-day lives.Whether you look up at the night sky or not, the skies above us are perhaps the most central, ubiquitous element of human storytelling and identity. Humanity has looked up for as long as we have ever found a record of. The earliest cave drawings and the earliest indentations carved into the earth were made in reference to the sky above. What we experience through the cosmos surrounding us tells us about ourselves.Join me for this exploration of the cosmos, mindfulness, and some new practices you can try tonight. At the end, I offer a 10-minute guided meditation inspired by this conversation.Sarah Scoles is a freelance journalist and contributing editor at WIRED. She is the author of Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers. Learn more about Sarah at: https://www.sarahscoles.com/ Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/#meditatewithmeryl

​​The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature!Today, we are kicking off a month of astronomical-inspired meditations and interviews in honor of next week’s total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the moon passes between the sun and Earth blocking the sun’s light. On April 8, 2024, 13 states will experience a total solar eclipse, for many others we will witness a partial solar eclipse.In honor of this, I am sharing a meditation I recorded a few years ago titled ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ (hehehe). While this meditation references a total lunar eclipse, the energy behind this meditation remains the same whether it is the sun or the moon having its light blocked.Do you feel this in your life sometimes? That something comes up creating a block in your energy, your attention or your ability to move forward? I think these might be the moments I am MOST grateful for my meditation practice. When we meditate, we develop an awareness of our habitual reactions to life and create the space for movement. We learn to pause just long enough to acknowledge what is blocking us, to let it move out of the way, and to once again feel illuminated. In this meditation, we listen to Rialto Beach at midnight. There are full, dynamic waves, and with each wave we feel the drifting pull of the ocean. The invitation to pause and then allow movement is clear here between the quiet of a wave landing on the beach and the crescendo of the wave retraction.Big thank you to sound artist and acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton for the use of today’s soundscape. I highly recommend headphones, if you have them available.The Quileute were some of the first people to hear the sounds of land shared in today’s meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/Thank you to Gordon Hempton for the use of today’s soundscape. Learn more about Gordon here: https://soundtracker.com/#meditatewithmeryl

The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature!How many episodes can I devote to birds, you ask? Well, I haven’t found a limit yet…!Today on Our Mindful Nature, we are talking about two of my favorite things - Oracle cards and Birds! Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez is joining us to introduce a new somatic oracle deck titled Birdsong. Dr. Chanti is a Cuban-American artist-author, ritualist, and non-clinical depth psychologist. She believes that images speak a profound language; her life’s work is a translator of the unseen and an advocate for the imaginal. She holds two master's degrees in Engaged Humanities and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. In 2023 she completed her doctoral dissertation Navegando Liminal: Rituals to Translate the Image of the Wound. Her work and teaching follows and welcomes imagination, creativity, dreaming, and deep rest.Within our conversation today, we explore:‣ Divination⁠‣ Somatic wisdom⁠‣ What happens when we tune into the body rather than the guide books⁠‣ Trusting the wisdom of our bodies⁠‣ Translating the wisdom of the natural world⁠‣ Dreams & the creative process⁠‣ Migration, landlessness, and the meaning of home⁠⁠At the end of today’s interview, Dr. Chanti guides a beautiful bird-meditation. So take a seat outside, make sure you have a bit of room to move, grab your journal, and join us!You can learn more about Birdsong & Dr. Chanti here: https://www.yantrawisdom.com/birdsong-2024And, you can listen to the first interview I did with Dr. Chanti on Dreams here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/26Jtx6aGnHoCmWYkLOE87T?si=7ORpTHYiRFeNhihI6oXM3ASign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcastThank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. #meditatewithmeryl

The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature!This is a special bonus episode of Our Mindful Nature. Last week, we kicked off the spring season with an exploration of migration, and the episode along with the guided meditation were filled with the sounds and images of migration as recorded by nature field recordist Nick McMahan. Today, I’m joined by Nick to give you a bit of our behind-the-scenes planning and brainstorming about the sounds of spring. Nick shares more about where each sound was recorded, why he selected these particular sounds, and what we hope you experience in this journey.At the end, we share an unguided listening experience devoted to the sounds of spring.Enjoy!Nick is a nature field recordist from Washington State. He has worked closely with acclaimed acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, Offspring Film, Audible Sleep Sound, and numerous independent collaborations. The Director of Quiet Trails for Quiet Parks International (QPI), Nick’s recording experience ranges internationally from extreme cold, tropical rainforests, mountains to deserts. Specializing in soundscape, ambiance, and unusual sound, leads Nick to become a better listener and observer of the world.Learn more about Nick here:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nickcmcmahanhttps://www.youtube.com/@nickmcmahanSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature!One of the markers of spring is the migratory movement of so many species towards their breeding grounds - salmon, Monarch butterflies, and so many different species of birds. In this special Spring Equinox episode, I want to delve into 3 specific migrations as reflection points for our own contemplative journey this spring.Within these 3 examples of migration, we will explore: TimeIn daily, seasonal and generational movementSpaceFrom surface to depth, from under water to the high reaches of skyAwarenessFrom inner to outer awareness, from individual to collective, from present moment understanding to ancestral knowingAnd what else? What are YOU experiencing in this migratory season? As spring awakens, as seeds are planted in the earth and in the heart, what journey or journeys are you aware of? What is stirring in your blood and calling you forward?Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature. You can expect a brief talk followed by a 10 minute guided meditation.Thank you to Nick McMahan for the incredible soundscapes and sound design in this episode, as well as the photography used in the YouTube version of this podcast. Learn more about Nick and his work at https://www.nickcmcmahan.com.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

Friends, you might have noticed something BIG today as you clicked ‘play’ on this episode…The Mindful Minute has a NEW name!!!After 8 years of sharing recordings of Monday night meditation class on this podcast; I felt it was time to shift, to level up, to adjust in response to the times we find ourselves in…As a meditation teacher, when I share what I do, I very often hear 1 of 2 comments:I want to meditate but I just don’t have enough timeI tried meditation once but I think too muchAnd so, this podcast was originally built on the premise of responding to those two statements. My goal was (and is) to offer accessible, enjoyable meditation practices with the reminder that you can meditate in 5 or 10 minutes just as effectively as you can in 20 - 30 minutes. But then, I started noticing a steady uptick in another response when I mention that I am a meditation teacher… This response goes something like - I DO meditate. I do my 10 minutes, and I am still struggling. I’m still anxious. Overwhelmed. Scared. Despairing. And, the truth is, my friends, me too. We are in times of massive change and upheaval, and that is going to require more than a 10-minute nervous system reset. It asks us to wake up. To be less afraid of the dark. To be more tender with ourselves and all beings in this universe. The work I hope to explore with you on this podcast moving forward is HOW? How do we do this? What makes us feel steady & well? What makes me feel resourced? I know without a shadow of doubt, from my own meditative experiences as well as through the teachings of many ancient wisdom holders, that embodying our connection to the natural world is perhaps the most important thing we can do for the wellbeing of humans, the planet and the more-than human that live here with us. Hence the new name of this podcast - Our Mindful Nature. It is a bit of a double entendre. Our Mindful Nature as in our inner nature, our own mindfulness, but also it references the wisdom of the natural world that surrounds and supports us. And so, most of our meditation practices moving forward will be nature-based. And, we will be curious about other mindful practices that support this sense of well-being.In the words of Shefa Gold - Can I open to trust the wilderness,the unknown, the Mystery that risesin response to my loving, curious longing?Join me for today’s talk and 10-minute guided meditation practice.Special thank you to Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez for the wisdom and insight regarding the vast spectrum of practices that make up our well-being. You can learn more about Dr. Chanti and her work here:https://www.yantrawisdom.com/https://drchanti.substack.com/Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

Why is a meditation podcast chatting with a cookbook author, you ask? It’s a great question. I have been paying a lot of attention to the practices in my day that support my well-being the most because I continue to hear from listeners (and experience myself) that we are doing our meditation practices and yet, we are still struggling. We still feel stress, anxiety or fear. And so, while this podcast will always honor meditation first and foremost, I want to also honor the other pieces that support our well-being. I was reminded recently that every culture:EatsSingsDancesCreates artTells stories about the starsIt is reconnecting with these inherent, innate pieces of us that create a sense of connection, belonging and well-being. So, we will start in the kitchen.Deborah Johnson is a home cook and author of the new cookbook, On Rising: Recipes and Rituals for Joyful Mornings. This gorgeous cookbook is an ode to mindful, joyful moments in the kitchen. It is an invitation to turn our daily meals into an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the everyday and to reconnect with the sacred. In this conversation, we talk about:05:02 The Role of Cooking in Mindfulness and Wellbeing08:19 The Art of Presence in the Kitchen08:38 Deborah's Journey to Cookbook Authorship10:42 The Power of Presence and Connection in Cooking16:06 Reimagining the Kitchen as a Place of Joy29:51 The Healing Power of Storytelling Through Cooking54:25 A Mindful Eating MeditationAnd at the end, Deborah guides a mindful eating practice - so grab a snack, a cup of tea and join us at the table for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. You can learn more about Deborah and check out her cookbook here:Website: www.deborahesjohnson.comInstagram: @deborahesjohnsonYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgHXyshzEKdTroNShdTwDKwAnd, for my Georgia listeners, I promised to share a link to the CSA I reference in today’s episode. You can find it here: https://freshharvest.com/ Thank you to Ashleigh Amoroso for the use of her gorgeous photos from Deborah’s cookbook.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

In today’s meditation practice, we listen to the sounds of melting snow. Now, I don’t know about you, but it never really occurred to me that melting snow makes a sound. It does. It produces a smooth, slow gurgle. No drips, just a near constant murmur that reminds us that change is happening in every moment. The daffodils are pushing up, the hyacinth will bloom soon. The literal and metaphorical arrival of spring is imminent. It is time to think about what will plant during this ripe time.Huge thank you to Gordon Hempton, sound artist and acoustic ecologist, for the use of this soundscapes. You can learn more about Gordon and his work at ​​https://soundtracker.com/. This meditation was originally written and recorded for Roots meditation app. While not currently available, we are working to make this app available again in the near future.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

This month, we have explored the season of winter as a way into our meditation practice. We have looked at winter in our external landscapes, as well as our internal landscapes. We've listened to the sounds of winter, we've talked about wolves and our animal nature, and today, we're going to dive a little bit more into the creativity of winter.I was deeply inspired by a recent essay written and illustrated by Candace Rardon titled, ‘Like A Garden in Winter’. Candace is an author, illustrator, visual storyteller, and creator of Dandelion Seeds (one of my favorite publications on Substack). She is also the creator of many of the sleep stories you might have listened to on Calm.Together, Candace and I chat about what it means to bloom in winter, the season of hibernation. We talk about finding inspiration and meditative moments in the world around us; the art of visual storytelling, what makes a good sleep story and so much more. This conversation was such a joy to record; I hope you find as much inspiration in it as I have.At the end of today’s interview, Candace offers us a mindful reflection and journaling prompt born of the beauty of Snowdrops. So grab your notebook, a cozy seat, and join us!In this episode:01:10 Exploring the Creativity of Winter03:12 The Art of Visual Storytelling03:49 The Journey of Moving Continents05:28 The Power of Collaboration in Creativity14:44 The Evolution of 'Like a Garden in Winter'23:42 Finding Strength in Winter: A Metaphor for Life24:35 Journey into Mindfulness through Travel and Art27:09 The Role of Creativity in Mindfulness30:35 The Magic of Sleep Stories41:05 Lessons from Winter Blooms44:26 The Joy of Spring: A New ChapterLearn more about Candace Rardon and her work here: https://www.candaceroserardon.com/https://dandelionseeds.substack.com/Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s meditation practice is one that evokes the emotions of winter, wolves, and a deep connection to our wild selves. It is called Call of the Wolf… and it isn’t for the faint of heart.This practice is an invitation. It is an unearthing of your wild, instinctive nature. Not wild as in exuberant or loud; but wild as in the self that is born of and inextricably connected to the natural world . It is allowing us to fine-tune our inner listening and our relationship to our own wise intuition.Wolves are known for their keen senses, their playful spirits and their deep devotion and loyalty to their packs and their mates. When our own wildness, our natural state, is healthy, we too are relational creatures with a wise intuition, playful hearts and deep devotion to the health and wellness of our communities.As we settle into our practice, you will hear a pack of wolves howling at the moon, and in this episode, we talk about the importance of howling, of being in touch with our emotional selves, and freeing up what we so-often lock down. Huge thank you to Gordon Hempton, sound artist and acoustic ecologist, for the use of these soundscapes. The wolves were recorded at Wolf Haven in Washington. You can learn more about Gordon and his work at ​​https://soundtracker.com/. This meditation was originally written and recorded for Roots meditation app. While not currently available, we are working to make this app available again in the near future.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s episode is a special meditation-only episode, just for your practice! In this 10-minute meditation, we go on a journey through the winter woods. First, through a snowy pine forest with the wind washing over us, clearing away any lingering tension or worry. Then, we find ourselves atop a frozen lake. Don’t worry - it is steady and safe; so we sit in the middle of this frozen lake and we listen as it expands. Then the scene changes, dream-like, and we find ourselves settled in front of a campfire. The wind is faint; the campfire is warm, and again, we listen to the sounds of transformation and expansion. Perhaps you even ask yourself, “how am I transforming this season?”These soundscapes and images (if you are watching on YouTube) are from Nick McMahan. Nick is a nature field recordist from Washington State. He has worked closely with acclaimed acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, Offspring Film, Audible Sleep Sound, and numerous independent collaborations. The Director of Quiet Trails for Quiet Parks International (QPI), Nick’s recording experience ranges internationally from extreme cold, tropical rainforests, mountains to deserts. Specializing in soundscape, ambiance, and unusual sound, leads Nick to become a better listener and observer of the world.You can find Nick and his work here:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nickcmcmahanhttps://www.youtube.com/@nickmcmahanSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

Walking through the woods is perhaps my favorite activity of all, and there is no better experience (in my opinion) than walking through the woods in winter. The space. The silence. The biting cold. All of it crackles with a kind of energy, a nudge towards contemplation and reflection.Yet, in a recent conversation, I was reminded that winter can be very, very different depending on where you live. So, today, in the first of what I hope is many collaborative episodes, I am sharing a conversation with nature field recordist Nick McMahan about the varied experiences of winter.Nick is a nature field recordist from Washington State. He has worked closely with acclaimed acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, Offspring Film, Audible Sleep Sound, and numerous independent collaborations. The Director of Quiet Trails for Quiet Parks International (QPI), Nick’s recording experience ranges internationally from extreme cold, tropical rainforests, mountains to deserts. Specializing in soundscape, ambiance, and unusual sound, leads Nick to become a better listener and observer of the world.Together, we walk through the winter woods discussingThe transformative effects of windLying on a frozen lake at night listening to owls hoot in the backgroundCozying up to a campfire under the winter night skyExpansion, contraction, fracturing, and growingThe power of taking in the whole rather than breaking everything up into piecesAt the end, we listen to a full journey through the woods inviting you to reflect on your own experience of winter and how that is reflected within your internal landscape. Learn more about Nick and listen to his recordings here:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nickcmcmahanhttps://www.youtube.com/@nickmcmahanBe sure to Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.instagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmeryl

While on my winter sabbatical at the end of 2023, I had the profound privilege of reading Jacqueline Suskin’s newest book, A Year in Practice; Seasonal Rituals & Prompts to Awaken Cycles of Creative Expression, and subsequently chatting with her. I’m delighted to share this conversation with you today as a spark of inspiration, a nudge to burrow in, and an invitation to connect fully with the season of winter.My favorite area of exploration is the intersection of contemplative practices, nature and creativity. Jacqueline explores this intersection in depth as a poet and educator who has been teaching workshops, writing books, hosting retreats, and creating spontaneous poetry around the world since 2009.  In this conversation, we chat about 06:12 The Impact of Seasons on Practice10:56 The Cycle of Forgetfulness13:33 The Influence of Seasons on Creative Expression19:26 The Practice of Rest in Winter28:20 Creating a Retreat at Home33:33 The Role of Dreams in Creativity39:32 The Power of Journal Review50:32 Winter Reflections and PracticesListeners, that journal review process was a revelation (imagine a mind blown emoji here!) and I plan on embarking on this process immediately! At the end of the conversation, Jacqueline shares a winter prompt inspired by the lesson of nature and how it might serve as a mirror for us. Don’t miss it.You can learn more about Jacqueline and order her new book via her website: jacquelinesuskin.com.Sign up for my newsletter at merylarnett.substack.com  to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute is the second installment of a 2-part series dedicated to the emotion of awe.In this conversation, Jake Eagle, co-author of 'The Power of Awe', and I discuss the concept of 'awe' and its significance in handling existential anxiety and conquering stress. What I love about listening to these two discussions on awe is that you hear from someone who loves meditation and is ‘good’ at it {Dr. Michael Amster} and you hear from someone who loves meditation but struggles with it {Jake Eagle}. Together, I think we get a well-rounded look at the benefits in incorporating the A.W.E micro-mindfulness practice regardless of whether you also do a full sit-down meditation or not. Jake details the A.W.E. practice and he also guides a powerful meditation he developed to shift through different levels of consciousness (Safety, Heart, and Spacious consciousness). He explains how making these shifts several times a day can reset our nervous system, creating significant positive impacts. Jake was a licensed mental health counselor for the past twenty-seven years, and now practices as a meta-therapist, exploring what comes after therapy. Although Jake recognizes the value of therapy, he also recognizes the limitations, and has developed a method that accelerates and simplifies the process of personal growth. Individuals and couples can experience his work in live sessions or via a digital-platform.Jake is the author of Get Weird, Make the Most of Your Life, and co-founder of liveconscious.com, a community of people practicing skills for living and loving more consciously.In this episode, you can expect:00:05 Introduction and Welcome01:08 The Power of Awe: A Discussion with Jake Eagle01:55 Understanding the Emotion of Awe and Its Impact02:50 The Practice of Awe: A Guided Meditation07:19 The Concept of Micro-Dosing Mindfulness16:09 Different Types of Awe29:58 Understanding Consciousness and its Appropriate Use33:05 The Power of Meditation and Consciousness35:38 Existential Anxiety and its Connection to Consciousness42:01 Guided Meditation: the Practice of Shifting Levels of ConsciousnessLearn more about Jake Eagle here: https://liveconscious.com/ and https://thepowerofawe.com/ Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

Today, we are beginning a two part series with the co-authors of a powerful new book that I am so excited to share with you guys today.In this episode of The Mindful Minute, I talk with Dr. Michael Amster about the power of awe and an incredible micro mindfulness practice that you can do in 30 seconds. I'm not kidding. 30 seconds. And speaking from my own experience with this practice, it will absolutely invigorate your meditation practice and benefit your days.Michael is a San Francisco Bay Area-based physician and faculty member at Touro School of Medicine. As a pain management specialist, Michael is keenly aware of the integration of mind, body, and spirit and the effects of physical and psychospiritual pain on health and well-being.Michael is a student of meditation for over 30 years, as well as a certified yoga teacher and meditation teacher trained at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.Here is what you can expect in today’s episode: 00:05 Introduction and Welcome07:59 Interview with Dr. Michael Amster09:29 The Power of Awe: A New Approach to Mindfulness13:22 The AWE Method Explained18:42 The Impact of Awe on Emotional State21:22 Practical Application of the AWE Method25:47 Introduction to the Concept of Attention26:43 Sharing Personal Experiences with the Practice29:53 The Power of Sharing Awe with Others30:18 Incorporating Awe into Daily Life31:09 The Conceptual Aspect of Awe32:24 Incorporating the Awe Practice into Daily Routine35:10 The Benefits of the Awe Practice41:45 The Power of Awe: Book and Other Resources43:24 Closing Thoughts and ReflectionsYou can learn more about Dr. Amster and his new book, The Power of Awe here: https://thepowerofawe.com/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

Hello Dear Listeners! How I have missed you over the last several weeks; I am so excited to share in another year of meditative exploration with you. There are lots of updates and exciting stories to share with you, but, for today, let us linger in the New Year transition.In this mini episode of The Mindful Minute, I talk about the shift into the new year and the idea of having expectations in January. Despite my own excitement for the upcoming year and new projects I plan to share on the podcast, I want to encourage us all to embrace winter as a season of rest, nurturance, and reflection. Let’s explore harvesting your internal fire or energy during winter, allowing it to nourish ideas and projects for the months to come. In this episode, you can expect:01:03 Introduction and New Year Reflections02:28 Understanding the Winter Season04:32 The Concept of Harvesting the Fire06:13 The Symbolism of Fire in Jewish Lore08:50 Invitation to Meditate10:49 Guided Meditation: Connecting with the Internal Flame18:34 Concluding Remarks and FarewellThis episode is written and recorded without the use of AI content creation. If you catch a mistake, I hope it makes you smile knowing a real person is behind each of these stories, ideas and guided meditations. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

**This class will be the last podcast episode of 2023 for The Mindful Minute. I’ll be taking a break over the winter months to rest, to practice, to study, and feel through what 2024 will ask of all of us as meditation practitioners. I’ll be back in early 2024 with a new year of meditation classes tied to the natural world and centered on well-being for the Earth, humans, and the more-than-humans that make up this universe. I look forward to practicing with you again soon. I have been teaching Monday Night Meditation for 8 years, and airing it on The Mindful Minute podcast for 7 years. It has been my greatest joy to share my own meditative journey and to witness yours as we have practiced together. My own practice has evolved profoundly in the 13 years I have been sitting on a meditation cushion. I began as a Tantric practitioner, settled into Mindfulness for years, and returned to Tantric traditions as my own awareness continues to awaken. For the last several years, I have been deeply devoted to exploring our connection to the natural world, as taught in Tantric traditions, as a connection to our deepest Selves. There is something that happens when we fully embrace our connections to the land that we live, walk, and breathe upon - it allows us to tap into our own inner indigeneity. That rootedness that was here before all else. And, I feel called to further my exploration and deepen my teaching on nature-based meditation - as a response to climate crisis, eco-grief and eco-anxiety certainly. But even more so, as a response to the call to be more ourselves, to be more awake, engaged, and purposeful in how we live and move through the world today. Ancient wisdom traditions teach us that the body is a universe.Carl Sagan once told us that we are “made of star-stuff”. Modern science proves that mindfully connecting to nature has a huge impact on our well-being - boosting immunity, reducing anxiety & enhancing creativity. Yet, weaving together our contemplative practices with the natural world offers us so much more than a quick health fix.Nature-based meditation anchors us in a larger, more ancient story. It invites us to understand ourselves on a deeper level, and offers a tantalizing invitation into the spiritual side of a meditation practice. Nature serves as mirror, storyteller, and space holder.This class will be the last podcast episode of 2023 for The Mindful Minute. I’ll be taking a break over the winter months to rest, to practice, to study, and feel through what 2024 will ask of all of us as meditation practitioners. I’ll be back in early 2024 with a new year of meditation classes tied to the natural world and centered on well-being for the Earth, humans, and the more-than-humans that make up this universe. I look forward to practicing with you again soon. If you have questions or comments, don’t forget you can always reach out via merylarnett.com.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

What does witchcraft have to do with meditation? SO much more than you might have originally thought, dear listeners. Which is why I am so excited to share a conversation with Jamie Della today.Jamie Della is a witch, an ordained Priestess, and the author of ten books, including her newest book, A Box of Magick, as well as The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft and The Wicca Cookbook. She has a writer’s spirit and a faery soul, and she loves to teach, create, throw pottery, and get out in nature.Jamie shares that her new book A Box of Magick is an invitation to a magickal life with herbs, rituals, and spells--through the guidance of two priestesses, one here on Earth and one from beyond the veil…Jamie and I talk about the origin story of this book, and we spend a lot of time unpacking the witch archetype in this episode. We also talk about:Elemental magicDivination and synchronicitiesAncestorsEarth-based spirituality …and so much more. I share a bit about my own resonance with the title witch, and I’ll be curious to hear - do you feel a correspondence between your meditation practice and witchcraft after listening to this episode?  Jamie’s new book A Box of Magick is out now and it is a perfect read for the season! Learn more about Jamie here: https://jamiedella.com/PS. Listeners, we recorded this interview right in the middle of mercury retrograde and we have some technical difficulties at the end. If it sounds a little glitchy, well it's the universe’s fault ;-) Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

To allow an emotion to be simply means to let the feelings come and go without needing to DO anything about them. Simple to understand; much much more difficult to put into practice. In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we use myth as a pathway to understanding the practice of allowance. Rather than trapping an emotion - giving it a label, a meaning, and box to live in - what if we track the experience? What happens if we stay open to sensation and story? To image and insight? In the last installment of our Big Emotions series, we put together the practice of Soften, Soothe, Allow so that we are able to rest into the experience of attending & befriending our emotions.Join me for a short talk and 20-minute guided meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

Oh friends, I am sure, like mine, your heart is broken over the horrors we are witnessing between Israel and Palestine, as well as the hate crimes we are seeing in response to this crisis.In a moment of pure serendipity, I had an interview that was scheduled months ago with poet James Crews to chat about his new book, The Wonder of Small Things; Poems of Peace & Renewal. I originally planned to air this conversation as a Winter Solstice offering, but his book feels like the perfect balm for the pain of this moment. So, I am releasing this episode as quickly as possible in hopes that it offers you a tiny salve for your heart, a spark of okay-ness, as you continue to engage and bear witness to what is happening in the world. James Crews is the editor of several bestselling anthologies, including The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, which has over 100,000 copies in print. He is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry—The Book of What Stays, Telling My Father, Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment—and a book of short essays, Kindness Will Save the World: Stories of Compassion and Connection. James also speaks and leads workshops on kindness, mindfulness, and writing for self-compassion. He lives with his husband on forty rocky acres in the woods of Southern Vermont.You can hear more about James and the connection between poetry and meditation in our first interview which aired in 2022. Listen Here: https://www.merylarnett.com/podcast/path-to-kindness?rq=CrewsYou can learn more about James, buy his new book {highly recommend!}, and subscribe to his Weekly Pause newsletter here: https://www.jamescrews.net/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

*While this series was recorded several months ago, it continues to feel incredibly timely as we bear witness to the horrors unfolding in Israel and Palestine, as well as the hate crimes happening in response to this crisis.May we stay steady, may we stay awake, may we soothe our hearts so that we can continue to engage. A Lifeboat in Turbulent Times:When emotion overwhelms our system, it is called 'flooding', and in today’s episode, we are going to learn to build our lifeboat. We will explore soothing techniques to support the overwhelming emotions of the moment.Last week, we talked about softening the body - this is a form of physical compassion. ⁠⁠Today, we explore soothing, an emotional compassion, which allows us to tolerate big emotions and perhaps move towards allowance.Join me for today’s talk and 20-minute guided meditation practice - an experience of soothing.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with emotion and empathy expert, Karla McLaren, about her new book, The Language of Emotions. In it, she shares a powerful definition of emotion from sociologist Dr. Arlie Hochschild“Emotion, I suggest, is a biologically given sense, and our most important one. Like other senses - hearing, touch, and smell - it is a means by which we know our relation to the world, and is therefore crucial to the survival of human beings in group life. Emotion is unique among the senses, however, because it is related not only to an orientation toward action, but also to an orientation toward cognition.”What changes when you think of your emotions as a ‘sense’ rather than as a problem to be fixed? In the same way that we use our eyes, ears and fingers to take in information, we use our emotions to do the same. In order to fully access this sense, this tool of cognition, we must learn to soften in the presence of big emotion. For most of us, our innate response is to contract; to pull away from any emotion that feels too big, too loud, painful, messy or ugly - but the wisdom lies in softening. In this episode of The Mindful Minute, we talk about Big emotions and the feeling of trying to contain it rather than let it flowEmotions and the element of waterSoftening the edges of the bodyOtter dreams and walking through the gift shop with kids ;-) At the end, we practice softening the edges with a 20-minute guided meditation. Join me! Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

I have noticed the prevalence of two difficult emotions both in my own life as well as in my conversations with others - grief & anxiety. Difficult emotions to be sure. Over the next four episodes, I want to explore working with difficult emotions in our meditation practice. It can appear, at least on the surface, that there is no place for big emotion within our meditation practice - as if, somehow, meditation precludes us from experiencing heartbreak, fear or anger. This couldn’t be further from the truth. What meditation offers us isn’t exemption from emotion but rather comfort and trust in the wisdom of our emotions. Almost always amidst big emotion we are having a dual experience. We are Experiencing our feelings in the moment. Experiencing the thoughts, stories and beliefs we are having about our feelings.One is real; the other is very often untrue. Can you guess which? Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we talk aboutWhat is real and what is untrueThe forethought of griefWhy there is always a place for your emotions, no matter how big, in meditationAt the end, as always, we will share in a 20-minute guided meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

"What if your discomfort was a portal to a rebirth, a remembering, an attunement to your true Self?"   - Tracee StanleyTracee Stanley is the founder of Empowered Life Circle, a sacred community and portal of practices, rituals, and Tantric teachings inspired by more than 20 years of study in Sri Vidya Tantra and the teachings of the Himalayan Masters. As a post-lineage teacher, Tracee is devoted to sharing the wisdom of yoga nidra, rest, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence. Tracee is gifted in illuminating the magic and power found in liminal space and weaving devotion and practice into daily life. Today, Tracee joins The Mindful Minute to talk about her new book, The Luminous Self, and share some of the profound practices included within.The Luminous Self  is a book that answers the questions on how to inquire into our suffering and past conditioning, empowering ourselves to turn towards truth and power. It begins with the essential question : Who am I? This new book offers practices, rituals, yoga nidra, and self-inquiry to reveal inner wisdom, and inspire us to rest in a place of remembered wholeness and wellness. Tracee shares the practices that have been most potent and transformative in her life, and gives suggestions for how to offer these practices in community.In this conversation, we talk about so many incredible practices, ideas and insights. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. You can save 30% on all pre-orders of The Luminous Self when you preorder at Shambhala.com with the code LUM30Learn more about Tracee by visiting traceestanley.comSign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

In this series, I named three things that regularly inspire awe for me -BirdsBooksMeditationAll 3 regularly stop me in my tracks, and they make my jaw drop. They make me smile, wonder, and listen. They weave their way into my conversations and my dreams. In short, they inspire awe within me. “Awe experiences are what psychologists call self-transcendent: they shift our attention away from ourselves, make us feel like we are part of something greater than ourselves, change our perception of time, and even make us more generous toward others.” - templeton.orgDacher Keltner - one of the foremost awe researchers - has written about taking ‘awe-walks’. Nature is an easy place to find awe, and he encourages us to go out with the intention of seeking awe. I’ve found that the more I do this, the more easily I experience it. We can also do this in our meditation practice. We can go on an awe-walk through our minds and our hearts. We sit with the intention of being awed by our own minds, or our own internal knowing. We sit with the intention of meandering through the caverns of our mind and the lake of our heart. We don’t rush, we don’t brush things off, or ignore them. We taste. We savor. We experience. There is a reason that all the Sages spoke of our inner being as a universe - one with mountains and lakes, rivers and valleys - it is because they could see that the awe we experience out in the world is the SAME experience we can have within ourselves.Now it is our turn. Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

I adore a good book, and I’ve noticed that often I feel a sense of energy or connection between what I’m reading and my meditation practice. Sometimes it inspires a question, a curiosity or even just a feeling.It isn’t something that can easily be named or explained, which is exactly what this series is about… The unknown, the mystery, the awe of an experience. In meditation, often we want to discuss what happens. We try to explain. But so often it feels incomplete, doesn’t it? You can’t capture the depth, the richness, the aliveness through a word that is in itself limiting.Our practice, like ourselves, is boundless. Limits are useless here. And often so is language.Books have their place. They point us to something.But experience is the only path forward… The only knowing. In this class, we explore books, language, signs and symbols as a way to relate to our practice and to accept its ambiguity. Join me for a brief discussion and 20-minute guided meditation. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

This year, I have fallen in love with birds. I know, I know - it's an odd entry to a meditation class, but stay with me - We added a few bird feeders and a bird bath to our backyard garden at the start of the year, and the bird population has absolutely exploded. And, since I sit outside to meditate everyday, I have a front row seat to the show.At first, I found the constant birdsong a distraction to my practice, but I QUICKLY found that it became a soundtrack of upliftment and positive feelings. It is only natural then that I began to ask.. Why? Here is where it gets interesting - much like with any aspect of nature, while science can show that it DOES have a positive impact on physical and emotional health, it struggles to show WHY…And so I started to ask myself, could the feeling alone be enough?Could my own internal experience be enough?This appreciation of birds - would it change if I could identify every bird I see? Do I need to know in order to appreciate it? We are so cultured by technology to pull out a phone and identify, to Google, to search, to name the thing. When in fact, I believe our meditation practice is inviting us to step away from that pressing need to know and master everything we encounter.We aren’t here to know nature.We are nature. We are here to experience it.Join me for today’s short talk and guided meditation practice dedicated to the unknown, the ambiguous, and the uncertain.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

What if emotions weren't a problem? What if you didn’t need to fix or change your emotions? What if they were actually not only helpful but vital to our survival? Today, I am delighted to share a conversation with author and researcher Karla McLaren. M.Ed. Karla is an emotions and empathy expert, and she's recently revised and updated one of her books, The Language of Emotions. In this conversation, Karla and I talk aboutEmotions as a sense rather than a problemAnxiety, panic and how to work with themBoundariesThe danger of spiritual bypassing in yoga & meditation communitiesWhy judgment isn’t a bad thingChildren and big emotions4 keys to emotional geniusThis conversation is rich with helpful tools for embodying and embracing our emotional life. Be sure to listen all the way to the end - Karla shares a practice that is simple and powerfully effective for identifying and establishing boundaries and space. You can learn more about Karla at https://karlamclaren.com/ and https://empathyacademy.org/ And here is the free emotion chart for kids that Karla mentions: https://karlamclaren.com/free-emotions-charts-for-kids/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

It is an unbelievably beautiful gift to be alive and awake. The world will break our hearts both through its cruelty and its beauty. Our job is not to fix that paradox, but to learn how to live within it with resiliency and reciprocity.We grieve, we give thanks, and we act in some personal way in response to the gift of being alive.This last class in the Resilience & Reciprocity series will ask us to shift from an independent to an intra-dependent point of view of ourselves, others, and the natural world. All 3 ask for our grief, our gratitude and our reciprocal action. And, all 3 are uplifted and clarified through our meditation practice. Emergence Labs writes of intra-dependency - Intra-dependency on the other hand signifies how something is the outcome of another thing. One thing is “of” another. {...} The ‘whole’ is making us (even as we can identify ourselves as separate).The whole is making us. We cannot meditate solely for our own betterment. We cannot meditate solely for others. Or for the natural world. Because, as much as we view these as separate realms, they are threads of a whole.So, our meditation practice isn’t only for sacred halls and silent incense-filled air. It is also for dogs barking and children crying and the many experiences that make up a life.  In short, meditation practice is for you.Join me for today’s discussion on the Self, intra-dependency, and a 20-minute guided meditation.  Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

Do you know the refrain in Amazing Grace?Amazing grace how sweet the soundThat saved a wretch like meI once was lost, but now I'm foundWas blind but now I seeThis refrain has been running through my head as I created this month’s meditation series - “but now I see.”Last week, we talked about really ‘seeing’ the earth, and today, we will talk about really ‘seeing’ others, people that are different from ourselves in some way. One of the premises in this series is that comfort equals loneliness. If everyone around me looks like me and thinks like me, well that might feel pretty easy at first. I don’t have to stretch too hard to make anyone feel included. I don’t have to worry that my needs will be overlooked. I don’t have to risk discomfort in conversation, in activity, in food, in anything… But, the more I close off to anyone different, the scarier it is “out there”; the smaller my world becomes “in here”; and suddenly, I am very, very alone. So, let’s remove the blinders as a pathway to healing and wholeness. Let’s explore how meditation strengthens our capacity to see others, to see ourselves, and to see a path forward that is rich in connection and reciprocity. Join me.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

In this mindfulness series, we are exploring resilience & reciprocity as skills we build when we bring mindfulness to our relationships with the earth, with others, and with ourselves. In today’s class, we bring the lens of mindfulness to our fractured relationship with nature. Diagnosis like plant blindness and nature deficit disorder, not to mention climate crisis, highlight how removed we are from nature. At the same time, there are writers, poets, artists, and scientists all screaming for us to go outside, to remember ourselves in nature. Yet, for the most part, we don’t.We don’t go outside because we are busy, because we don’t know where to go, or because we don’t like being hot, or cold, or the bugs. We don’t go outside because our culture has taught us to value comfort over all else. We don’t go outside because we might be uncomfortable.In the Apache language, the root of the word for land is the same root as the word for mind… an interesting parallel, isn’t it?We don’t like to be uncomfortable - with our thoughts or with the weather. However, what we see over and over again through lived experience is that discomfort allows us to tap into and appreciate joy so much more than staying sheltered, closed off, and “comfortable”.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we revive our connection to nature through resilience and reciprocity.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Hello dear ones. Today, we step into a new series that stems from some of my recent reading. Every spring, I re-read "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and I also just read a new book from the Foxfire organization titled "The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Women".While these books are about different peoples, different times, and different landscapes, I see so many threads of similarity carried between the narratives - Threads of hardship, hard work & happiness. Threads of lack and abundance.Threads of fear and grief for a changing landscape.In this new meditation series, I want to follow a few of these threads through our lived experiences, and the ways they show up and can be worked with on the meditation cushion.If I had to choose one word synopses for these two books, I would choose:Resilience & ReciprocitySo, we will begin our series here. Join me as we journey through the plant world, the peopled world, and the inner world of the Self. We will talk, we will meditate, and we will connect. Don’t miss it!Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Are you a Sage? A Huntress? A Lover? A Queen?The answer is yes to all of the above, and author Mara Branscombe joins us in today’s episode to explain why with her new book: Sage, Huntress, Lover, Queen.Mara Branscombe is a mother, writer, yogi, artist, teacher, mindfulness leader, ceremonialist and spiritual coach. Mara is passionate about weaving the art of mindfulness, self-care, creativity, mind–body practices, and earth-based rituals into her life and work, and she has been leading community ceremony since 2000.This is her second visit to The Mindful Minute, and this conversation does not disappoint! Mara and I chat about:Archetypes: what they are and why they matterThe light and the shadow of our inner experienceThe creative process and the wisdom hidden in creative actsSimple sacred practices to embody each of these archetypesThe archetypes we are resonating with most right nowAnd, Mara shares a short visioning practice to embody our inner Huntress, embracing authenticity and activating creativity. You can learn more about Mara and buy her new book here: https://www.femininearchetypesbook.com/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation class was recorded in the aftermath of a mass shooting in my hometown of Atlanta, GA and after a day of supporting a friend through a mental health crisis.I like to think of meditation as a lifestyle; when we treat this practice as a rich and full aspect of daily lives it quickly begins to offer the benefits that are so lauded when one reads about the practice of meditation. However, there are also times when meditation can serve as a band-aid. It can be an SOS practice that immediately helps to calm your nervous system and to settle you back into your body after a stressful situation. In this class, we explore three quick and simple practices that you can do when you are feeling high levels of stress, fear and anxiety. Each of these practices can be done on their own in less than 30-seconds, and each practice has measurable, positive impacts on your nervous system. Join me for today’s talk and 15-minute guided meditation practice on The Mindful Minute podcast. As always, this class assumes that you are currently safe and have all your basic needs met. If you are experiencing extended periods of duress, please consult a mental health professional to support your wellness. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Let me tell you a little secret… I dislike the word manifestation so much. It isn’t because I don’t believe that manifestation is possible, but it is because I find far too often it is over simplified and used as an easy excuse to side-step doing deep work. So, when I met Sara Rae Hoaglund and heard her talk about the contradictions, the work and the mindfulness that is required for manifestation, I knew she was the person to bring this discussion to The Mindful Minute.In this episode, Sara Rae and I chat about:What manifestation is and is notWorking with your energetic blueprintShadow workThe law of attraction, the law of detachment, and the hidden contradiction thereinHow mindfulness and manifestation support each otherThe difference between goal-setting and manifestationWhat happens when you work with a manifestation coachAt the end, Sara Rae guides a short cleansing ritual that you can use as often as you need while setting your own manifestation intentions. Learn more about Sara Rae, her work and her podcast by visiting: https://www.spirituallyinspired.co/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett         #meditatewithmeryl

Whew y’all. Are you ready to go deep today? Like really deep? Because today, we are jumping into the deep end with Buddhist meditation teacher Andrew Holecek. Andrew is a teacher and author on meditation, lucid dreaming, non-dualism, and preparingto die from a buddhist perspective. And today we are talking about his new book, Reverse Meditation, how to use your pain and most difficult emotions as the doorway to inner freedom. This is a rich conversation, particularly for those of you wanting to go deeper in your meditation practice. Andrew talks us through 3 stages of meditation practice and expounds on the how and the why of working with our discomfort, uncertainty, and pain. Andrew also answers a profound question that comes up so often: Meditation practitioners frequently comment that they feel MORE. They feel their own feelings and the feelings of the world so much more. And the inevitable next question is, “but what do I do with all these feelings?! How do I handle feeling so much more?”Well, friends, Andrew is about to answer that question for us. So, without further ado, let’s jump into today’s conversation on The Mindful Minute podcast. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett         #meditatewithmeryl

I have wanted to bring this conversation to The Mindful Minute podcast for a long time now, and today I am delighted to share a conversation with Lillian Charles about our clothes, our bodies, and our mindfulness practice.Lillian created STYLE THERAPY in 2011 as a way to help women remove mental, emotional and physical barriers to living fully expressed lives. She combines traditional Personal Styling with Energy Healing, Intuitive Consulting and scientifically backed Life Coaching methods such as EFT, TIME techniques and neurolinguistic programming to achieve optimal results with each client.Lillian has served as a three term lululemon ambassador, has been named one of Atlanta's top wellness influencers and thought leaders by the City of Atlanta, was dubbed one of Atlanta's 2021 Wonder Women by Best Self Magazine and the number one wardrobe specialist by Atlanta Magazine two years in a row. She works virtually with women around the globe and celebrated the ten year anniversary of Style Therapy in 2021. You can find her on 15+ podcast interviews on Spotify.One of the original teachings of mindful living is in regards to the clothes you wear. It isn’t about the type of clothes, the cost or the level of ‘cool’ - it is about how you FEEL. Lillian, a graduate of my meditation teacher training, talks to us about:The energetics of styleHow she weaves mindfulness into her clothes and her relationship with her clientsVision boarding Prepping for date nightWhy she choose meditation teacher training even though she didn’t plan to teach meditationAnd so much more!You can learn more about Lillian by visiting lilliancharles.cominstagram: @lilliangraycharlesAnd, you can learn more about this year’s meditation teacher training at: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-teacher-trainingWe begin August 16, 2023!Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

Combining meditation and the work you do with a therapist can significantly improve your mental health. Today, I am sharing a conversation with one of my meditation teacher training graduates, Robyn Minefee, who combines meditation teaching and her work as a licensed counselor.Robyn Minefee is a licensed professional counselor and yoga instructor in the state of Georgia. In her virtual private practice she considers herself a holistic practitioner meaning she utilizes movement as a big part of therapy - which can include physical movement or moving energy in your body with breath work. She is a registered yoga instructor, certified in EMDR, and Hypnotherapy, as well as a Reiki practitioner. Robyn identifies her greatest achievements as her two adult children, being a grandmother (soon to be of two),  and her four legged fur baby named Zen.Together we talk about:Meditation and Therapy: How Robyn brings meditation to her private clientsRobyn’s biggest hesitation when signing up for meditation teacher trainingNature! Why we love it, how it impacts our mental health, and how to do a walking meditationHow to stock your mental health cabinetYou can learn more about Robyn’s work as a counselor and a coach by visiting: https://www.mindandbodytherapyga.comIG: @mindandbodytherapygaTikTok: @mindandbodytherapygaAnd, you can learn more about this year’s meditation teacher training at: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-teacher-trainingWe begin August 16, 2023!Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

I have been leading meditation teacher trainings since 2017, and as I launch my 2023 training, I thought it would be fun to share a few conversations with graduates about their experiences in MTT.Today, I am delighted to share a behind the scenes chat with a former student, Johanna Olivas. Johanna is a registered yoga teacher, Reiki master, sound healing practitioner, and since 2022, a certified meditation teacher. In this episode, we talk about:Confidence and connection: teaching that first meditationExpanding creative skillsDiscovering authenticity in voice and in space holdingThe secret sauce of journalingTune into The Mindful Minute today to hear about Johanna’s experience with meditation teacher training, and how she is using this knowledge in her business today. To learn more about my 2023 Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training, please visit: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-teacher-trainingWe begin August 16!To learn more about Johanna, please visit https://www.lunaserenity.com/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

I have something a bit different for you today! I was recently interviewed by Sara Rae Hoaglund for her podcast, Spiritually Inspired. I thought you guys might enjoy hearing a bit about my early experiences with meditation, how I defined meditation, and how to deepen your meditation practice when you are ready for more than just 10-minutes a day! This conversation was such a blast. Be sure to check out Sara Rae’s other interviews on Spiritually Inspired and be on the lookout for her interview on The Mindful Minute next month when we talk all about… MANIFESTING.You can find this interview and so much more on Sara Rae’s website: https://www.spirituallyinspired.co/Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett                 #meditatewithmeryl

“I have been meditating for nearly thirty years and practicing asana, the physical practice, for over twenty and I can say without a doubt that the most advanced yoga I have ever done is raising children.” - Sarah EzrinWhen I read this quote from author, yoga teacher, and mama Sarah Ezrin, I knew we would be fast friends because this has absolutely been the truth of my experience as well!In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we wrap up our ‘Stress Free Summer’ series with an interview with Sarah Ezrin. Sarah has written a new book, “The Yoga of Parenting” and in it Sarah offers 34 practices to find more presence, patience and acceptance - with your child and with yourself.Together, we share our experiences of being yogis and meditators before children and afterWhat a typical practice looks like during the school year and when the kids are out for summerYoga poses that support our parenting Why patience and presence feature so strongly in what we as parents need for ourselves and our kids.There is a lot of laughter and joy in this conversation; there is a lot of recognition in each other’s stories, and I hope a lot of good takeaways to help you move through your summer with ease, with patience, and with presence. You can learn more about Sarah at https://sarahezrinyoga.com/And if you order Sarah’s new book, “The Yoga of Parenting” at https://www.shambhala.com/the-yoga-of-parenting.html and use code YP30 you can save 30%!Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation is both an expression of greeting and of gratitude, and it is a beautiful way to start your day. As we share this practice, remember that the universe outside also exists inside. In so many wisdom traditions, we find writings and teachings that connect the natural world inside of us. When we greet and celebrate the components of the cosmos, we greet and celebrate the components of ourselves.Take a seat outside or near a window if you can. Have one headphone in your ear to hear the recording and one headphone out of your ear so that you can hear the sounds of the natural world surrounding you. Let’s begin.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Here in Georgia, we are stepping into the summer season. The kids will be out of school shortly, and I’m struck with the oh-so-familiar feeling (for me at least) of partial excitement -Yay! It’s summer. No schedule. Going to the pool! Going camping! FunAnd - Ohhhhhh it’s summer. No schedule. No routine or rhythm to anchor our days. Yikes.I thrive on routine and while I appreciate short breaks,  I am also well aware that all too quickly that freedom turns into a source of stress for me. And so, I thought it would be valuable and fun to share a bit of a creative project I’ve been playing with this year.As you know, I almost exclusively meditate outside. My connection to nature deepens my connection to self and stimulates my creativity. It provides a larger rhythm to my days based on when the hyacinth blooms, the hummingbirds return, and the bees swarm that one particular bush that I can never remember the name of… In the next few podcast episodes, I am going to share a few recipes with you - recipes for connecting with nature, with time, and with self. I encourage you to go sit outside if at all possible - on a stoop, porch, park, backyard or even a parking lot staring up at the sky. Have one headphone in and one headphone out so you can hear the sounds of the world around you. Close your eyes and together let’s tap into the rhythms of the natural world as a way to anchor, especially when our daily rhythms aren’t as steady as we would like it to be.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

“We are all continually asked to learn how to ask for what we need, only to practice accepting what we’re given.” - Mark NepoOh, surrender, what a complex equation you are.So many of us understand surrender to be a passive state or an act of giving up. After all, the very definition of surrender is “to stop resisting”.Yet, with each of these teachings that we have explored in the Mindful Living series comes a deep paradox that we are asked to embrace. Surrender is both strength and softness. Surrender is fully letting go of the fight we constantly wage with our lives, and it is taking full responsibility for the vision we have for ourselves. Within today’s class, we willTease apart the difference between letting go and giving upLook at examples of the action of surrenderEngage with the “trustful” aspect of surrenderDiscuss how the weaving together of discipline, self-study and surrender elevate the practice of meditation from a simple concentration exercise to an opportunity for spiritual awakening.I hope you’ll join me for today’s discussion and 20-minute guided meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Recently, my four-year-old daughter asked me, “who were you before you were a mom?”After a little conversation, I realized she was asking me - ‘what was your job before you were a mom’...At four, she already identifies a job as who you are. This week’s mindful living tenet is Self-Study, and this teaching also asks us “who are you?”Who are you without a job?Without a plan?Without a diagnosis? Without a gender? Without any of your conditioning?In this week’s episode of The Mindful Minute podcast, we talk through the practice of self-study and engaging our curiosity muscle. We explore both how this tenet was taught originally and several ways we can incorporate it into our daily lives. And, most importantly, we talk about why this is not ‘fixing’ yourself. Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s Mindful Living tenet is self-discipline, or more literally, the fire of transformation. This teaching reminds us that meditation and mindful living is not meant to be synonymous with sunshine and rainbows or with joy 100% of the time. Mindfulness grows from burning away non-supportive habits in order to actualize who we really are. Self-discipline is the teaching that focuses attention so that attention becomes intention.We can see a direct example of self-discipline in cultivating a daily meditation practice. I’m sure you can think of a thousand other things that you could do with this time, but as meditation practitioners, we forsake some momentary pleasurable distraction because we’ve named what we are practicing for -  some insight, comfort, transformation or knowing… We show up and we do the work because we know why we are practicing. How we show up for the work also matters.We can be half-hearted - calling it meditation but really we are taking a bath with a glass of wine.We can be ego driven - focused on the fruits of our labor, the outcome, or the goal. We can be balanced by bringing a sense of faith to the practice.Faith is actually a primary ingredient in self-discipline. Faith that the work is enough. That the choices you make, the sacrifices you willingly agree to, the flames that might burn a bit as you walk through them, all of it is the path you are meant to be on. The work is enough. It is in this way that we practice. So that our stories and the weight of discarded emotions, thoughts and beliefs that have fallen to our forest floors don’t burn uncontrolled. Fire at first glance can seem like a fearsome, raging inferno, when in actuality, it is lighting our path and nurturing our rejuvenation. So let’s burn; let’s do the work.Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig. Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Use code MindfulMinute through 4/27/23 to save 10% on your own order at baronfig.com. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

“Of course we can always imagine more perfect conditions, how it should be ideally, how everyone else should behave. But it’s not our task to create an ideal. It’s our task to see how it is, and to learn from the world as it is. For the awakening of the heart, conditions are always good enough.” ~Ajahn Sumedo“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming about some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming under our window.” - Dale CarnegieThe Moment is CompleteThere is no where to go and nothing getThe way isn’t difficult for those who are unattached to their preferencesEach of these quotes point towards a fundamental teaching - maybe the most taught about tenet in mindfulness and yet the hardest to grasp -  Contentment. I think of contentment as developing a profound ok-ness with my life, and yet in order to find and experience this sense of well-being, we must be willing to embrace profound paradoxes.Contentment is not about ignoring or avoiding pain, it isn’t about glossing over or using the dread phrase, “it is what it is”... I would venture to say that contentment isn’t even about happiness. Recently, I learned that you can almost always find the antidote to a troublesome plant growing near said troublesome plant. For example, you can almost always find jewelweed growing near poison ivy. Poison ivy will make you itch, and jewelweed sap is anti-inflammatory and anti-itch.Contentment doesn’t mean you will never be uncomfortable; contentment is knowing the antidote is right here, in this very moment. The moment is complete. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we tease apart the paradoxes within contentment and share in a 20-minute guided meditation.Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig. Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Use code MindfulMinute through 4/27/23 to save 10% on your own order at baronfig.com. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

In the last five episodes, I’ve shared the ethical teachings of meditation. Traditionally, after learning these ethical teachings, often taught as ‘restraints’, we would then learn five more teachings known as ‘observances’. These next five teachings, known in Sanskrit as Niyamas, are principles that we observe within ourselves to develop a mindful way of moving through the world. These are in essence the guidance to Mindful Living.We start with one that feels very tricky to me… it is most often translated as purity. Personally, I have a very strong aversion to the word purity. I feel like all manner of dangerous judgments, othering, and oppression happens under the guise of purity. I also believe that it is far too easy to become extreme in our quest to become ‘pure’ (especially in the spiritual world) which hinders rather than helps us. However, when we dive into the teachings of this tenet, what we learn is that this teaching is about connecting to and enlivening our energy levels, and we do this by decluttering our minds, bodies, and physical spaces. So, let’s tap into our inner Marie Kondo and explore joy, energy and the mindfulness of decluttering. Ready? Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig. Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Use code MindfulMinute through 4/27/23 to save 10% on your own order at baronfig.com. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

When someone says to me, “would you like to have a conversation about nature, culture and the sacred?” - the answer is always YES, which is how this interview came to be. Today, I get to share a conversation with the dynamic author, leader and organizer, Nina Simons.Nina is the Co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at Bioneers. Throughout her career spanning the nonprofit, social entrepreneurship, corporate, and philanthropic sectors, Nina has worked with nearly a thousand diverse women leaders across disciplines, race, class, age and orientation to create conditions for mutual learning, trust and leadership development. ​She authored Nature, Culture, and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership—which was released as a second edition in June 2022 with an accompanying discussion guide and embodied practices. The first edition won Gold Nautilus awards in the categories of women, intersectionality and social justice. Both books are being used to inspire and ignite learning in individuals, circles and classrooms. In this conversation, we talk aboutMeditation as the subtlest form of self-loveArchetypal feminine vs gendered feminine and why this is what is missing from our worldThe intertwining of the sacred and activismGenerational traumaThe overlapping crisis of our time - indigenous issues, racial equity, gender balance and the environmental crisisNina also references a documentary, The Burning Times, that changed the trajectory of her life. You can watch The Burning Times here: https://youtu.be/34ow_kNnoroLearn more about Nina and her work here: https://www.ninasimons.com/Learn more about Bioneers here: https://bioneers.org/Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I am obsessed with their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself at baronfig.com and use code MindfulMinute to save 10% on your order by April 27. Trust me, it’s worth it!Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

“Behind violence, dishonesty, stealing & indulgence lies one clear objective: gaining greater control over the objects of our desire and eliminating those with the potential to stand in our way. This phenomenon can be described in one word: possessiveness. We want to have enough to fulfill our desires and our desire knows no limit.” - Pandit Rajmani TigunaitThe final teaching in our ethics series is the tenet of non-possessiveness - also referred to as non-attachment or non-clinging in many teachings. This tenet is all about uncovering our desires so that our desires don’t become obsessions and our obsessions don’t possess us. Desires usually fall into one of 3 categories:FamilyMaterial wealthPower & fame Left unchecked, our desires keep us stuck. We can’t see other options, we can’t try something new, and we can’t enjoy life because we are too busy obsessing over what we can’t have or didn’t get. And these obsessions lead us to violate the previous ethical teachings of violence, truthfulness, non-stealing and non-excess.  Within our meditation practice, we can see our obsessive thoughts and desires, and we learn to cultivate the opposite thoughts. We name what we already have, what we love or enjoy. We say thank you. In short, the antidote to possessiveness is gratitude. Join me for today’s final installment of the Ethics of Meditation - we will discuss non-possessiveness and share in a 20-minute guided meditation. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

This is a big one, y’all. Non-excess is likely the ethical tenet that I teach most often {even if I don’t specifically say ‘non-excess’}... Often this teaching gets translated as abstinence or celibacy, and in certain monastic orders, it is indeed practiced in this way. Yet, when we look at the original teachings of this tenet, we discover non-excess is about establishing vitality and balancing the mind, body and energy. Author Deborah Adele translates the teachings of non-excess as meaning ‘to walk with god’ - to experience the sacred in the everyday. And, we quickly see that we cannot experience sanctity or vitality if we are overwhelmed in excess.Excess can show up in our food, our work, our entertainment, our possessions, even our spirituality.We are a people of excess. For many of us, we can get almost anything, usually delivered to our door the next day. And in many countries, we can throw it in a trash can and pay to have it picked up and dumped somewhere we are likely never to see or acknowledge because if we did, we would be horrified. The teaching of non-excess asks us to move slowly and employ restraint. Admire the sunrise, the sunset, the stars, the moon, the clouds and the birds. Take the time to eat food that is beautiful and nourishing, and to stop when you are just full enough. Put your phone down. Step away from technology. Go to bed early and get up early too. The deeper we go, the more we begin to understand non-excess as the ultimate pleasure principle. Being alive is not a mistake. We are alive, and we are meant to be awake for it, to enjoy it, and celebrate it. The key is that it isn't a bacchanalian free for all. Vitality and sanctity are brought forth through restraint, through limiting our excessive ways. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we tease out the nuances of non-excess and share in a 20-minute guided meditation.Thank you to our sponsor, Bioneers. Be sure to check them out at conference.bioneers.org and use code NCS20 to save 20% on tickets to their upcoming 34th annual conference.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

The ethical tenet of non-stealing goes so much further than simply avoiding the physical act of theft. It prompts us to move fully into living a life of integrity and reciprocity. In this episode of The Mindful Minute, we delve into the myriad of ways we have absorbed the habit of stealing. We will reflect on how we steal from OthersThe EarthThe FutureOurselvesThe primary invitation of non-stealing is to shift our focus from others to ourselves. What an odd sentence to write... no, I didn't make a mistake. I really mean this - the invitation is to turn our attention towards ourselves and our actions. I love this focus because it is so counterintuitive to what we are taught to believe at a young age.  We are taught to put others first {but be the best}; stop focusing on yourself {but make sure you fit in}; don’t be selfish {but you can and should have it all}…As we explore the teachings of non-stealing, we see how these early implicit teachings trap us in a cycle of never enough; always chasing after what others have, and living in fear of what we don’t have and can’t get. Fear begets violence, and spoiler alert, we find ourselves lost in a world being destroyed by violence - to ourselves, to each other and to the earth.When we remember to honor ourselves within these ethical teachings, we live full, rich lives with integrity and reciprocity.Join me for today’s class as we explore the tenet of non-stealing and share in a 20-minute guided meditation. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Carl Jung once wrote - “A lie would make no sense unless the truth was felt to be dangerous.”Within the traditions of meditation, there are five ethical teachings taught to all initiates as they begin their contemplative path. The first teaching {see the previous episode} is the tenet of non-violence, and we learned that violence is always accompanied by fear.The second tenet is truthfulness, and as Jung reminds us, the truth is often felt to be very scary. So the practice of truthfulness must be accompanied by the practice of non-violence. In today’s episode, we explore truthfulness by looking at:The little white lies that feel “nice” rather than real.How a sense of “should” and “should not” impacts our self-expressionWhat happens when we grow past the inherent boundaries of our groupsIn many ways, I find that meditation is an exercise in learning to tolerate the truth of ourselves. This is why for many, meditation can be DEEPLY uncomfortable at first. We get still and quiet; we hear our actual thoughts; and we feel the truth of our feelings. Insights we might work quite hard to ignore most of the time are now loud and insistent. The truth is not easy, and yet, it is wildly and vibrantly good for how you feel and engage with your day-to-day life. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we embark on a discussion of truth and share in a guided, 20-minute meditation. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

With this episode, we begin a new journey together. We will spend the next 5 weeks exploring the Ethics of Meditation.I find it profoundly poignant that the ethical foundation of meditation is always taught first in Eastern practices and yet is so often saved for 'later' in Western teachings. I confess that I usually assume the ethical teachings are inherent within the practice and have not explicitly taught them in a class setting. Until now.This is a mistake on my part, and one I look forward to rectifying immediately! My hope is that this will be an insightful series that prompts reflection and curiosity about how these ethical teachings play out in your own life. The very first ethical foundation is non-violence. I believe there is no more immediate crisis in our lives than the crisis of violence. It is one that requires our unwavering attention and intention. As author Deborah Adele writes, “Non-violence asks us to step lightly, do no harm, and honor the relationship we have with the earth, with each other, and with ourselves.”The teachings of non-violence might seem easily understood on the surface but the subtle implications only continue to deepen as your meditation practice progresses.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the tenet of non-violence and share in a 20-minute guided meditation.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Over the last several years, Chanti Tacoronte Perez has taught me so much about exploring and relating to my dreams, and today, I get to share a conversation with Chanti all about dreams, the dark and the wisdom waiting for us there.Chanti is a Cuban-American creatrix, ritualist, and author; and she believes that images speak a profound language. Her life’s work is as a translator of the unseen and advocate for the imaginal. She holds a Masters in Engaged Humanities, a Masters in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and Chanti is currently working on her doctoral dissertation in Jungian Depth Psychology and Archetypal Studies program at the same institution. Her passion is to inspire you to rediscover your creative self by weaving the blessings with the wounds while honoring the land and the ancestors.In this episode, Chanti and I talk about:The difference between a symbol & a signWhat it means to dream journalWhat to do if you don’t remember your dreamsHow to work with your dreamsAnd, why you should throw out your dream interpretation books!This conversation is nowhere near comprehensive, but my hope is that it sparks a bit of curiosity and a willingness to start exploring your own dreams. Then you can join one of Chanti’s dream retreats; you’ll probably see me there!Download Chanti’s guide to dream journaling here: http://bit.ly/3IoXRt4Learn more about Chanti & her offerings here: https://www.yantrawisdom.com/Be sure to check out my newest offering: Elemental Awakening Retreat Series. Registration for this intimate, online gathering is now open and registration is limited to 20 students. Learn more here: https://www.merylarnett.com/elemental-awakeningSign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. ~Wendell BerryI have a question for you - Do you equate peace with effort? Does it feel as though you must work to attain peacefulness? I think for many of us, it does feel this way - as though we are trying to get somewhere or attain something within this practice.The idea of enlightenment can easily feel as ‘trying to attain’ if we aren’t mindful. Let’s look at the story of the Buddha as an example - he tried EVERYTHING… All the practices, the harshest asceticism, but ultimately, what is it that worked?He sat all night under the Bodhi tree - open and receptive to all that Mara, the personification of temptation and distraction, threw at him.He didn’t attain anything; he remembered.I wonder what this does for you when you think about your practice being as simple as remembering who you really are and what you really already know. Does it invite you to lie back? To soften some? To simply linger, waiting, watching?In the last 3 episodes, we have been exploring endarkenment - the opposite, necessary component of meditative practice to balance enlightenment. The qualities we’ve explored to know the dark are:EmbodimentFierce compassion {as bravery, empowerment, clarity, authenticity, balance, fulfillment, wisdom or vision}And lastly: ReceptivityWe wait. We listen. We receive.Don’t chase the light. Remember you ARE the light.  Join me for this final episode in our Endarkenment series as we discuss receptivity and share a 20-minute guided meditation practice. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

In this meditation series, we are exploring the Dark. Winter is, by its very nature, the darkest time of the year, and our meditation practice, so often taught as an opportunity to chase enlightenment, can also be an invitation to linger in and celebrate endarkenment (as Deborah Eden Tull has phrased it).The dark so often is associated with something scary, and yet it is really simply something quiet.The quiet is only scary when you think you might hear something you don’t want to hear.Stillness is uncomfortable because you might have to feel something you’ve been trying to ignore.I’ve come to think that meditation is only perceived as difficult because we are so hellbent on chasing the light. The moment we let go of that control, the moment we open up to the mysterious darkness is the moment our practice becomes easeful. The dark is not logical, linear or binary. It is all things messy, chaotic and unknown. The dark says courage, dear one. Trust your senses. Listen. Feel. And as we decide to linger in the darkness without rushing to turn on a light, we must be fiercely compassionate. This is not easy. There is a reason the winter months are difficult for many of us. A reason that SAD exists. Light is much needed for our survival, AND, we all know there can be too much of a good thing.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore how chasing the light shows up in our meditation practice {and in life!}, and what it means to be fiercely compassionate in the dark. Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

I love the winter. I find a surprising sense of energy and creative spark that comes with the darkest, coldest months. The cold makes me feel alive; soups and stews, fires in the fireplace, and rich oils for skin make me feel nourished and cared for; and the dark… well, the dark is where I feel most awake. I don’t mean that I'm a night owl… quite the opposite actually. I'm an in-bed-at-9-and-up-at-5 kinda gal. But those quiet, dark hours - when I’m in the liminal space of physical wakefulness and subconscious wakefulness… Those hours are my most insightful. This meditation series, The Dark Side of Meditation, is a nod to meditation teacher Deborah Eden Tull and her book, Luminous Darkness. Her teachings and my own experience have guided me to pay deeper attention to the dark; and so, we will use some of our winter months to stop chasing the light and learn how to savor the dark.Did you know that humans lived on earth for more than 600,000 years BEFORE learning how to kindle a fire? That is 600,000 of living in the rhythm of daylight and darkness; of living in rhythm with the seasonal changes in light. Living in rhythm is a practice of being embodied. When we think about sinking into the rhythm of the seasons and this darker time of year, it is about inviting ourselves deeper into our own bodies. And, meditation my friends, meditation is a practice of embodiment.Darkness has been a crucial teaching in so many spiritual and awakening traditions - Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Aboriginal and Indigenous traditions - and yet, culture today places so much emphasis on light, on progress, on achievement, and on growth. It is all about ‘enlightenment’.On the flip side, darkness is associated with scariness, with the unknown, with spiderwebs and skeletons. Don’t go into that dark closet without a flashlight! Turn on the lights so you can look under the bed, but the problem is if you keep turning on a light, your eyes never adjust to the dark. This time of year asks us to be patient enough, brave enough, to linger in the dark. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute podcast as we explore endarkenment rather than enlightenment.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Friends, today I get to share a conversation with one of my personal favorite meditation teachers, Diana Winston! Diana is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA, the author of several incredible books about meditation and a former Buddhist nun.Together, we talk about the second edition release of her book, Fully Present, as well as my personal favorite book, The Little Book of Being.Diana shares some insights on how the field of mindfulness meditation has evolved over the last ten years. In this episode, we talk about The ethics missing from most meditation teachingsThe science of kindness {hint: meditators are kinder than non-meditators!}How the practice is evolving from me-centric to community-centric Mindful parentingNatural awareness and the pleasure to glimpse practicesGrab a cup of tea, pop-in your headphones and join Diana and me for this conversation and a short guided practice from Diana at the end.For more information about Diana, her books and the apps she teaches on, visit https://dianawinston.com/ and https://www.uclahealth.org/programs/marc Be sure to Sign up { http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL } for my newsletter to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com.IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

How to make your practice so lovely, so vital that you won’t skip a day:Make your practice beautiful. Don’t cram it in; savor it.Ask for what you most need. Name your intention, your purpose, your hope for this practice.Dedicate the merit.Our practice is never just about ourselves. Friend, fellow teacher and former Mindful Minute guest Caverly Morgan in The Heart of Who We Are:“The longer we cling to the notion that there’s a separate self who awakens, the more arduous our path will be. We realize freedom together.”Patience, Presence, Kindness is my intention. It is for my interactions and sense of wakefulness in the world, and it is for the collective. We could all use more of these qualities, couldn’t we? Meditation is a practice of collective empowerment. It is for us, not me alone. So, at the end of the practice, let us offer up the merit. May this practice benefit all. May this practice be for the good of humanity. May patience, presence and kindness spread across the planet. Remember where attention goes, energy flows. Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice, and consider following this class up with my interview with Caverly Morgan. You can find that episode anywhere you get your podcasts.  Be sure to Sign up { http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL } for my newsletter to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more. BIG NEWS: The Mindful Minute is now on YouTube! If you’d like to watch these classes visit youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com. IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series is a foundational challenge to help you build up to a 20-minute/day nourishing meditation practice. I want to get away from the ‘check-it-off-the-to-do-list’ mentality and instead build a practice that feels so vital and lovely that you wouldn’t skip a day no matter what happens. A piece of this nourishing practice comes when we specifically name what we most want or need from the meditation practice. Some of you will resonate with naming an intention; some of you might resonate with requesting a blessing; or naming a desire; or a goal… My personal practice has been built with the intention of cultivating patience, presence and kindness. When we name for ourselves why we are practicing, there is more encouragement to show up to the cushion each day, and there is more mindful energy carried throughout our day. Because we aren’t really practicing for those 10-minutes on the meditation cushion; we are practicing for the other 23 hours and 50 minutes of our day.Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice as we build our meditation practice to 15-minutes/day this week!  Be sure to Sign up { http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL } for my newsletter to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com. IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Happy New Year! Every January, I see an influx of people who are ready to try a meditation practice, and every February, I see most of those people fall away once again. And so this year, I thought - “what can I do to help people immediately reap the benefits of meditation?”Normally, in January, I do an introductory series that lays out the foundations of a practice, and I stress that starting with even 5 minutes/day is enough. But I wonder if it is really enough to keep you practicing. Because, at least for me, if I try to cram a 5-minute rushed practice between my last meeting and carpool, well… I’m still pretty stressed. It doesn’t feel great, and I’m very likely to forget to do it again the next day. So this year, I’m offering something different. I’m offering an introductory series into the depth and beauty of the practice. In the next 3 weeks, you will go from meditating 10 minutes/day to 20 minutes/day, and my hope is that you’ll discover the beauty within this practice and within yourself as we go. This series is both a beginner series and a series for those that have lost the magic in their practice. This is a series to remember our loveliness and that of the practice.Let’s begin!Be sure to Sign up { http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL } for my newsletter to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com. IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation series has been an exploration of time. For most of us, time appears to be as steady as a stone - something that is always here, guiding us along - reminding us where we are supposed to be by what time it is. But, things aren’t quite as they appear when it comes to time or to stones. Time is both flexible and relative. It moves at different speeds depending on where you are and if you are moving or not. The phrase ‘now’ has no meaning outside of your direct personal experience. Now is only now for you right now. It is an ever-expanding edge rather than a static point.And, that ever-moving edge reminds us that the universe is made up of events not things. Even things we think of as things, like stones, are actually just long events.So, over the course of the first two classes in this series, rather than time being like the steadiness of stones, we’ve really discovered time is more like the unsteadiness of stones. I’ve shared this mostly through physics and the brilliant minds of people like Newton, Einstein and Carlo Rovelli. However, we don’t have to be brilliant scientists to understand the wildly mysterious ways of time. We simply have to meditate. My guess is you already know time is relative and flexible because you have experienced it within your meditation practice. You’ve meditated on a tough day where 3 minutes felt like interminable hours.On other days, you’ve meditated and fallen into the realm of timelessness. Where a minute lasts a day, and it feels like you can’t even remember when you took your last breath and it doesn’t really matter because you might never need to breathe again. When we meditate, time becomes circular, all encompassing and all knowing, rather than a step by step progression. There is no where you need to be because you are already exactly where you are. Join me for this final installment in our exploration of time and guided meditation practice inviting you into the timeless realm of your deepest knowing.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com. IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

Let’s start with two scientific facts:When we are in motion, time contracts.The universe is made up of events, not things. In my exploration of time, I came across a sentence from physicist Carlo Rovelli that stopped me in my tracks. He wrote - “Now means nothing.”Now means nothing. Nothing?! What have I been teaching for the last decade if the truth of the present moment has been disproven by science? What are we meditating for, and what are we experiencing? The more I reflect on scientific facts above and the dissolution of the present moment, the more I find an invitation to stop thinking of ourselves as something to fix and our meditation practice as something to get right. This isn’t a static moment in time and we are not a thing to improve upon. We are an event, a becoming, and when we sit still time expands. We are shifting from contraction to expansion and witnessing the ever-changing dynamism of our internal experiences as a direct experience of the universe. Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice as we explore the expansion of ‘now’. Be sure to Sign up { http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL } for my newsletter to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com. IG: @merylarnett #meditatewithmeryl

“I don’t have enough time”“Take your time”“You have all the time in the world”Common enough phrases; each signaling something about our interaction with the experience of time. Phrases hinting that we should move faster, or slower, that we should do something, or not. And all of which create a cascading story of beliefs for each of us.Time is such a funny thing. It feels fast and slow {sometimes all at once}. It feels like a separate entity 'out there' that we have no control over and which has enormous control over us... and yet…There is no universal, objective time. It isn't out there on its own. It is only HERE; in relation with a where and a who. Time is inextricably bound to where and to who. It is personal, flexible, and relative. In this all new 3-part meditation series, we will explore our relationship with time: how our experience of time impacts our meditation practice and how our meditation practice impacts our relationship with time.Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL to receive free mini meditations each month, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com. IG: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today, on The Mindful Minute, I am sharing a conversation with meditation teacher and author Caverly Morgan about her new book, The Heart of Who We Are: Realizing Freedom Together.Caverly is a meditation teacher, author, speaker, and nonprofit founder. She is the founder and Lead Contemplative of Peace in Schools—a nonprofit which created the nation's first for-credit mindfulness class in public high schools. She is also the founder of Presence Collective, a community of cross-cultural contemplatives committed to personal and collective transformation.In this episode, Caverly and I really hone in on the phrase “realizing freedom together” and explore what this means in relation to our meditation practice, which far too easily can feel singular and isolated when we aren’t practicing in community. We talk about book clubs vs. book collectives; about freedom, community and privilege; and what it means to stop imagining that liberation comes only when ‘I’ as a singular being awaken.We go deep, y’all, and yet, I feel like we barely scratched the surface. Perhaps we’ll ask Caverly to come back and share more!Make sure you listen all the way to the end. Caverly leads a 20-minute guided meditation inviting us to reflect and create awareness around all the self-imposed beliefs we hold onto about our separateness. You can learn more about Caverly and her new book by visiting her website: caverlymorgan.orgLearn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

There is nothing I love more than responding to student questions about meditation, and recently I was asked two really good questions that I thought would be useful to the greater Mindful Minute community. At the end of our Political Resilience series, I was asked about what to do if you want to forge connections, to return to the table, but everyone else is hostile?And, I was asked a crucial and common question about what to do on days when you are too busy or stressed or overwhelmed to meditate… my answer might surprise you.Join me for a short Q&A session followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Our meditation practice is the practice of The Middle Way. Meaning the practice isn’t about perfection, a goal or an end-game. The practice IS the practice. A student once asked his teacher, “is there anything I can do to become enlightened more quickly?”And, the teacher responded, “as little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.”“Well, what good are these practices you prescribe?” asked the student.“To make sure you are awake when the sun starts to rise.” replied the teacher. Let’s make sure we are awake today. If you want to skip right to the meditation, start at 4:45.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation series has asked some really big questions of us. Can we start to let go of binary thinking? Can we believe that two seemingly opposite things can both exist as true in the same moment? That right and wrong are not the only two choices?In a very small way, this reminds me of starting a meditation practice. Do you remember that feeling? The feeling of believing that a meditation practice would be a good thing, and yet when you sat down to practice it was hard, uncomfortable and definitely not magical? We had to do this dance between what we believed and what we experienced even though it didn’t quite line up. New futures are scary. The only thing we can do is commit to our vision, to build the rhythms and routines that support us, and to stay engaged and curious.This is true for a meditation practice AND this is true for building political resilience. We commit to our vision. We build the rhythms and routines that support us. And, we stay engaged. Join me for the final installment of our Building Political Resilience meditation series as we explore new futures and practice befriending ourselves and others through a guided meditation practice. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This series is one of the more challenging undertakings I’ve shared on this podcast. Talking about democracy in a time of toxic polarization feels daunting and more than a little bit overwhelming.I’m not here to fix it, and I definitely don’t have the ‘answers’ but I believe deeply in naming the things that cause us pain and turning towards them rather than away. So here we are. Democracy is hard. In part 1 of this series, we explored the term ‘gaslighting’ and the implications that come when we start to ask ourselves “am I crazy?” after hearing the day’s political news.In part 2 of this series, we follow the natural train of thought, “if I’m not crazy, then I’m RIGHT!”. And here is where things get messy… because the answer isn’t quite so straightforward. Luckily, The Fetzer Institute is doing some profound research in the area of toxic polarity and heart-centered solutions, and they recently shared some amazing interventions for reducing polarity and re-engaging with democracy. {you can find a link to these interventions within my Awakened Heart Meditation Community}. One of these interventions highlights our Moral Differences. Similarly to how we all have six kinds of taste buds {salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savory}, but we all have different taste preferences; we also share 6 different moral values, but we prioritize them differently. In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we talk about moral differences, we perform a social science experiment that will blow your mind, and, of course, we share a guided meditation together. Grab your headphones and join me!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Not Left, Not Right, but Deep - The Fetzer Institute.With the midterm elections surrounding us, I’ve been reflecting on the challenges I feel when it comes to engaging with democracy in this country right now. Sometimes I am all moral outrage and calling my representatives and going to rallys. Sometimes, I am overwhelmed, exhausted and scared so I shut down completely. I ignore it all. In that extreme vasciliation, I find myself often thinking, “am I crazy???” And that, my friends, is the number one sign that you are being gaslit.The term originated from the 1938 play and subsequent film Gaslight, where the protagonist’s husband slowly manipulated her into believing she’s going mad. Throughout the film, the main character sees the gaslights dimming and brightening for no apparent reason. Her husband convinces her that it's all in her head, but in reality, he was switching the attic lights on and off to create the gaslight flickers. The turning point in the movie is when someone else says “hey, did you notice the gaslights are flickering?”Naming things has power. And naming a faulty, fractured, messy situation might not make it neater, easy or better, but it does allow us to reclaim a sense of sanity when we can, in community, acknowledge that indeed the gaslights are flickering. You aren’t crazy. Democracy is hard. Really hard.And, it is vital that we both pay attention and engage. In the book Burn Out, the authors write, “wellness is a state of action, not a state of being”.Similarly, Congressman John Lewis once stated, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”This correlation in states of action led me to reflect on the overlap in democratic engagement and in our self-care. Join me for this 3-part meditation series as we explore what’s needed to build Political Resilience. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Today, I am sharing a conversation with a friend, colleague and teacher - Shonali Banerjee.Many years ago, Shonali led a Mantra Circle that I was a part of, and in it, I learned so much about the power of sound and voice. To this day, one of my strongest memories is chanting the Gayatri mantra along the banks of the Ganges river on a trip to India. And even now, I warm up my voice and set my intention through mantra before teaching live classes.Shonali is a yoga teacher, singer, ritualist, death doula, and all around Wise Woman. Together we talk about mantra meditation and the power of reclaiming our voices, walking labyrinths, political resilience, the cycle of death and birth, and so much more.At the end, Shonali guides in a powerful practice of chant and reflection. She shares - "To The Surface"I adapted this version of the song from the original, written by an unknown author, honoring Pachamama, the Earth Goddess. The original has been sung by hundreds of women and men in Baja Mexico and is spreading around the globe. Gather Together and Sing!To the surface she rises. From the fearful ways, we see her faceTo the surface she rises. Let the women breathe, again todayToday we pray, in the honor of her way. Today we sing her name.Today we pray, in the honor of her way. Today we sing.Rise Up Women, Protect Women, Rise Up Women, Protect Women. You can watch Shonali perform this chant here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFAEMTM-ec8Learn more about Shonali and her work by visiting www.wisemawellness.comAnd, be sure to check out the  work of Threshold Choirs. Threshold Choirs sing at the bedside of the dying with and for all people. Threshold affirms the beauty, dignity, and wholeness of all people and believes that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness from their first to their last breath. https://thresholdchoir.org/Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

We started this meditation series, The Stagnation Layer, with the connective idea that the human body is a microcosm of the universe; that we can view the universe as a mirror image of what goes on inside.And, we looked to the Voyager space expeditation, in particular the experience of Voyager 1 in the Stagnation Layer of the cosmos, as a metaphor for how we might engage with moments of ‘stuckness’ or stagnation.Today, 45 years after its launch and 14.6 billion miles from Earth, Voyager 1 and 2 have now spent 10 years in interstellar space. Interestingly, Voyager 1 went through the Stagnation Layer, and Voyager 2 did not. Yet, 10 years later, these two spacecraft are in the same place, both doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and both wildly, improbably successful. I think there are 3 vital lessons for us within this statement - Community is vitally important for our movement through Stagnation.It is our engagement that makes these moments magical and rich rather than scary and confusing.We don’t need to worry about what anyone else is doing or experiencing within their meditation practice. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore these three lessons and how they enrich both our meditation practice and our lived experience. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Part 1 of this meditation series introduced the Stagnation Layer of the cosmos and the periods of stagnation we experience as individuals both as naturally occurring phenomena. Part of the description NASA shares for the Stagnation Layer says - There is a doubling in the intensity of the magnetic field in the stagnation region. Like cars piling up at a clogged freeway off-ramp, the increased intensity of the magnetic field shows that inward pressure from interstellar space is compacting it. Higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar spaceAs a personal experience, when we stagnate we likely feel an increased pressure to DO something, to figure it out, or to move. And, all our creative mojo feels like it is draining away. We find ourselves both anxious to move and possibly frozen in place. This is a tricky combination.Luckily, in these moments, there are ancient and wise teachings that can be so helpful. Even if we know or think we know, it is helpful to hear of the wisdom that has come before. Of course, what isn’t helpful is buying ALL the books. Or listening to ALL the teachers. This is overwhelming, and very likely frustrating. Instead, I encourage you to look for what I call ‘Threads of Truth’ - I came up with this term to describe the overarching themes within meditation that continue to appear across time, lineage, and geography. The words might differ, but the underlying wisdom is clearly the same. And, it is these threads of truth that serve as a compass when we are lost in the Stagnation Layer.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we unravel the Threads of Truth and share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice. PS. You can see the Awakened Heart Sutra that I reference in this class posted in my Awakened Heart Community or via my weekly newsletter!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Well friends, after 5 years of creating bi-weekly episodes of The Mindful Minute I am making a shift… As of today, all new mini meditation episodes can be found exclusively within awakenedheart.community.All of the existing mini meditations will continue to be here on the podcast, but I’m moving all future minis to my community for a number of reasons: I am able to provide you these meditations as downloadable files, so you can keep your favorites and access anytime! These files will be ad and commentary free to better support your meditation practice.After 2.5 years of teaching exclusively online, I am deeply invested in building reciprocal relationships and vibrant communities. Teaching to blank screens and empty closets is hard, y’all. I miss people. I miss faces, feedback, and engagement around these practices. My hope is that, if you enjoy meditating with me, you’ll join me in the Awakened Heart community. Even if it is just to download a new weekly practice, throw an emoji in the chat and be on your way. Better yet, pop in for a live class, comment on a question, or share some thoughts of your own. My Thursday full-length episodes will continue to air as they always do, and I am here for you. Drop me an email or join me within awakenedheart.community so we can have an ongoing conversation. I hope we get to practice together soon! And as always, thank you for listening and practicing with me!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

When you read poetry of the mystics, when you study ancient tantric & buddhist texts, not to mention so many indigneous cultures across the world, we learn of the universe as a metaphor for the internal experiences of consciousness.The macrocosm and the microcosm… As goes the outside, so goes the inside…And the more time I spend connecting my meditation practice with the natural world, the more I experience the wisdom of this truth, perhaps never more so than as I reflect on The Stagnation Layer.Devoted listeners won’t be surprised to hear me bring up the Voyager space expedition yet again - it is one of my favorite stories and something that continues to capture my fascination - In 1977 two spacecrafts were launched with the mission of leaving our solar system and exploring interstellar space. In 2012, Voyager 1 achieved this goal, but not before spending a year in the transitional realm of space deemed by scientists as “The Stagnation Layer”.Scientists write:“Data obtained from Voyager over the last year reveal this new region to be a kind of cosmic purgatory. In it, the wind of charged particles streaming out from our sun has calmed, our solar system's magnetic field is piled up, and higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space.”A cosmic purgatory?Have you ever felt you were stuck in a cosmic purgatory? Are you in one right now? Sometimes I think this feels like a dark void, like you are stuck in a doorway and can’t step through, or perhaps like a dense fog that you are lost inside. Lucky for us, the universe itself is providing the answer for what we do in stagnation, if we only remember to listen. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discover the Stagnation Layer and explore how we might move through. As always, there is a brief talk followed by a 20-minute guided meditation.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Deborah Eden Tull guides through a short practice from her new book, Luminous Darkness. This practice is an opportunity to connect with the mystery, with the unknown, and to both offer and receive lovingkindness from this endarkened teacher. While doing this practice, I was immediately reminded of Rilke’s famous words - “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue…”You can learn more about Eden here: https://www.deborahedentull.com/And, you can find Luminous Darkness here: https://www.deborahedentull.com/luminous-darknessThese mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

“I believe it is time to let go of our current obsession with enlightenment and include the teachings of endarkenment. That is, it is time to commit to turning toward rather than away from darkness and to learn to perceive with the heart.” The words above are included in the introduction to a new book, Luminous Darkness - An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown, written by Deborah Eden Tull.Eden is a dharma teacher, author and spiritual activist. She trained for 7 and a half years as a Buddhist monk at a silent Zen monastery and has taught engaged dharma for over 20 years, and the conversation we share in this episode might be one of my favorite interviews of the year!I was moved to tears as we talked about endarkenment and wandering off-trail. We explore the realm of dreams, of spiritual bypassing, of the intersection of meditation, nature & social justice, of moral imagination and of rage.Eden reminds us that, “the point of meditation is not to replace our old beliefs with new ones, but to access the perception that is free of beliefs.” Whew. This conversation is not to be missed! You can learn more about Eden here: https://www.deborahedentull.com/And, you can find Luminous Darkness here: https://www.deborahedentull.com/luminous-darknessLearn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

In this mini meditation episode, I am sharing some big news - my upcoming meditation challenge: Building Political Resilience! And, then we will share in this week’s mini meditation:One of the biggest stumbling blocks in our meditation practice is when we find ourselves either falling asleep or daydreaming our way through practice. Conversely some of us might discover meditation is the time we have huge insights, brilliant ideas or vibrant surges of energy. Either way, laxity or elation both cause us to stumble when it comes to deepening our meditation practice.Join me for today’s mini meditation as we address this oh-so-common obstacle.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This month, as kids are transitioning back to school in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought it would be fun if all of us meditators also ‘go back to school’ and revisit some of the key teachings {and primary obstacles!} that help us recommit to and deepen our meditation practice. Within this meditation series, we have been dissecting 3 of the most common stumbling blocks when it comes to a meditation practice. Already, we have talked about the 3 primary forms of laziness {part 1}, the sneaky ways we forget the foundational instructions {part 2}, and today, we are going to explore laxity & elation. Discovering the antidote to this particular obstacle was a huge step forward in my own practice. I hope it is for you as well! Join me for today’s meditation class as we explore falling asleep, being too excited, and everything in between! We will finish with a 20-minute guided meditation.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

In this mini meditation, you will hear me talk about what it takes to make safe spaces both in our practice and within communities like my new Awakened Heart Meditation Community. The meditation today guides us through a primary practice and reminds us of the vital instructions for a deep meditative experience: What do we do with our bodies? With our breath? With our minds?This practice is a great option if you are looking for basic guidance, feeling a bit lackluster in your meditations lately, or if you are just starting out!Join me. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This month, as kids are transitioning back to school in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought it would be fun if all of us meditators also ‘go back to school’ and revisit some of the key teachings {and primary obstacles!} that help us recommit to and deepen our meditation practice. This week’s obstacle is far too important to ignore: Forgetting the InstructionsI know you know the basics of how to meditate. We talk about them all the time and I mention them in every guided meditation. But the truth is, that is part of the problem. The instructions become so familiar that they go in one ear and out the other, and soon we find ourselves sitting for an entire meditation practice and writing a grocery list in our heads the whole time. Whoops!Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we review and refresh the primary instructions for how to meditate and then put it into practice as we sit together for a 20-minute guided meditation. This is a great episode to listen to if you are feeling a bit lackluster in your meditations lately or if you are just starting out!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation is focused on connection to self and others as a source of support in tough times. I shared it as part of the launch of my new meditation community: Awakened Heart. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Today, I am going to talk to you about something near and dear to my heart, but first let me start with some truths:These last several years have been incredibly tough. Being a parent during a pandemic challenged me in ways far deeper and more complicated than I could have ever guessed.The political landscape in this country creates a constant state of deep fear in my body.The eco-crisis has my anxiety at an all-time high.The loss of body autonomy for women in the United States had me spiraling in hopelessness.And, the knowledge that what I am feeling and experiencing as a white woman in this country is just a SLIVER of what my black and brown friends are experiencing is enough to bring me to my knees. All of these feelings left me with one big question…Does. meditation. work?Do the practices that I do and teach on a daily basis actually help? In this very real, very difficult reality that we live in.I am happy to say that with some very deep reflection, discussion with my own teachers, and a digging further into my own practice has left me with the answer - Yes. And. Yes. Meditation is an AMAZING tool for helping us deal with our modern-day lives, AND we can only go so far alone.So, I have spent the last 5 months envisioning and creating the Awakened Heart Meditation Community so that we can go further. Together.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini episode is a practice dedicated to helping you discover the sneaky ways that laziness shows up in our meditation practice and helps us listen for the antidote that we need in order to move deeper into our practice.Join me for this guided meditation.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Summer is often a season of fluid, flexible schedules. There might be camps for the kids, vacations, dealing with other people’s vacation schedules…Every week feels a little different and when that is the case, I notice that my meditation practice shifts. The time of day that I practice is a little less consistent. Sometimes I practice for shorter periods. I practice indoors more with the extreme heat.And now... The kids are going back to school. I saw pumpkin flavored goodies at the grocery store.The promise of fall is in the air, and I thought we would ride that back to school energy in our meditation practice with a re-commitment and a deepening of our practice.In general, there are 3 basic categories of obstacles that stand in the way of a deep meditation practice:LazinessForgetting the InstructionsLaxity or ElationIn this meditation series, we will explore these three obstacles along with their antidotes as a way to settle more fully into our meditation practice. Join me for today’s talk and 20-guided meditation as we explore the obstacle of laziness. It isn’t what you think!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation, led by Mara Branscombe, is a practice of connecting with the energy of the elements as a way to reset and shift our energy. This is a short, powerful practice. Don’t miss it!You can learn more about Mara at https://marabranscombe.com/ And you can find her new book at https://www.ritualasremedy.com/ These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: merylarnett.comLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute is a conversation with Mara Branscombe about the power and simplicity of everyday rituals as a form of soul care. Mara is a mother, writer, yogi, artist, teacher, mindfulness leader, ceremonialist and spiritual coach. She is the author of a new book “Ritual As Remedy: Embodied Practices For Soul Care.” Mara is passionate about weaving the art of mindfulness, self-care, creativity, mind–body practices, and earth-based rituals into her life and work, and she has been leading community ceremony since 2000. Together, we chat about what ritual is and why it matters now more than ever. Mara explains how to begin a daily ritual, and why she chose the elements and the Wheel of the Year as the framework for her book. My personal favorite part of the conversation was our discussion of how and why our personal practices might change over the course of a season - why we might lean into an element or practice more heavily at some point and then gradually add, shift or evolve that practice as the season changes. Be sure to listen all the way to the end as Mara guides us through a short mindfulness practice!You can learn more about Mara at https://marabranscombe.com/ And you can find her book at https://www.ritualasremedy.com/ Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: merylarnett.comIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

In today’s class, we stop trying to fix what we feel. The grief, the fear, the rage, the numbness - all the things we ‘shouldn’t’ feel but wow, do we ever feel. Loudly. Insistently. And importantly.These aren’t feelings to be ignored, sugar-coated, covered up or silenced. Our meditation practice enables us to feel with courage and compassion, and when our meditation practice ends, we have the strength and clarity to take the next right step. Join me for today’s mini meditation.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: merylarnett.comLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

This class was recorded just after the Supreme Court’s official overturn of Roe v. Wade in the United States. In the aftermath, women across the country are dealing with the heartbreaking loss of autonomy over our own bodies. It is incredibly poignant to be teaching the final installment of the ‘When We Suffer’ meditation series. In the previous 2 classes, we discussed how to acknowledge what we feel, and how to stop being afraid of what we feel.In today’s class, we stop trying to fix what we feel. The grief, the fear, the rage, the numbness - all the things we ‘shouldn’t’ feel but wow, do we ever feel. Loudly. Insistently. And importantly.These aren’t feelings to be ignored, sugar-coated, covered up or silenced. Our meditation practice enables us to feel with courage and compassion, and when our meditation practice ends, we have the strength and clarity to take the next right step. I hope you will join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice.Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: merylarnett.comIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

It is quite common to be inexperienced at allowing our difficult feelings to be as they are.When we are scared, often we run.When we are angry, often we fight.When we are sad, often we numb.Our meditation practice allows us the opportunity to return to the present moment, to acknowledge what it is that we are truly feeling, and then to ask ourselves - “Can I be with this?”The answer to this question guides our next response.Join me for a mini meditation designed to help us stop being afraid of what we feel. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: merylarnett.comLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

When we suffer, when we struggle with big emotions, step one is to consciously acknowledge what you feel. Step two is to stop being afraid of what you feel. This fear of feelings might show up as:I can’t bear thisIt will always feel this wayI SHOULDN’T feel this wayThis SHOULDN’T be this wayThese thoughts are often cues that we have left the present moment, and that we have left our mindfulness practice and it is time to return. Our meditation practice allows us the opportunity to return to the present moment, to acknowledge what it is that we are truly feeling, and then to ask ourselves - “Can I be with this?”The answer to this question guides our next response.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a discussion and guided meditation designed to help us stop being afraid of what we feel. Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: merylarnett.comIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Meditation can’t make you feel better about school shootings.Meditation can’t make you feel better about hate-based violence being perpetuated over and over again.Meditation can’t make you feel better about political decisions you disagree with.What meditation can do is help us acknowledge and allow how we feel, and in a way, this does make us feel a bit “better”.Meditation is an invitation to Acknowledge what you feel Stop being afraid of what you feel Release the need to fix what you feelJoin me for a mini meditation meant to help you embody and acknowledge what you are feeling in a way that is safe and supportive. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: MerylArnett.comLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Do you know what Ontological Anxiety is? Ontological Anxiety is what we feel when our state of being or our existence feels unsafe and/or threatened. Over the last several years, I’ve noticed that my meditation practice, which started out as a way to help me feel less stressed at work, has really morphed into a practice that helps me mitigate my own ontological anxiety.Every new crisis - pandemics, mass shootings, environmental, political - creates the exact same feelings in my body. Equal parts heartbreak and terror. This isn’t new or exclusive to one generation. These aren’t the only fraught times, scary or unknown times…This has been true for all of human existence. In Buddhism, the very first of the 4 Noble Truths is that suffering is an innate part of human existence. In a myriad of spiritual texts, we find commentary on the fact that the universe itself contains good and bad, positive and negative states, life and death. Suffering is not a mistake; it is simply built into the system. The tension of opposites is not an issue to remedy. It simply is the truth of existence. Meditation can’t make you feel better about school shootings.Meditation can’t make you feel better about hate-based violence being perpetuated over and over again.Meditation can’t make you feel better about political decisions you disagree with.What meditation can do is help us acknowledge and allow how we feel, and in a way, this does make us feel a bit “better”.Meditation is an invitation to Acknowledge what you feel Stop being afraid of what you feel Release the need to fix what you feelJoin me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we lean into our meditation practice as a support for suffering. As always, we have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. Join me!Download my FREE OFFERING: 5 Practices for Heartbreaking Times Here: https://mailchi.mp/merylarnett/5-practices-for-heartbreaking-timesIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

I’m doing something a little bit scary this month… I am taking off the entire month of July.For the last six months or so, I’ve been wondering - how does someone who is self-employed take a sabbatical? And what I finally realized is no one else is going to give me permission. I’m the only one who can make that choice. And so {gulp} I am doing it. For the next 6 weeks, there will be no live classes, no new podcast episodes, no creating of any kind. My intention is that instead, this time will be spent savoring space, quiet, rest, and dreaming.I have so many ideas, and before I create anything new I must rest a bit. I hope you will consider joining me. Slow down this month. Linger over tea, conversations, or moments of quiet. Meditate a bit more. Rush a bit less.While the podcast is quiet, here are 2 ways you can stay connected:Sign up for my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL You won’t receive anything from me while I’m on break, but you will be the FIRST to hear about what is new in August.Join my free meditation community, Meditate with Meryl: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/I’ll share some bonus meditation practices and the occasional Sabbatical-Update, and I will be looking for updates from you! Share how your practice is going this summer. What are you loving? What are you struggling with? Is there a topic you hope I address on the podcast? I’ll be back in August with a new meditation series.Until then, keep practicing!Love,MerylJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Often, we are scared to fully enter time because we operate from a place of deficit. Somewhere, someway, we were sold the belief that there isn’t enough time and that we are not in control of what little time we do have…The secret truth is that time is ours to play with. The time we dedicate to eating, sleeping, making money, and caring for others - this time is sacrosanct and given priority. But prayer, meditation, study, pleasure - these are fit in only in stolen seconds. The truth is, you do have time, so join me now for today’s mini meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

In this 2-part series, we are looking at meditation as the nexus of space, time, and body-soul.Last week, we explored how we might fully enter space, the heartbeat of the earth and our resonance when we fully connect in this way. This week, we tackle the concept of time. Perhaps the most frequent refrain I hear as a meditation teacher is…. “But, I don’t have time?!”.Often, we are scared to fully enter time because we operate from a place of deficit. Somewhere, someway, we were sold the belief that there isn’t enough time and that we are not in control of what little time we do have…The secret truth is that time is ours to play with. The time we dedicate to eating, sleeping, making money, and caring for others - this time is sacrosanct and given priority. But prayer, meditation, study, pleasure - these are fit in only in stolen seconds. The truth is, you do have time, you might just choose to spend it differently.This is a big, big topic with lots of nuance - let’s start the conversation now, in this episode of The Mindful Minute, along with a 20-minute guided meditation because… you do have time ;-) Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

In today’s mini meditation, we investigate what it means to be fully connected to space. If meditation is the nexus of space, time and soul - how do we step into our space completely and mindfully?  In electromagnetic fields, a form of space, there is attraction, repulsion, movement, holding together, and transformation from one type of energy to another.Join me for a mini meditation inviting you to explore your relationship with space. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Recently, I was having a discussion regarding the nexus of space, time, and soul - a meeting point I think of as the practice of meditation - when someone suggested that this exploration was a form of Spiritual Physics.If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time you know I often pull in theories, quotes and ideas from physicists so this term feels spot on for the work we do in meditation. The definition of physics is -Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. Physics is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines, with its main goal being to understand how the universe behaves. My proposed definition of Spiritual Physics -  … is the psycho-spiritual science that studies the inner workings of the human experience, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy, emotion, imagination and cognition. Its main goal is to explore how the soul behaves.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore Spiritual Physics and what it means to fully enter space & time.Big thank you to today’s sponsor: Ungloo!Ungloo creates products to allow you to meditate comfortably anywhere you want to go. Check out the Ungloo Box, a portable meditation chair, at ungloo.com and be sure to use code Mindful10 to save 10% on your order!Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a special self-care practice. You will hear poet James Crews read his poem, Self-Care, and then I will share his invitation for reflective journaling. Grab a notebook, a pen, and a cup of tea. Settle into a comfortable seat and join us!You can find this poem and reflection {and many others!} in James’ new book, The Path to Kindness. You can find The Path to Kindness at your local, independent bookstore, and you can learn more about James at jamescrews.netBig thank you to today’s sponsor: Ungloo!Ungloo creates products to allow you to meditate comfortably anywhere you want to go. Check out the Ungloo Box, a portable meditation chair, at ungloo.com and be sure to use code Mindful10 to save 10% on your order!These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

For quite awhile now, I have wanted to bring a conversation about poetry to The Mindful Minute. Over the years, I’ve found more and more a connection between reading poetry and my meditation practice, and today, I get to finally explore this connection with poet James Crews!James Crews’ work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Sun Magazine, Ploughshares, and The New Republic, as well as on Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry newspaper column. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in Writing & Literature from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and is the author of four collections of award-winning poetry, including The Book of What Stays (Prairie Schooner Prize and Foreword Book of the Year Citation, 2011), Telling My Father (Cowles Prize, 2017), Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment. He is also the editor of several anthologies of poetry: Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection; and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope. He leads Mindfulness & Writing retreats online and throughout the country, and works as a creative coach with groups and individuals. He lives with his husband, Brad Peacock, in Shaftsbury, Vermont.James and I explore the connection between poetry and meditation, the magic of the most mundane moments, poetry as a tool for connection, and a shared hatred of folding laundry! James also talks to us about journaling and how to get started if you feel stuck when it comes to writing. This conversation was a delight to record; I hope you enjoy listening to it as well!You can find James’ new book, The Path to Kindness, at your local, independent bookstore, and you can learn more about James at jamescrews.netBig thank you to today’s sponsor: Ungloo!Ungloo creates products to allow you to meditate comfortably anywhere you want to go. Check out the Ungloo Box, a portable meditation chair, at ungloo.com and be sure to use code Mindful10 to save 10% on your order!Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neurotheologist, shares a short practice with us of defining our innermost values and making sure that our actions support those values. You can listen to his full interview on the 5.19.22 episode - Spirituality and Meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Dr. Andrew Newberg, one of my favorite former guests, is back with us today to talk about mindfulness, spirituality and our mental well-being. I’ve just wrapped a meditation series, Can Meditation Unite Us, that has reflected on the overlap of several spiritual traditions, and I thought it would be interesting to talk to Dr. Newberg about what happens in our minds and our bodies as we engage with spiritual practices.Dr. Newberg is a neuroscientist and a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences, a field known as “neurotheology.” His research includes taking brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, in an attempt to better understand the nature of religious and spiritual practices and attitudes.In this episode of The Mindful Minute, we talk about religion as well as non-religious activities like meditation, time in nature, and creative pursuits. We talk about ways to explore unity even with those that we find challenging, we discuss the potential problems with religion and spirituality, and we talk a bit about ontological anxiety. I found this conversation fascinating, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!Dr. Newberg’s most recent book is Brain Weaver, Creating the Fabric for a Healthy Mind through Integrative Medicine.You can see some of the brain images that Dr. Newberg references here: http://www.andrewnewberg.com/researchJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

2+ years into a pandemic, when we’ve been enforcing various levels of separation in our daily lives, we are mentally and emotionally unwell. And we find ourselves in this moment with time, space and nature all reminding us that to heal is to connect. Yet, this is really hard at this moment because we’ve created neural pathways of separation. Luckily, we know that meditation is a practice of creating NEW neural pathways, and not only that - meditation is a practice of being present, non-judgmental and compassionate with ourselves and with ALL other beings. Meditation is a practice of expansion and connection. A practice of healing. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we invite in a sense of unity. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Within this series, we are exploring the concept of unity through our meditation practice. So often, we look at our meditation practice through the lens of its 3 tenets: presence, non-judgment, and compassion. Most of the time, I break these tenets down into their individual practices so that we can explore them each in a deeper way - BUT, this can create the mistaken belief that we can ONLY focus on one tenet at a time, or that if we tried to do it all we would have to meditate for an hour.The truth is these elements are inseparable. They are entangled within our meditation practice as a complete whole. In a recent conversation with Neuro-theologist Dr. Andrew Newberg, he explained that in his research it is clear that we are healthier - mentally and emotionally - when we feel unity and a connectedness to all beings. Religions or spiritual practices that teach a domination of others, an elitism, racism, sexism, etc. have adverse health effects. The practices that teach love and compassion create healthier, happier people.In this particular moment, when we are re-emerging after 2 years of being separate, we are mentally and emotionally unwell. And we find ourselves in this moment with time, space and nature all reminding us that to heal is to connect. Yet, this is really hard at this moment because we’ve created these neural pathways of separation. Luckily we know that meditation is a practice of creating NEW neural pathways, and not only that - meditation is a practice of being present, non-judgmental and compassionate with ourselves and with ALL other beings. Meditation is a practice of expansion and connection. A practice of healing. Join me for today’s talk and 20-minute guided meditation. Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteLearn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Being a mom; trying to become a mother; or not becoming a mother is likely one of the most difficult experiences of your life. We love our children, we worry endlessly, and we often experience the vast extremes of emotions with them or with our own seeming successes or failures.One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves in relation to the word ‘mom’ is a practice that refills and strengthens our emotional reserves. Join me in this practice of lovingkindess just for the mama-hearts out there… no matter how tough the day, we always deserve our own love and compassion.*The practice is also available in my meditation app Roots*These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

*This episode originally ran in 2018, and I am delighted to replay it for you this week as we celebrate the mamas. Happy Mother’s Day, mamas! This short meditation is a chance to sit and be with it all. Being a mother is its own complex mess of emotions, feelings and thoughts. And, we are here for it. All of it. Celebrating the joys, the sorrows, the triumphs and the defeats. Celebrating the mundane and the magnificent. We are here for it. We are here for each other. Happy Mother’s Day.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

We are so entrenched in our sides, our tribes, our ideological beliefs, that it feels almost impossible to comprehend how someone could feel or believe differently. Take any political issue, and my guess is that you can’t even believe how someone on the other side could think their choice is a good one, and yet - Even in this inability to comprehend, we know that ‘they’ are thinking the exact same thing about ‘our’ beliefs and choices. It blows the mind, doesn’t it? How is resolution or unity possible?And, then I sit and I meditate, and remember what is most important. That remembrance settles me into the type of knowing that allows me to face the unknown and the discord and have faith in our capacity for goodness.I don’t have the answers, but I do have faith in our connection.Join me for today’s mini meditation as we cultivate faith in our capacity for goodness. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

This month, we are paying attention to the overlap of Easter, Passover, and Ramadan, and the way the universe seems to be reminding us of what is most important - Our connection to each other and to the planet. In our meditation practice, we can also explore our sense of unity. One of the tenets of a mindful meditation practice is non-judgment. We talk about this idea of not judging ourselves, our thoughts or our emotions quite often, but what about our judgment of others.We are so entrenched in our sides, our tribes, our ideological beliefs, that it feels almost impossible to comprehend how someone could feel or believe differently. Take any political issue, and my guess is that you can’t even believe how someone on the other side could think their choice is a good one, and yet - Even in this inability to comprehend, we know that ‘they’ are thinking the exact same thing about ‘our’ beliefs and choices. It blows the mind, doesn’t it? How is resolution or unity possible?And, then I sit and I meditate, and remember what is most important. That remembrance settles me into the type of knowing that allows me to face the unknown and the discord and have faith in our capacity for goodness.I don’t have the answers, but I do have faith in our connection.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. We talk about faith, non-judgment, unity, and how this overlaps with advocacy and action. And of course, we share in a 20-minute guided meditation at the end. Let’s practice.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

In our meditation practice, we are invited into the present moment. But the cool thing is that the present moment isn’t a static place. In fact, the present moment is more like a precipice, an edge…The present moment is a continually expanding experience of what is NOW. I think of it as a verison of the universe itself. Scientists know that the universe is continually expanding - and it feels like the present moment is a microcosm of the universe as a whole. A multitude of experiences are contained within the present, and it is always changing. Both are true. So in every moment that we sit and breathe in meditation, we are what we are in this moment AND we are becoming something new. Generating new cells, new thought patterns, new awarenesses. As part of our practice we celebrate our continual renewal. It is our chance to see ourselves exactly as we are and as we are becoming. Join me for today’s mini meditation celebrating our personal renewal.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

April 2022 is a powerful month this year. For the first time in 31 years, the sacred holidays of Passover, Easter & Ramadan all overlap in the same month. These holidays respectively celebrate themes of liberation and expansion, rebirth and renewal, and forgiveness and self-restraint.Unrelated, I went on a foraging hike this weekend in the North Georgia mountains. I learned about some of the medicinal plants that are in abundance right now like violets, dead nettle, and yellow root. So many of these plants offer medicine that is deeply needed in this moment - respiratory health, vibrancy, and healing. In a talk given by a fellow meditation teacher, she marveled at the fact that the earth is producing exactly what we most need right now.In the same way, we see time responding to our needs. The overlap of lunar and solar calendars doesn’t happen often, and at a moment when divisiveness feels ever-present - when we are seeing a dramatic ramp up in exclusive policy vs inclusive policy - the universe is responding with the reminder of what we most need and what is most sacred:Our connection to each other and the planet we live onJoin me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore our meditation practice as a pathway to unity. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

In the last episode, Rhizomatic Meditation, I created and shared this term - ‘Rhizomatic Meditation’ which is really just another way to describe the process of becoming a meditator, in my opinion.A rhizome is “a continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals” like ginger or iris plants.I think this is an interesting lens to view our meditation practice through as well. Rather than a clear end goal that we are systematically working towards, accomplishing one study unit and then the next; instead we grow horizontally along our path underground.It isn’t always clear. It definitely isn’t linear. Nor are we always fully aware of the process happening underground.So, we continue to meditate, we journal, and we share or discuss with our community to help us uncover/discover what is happening as we grow underground. Join me for today’s mini meditation and let’s feel for ourselves how we grow. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

I recently attended a forum titled ‘Democracy Under Siege: Authoritarianism and the Psyche’. It was fascinating; just in case you were wondering exactly how nerdy I am…During the panel discussion a comment was made that democracy asks us to embrace rhizomatic thinking or rhizomatic imagination. This phrase immediately jumped out at me because I had just taught the last ‘Way of Roots’ meditation class and I knew this was tied to that topic, but how?A rhizome is “a continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals” like ginger or iris plants.If you look at rhizomatic learning, you will see the work of Inna Semetsky. She writes, “a rhizome does not consist of units, but of dimensions and directions.”I think this is an interesting lens to view our meditation practice through as well. Rather than a clear end goal that we are systematically working towards, accomplishing one study unit and then the next; instead we grow horizontally along our path underground.It isn’t always clear. It definitely isn’t linear. Nor are we always fully aware of the process happening underground.So, we continue to meditate, we journal, and we share or discuss with our community to help us uncover/discover what is happening as we grow underground. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we chat about rhizomatic meditation {I definitely just made that term up}, and then share in a 20-minute guided meditation.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

In physics, entanglement refers to particles that “have correlated attributes such that they act not as individual particles but as an inseparable whole.”Within our meditation practice, I think we see entanglement on two levels:First, our practice becomes entangled with our lived experience. Initially perhaps, our practice feels like this thing we do on our meditation cushion and then we go live our lives the other 23 hours and 50 minutes of the day. But slowly, slowly this practice tangles with our waking, walking moments and we feel more and more consciousness throughout our days.Second, our meditation practice is entangled with other meditators across place and time. When we connect with other meditators, our practice becomes more enlivened. We receive the same support, warnings, and care as the mother trees share with the younger members of the forest. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we explore our own sense of entanglement. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Within this meditation series, we have discussed how rootedness is innate to us {part 1}, and how paths carved by our rootedness lead us to a rewilding of the spirit {part 2}, and now in the last part of the Roots meditation series we discuss entanglement. In physics, entanglement refers to particles that “have correlated attributes such that they act not as individual particles but as an inseparable whole.”In forests, tree roots entangled with the mycorrhizae of the soil create an inseparable community that rely on one another for well-being. Within our meditation practice, I think we see entanglement on two levels:First, our practice becomes entangled with our lived experience. Initially perhaps, our practice feels like this thing we do on our meditation cushion and then we go live our lives the other 23 hours and 50 minutes of the day. But slowly, slowly this practice tangles with our waking, walking moments and we feel more and more consciousness throughout our days.Second, our meditation practice is entangled with other meditators across place and time. When we connect with other meditators, our practice becomes more enlivened. We receive the same support, warnings, and care as the mother trees share with the younger members of the forest. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we sift through the forest floor in search of answers about our own meditation experiences. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about:*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

If we look at ancient meditation teachings as roots, they allow us to understand the path that has been carved by practitioners of the past. And then crucially, the teachings always invite us to explore for ourselves. To question. To advance. We don’t have to accept without experiencing for ourselves.We use wisdom teachings - through books, through teachers or classes or podcasts -  to help guide us. To give us the lay of the land and the sense of what’s possible. And then we return to our practice.Join me for today’s mini meditation practice as we explore the path carved. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

This meditation series, The Way of Roots, began with an exploration of our own rootedness - our own ability to be present and awake to the moment as it is. Now, we add a bit to our understanding of Roots. Roots travel in search of nutrients, water, and community with other trees. One of the first things I think about is the big oak on the side of my house, near the road. It has been there a long time, and its roots have traveled past the boundary of the yard, under the paved road where they have made these huge, self-created speed bumps in the road.The tree doesn’t heed to suburban ideas of lawn. Roots don’t heed to where development has said ‘stop’. In fact, re-wilding has shown that even in the face of huge infrastructure and development - if left alone, roots move back in and take back the territory that was once theirs.This makes me think of the wisdom teachings from great meditators of the past. These ancient teachings don’t heed to modernity. They don’t become obsolete because now iPhones and social media exist. In fact, these teachings of meditation become MORE potent in the face of these modern evolutions. Meditation teachings invite the rewilding of our souls on some levels. It says ‘remember when’ or ‘remember who’ you were before all this. This isn’t to romanticize an ancient time, or ancient culture. It is simply to be aware of the path your roots have carved and are currently carving.From each root, are tons of little off-shoots. We get to ask, “are we on an off-shoot, or are we on the main root? Are we moving in the direction we want to be moving?    If we look at teachings as roots, they allow us to understand the path that has been carved.And then crucially, the teachings always invite us to explore for ourselves. To question. To advance. We don’t have to accept without experiencing for ourselves.We use wisdom teachings - through books, through teachers or classes or podcasts -  to help guide us. To give us the lay of the land and the sense of what’s possible. And then we return to our practice.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the path roots carve and then share in a 20-minute guided meditation.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Roots, in botany, are the part of a vascular plant normally underground. Its primary functions are To anchor of the plant To aid in the absorption of water and mineralsTo store a reserve of food.Our practice serves much the same purpose. It anchors us to the present moment, it allows us to absorb the benefits of being present, non-judgmental and compassionate, and it prepares us to face difficult times with equanimity.And, here is the vital element - we can access this wisdom just as we are. We are born with roots. Rootedness is innate to us.Join me for today’s mini meditation as we practice accessing our roots. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself at baronfig.comLearn more about my:*Elemental Awakening*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Often, when we talk about simplifying, getting back to basics or our foundation, we say “getting back to our roots”...  and my offering this month is exactly that - It is an invitation to get back to our roots in the most literal way possible. To explore our rootedness and how this relates to our meditation practice. When I think about the roots of a plant, I see this as something innate, something forged, and something woven. Over the next 3 classes, we will look at each of these ideas in turn.Roots are innate. They are the first thing to grow from a seed; a seed is ‘born’ with roots so to speak. They are something we too are born with. This early and automatic ability to present. To be HERE. We are just part of the earth, the family, the moment without question. Roots, in botany, are the part of a vascular plant normally underground. Its primary functions are To anchor of the plant To aid in the absorption of water and mineralsTo store a reserve of food.Our practice serves much the same purpose. It anchors us to the present moment, it allows us to absorb the benefits of being present, non-judgmental and compassionate, and it prepares us to face difficult times with equanimity.And, here is the vital element - we can access this wisdom just as we are. We are born with roots. Rootedness is innate to us.Join me for today’s talk and 20-minute guided meditation. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself at baronfig.comLearn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is offered with the reminder that community is a valuable part of any meditation practice. It is what helps us to explore meditation off the cushion and to put our practice into everyday use.Join me!These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself at baronfig.comLearn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

One of my intentions for 2022 is to truly pay attention to and foster community both in my work and my personal life. This is a value I hold so dear, and I’ve felt the impact of the last 2.5 years as it has asked us all to reimagine community connection.I’ve recently introduced a monthly community discussion class in my live Monday night meditation class as one way to foster this sense of connection, and I thought, even though you won’t get to hear the actual community chatter in this episode {I’ve kept that private to maintain safe, sacred space within my live class}, it is valuable to hear my thoughts on why community matters so much to us as meditators.You’ll hear some short thoughts from me, and we will share in a 20-minute guided meditation as usual. Please know, if you are searching for your own meditation community - you are, of course, welcome to join my live classes if the timing works for you, but you could also join my free meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/If you join, please feel encouraged to post! Share your questions, ideas, wins, and wonderings! Discussion is how online community begins to build, and I would love to hear from you.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Special thanks to today’s sponsor: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself at baronfig.comLearn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Mini Meditation: Elemental Awakening to FireIn today’s mini meditation, I’m sharing another elemental practice with you in celebration of my upcoming program Elemental Awakening!We have explored two different wind-based practices recently and now we will revisit an old favorite - fire. Today’s meditation is one of my original offerings in Roots - my nature-based meditation app. In this practice, you hear the embers of a campfire crackling as it burns in Little Yosemite Valley. This soundscape was recorded by Gordon Hempton and the meditation was written from my direct experience of sitting in front of decades worth of campfires.Don’t forget registration for Elemental Awakening closes TOMORROW, March 15 at Midnight. There are just a few spots left and I would love for YOU to join me in this intimate exploration of the elements, ourselves, and our relationship to mindfulness. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

Show Notes: Astronomical Mindfulness with Sarah Scoles“Back when humans lived in communal caves and tribal encampments, we told stories about the stars. When we started sailing, we used these same pinpricks of light to estimate our own location. When we began planting, we relied on the constellations and the Sun to plant and sustain crops. Yet today, most modern humans have lost this deep connection to the cosmos that was once central to our daily lives.”The new book, ASTRONOMICAL MINDFULNESS, is a unique guidebook written by astronomy professor, Chris De Pree, and science journalist, Sarah Scoles, and in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute I chat with Sarah about all things astronomical. We talk about the power of the sun, moon, stars, and planets to offer engaging exercises that deepen your knowledge of the solar system, help you take necessary pauses every day, and foster a renewed sense of presence in the universe.Sarah Scoles is a freelance journalist and contributing editor at WIRED. She is the author of Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers.This conversation is such a fun listen after January’s Meditation & The Moon series and my upcoming Elemental Awakening offering. Join me for this exploration of the cosmos, mindfulness, and some new practices you can try tonight. Learn more about Sarah Scoles at: https://www.sarahscoles.com/ You can purchase Astronomical Mindfulness at your local bookstore.Learn more about Elemental Awakening at: https://www.merylarnett.com/elemental-awakening-2022Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Mini Meditation: Delight, Sorrow and What Lies BetweenWhen we reflect on opposing forces such as good & evil or joy & sorrow, it is easy to see them as existing on a scale with one force on each side - thesis and antithesis. But, what happens when we introduce a third force? Thesis. Antithesis. Synthesis. Fire. Water. Air. Rabbi Jill Hammer writes, “ when we come to presence, we are able to hold multiple truths without straining.”Join me for today’s mini meditation as we practice holding multiple truths and bringing synthesis to the moment.  Today’s meditation is inspired by the guided visualization Higher than Delight, Deeper than Sorrow written by Rabbi Jill Hammer.You can learn more about Elemental Awakening here: merylarnett.com/elemental-awakening-2022Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/ These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

You’ll remember that this month’s meditation series is a series about the ever-changing wind and the play of opposite forces in our daily lives. Good & evil, praise & blame, joy & sorrow, etc.Last week {part 2} we looked through the lens of Buddhist teachings on the 8 Worldly Winds, and that we never know when the wind will change directions. We were offered a solution of learning how to live in the ‘middle’ or with equanimity. Now, I love learning how these same ideas permeate time, location and culture. Lately, I’ve been reading an ancient Jewish mystical text known as the Sefer Yetzirah. The interpretation I’m reading is written by Rabbi Jill Hammer - it is a story about creation, the elements, the cosmos and God.  As the text explores opposing forces such as delight and suffering, merit and guilt, even fire and water, Rabbi Hammer writes, “even things so diverse as pleasure and pain are still made up of the same building blocks, the same human consciousness and experience, the same divine creative force. The wheel of letters contains all phenomena. All happenings are ultimately one, even when they appear radically different. When we understand this, we can come to a state of equanimity within the cosmos.”It is all the same wind, just blowing differently.And, the suggested solution, over and over again, is Equanimity. Rather than fight with the present moment, can we learn to be with it exactly as it is?Philosopher and poet Mark Nepo describes it so beautifully when he offers -“We are all continually asked to learn how to ask for what we need, only to practice accepting what we’re given.”Join me for today’s discussion and 20-minute guided meditation on The Mindful Minute. Today’s meditation is inspired by the guided visualization Higher than Delight, Deeper than Sorrow written by Rabbi Jill Hammer.You can learn more about Elemental Awakening here: merylarnett.com/elemental-awakening-2022Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

Mini Meditation: Elemental Awakening to WindMy newest program, Elemental Awakening, is an exploration of the elements and their corresponding sacred practices. It runs from the Spring Equinox to the Fall Equinox, and it is a chance for 12 of you to study in-depth with me over the course of the next 7 months. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be releasing a few mini meditations that correspond with each element as a way to explore Elemental Awakening for yourself.Today’s mini meditation invites you to meditate with the idea and experience of wind.This experience invites us into equanimity as sometimes we resonate with the sensation of being blown around. Chaotic, uncontrolled. Other times, we resonate with the sensation of our feet solidly on the ground, a steady anchor as the wind whips around us. You can learn more about Elemental Awakening here: merylarnett.com/elemental-awakening-2022Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

This is a series about wind, about good and bad, about our struggles with the state of the world; but mostly, this is a series about wind. I love wind. Sometimes, I resonate with the sensation of being blown around. Chaotic, uncontrolled.Other times, I resonate with the sensation of my feet on the ground. My body, a steady anchor as the wind whips around me. It is a both/and situation, and it asks us to acknowledge paradox. It teaches us equanimity. In Buddhist teachings, there is a teaching known as the 8 Worldly Winds. These winds are:-Praise/Blame-Gain/Loss-Success/Failure-Joy/SorrowThe gist of the teaching is that we never know when the wind will change directions.We are also reminded that one doesn’t exist without the other. We can’t only have praise. Or success. Or Joy. And in fact, we know through psychological research that if you refuse to experience sorrow, you inadvertently are unable to experience joy. The teaching isn’t telling us to fix it, or to get better. Rather the teaching is offering us a way to learn how to exist in the middle. We learn to embrace tension, paradox, change.  Instead of seeking resolution, waiting for the chord at the end of a song, we let ourselves open and relax in the middle.Ajahn Sumedo teaches us to be open to the way things are.  “Of course we can always imagine more perfect conditions, how it should be ideally, how everyone else should behave. But it’s not our task to create an ideal. It’s our task to see how it is, and to learn from the world as it is. For the awakening of the heart, conditions are always good enough.”Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the ever-changing wind both in concept and within a 20-minute guided meditation. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20, 2022*Roots: nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

You guys. I have something BIG to share with you today!I have just released my newest offering into the world. This is something that has been incubating in my meditations, my dreams and my daily walks for a full year, and I am so delighted to finally share this with you! ⁠Elemental Awakening is an exploration of the elements and 6 corresponding sacred practices. This program will run from the Spring Equinox to the Fall Equinox, and it is a chance for 12 of you to study in-depth with me over the course of the next 7 months. This is not a workshop, a training or an intensive. This is an invitation. An invitation to go deeper with me; to gather in an engaged, curious community; to explore together; and to weave a tapestry of our own magic.I’m so excited to share a bit about this opportunity with you guys, AND I’m releasing one of my newest meditations from my newly redesigned nature-based meditation app - Roots. This practice is one I’ve been using daily for weeks, and I think you might enjoy it too -A while ago, I had the opportunity to hike to the top of Haleakala - a dormant volcano on Maui, Hawaii. The summit lies at 10,023 feet above sea level. We were above the clouds, and although it was summer time, it was bitterly cold as the wind whipped around us. The landscape felt desert-like, but what was most noticeable was the way it seemed like you were closer to the sky than the earth. It felt like we were quite literally ‘hanging in the void’ or the liminal space between the solid ground we call home and the expansive universe that wraps around us. It was a moment of both/and - of being connected to the life we live on a daily basis and equally connected to the greater expanse that reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously or to worry too much. In this practice, we hear the wind whipping from the top of a volcano as recorded by Gordon Hempton. We imagine ourselves at the edge, the void between earth and the universe, between the mundane and universal consciousness.Let’s practice balancing on this edge.Native Hawaiians, also known as Kanaka Maoli, are the first people to have heard the sounds of this particular landscape. You can learn more about Elemental Awakening here: merylarnett.com/elemental-awakening-2022Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:***Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20**Roots: my nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

I spend a lot of time reflecting on the teachings of meditation and their intersection with the specific moment we are living in. For most of us, I believe this feels like a scary time, as if there are two sides battling out for domination with no chance of reason or clarity being heard. As I dance with the anxiety of mid-term elections this year, and continued reports of rising extremism, I remind myself that we have been here before. Some of the details might be new to this moment, but the vast majority of this experience is a cycle we have experienced over and over again throughout history. Battles of right and wrong, left and right, good and evil are not new. They are not unique to us living in 2022. There are teachings in ancient Buddhist texts of the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows. The ever changing winds that blow.There are teachings in ancient jewish texts that talk about delight and sorrow, merit and guilt simply being a rearrangement of the same two letter combinations.Over and over again, this lesson is presented to us -  It isn’t good/correct on one side, and evil/incorrect on the other. Rather, one side exists because of the other. They exist simultaneously and of the same elements, just expressed differently. And so, over the course of this next 3-part series, The Ways of Wind, we will look at the different teachings around the ever changing winds of experience. We start tonight by learning to balance on the edge of the universe. Join me here, now for a discussion and 20-minute guided meditation. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: my nature-based meditation app*Elemental Awakening: Begins March 20!*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Why do we love Encanto so much? Why has “We don’t talk about Bruno” taken over the charts in such an unexpected way? Perhaps it is that the music and the lyrics remind us we are not alone in what we feel, what we struggle with… and I think it is so important to make this connection alongside our meditation practice.It is far too easy to mistakenly believe that meditation is an isolating practice. We often practice alone. We close the door; we tell others to be quiet and not interrupt us. We finish and we likely don’t speak about our experience within meditation to anyone. Yet, the truth is our practice is a deep reminder of our connection to everyone, to all beings.Let’s meditate together today in connection with Bruno and all beings everywhere <3Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:**Roots: my nature-based  meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

I am obsessed with Encanto. Are you? We have watched the movie several times, and basically listen to the soundtrack on repeat these days…The song “We don’t talk about Bruno” has taken over the charts beating out the previously unbeatable “Let it Go”...The spin class I recently took that was themed to the Encanto soundtrack had three times more people in it than any other class at that moment in time.Why do we love this story and this music so much? This is a story among so many things of magic, of intergenerational trauma, of perfectionism, of expectations, of not wanting to look at the cracks in the foundation.Lin-Manuel Miranda has given us a story that encompasses so much of what we are experiencing on literal and metaphorical levels right now. This is a myth that allows us to process, to digest our own experiences without thinking too hard about it.The music and the lyrics remind us we are not alone in what we feel, what we struggle with, and I think it is so important to make this connection alongside our meditation practice.It is far too easy to mistakenly believe that meditation is an isolating practice. We often practice alone. We close the door; we tell others to be quiet and not interrupt us. We finish and we likely don’t speak about our experience within meditation to anyone. Yet, the truth is our practice is a deep reminder of our connection to everyone, to all beings.This is the exact same reason why we practiced with the phases of the moon this month. It connects us. In space. In time. Across generations, geographic locations and ideological gulfs. It is the same moon. It gives context to the chaos of our lives.There is a reminder in the sky, in the music, in our practice: From chaos comes creation.From formlessness comes formation. We are here to create, and when we face tough times with wide-open eyes and hearts, when we talk about Bruno, we can create something truly spectacular. So, tear-streaked faces, exhausted eyes, furrowed brows and all, show up. Sit on your cushion. Place yourself in space and time underneath the moon, within the lyrics, and let’s see what we create. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: my nature-based  meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

My friends, if you read only one book this year, let it bePause, Rest, Be: Stillness Practices for Courage in Time of ChangeMy dear friend, Octavia Raheem has released her second book into the world and it is the balm we have all been waiting for. In her introduction, Octavia writes,“I created Pause, Rest, Be to meet you in the places that shape, redefine, and sometimes undo us: endings, liminal space, and beginnings. The places of falling aparts and mergings. Of letting go and coming together. Union. This book contains my personal reflections on endings, the place in between, and beginnings. It is also a book of inquiry and practice. Each section ends with a prayer that crosses faiths to reach all hearts.”And also - “You are not lost. You are here to reorient your way to the path that is truly yours to walk.” I am so delighted to share this conversation amongst friends. We talk through closing our shared business, through the liminal space in between and imaginal cells {my favorite!}, as well as stepping boldly into new beginnings.This is the book that speaks to what you are feeling right now, and perhaps offers you some new tools for when even meditating might be ‘too much’...After listening, be sure to purchase Octavia’s new book from your local bookstore, or here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691234/pause-rest-be-by-octavia-f-raheemYou can learn more about Octavia and her books here:https://www.pauserestbe.com/https://octaviaraheem.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

As the light of the moon diminishes, and our meditation practice nears the end, we are reminded one last time to return to presence. If we have drifted off this is the moment to catch that last thought, daydream, or feeling, and to remember the wisdom of our practice before moving on with our day.Join me for today’s mini meditation in honor of the waning moon. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: my nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

She wanes. The moon gradually continues her cycle with diminishing light night after night until we return to the dark moon and start over again.This phase of waning light reminds us that we set an intention to turn our attention inward. The premise of this series has walked us through the cycles of the moon and their representations in our meditation practice. The new moon, waxing moon, full moon & now waning.As the light diminishes, we are reminded in the last moments of our meditation practice to return to presence if we have drifted off; to catch that last thought, daydream, or feeling; and to remember the wisdom of our practice before moving on with our day.Join me as we discuss how to remember the wisdom, how to complete a meditation practice, and then we will share in a 20-minute guided meditation together. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Roots: my nature-based meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional kid spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

This week is the week of the January full moon. Many indigenious groups have specific names for each of the 13 full moons of the year. January’s moon, by northern and eastern tribes, was often called the wolf moon.So called because this is a time, deep in winter, when the wolves are hungry and howling frequently.Interestingly, the full moon is also the time when we are believed to be the most magnetic, articulate, receptive and collaborative. The light of the moon and ourselves is bright and reflecting outward.So, in this receptive moment, how do we address the hungry wolf? Join me in this mini meditation encompassing the 3 components of a mindful meditation practice and satiating the hungry wolf within. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Join my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute#meditatewithmeryl

This week is the week of the January full moon. Many indigenous groups have specific names for each of the 13 full moons of the year. January’s moon, by northern and eastern tribes, was often called the wolf moon.So called because this is a time, deep in winter, when the wolves are hungry and howling frequently.For us too, January has evolved to be a hungry month. For many people throughout the world, this is a literal hunger, and for those of us who are fortunate enough to have enough to eat in this moment, metaphorically we’ve been trained to focus on hunger this month too - What do I WANT for the coming year?What will I accomplish? What will make me feel like enough?Hunger. Interestingly, the full moon is also the time when we are believed to be the most magnetic, articulate, receptive and collaborative. The light of the moon and ourselves is bright and reflecting outward.So, in this receptive moment, how do we address the hungry wolf? With love. With Compassion. Not enoughness can not be satiated with accomplishments, with praise or with plans. The empty belly of enoughness can only be filled with a steady diet of compassion. This is also the final component of a meditation practice. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss the full moon and its implications for our meditation practice. As always, we will finish with a 20-minute guided meditation. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteJoin my FREE meditation community here: https://meditate-with-meryl.mn.co/Learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.#meditatewithmeryl

We add light and awareness to our meditation practice, when we relinquish all judgment. What happens when we stop telling ourselves we are wrong?That we are something to fix?What happens when we are curious instead?When we stop saying no; when we soften the armour around what we can’t feel or won’t feel, is it possible that there is wisdom waiting for us?Join me for today’s mini-meditation as we relish the added light of non-judgment. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

This week, the moon is waxing. She is adding a sliver of light every night. We also see this experience mirrored in our meditation practice.We begin by simply settling into the present moment, and then, we add more light and deeper awareness by incorporating non-judgment into our practice. In our daily lives, the waxing moon is typically an ideal time to brainstorm, to plant seeds of creation, and to initiate new projects. Without doubt, one of the most vital elements of the creation process is the ability to suspend judgment. In a brainstorm, everything is allowed. No idea is bad. We explore all the possibilities.So too with our meditation practice. Thoughts, feelings, daydreams arise, and rather than push them away or argue with them, we simply say, “welcome.”Or better yet - “This is what is happening right now. I wonder what will happen next?”When we stop saying no; when we soften the armour around what we can’t feel or won’t feel, is it possible that there is wisdom waiting for us?Join me for today’s discussion on the waxing moon and non-judgment; I share a real life example of this tool being incredibly useful in my own eco-anxiety fears, and then we will share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice. Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

The new moon happens each lunar cycle; it is the time when the moon is completely dark. The new moon reminds us that the moon itself doesn’t possess any light. The light we so love and celebrate is a reflection, an illumination from a perpetually radiant source of light- the sun. This is quite true of our meditation practice as well. It isn’t “meditation” - the type, style, name or duration - that is the magic. Rather, the practice simply reflects or illuminates our innermost, perpetually radiant self. The practice of meditation allows us to witness the inner workings of our own minds. We start this illumination by simply landing here. Now. By learning how to be present. Join me for today’s mini meditation practice.Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

I am most decidedly NOT a night owl. I’ve always been early to bed, early to rise - hence teaching 6 a.m. yoga for more than a decade ;-) And yet, over the last year, I found myself taking walks at night. Nothing fancy; just short strolls through my neighborhood - the same route I would walk with my kids during the daytime, and yet, I found it was completely altered at night. As I’ve tracked the cycles of the moon in this most visible, tangible way I’ve noticed how the lunar phases show up in our meditation practice just as they do on the tides, our bodily rhythms and the seasons themselves. Honoring the cycles in our lives can be a potent way to connect more deeply to our stillness practices. This first meditation series of 2022 is a refresher course on the basics of meditation tied to the phases of the moon. Perfect for those of us that need a little boost, a little depth, or just a breath of fresh air in our practice!In this episode, we start with the new moon, which just happened on January 2.  This is the time when the moon is completely dark. The new moon reminds us that the moon itself doesn’t possess any light. The light we so love and celebrate is a reflection, an illumination from a perpetually radiant source of light. This is quite true of our meditation practice as well. It isn’t “meditation” - the type, style, name or duration - that is the magic. Rather, the practice simply reflects or illuminates our innermost, perpetually radiant self. The practice of meditation allows us to witness the inner workings of our own minds. We start by landing here. Now. Join me for this all new meditation series as we kickstart our meditation practice for 2022.Special thanks to today’s sponsor:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journaler, I use and love their guided meditation journal, dream journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! Get one for yourself here: https://baronfig.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

In today’s mini meditation we explore and honor the Mystery. The unknown forces that cause some moments to feel particularly chaotic or overwhelming and the unknown forces that tip us back into periods of calm. We can look to the Winter Solstice as an example - In ancient times, this was a moment when it appeared that the sun had stopped moving in the sky. The light had disappeared. Our ancestors didn’t know that the earth orbited the sun or that its axis was tilted. They didn’t know why the sun ‘stopped’ moving or if the light would return. So they did little things to create comfort - they lit fires and made offerings; they created ritual as a way to acknowledge the mystery and the chaos as well as to calm some of the fear that arises in the face of the unknown.Join me for today’s mini meditation as we honor the mystery  and calm the chaos. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Happy Winter Solstice to my friends in the Northern hemisphere and happy Summer Solstice to those in the south! Today’s episode is the final installment of the Chaos to Calm series as well as my final episode of 2021. In today’s class we explore and honor the Mystery. The unknown forces that cause some moments to feel particularly chaotic or overwhelming and the unknown forces that tip us back into periods of calm. We can look to the Winter Solstice as an example - In ancient times, this was a moment when it appeared that the sun had stopped moving in the sky. The light had disappeared. Our ancestors didn’t know that the earth orbited the sun or that its axis was tilted. They didn’t know why the sun ‘stopped’ moving or if the light would return. So they did little things to create comfort - they lit fires and made offerings; they created ritual as a way to acknowledge the mystery and the chaos as well as to calm some of the fear that arises in the face of the unknown.Join me for one last meditation class in 2021 as we honor the mystery, celebrate the solstice and calm the chaos. As we wrap up 2021, I just want to share a huge thank you to everyone who listened, who emailed, who donated or shared about the podcast. I delight in sharing these classes with you all and I’m grateful for your presence here. There are lots of new series coming up in 2022, until then, keep practicing and be well. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Spiral fractals can be seen in shells, fiddlehead ferns, hurricanes, spiral galaxies, and the motion of fluid.And, isn’t this exactly what we are doing in our practice? We are spiraling inwards, learning to listen to our deepest selves.... but here is what I’ve learned about spiraling inward: It isn’t as clear-cut as it first seems. It seems like we should always feel like we are getting closer to the center, shouldn’t it? As if every practice should feel deeper and quieter?And yet, anyone with a regular meditation practice will tell you, it doesn’t feel like that. In my experience, it feels more labyrinthine - you can never quite tell where you are in the journey while you are in the middle of it. Just when you feel furthest away, you suddenly find yourself right at the center. Join me for today’s mini meditation as a practice in the deep listening required to spiral inwards.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

In last week’s episode, From Chaos to Calm part 1, I kicked off this series with the idea of doing the deep work of noticing our own internal fractals. Remember, a fractal is a never-ending pattern that is created by repeating a simple process over and over.Last week, we looked at fractals that branch - trees, blood vessels, and rivers as examples, but there is another kind of fractal… a spiral. Spiral fractals can be seen in shells, fiddlehead ferns, hurricanes, spiral galaxies, and the motion of fluid.And, isn’t this exactly what we are doing in our practice? We are spiraling inwards, learning to listen to our deepest selves.... but here is what I’ve learned about spiraling inward: It isn’t as clear-cut as it first seems. It seems like we should always feel like we are getting closer to the center, shouldn’t it? As if every practice should feel deeper and quieter?And yet, anyone with a regular meditation practice will tell you, it doesn’t feel like that. In my experience, it feels more labyrinthine - you can never quite tell where you are in the journey while you are in the middle of it. Just when you feel furthest away, you suddenly find yourself right at the center. So, what do you do when you walk through a labyrinth? You take one step at a time. You don’t look too far ahead. You stay right here in the present moment, and you relinquish any attempt to guess when you might be finished.In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we talk about ways we can work on the deep listening and the spiral inward that moves us from chaos to calm. We also share in a 20 minute guided meditation at the end. Join me! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

I look at the calendar. I look at my to-do list. I look at my bank account. I look at my inbox. I repeat. This time of year more than any other, I feel the pull of the outer world rub distinctly against my desire to slow down, stay inside, and savor this dark, cozy season. As I reflect on the familiar feelings of chaos, I realize that what I am seeing is a fractal. A fractal is a never-ending pattern that occurs in nature. While the fractal itself, the pattern, is quite simple, the picture it displays can be one of chaos. But now that we know where to look, the movement from chaos to calm is simpler than ever. Join me for this mini meditation inviting us to pull back and see the simplicity behind the chaos. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - Begins in January 2022!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

I look at the calendar. I look at my to-do list. I look at my bank account. I look at my inbox. I repeat. This time of year more than any other, I feel the pull of the outer world rub distinctly against my desire to slow down, stay inside, and savor this dark, cozy season. As I reflect on the familiar feelings of chaos, I realize that what I am seeing is a fractal. A fractal is a never-ending pattern that occurs in nature. While the fractal itself, the pattern, is quite simple, the picture it displays can be one of chaos. “A fractal tells a story of the processes that created it.” - FractalFoundation.orgThese fractals appear everywhere. In nature, in mathematics, even in Jackson Pollock's paint splatters… and if this is true, if they really are everywhere, might they also be present in the intangible, invisible aspects of our lives? Might they be present in our actions and our feelings?If we can do the deep work of tracing back through the chaotic feelings to the largest possible branch we can find, we might discover an incredibly simple pattern. A pattern that goes something like - everytime X happens, I respond with Y, which makes me a bit anxious or unhappy. And, then this pattern continues to repeat, creating CHAOS. Our meditation practice is the invitation to interrupt this pattern. It invites us to pause in the repetitive choices we make, and it allows us to give ourselves the space to make a new choice. Patience and consistency will deliver the results. They always do. So in this most chaotic month, may you breathe deeply and practice more consistently than ever.See example fractal images here: https://fractalfoundation.org/fractivities/WhatIsaFractal-1pager.pdfIf you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - Begins in January 2022!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Today, I am so delighted to share a conversation with Day Schildkret - an artist in pursuit of impermanent beauty - about his upcoming book Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change, which will be published on January 25, 2022.Day is internationally known for his work Morning Altars in which he creates impermanent art through found objects in nature. In this conversation we dive deep into the importance of ritual, what it is, how we create our own rituals and more.As we creep up on the Winter Solstice and the New Year, this is a perfect conversation to spark your creativity, and perhaps nudge you to create your own rituals…Be sure to check out Day’s work here: https://www.morningaltars.com/And, please consider pre-ordering his upcoming book Hello, Goodbye at your favorite local bookstore. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - Begins January 2022!*Shoreline: my meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a sneak peek of some new content soon to be released in Shoreline meditation app. This is a 10-minute guided walking meditation that you can do anywhere - your backyard, a sidewalk, a park, a hiking trail.... A mindful walk is a beautiful and valuable practice; it invites us to cultivate the qualities of meditation: presence, non-judgment and compassion, in our everyday, active lives. Not just on the meditation cushion.You’ll begin at the start of the path you have chosen. You might choose to only go a short distance {10 - 20 feet} and then turn around, tracing your steps over and over again, or you can choose to go on a meandering walk. Following a path, road or trail for as long as feels comfortable to you. Please make sure you know your surroundings or are following a marked trail if you intend to meander.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - only 5 spots left!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Happy Thanksgiving. As we acknowledge this holiday in our own chosen ways this year there is much to celebrate. There is also much to grieve. And, there is much to remember about the truth of our relationship with the indigenious people of this land. As we each work to sort out our understanding, feelings and plans for the holiday, I thought we could practice today with the gift of contentment. Contentment is understanding that the moment is complete. It doesn’t mean the moment is perfect. It doesn’t mean you are 100% happy. It simply means that we are willing to show up for this moment exactly as it is. We are willing as Swami Rama said to “fall in love with our lives”.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - only 5 spots left!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

“Thinking only of the negative aspect doesn’t help to find solutions and it destroys peace of mind,” he writes. “I love smiles, and my wish is to see more smiles, real smiles. … If we want those smiles, we must create the reasons that make them appear.”  - The Dalai LamaIn our practice, a bit of humor can be a mechanism for going deeper. Rather than doubt, judge or over-analyze, what happens if we simply smile, shake our heads at the wildness of it all and trust our inner experiences?We tip the scales towards kindnessWe balance the ocean of our bodies, And, we remind ourselves that we simply can’t see or know the whole story.Join me for today’s mini meditation practice and be sure to listen to the full story in last week’s episode “Lying on the Forest Floor part 3.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - only 10 spots left in my 2022 training!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

This meditation series was crafted in response to a simple and mind-blowing statement that ‘humus, human and humor’ all share the same root word.In part 1, we explored the concept that we are earth come to consciousness {humus}. In part 2, we looked at what it means to be human; to be as boundless as the ocean {human}. And now, in part 3 we look at humor in life and our meditation practice. The term humor is actually derived from ‘humoral medicine’ of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in the human body controlled human health and emotion. {Thank you Wikipedia!}.With humor, we invite balance. This is such a valuable sentiment to explore because so much of life feels like it is screaming at us to FIX ALL THE PROBLEMS.Humor is the reminder that our brains simply can’t see the whole picture and it is ok that we don’t have all the answers. Humor is the invitation to not be totally consumed by the drama.The Dalai Lama, a revered spiritual leader and, according to him, a professional laugher, writes“Thinking only of the negative aspect doesn’t help to find solutions and it destroys peace of mind,” he writes. “I love smiles, and my wish is to see more smiles, real smiles. … If we want those smiles, we must create the reasons that make them appear.”  In our practice, a bit of humor can be a mechanism for going deeper. Rather than doubt, judge or over-analyze, what happens if we simply smile, shake our heads at the wildness of it all and trust our inner experiences?We tip the scales towards kindnessWe balance the ocean of our bodies, And, we remind ourselves that we simply can’t see or know the whole story.Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a discussion on humor and a 20-minute guided meditation practice. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - only 10 spots left in my 2022 training!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

The classic text, the Ashtavakra Gita, is a dialogue on the nature of Self. Within it, we as human beings, are described as a boundless ocean. So much more than a single thought, a single mind, or a single body. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we tap into our true expansive nature. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - only 10 spots left in my 2022 training!*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

From Humus to Human Being Today’s talk is an exploration of what it is to be human. To be earth come to consciousness. In many languages, cultures and depth practices, there is a word or phrase that means something along the lines of “I am that I am”.In Sanskrit, So Ham means “I am that I am”. In Hebrew, Hineni means “I am here”. These words & phrases point to something vast and boundless. Something bigger than just ‘me’. These words, phrases and ideas are pointing to something that is easily overlooked by the brilliance of our own minds. Our minds tend to create a little movie that stars me and only me. We get so caught up in this unfolding drama that we miss the simplistic beauty of BEING. Here I am. I am that I am.It can feel like we are our minds. Our thoughts. But our mind actually has a multiplicity of layers.Our minds are capable of comprehending:The object of cognition: I think a thought.The process of cognition: I witness the thought as a happening inside my mind.Itself as the cognizant force: I am able to understand that the mind is having this thought as part of but not entirely of my being.Who is this “cognizant force”?Who is here?Who is that?When we lie on the forest floor, we allow ourselves to take up MORE space than we usually do. We are more than a single thought. Or a single brain. We are the whole forest. The boundless ocean. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss and then practice a 20-minute guided meditation. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training - only 10 spots left in my 2022 training!*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

In a recent meditation, the Franciscan priest and author Richard Rohr wrote: “Being human means acknowledging that we're made from the earth and will return to the earth. We are earth that has come to consciousness.In all the ancient teachings, we read that the body is a microcosm of the universe. There is both poetry and science in these statements. When we acknowledge the truth of this connection between earth and body, it is as if we are entering a deep forest. We must have both the courage to enter the forest as well as the willingness to feed the intuitive senses that will carry us safely through.Join me for a short guided meditation that reflects on this connection to earth herself. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Recently, I listened to an interview with Suzanne Simard, author of Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.She talks so beautifully about how forests are wired for wisdom and how trees that we previously thought were drowning out young saplings are actually helping them to thrive, much like a grandmother-mother-child relationship.Within this interview, a comment was made that Humus, Human and Humor all share the same root word, and I can’t stop thinking about the truths hidden in this simple fact. The root ‘Hum’ in Latin means ‘ground’. ‘Humus’ means earth or ground.In a recent meditation, the Franciscan priest and author Richard Rohr wrote: “Being human means acknowledging that we're made from the earth and will return to the earth. We are earth that has come to consciousness.In all the ancient teachings, we read that the body is a microcosm of the universe. There is both poetry and science in these statements. When we acknowledge the truth of this connection between earth and body, it is as if we are entering a deep forest.We must have both the courage to enter the forest as well as the willingness to feed the intuitive senses that will carry us safely through.“We are earth come to consciousness.”This month’s meditation series is an exploration of lying on the forest floor, and the connection between humus, human, and humor. We begin with a meditation on earth itself. Join me. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Since 2006, I have been pulling at the threads of meditation. The threads of mindfulness, of Shamatha, of Vipassana, of Tantra, of Sri Vidya... ⁠⁠While styles, words, and texts may differ, there are some threads that run through all of these practices. ⁠Threads of Truth, I call them. ⁠⁠In the creation of my Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training, I wove these threads together. ⁠⁠The word "Sutra"  {as in The Yoga Sutra} means to stitch together, and this training is built upon what I've crafted and named as the Awakened Heart Sutra.⁠⁠This sutra contains the fundamental elements that anchor a meditation practice in ancient wisdom, and offer enough expanse from which you can begin to weave your own meditative magic. ⁠⁠Join me for today’s special episode as I share a bit about the ideas and principles behind this training.You can learn more about my:*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Two of the most common questions I receive from meditation students:How do I know meditation is actually helping me?Will meditation help with my depression/anxiety/PTSD?Today, I am bringing you a fascinating conversation with one of the world’s experts on what meditation actually does for your brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg, and he is going to help me answer these very questions!Dr. Newberg is the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and a physician at Jefferson University Hospital. He is board certified in internal medicine and nuclear medicine, but what is most interesting to me is that he is a pioneer in the neurological study of religious and spiritual experiences, a field known as “neurotheology.” His research includes taking brain scans of people in prayer, meditation, rituals, and trance states, in an attempt to better understand the nature of religious and spiritual practices and attitudes. In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute Dr. Newberg talks to us aboutWhat happens to our brains with as little as 8 weeks of practiceSome of the different types of meditation and which ones ‘work’ {hint: they ALL do!}A myriad of ways to address the stress and anxiety of pandemic livingHow to build the healthiest brain possibleHis new book Brain Weaver shows that optimal brain health is achievable by successfully weaving together a tapestry of our bio-psycho-social-spiritual dimensions. I loved his book, and truthfully, I could have chatted with him for hours. His work is fascinating and so inspiring as we all endeavour to take better care of ourselves. Enjoy this conversation!You can learn more about Dr. Newberg and his book, Brain Weaver, here: http://www.andrewnewberg.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is from my exclusive content from Shoreline meditation app. This meditation is accompanied by a custom soundscape from Gordon Hempton. Use headphones for the best possible experience.There is a reason so many fairy tales take place in a forest. There is something magical that happens here. It is a little dark, a little scary, a bit light, and a bit life-affirming. The forest holds it all. When we meditate in the forest, we invite in the spectrum of experience and we approach it all with childlike wonder and curiosity.The forest we hear in this meditation is Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in the Southern Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. This is one of the last virgin hardwood forests on the east coast. The cathedral-like arches and vaulted ceilings of these hardwood branches form a forest with wonderful acoustics; home to the eastern winter wren and many other beautiful singers.Members of the Cherokee Indian Tribe were the first indigenous people to hear the sounds of this landscape.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Y’all know I am a voracious reader, right? So much so that I considered calling my donation page a “buy me a book” page. Books inspire me, provoke questions, and uplift me. I am releasing a series of interviews with authors of some new books that I have just read and love deeply! You know the other thing that I love and do daily {aside from meditate}? I journal. Journaling is such an important practice for me that I even included it as an important part of meditation teacher training! And, today’s guest wrote an entire book inspired by the profound impact of journaling.Marc Champagne unpacks the mental fitness practices and reflective questions shaping the lives of some of the most successful and brilliant thinkers in the world. He is the host of the top 50 ranked podcast, Behind The Human, and co-founded the journaling app (KYO) which ended up reaching over 86 million people without any paid advertising, all within the first two years of launch. He has studied mental fitness practices for over a decade and has consulted for top-rated digital journals and wellness companies.Marc's first book, Personal Socrates, explores the pointed questions that stimulate our mental fitness and teach us how to direct our internal narrative to work for us, instead of against us. "We all ask questions, but are they the right ones, the best ones, and are we asking enough of them?"–Marc ChampagneLearn more about Marc and his new book here: https://www.behindthehuman.com/If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

What an important conversation I am sharing with you guys today. I recently had the tremendous honor of having a conversation with Dr. Traci Baxley, the author of Social Justice Parenting: How to raise compassionate, anti-racist, justice-minded kids in an unjust world. Dr. Baxley’s work introduces clear, do-able and specific steps for families to take to engage in the social justice activism that today’s society needs most. She specifically addresses why “raising good kids” and “protecting my little kids from the problems of the world” are false narratives that white parents {myself included} must continue to push back against.And, best of all, Dr. Baxley presents this important conversation in an open-hearted, shame-free way. When I read her book, I felt clear and empowered to introduce important narratives to my children and to engage them in ways our family can take supportive actions.I told her before we started recording that I felt like we were already friends just from reading her book, and that is even more true after our conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Please, please, please go buy her book, read it, and start having these conversations with your own families, if you aren’t already. Lastly, if you are curious why a conversation about social justice is happening on a meditation podcast, please take a moment to listen to today’s episode. Our meditation practice allows us to create connection, clarity and compassion for ourselves, but it doesn't stop there. Our practice ultimately expands outward until we know our connection to all beings everywhere as a true, immutable fact. And, that knowledge asks us to step into action to support our beliefs. That doesn’t mean you have to be at every protest; it doesn't mean that we each do what we can to eliminate the suffering of all beings, everywhere. In small, manageable ways. With heart. I love you all; keep practicing and enjoy today’s episode. 

In a recent meditation, the Franciscan priest and author Richard Rohr wrote: “Being human means acknowledging that we're made from the earth and will return to the earth. We are earth that has come to consciousness.In all the ancient teachings, we read that the body is a microcosm of the universe. There is both poetry and science in these statements. When we acknowledge the truth of this connection between earth and body, it is as if we are entering a deep forest. We must have both the courage to enter the forest as well as the willingness to feed the intuitive senses that will carry us safely through.Join me for a short guided meditation that reflects on this connection to earth herself. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

Recently, I listened to an interview with Suzanne Simard, author of Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.She talks so beautifully about how forests are wired for wisdom and how trees that we previously thought were drowning out young saplings are actually helping them to thrive, much like a grandmother-mother-child relationship.Within this interview, a comment was made that Humus, Human and Humor all share the same root word, and I can’t stop thinking about the truths hidden in this simple fact. The root ‘Hum’ in Latin means ‘ground’. ‘Humus’ means earth or ground.In a recent meditation, the Franciscan priest and author Richard Rohr wrote: “Being human means acknowledging that we're made from the earth and will return to the earth. We are earth that has come to consciousness.In all the ancient teachings, we read that the body is a microcosm of the universe. There is both poetry and science in these statements. When we acknowledge the truth of this connection between earth and body, it is as if we are entering a deep forest.We must have both the courage to enter the forest as well as the willingness to feed the intuitive senses that will carry us safely through.“We are earth come to consciousness.”This month’s meditation series is an exploration of lying on the forest floor, and the connection between humus, human, and humor. We begin with a meditation on earth itself. Join me. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

As our Living in a Divided World meditation series comes to end, I wanted to wrap up the month with a discussion with one of the amazing creative souls that has provided me with a sense of connection and hope during the pandemic - my cousin!Uli Beutter Cohen is a New York City–based documentarian, artist, and the creator of Subway Book Review. She explores belonging to a time and place through writing and photography. Uli is a sought-after speaker and panelist. Her work has been featured on TV, in print and online by New York magazine, Esquire, Vogue, Forbes, Oprah Magazine, Glamour, the BBC, and The Guardian, among others.For nearly a decade, Uli has ridden the subway through New York City to observe, interview, and photograph some of its most imaginative people: the readers of books. Between The Lines: Stories from the Underground, Uli’s first book, is the remarkable result—a collection of conversations that beautifully illuminate who we are and where we are going. Between the Lines is an enthusiastic celebration of the ways stories invite us into each other’s lives, and a call to action for imagining a bold, empathetic future together. So, get on board, stand clear of the closing doors and enjoy this special ride.*Between the Lines releases everywhere on October 26, 2021. You can pre-order Between the Lines at your favorite indie bookshop.Pre-ordering books is a huge help to authors. https://bookshop.org/a/3206/9781982145675 Find Uli at https://www.subwaybookreview.co/@subwaybookreview@theUBCMindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in.Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteYou can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/#meditatewithmeryl

In this mini meditation, we dig into the four qualities that all beings possess in immeasurable quantities. Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy & Equanimity. This guided meditation will walk us through all four qualities, allowing us to foster and grow what we need most for the days that lie ahead.These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.In celebration of my 5-year podcast anniversary {!!!}, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Plus you’ll get goodies in the mail from me!Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteSpecial thanks to today’s sponsors:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/BaronfigMindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.

This meditation series, Living in a Divided World, is a series about truly acknowledging the level of divisiveness in our society and in ourselves at this particular moment in time. It is a series exploring how we might find a sense of balance or even peace within the fractures.Part 1 invited us to courageously stop and notice that we stand at a crossroad. A crossroad between aversion {all that we disagree with} and attachment {all that we believe to be true and just}. A crossroad where all opposites meet. Part 2 offered the chance to lean in softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear. It was a reminder that much of our practice hinges on the ability to listen. And now, in part 3, we dig into the four qualities that all beings possess in immeasurable quantities. Compassion is one of them, to be sure, but compassion alone isn’t enough to get us through this moment. Join me for today’s dharma talk and guided meditation practice; it is designed to help us draw out these 4 immeasurable qualities when we need them the most. Right now.In celebration of my 5-year podcast anniversary {!!!}, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Plus you’ll get goodies in the mail from me!Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteSpecial thanks to today’s sponsors:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/BaronfigMindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.

As we explore living in a divided world, as we struggle with the myriad of problems that face us in this moment, it can be hard to understand the teaching of The Middle Way. The invitation to rest in the middle of tension, paradox or discord without needing to resolve it, can feel uncomfortable to say the least. As I work through this teaching in my own practice, I often find myself reflecting on the words of Rilke - “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.”Join me for today’s mini meditation as we learn to love the questions themselves. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.In celebration of my 5-year podcast anniversary {!!!}, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Plus you’ll get goodies in the mail from me!Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteSpecial thanks to today’s sponsors:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/BaronfigMindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.

“Of course we can always imagine more perfect conditions, how it should be ideally, how everyone else should behave. But it’s not our task to create an ideal. It’s our task to see how it is, and to learn from the world as it is. For the awakening of the heart, conditions are always good enough.” ~Ajahn SumedoAs we talk about facing the divisiveness that plagues our every moment, the never-ending list of crises that need solving, we are exploring a path within meditation known as “The Middle Way”.The Middle Way lies between aversion and attachment; it lies within the meeting point of opposites. This teaching feels like something like a koan to me. A koan in an unanswerable question, riddle or poem that invites us to a state of awakening. We can’t explain it but somehow, when we hear it, we understand the truth that lies within it. There is a part of us that feels called to stand up for what we believe is right, to stand up for the health of the world {in all of the ways, and addressing all of the pandemics, and in this same moment, we are invited to sit in the middle of the tension, paradox and discord, and quietly relax right in the middle of it all. It is ok if you respond to this teaching with more questions than answers, with a whole list of comments that start with, “but…” I have questions too. And, I am reminded of Rilke as he writes, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.”These teachings don’t say “don’t feel”, and they don’t say “don’t act”. These teachings allow for all of it to be here. In the middle. In celebration of my 5-year podcast anniversary {!!!}, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Plus you’ll get goodies in the mail from me!Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minuteSpecial thanks to today’s sponsors:Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/BaronfigMindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my:*Shoreline: my new meditation app*Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training*Live, virtual meditation classes with me*Upcoming eventsAll by visiting merylarnett.com.

As we explore the paradox of the deep divides of our world today and the teachings of connectedness that have existed throughout time, we use practices like this meditation to help us land right here in the present moment. Meditation is always inviting us into the reality of the present, where all opposites exist at once. "The still point of the turning world" as T.S. Eliot calls it. We can choose to battle out right/left politics, and all the other ways of division, but the truth is we are the same. We, all beings, Are. The. Same. We share 99.9% of our genetic material with every other human on this earth. We are all scared of dying and of being alone. We all biologically need to belong and feel ‘correct’ in some way. And yet, the more we entrench ourselves in our own correctness, the more we ensure our fears become true. We feel more alone. We feel more threatened and unsafe. Climb out of the trench. Sit on your cushion. Land right here, right now. Let’s practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. In celebration of my 5-year podcast anniversary {!!!}, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Plus you’ll get goodies in the mail from me! Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/Baronfig Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events   All by visiting merylarnett.com.

Today’s episode kicks off a new series for me, and I've been turning this over in my mind for months {maybe years?}... exploring how our meditation practice invites us to engage with a world that feels more divided than ever. This month, on The Mindful Minute we are going to *Deal with Divisiveness* - I struggle as much as the next person with fear, outrage, frustration and exhaustion. And yet, I do believe there is a way forward, and I believe that our meditation practice always shows us the next right step when we are willing to listen. ⁠ ⁠ Meditation is always inviting us into the reality of the present, where all opposites exist at once. "The still point of the turning world" as T.S. Eliot calls it... but once we land here, what do we do?⁠ ⁠ Join me for today’s discussion and guided meditation as we begin an exploration of division and interdependence * together* <3 In celebration of my 5-year podcast anniversary {!!!}, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Plus you’ll get goodies in the mail from me! Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/Baronfig Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events   All by visiting merylarnett.com.

BIG news, y’all! This month I am celebrating 5 YEARS of podcasting?! 5 years of creating, writing and sharing meditations with you. And, this little podcast has grown to over 40,000 listeners each month! Wow. And, thank you! Thank you for listening and being a part of this community. I’ve got some big goals and some fun giveaways to help celebrate this milestone. Tune into today’s episode to learn more and then to meditate with a beautiful practice from my app: Shoreline. Today’s 10-minute meditation is a sound meditation that includes an ancient practice from the zen tradition known as a koan. A koan is a type of teaching that is offered as a phrase, question, short poem that feels both completely cryptic and deeply understood in the same moment. You don’t have to try to understand or explain it. Just let it live inside you as you listen. Pop some headphones on for the best sound experience, and let’s begin. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/Baronfig Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com.   Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

What a fun show I have in store for you today! As I very often do these days, I got an email a few months ago suggesting that I consider artist Kyle Webster as a guest for The Mindful Minute. Now, I get a lot of these emails and 99% of the time, I say ‘no thank you,’ because this show is not primarily about interviews, but occasionally one feels like a really good fit. And this one??? Well, it was suggested we talk about meditation {my favorite subject}, creativity {my second favorite subject}, and beautifully designed notebooks {ummmm, hi. Obsessed.} so this was an absolute yes for me. And, I’m delighted to say that the conversation was just as good as I hoped it would be. Kyle T Webster is an international award-winning illustrator, living in North Carolina, who has drawn for The New Yorker, TIME, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and more. He is known throughout the world as the founder of KyleBrush.com, the brand behind the world's best-selling Photoshop brushes for professional illustrators, animators, and designers. And most recently, he released an interactive, meditative notebook through Baronfig called Trace. Today, Kyle and I explore the intersection of mindfulness and creativity, the difference between meditation and meditative practices and how valuable it is to realize what is meditative for you, why boredom is a vital element for our lives, and he shares a bit of his own meditative practice that we can try at home {even if you “can’t” draw!}. Side note, this interview is how I was introduced to the company, Baronfig. I am so in love with their notebooks {the dream and meditation journals specifically} that I have since asked them to be a sponsor of The Mindful Minute. Bonus for you - you can buy Trace at 20% off using code MindfulMinute21! *This interview was secured before Baronfig and I had any discussions of sponsorships. All guests on this show are here because I truly wanted to share a conversation with them. No one can pay to be a guest on this show.* Check out Kyle’s notebook here: baronfig.com/accessories/trace If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://bit.ly/Baronfig Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com.   Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

This class originally aired in July 2020: According to the Yoga Sutra, meditation connects us to our inner luminosity & sorrowless joy. In modern day terms, when we talk about meditation as a tool for emotional resiliency, we are really talking about tapping into this inner luminosity. ⁠ ⁠ We won't avoid hardship and pain in our lives just because we meditate, but we will be able to maintain connection to that inner luminosity and sorrowless joy to help us move through with more grace. Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we work with a specific meditation practice to help us build awareness of that inner light. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This class originally aired in July 2020 and is just as fitting today as it was then: This month, my meditation series has been focused on building emotional resilience. We are learning how to use the tools of meditation to help us not only survive tough times but more so to thrive in our daily lives. Today’s episode, the final installment of this series, is my personal favorite because I think it is the game-changing practice. It is the practice of cultivating compassion to take back power. Yep. Compassion equals power. Let me explain. When we are stuck in the tough feelings created by traumatic experiences {fear, shame, anxiety, uncertainty, anger} we are also stuck in what is called our “reptilian” mind. This part of our brain is not evolved or complex in any way. When we are here, we are mostly stuck here, just surviving. Today’s meditation practice is one that helps us move out of our “reptilian” mind and into the more evolved, complex part of our mind. I’m going to call it the wise mind. Developing emotional resilience, in large part, requires us to be able to shift ourselves out of our reptilian mind and into our wise mind. We need to be able to ask ourselves smart questions like What is going on right now? What am I feeling in my body? What am I believing right now? Or What story am I telling myself right now? And then, rather than try to logic away a harsh feeling, we practice with compassion. We use the practice of cultivating a warmth of heart to take power away from singular emotions and give that power to our wise minds, where we can make conscious choices and regain a sense of joy in our days. Join me for today’s dharma talk and 20-minute guided meditation where we learn one of the ancient meditation techniques offered in The Yoga Sutra and how it is still relevant to our modern day lives. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This class originally aired in July 2020: If you’ve discovered each time you sit to meditate lately, you are overcome with feelings of discomfort {too many thoughts, too much tension or anxiety in the body, too busy, etc.} then this is the class for you. Over the last few months, as I’ve sat to meditate, I’ve noticed a literal feeling of “tangle” in my chest. A tight, anxious, moving feeling that immediately makes me want squash it. ⁠ Don’t feel that. ⁠ Stop it. ⁠ Ignore it. ⁠ ⁠ I’ve tried it all, and the truth is, no matter how temporarily successful I might be, there that d*mn feeling is again the next time I sit… At some point, in the midst of this feeling and the war of thoughts it inspires, I heard so clearly, “love the tangle.”⁠ Love the tangle. Put your hand on your heart, and I say, "I feel you. I hear you. I acknowledge you." Allow the tangle to be here. Soften the edges, if you can. And, gently, so gently, turn your awareness towards the breath. Every thread of breath gliding to and through that tangle, spreading light and space in its wake. Not to eliminate the tangle, no, but rather to create safe space for it just to be a part of this momentary experience. ⁠ ⁠ Let’s practice this together in today’s mini-meditation from The Mindful Minute. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

As pandemics and humanitarian crises abound, I am re-releasing my July 2020 series on emotional resilience. This particular class couldn’t have come at a better time. When our hearts are breaking, our fear is overwhelming, and we feel helpless to offer help or answers, we must lean into our own discomfort without needing to fix it. We must love the tangle. Keep practicing. Keep Going. I’m with you & I love you. This class originally aired in July 2020: This month’s meditation series is exploring how a meditation practice bolsters our emotional resiliency. Basically, meditation is one tool that helps us ensure we will make it through tough times with more grace. We started the series {part 1} with a look at the 24-hour, global news cycle and how that can create a semi-permanent state of anxiety in many of us. This week, we discuss how to shift ourselves out of constant anxiety and into a state of rest & relaxation. If you’ve discovered each time you sit to meditate lately, you are overcome with feelings of discomfort {too many thoughts, too much tension or anxiety in the body, too busy, etc.} then this is the class for you. Over the last few months, as I’ve sat to meditate, I’ve noticed a literal feeling of “tangle” in my chest. A tight, anxious, moving feeling that immediately makes me want to squash it. ⁠ Don’t feel that. ⁠ Stop it. ⁠ Ignore it. ⁠ ⁠ I’ve tried it all, and the truth is, no matter how temporarily successful I might be, there that d*mn feeling is again the next time I sit… At some point, in the midst of this feeling and the war of thoughts it inspires, I heard so clearly, “love the tangle.”⁠ Love the tangle. Put your hand on your heart, and I say, "I feel you. I hear you. I acknowledge you." Allow the tangle to be here. Soften the edges, if you can. And, gently, so gently, turn your awareness towards the breath. Every thread of breath glides to and through that tangle, spreading light and space in its wake. Not to eliminate the tangle, no, but rather to create safe space for it just to be a part of this momentary experience. ⁠ ⁠ More on this experience and *how* to love the tangles in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This class originally aired in July 2020: We can all apply specific mindfulness techniques to help us navigate these emotionally tricky times with as much emotional resiliency as possible. The goal is not to avoid hard times, but to know without doubt that you can survive these times. When we are feeling the impact of traumatic stress, one of the primary feelings is one of powerlessness. Therefore, the antidote is to begin to regain a sense of power during our days.  We can start by bringing our minds right back here to the present moment. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we use presence to calm ourselves and reclaim our peace of mind. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Well my loves, school has started here and already we are getting covid exposure emails, the news is filled with fourth wave worries, and I’m feeling much of the familiar worry, frustration and fear that I felt last year at this time. So I’ve decided to pause some of the upcoming interviews I have planned, and instead, I’m going to re-run the series I created in July 2020 - Meditation & Emotional Resilience. Can’t hurt to remind our minds and soothe our hearts as we ride the waves of fall 2021. This class originally aired in July 2020: Oh, loves. It has been a year thus far, hasn’t it?! Murder hornets, pandemics, and long-overdue demands for social justice have asked much of our emotional resiliency. As I’ve worked with students to navigate these times, I’ve realized that I’m relying on much of my experience in teaching mindfulness for PTSD {Post Traumatic Stress Disorder}. For several years, I was lucky enough to work alongside brilliant psychotherapists and social workers as we offered tools to those working through PTSD and substance abuse. While we won’t all receive a formal diagnosis of PTSD, most of us are working through the experiences of trauma in our daily lives. All of us can apply specific mindfulness techniques to help us navigate these tricky times with as much emotional resiliency as possible. The goal is not to avoid hard times, but to know without doubt that you can survive these times. When we are feeling the impact of traumatic stress one of the primary feelings is one of powerlessness. Therefore, the antidote is to begin to regain a sense of power during our days. This meditation series will look at some of the key steps towards regaining that sense of power and learning to be more comfortable with the acknowledgement that there is very little we can actually control. Let’s start with presence. Get here, in this moment, now. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore what it takes to build emotional resilience through meditation. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is one of the most popular meditations on my app - Shoreline. Take 5 minutes to try it now! “Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.” ⁠ ~Robert Louis Stevenson⁠ ⁠ There is something about the imagery of a clock in a thunderstorm - a steady, safe consistency that invokes the feeling of meditation.⁠ ⁠ Meditation isn’t a promise that there will be no loud noises, disruptions or heartaches. The practice is simply a tool that provides a steady, safe consistency from which we can respond to any given moment and any given situation. ⁠ ⁠ You can listen to a longer version of "Like A Clock in a Thunderstorm" guided meditation on Shoreline {available in the Apple app store}. ⁠ I wrote this meditation alongside the perfectly captured thunderstorm recorded by Gordon Hempton in Arkansas. You can hear the space, the energy and your own private pace within this practice.⁠ These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Well y'all... I was SO excited to host this conversation with my Teacher, Tracee Stanley, that I forgot to switch to my podcast microphone for recording.... So the audio might sound a bit different, but I promise the conversation is 100% worth listening to! Without doubt, if you listen to one of my episodes from 4 years ago and one today, you will hear quite a difference in my teaching. Much of this evolution is due to the guidance and practices offered by Tracee over the years. Tracee Stanley, founder of Empowered Life Circle shares teachings that are inspired by more than 20 years of study in the traditions of the Himalayan Masters and Sri Vidya Tantra. The focus of her teaching honours life as a ritual and she is devoted to yoga nidra, meditation, self-inquiry, nature as a teacher, and ancestor reverence. She is the creatrix of the Empowered Life Self-Inquiry Oracle Deck and host of Radiant Rest Podcast which celebrates the practices, teachers, and traditions that prioritize the rituals of rest, sacred dreaming, and self-care. Today, she is going to talk to us about the power and grace of yoga nidra, why we should practice both yoga nidra and meditation, and how to find the time to do so! This conversation was such a treat for me; I know you will enjoy it too. Tracee was kind enough to share a special practice for us, Moon Nectar. You can listen to it here: https://traceeyoga.com/moon-nectar Tracee’s book Radiant Rest - Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity published by Shambhala Publishing is now available where books are sold. Learn more at radiantrest.com, empoweredlifecircle.com, and traceeyoga.com.   Special thanks to today’s sponsors: Baronfig - Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ Mindful and Modern - Mindful and Modern makes the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s mini meditation is a self-compassion break guided by Dr. Kristen Neff. It is a powerful practice that offers you the chance to access exactly what you need in this moment - tender or fierce self-compassion. You can listen to the full interview with Dr. Neff in the previous episode titled Fierce Self-Compassion. You can learn more about Dr. Neff’s work here: https://self-compassion.org/ Thanks to this week’s sponsor, Baronfig. Baronfig’s line of “Tools for Thinkers” includes guided journals, notebooks, writing instruments, bags, accessories, and so much more. As an avid journal, I use and love their guided meditation journal and their basic Confidant notebooks! By using our code MINDFULMINUTE21, you'll receive 20% off your first purchase. https://baronfig.com/ These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

I am thrilled to share today’s episode with y’all - I am talking with Dr. Kristen Neff. Kristin Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, and is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. During Kristin’s last year of graduate school she became interested in Buddhism and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically. Kristin is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, creating a scale to measure the construct almost 20 years years ago. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she is author of the book Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, and in June 2021 she released her new book Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive. This book arrived right on time for me personally, and I can’t wait to share some of the stories behind it in today’s interview. We talk about the two sides of self-compassion, the interplay between personal and collective compassion and the powerful action that arises from it, and how anger is easily misunderstood within a meditation practice. Join us for this powerful discussion and be sure to stay for Dr. Neff’s self-compassion meditation at the end. You can learn more about Dr. Neff’s work here: https://self-compassion.org/ Thanks to our sponsor, Mindful and Modern. They make the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

“It is only when you go too far that you discover the boundary.” This was the insight from a recent conversation I had with my partner in Shoreline meditation app, Gordon Hempton. He was applying this thought to recording sounds, and I believe it equally applies to our life experiences. What if we shifted our internal narrative from one of shaming to one of appreciation for the times we misstep, overstep or go too far past our own boundaries? Thanks to our sponsor, Mindful and Modern. They make the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

A while back, I was having a conversation with Gordon Hempton, one of my partners in the Shoreline meditation app, about one of his soundscapes titled Dunes. In Dunes, Gordon moves among the dunes of Cape Cod recording the sounds of the surf and the nighttime insects, and as he is describing this soundscape to me, he says, “it is only when you go too far that you realize the boundary for the perfect sound within the dunes.” Lightbulb moment. It is only when you go too far that you discover the boundary. Typically, I think many of us would think, “Shame on me. I messed up. I should have known better.” What if instead we were able to look at that same overstepping with gratitude or tenderness? Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute is the final installment of the Boundary Setting series. We’ve talked about the importance of presence, of non-judgment, and now, of compassion when it comes to both our meditation practice and our boundary setting. Join me for today’s discussion and 20-minute guided meditation in this final exploration of boundaries. Thanks to our sponsor, Mindful and Modern. They make the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Within meditation, non-judgment is the idea that whatever comes up within practice - thoughts, feelings, distractions - we simply allow it to be part of our present-moment experience without assigning a good/bad, like/dislike label to it. Within boundary-setting, this same skill is the ability to separate the threads between ‘this is the boundary I need to set’ and ‘this is how I feel about setting the boundary.’ Without the skill to separate these threads, it is very easy to get lost in the emotional tangle of - I want to say no but I also want to be liked/loved/approved of/kind/etc… - and that contradiction often makes boundary setting feel difficult or even impossible for some of us. Today’s mini meditation practice puts into practice the skill of non-judgment, so that ultimately, you too are able to say “no.” as a full sentence without any sort of emotional tangle surrounding it. Thanks to our sponsor, Mindful and Modern. They make the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

No. I have a problem with that. I don’t want to. I’ve decided not to. I feel uncomfortable about…. All of these are phrases we can use to set a boundary, and depending on how you were raised, your conditioning, gender expectations, etc., they can be incredibly hard to say. I understand that I can say, “no.” as a full sentence, but I also feel a way about saying no without an explanation or an excuse tied to it… This is where the meditative skill of non-judgment comes into play. Within meditation, non-judgment is the idea that whatever comes up within practice - thoughts, feelings, distractions - we simply allow it to be part of our present-moment experience without assigning a good/bad, like/dislike label to it. Within boundary-setting, this same skill is the ability to separate the threads between ‘this is the boundary I need to set’ and ‘this is how I feel about setting the boundary.’ Without the skill to separate these threads, it is very easy to get lost in the emotional tangle of - I want to say no but I also want to be liked/loved/approved of/kind/etc… - and that contradiction often makes boundary setting feel difficult or even impossible for some of us. When we start to build our skill of non-judgment, we are in essence teasing apart the threads of our thoughts into the thought itself, and the way that we feel about that thought. Non-judgment allows us to cultivate discernment, choosing which threads to pursue and which to relinquish as real and not-true. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the tenet of non-judgment and put it to use in our 20-minute guided meditation practice. Thanks to our sponsor, Mindful and Modern. They make the most beautiful meditation cushions, chairs, candles, and more. Be sure to visit https://www.mindfulandmodern.com/ and use code MindfulMinute10 to save 10% on your entire order. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s meditation practice is a practice in awakening to the physical boundaries of your body and the energetic boundaries of your being. This might sound so obvious or simple, but as we talk about often in meditation, many of us live slightly removed from our bodies. We aren’t conscious of our feelings or our embodied experience. This is why the first step of meditation is to get into the present moment, and to get into the body. This first step allows us to become embodied and conscious of our feelings and our boundaries. So, we find our physical edges. Additionally, you know how sometimes you can be with someone and you feel energized, inspired, uplifted, or maybe just really seen? And, sometimes you feel drained, anxious, or even angry? This is because our being doesn’t only exist within the body. Our energy expands {or sometimes spills} out. Relationship boundaries are impacted and informed when our energetic sphere meets and mingles with another energetic sphere. As we meditate, we use this first step of presence as a tool to find, feel, and fill out both our physical and energetic body boundaries. Join me for this meditation exploration. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

In so many of my dharma talks and conversations lately, boundaries have come up. Boundaries showed up in our meditation series on Passion & Paychecks with Tiffany Johnson. Boundaries showed up in our discussions on worry and on fierce self-compassion. Boundaries also show up for me perpetually in relationships, and are something I spend a good bit of time thinking about and working on. Now, I am NOT a boundary expert. Sometimes I find I have very clear, easily expressed boundaries, and sometimes I struggle. Sometimes I don’t even notice, much less express that I’m not upholding a boundary of mine until I am way past it and spiraling into an emotional tornado…. {sigh.}. Lucky for us, we have a meditation practice to help us wake up to the skill of setting boundaries. For what is meditation, if not a tool to help us awaken to that we were once asleep to? Livia Shapiro, a somatic psychologist and yoga teacher, describes a boundary as a space that distinguishes you from others. If we are going to wake up to what our boundaries are, where they are lacking, etc. then we must first be able to establish what boundaries do exist. Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation practice as a first step in clarifying and working with your own personal boundaries. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

There are 3 guiding principles I incorporate into my meditation practice to help guide me in the ongoing balance of making tender choices and tough choices to best support my ultimate intentions: Listening: "To listen is to continually give up all expectations and to give our attention, completely and freshly, to what is before us, not really knowing what we will hear or what that will mean. In the practice of our days, to listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear." {from Mark Nepo}⁠ Courage: In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart."  {from Brene Brown}⁠ FIERCE Compassion: What is the action that moves me in the direction of my ultimate intention? {from Dr. Kristen Neff} Join me for today’s meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

There is a conversation that I have a lot with students; it goes something like this - Me: How is your meditation practice going? Student: Wellllllll, it hasn’t been very consistent lately. I’ve been super stressed lately about XYZ, and I just need to get through this tough period and then I’ll be able to recommit to my practice…. Sound familiar? Yep, I struggle with this exact same issue. And, as a teacher, in all honesty, I struggle with how to respond to this… On the one hand, I gently want to push {and truthfully I usually do}, because it is so easy to let the cultural beliefs around doing/achievement/success to overrule what we know to be true - that creating space and silence in our lives is crucial to our well-being, creativity and ultimate success. It is way too easy to tell ourselves we just have to meet the deadline, get through the holiday, finish the cleaning and THEN we will practice. I have several years of experience to tell you that you almost never actually get around to practicing… I wasted years doing this dance. And yet on the other hand, I don’t know what is happening on the interior landscape for you or in your nervous system. I don’t know the fullness of your story, your history and your lived experience. No one does. No one can make the final call for you but yourself. When is choosing to take a break the compassionate choice and when is choosing to push through the struggle the better choice? YOU are the one. You are the one that makes the call. You are the one that walks the line holding tenderness in one hand, ferocity in the other and trying to balance along the way. Join me for today’s discussion and guided meditation as we learn how to balance listening, courage and action within our meditation practice. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

When we worry, it is only because we care deeply about someone or something, and there is something that feels threatening or unsafe to the person or thing we care so much about. Worry has its roots in fear, and that overwhelming, suffocating feeling often comes from trying to ignore what it is we fear most in this situation… So our first step in moments of worry, is to create and nurture a sense of safety for ourselves. I know some of you are thinking, “but that sounds a little selfish to put myself first when someone else might be struggling or suffering…” I know we’ve been taught this is the case. We should be helping! Doing something! Staring at the phone anxiously awaiting an update! If/and/but, I am doing all that while spiraling out of control on the inside, I can’t actually be there to help when or if it is needed. I can’t show up as my best if I’m an emotional basket case. So, let’s take a few minutes to settle down and create a sense of safety for ourselves so that we can show up how we need to for the moments ahead. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Worry is such an interesting paradox isn’t it? It feels truly terrible when we are in the throes of it. Our bodies, our hearts, and minds can feel overwhelmed or suffocated by worry. And yet, worry only happens because we care deeply about someone or something; it feels like something that we must accept as an unavoidable experience in life. Our meditation practice can offer an alternative to this seemingly unavoidable paradox. Certainly with deep, sustained practice we might arrive in a place where we are able to be equanimous in all moments and unphased by the seemingly stressful or worrisome moments in life, but what about right now? What about those of us that are meditating but still get swept up in worry or fear? Let’s start with rule number one: stop saying “Don’t Worry.” Seriously. Does that phrase even mean anything? Does it do anything for the person worrying? If you could just stop, wouldn’t you have already done so? Trying to ignore worry only makes it worse. When we ignore what we are feeling, it is simply lurking underneath all our thoughts and actions, very likely flaring up in displays of anxiety or anger instead. That underlying worry, and overt anxiety/anger, can lead to unhealthy numbing behaviors like TV binging or addictive shopping, eating, drinking, drug use, etc. So, let’s just let go of the “don’t worry” adage, and instead, what if we brave up, admit what we are actually feeling, and face it head on? Worry has its roots in fear, and that overwhelming, suffocating feeling often comes from trying to ignore what it is we fear most in a particular situation… So our first step in moments of worry is to create and nurture a sense of safety for ourselves. Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation designed to nurture a sense of safety within moments of worry. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

**This episode is a replay of the 2020 Summer Solstice. Enjoy!** {From 2020} June 20th was the Summer Solstice, and it is the first solstice in many years that I didn’t teach a special meditation event. I usually host something extra special to harness the power of these reflective times, and yet, this year, even though I had already mapped up what I wanted to share and reflect on, I just kept delaying until the day was upon us and it was too late… The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year; the most light we see in a 24 hour period. When we meditate, we are in essence harnessing the light of awareness and shining it inside. This light allows us to look deeper inside, to see more, to clear out the cobwebs. Turning on the lights is brave. It is powerful. It is enlivening. And yet, if we haven’t done the work to shore up the foundation, to clear the path leading deeper in, turning on the light can serve as a shock. If you’ve been in the dark a long time and you step out into the brightness of daylight, it can be blinding, can’t it? We shield our eyes; perhaps we run back inside for sunglasses, something to protect ourselves from the glare…. If we haven’t done the work to be with little discomforts, how might it feel to face bigger discomforts? It can send us running for the hills, abandoning our meditation practice with the seemingly innocent excuse of “I just don’t feel like it” right now. I’ve caught this at play in myself lately {hence the lack of a Solstice event this year}. My invitation today is to let go of the need to “think” through this natural play of events. Instead of analyzing, how can you choose to move with each moment as a moment of transformation? How to do this? Well, step one is ‘don’t skip your meditation practice even when you want to…’ Step two is ‘anchor more deeply into your heart.’ The practices of meditation, while they start out working with the mind and the thoughts, are always gently guiding us into the heart. Not in a sappy way; not in a hippy-dippy way. In a clean, clear trajectory towards deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. Every meditation text, every meditation guru from millenia before, guides us here. It is from here that we can gain steady traction, firm footing, and gather courage to bring what is needed from the darkness into the light. We start to trust the images, the thoughts, the threads of connection that are revealed to us. We start to be more curious about the responses we have to the daily moments in our lives. We start to explore the freedom of choice. Today’s meditation is a practice of shining the light. Let’s get to it. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

**Don’t forget THIS Sunday {June 20} is the Summer Solstice and it is my last live, virtual mini retreat for 2021. I’d love for you to join me! You can learn more at https://www.merylarnett.com/events** Today’s episode is a special interview with Thomas Moore, author of one of my favorite books - Care of the Soul. He is here today to talk about his new book, Soul Therapy. I found myself reflecting that meditation is indeed one form of Soul Therapy for ourselves. This conversation invites us to reflect on the art and craft of caring conversations - with our friends, our families, our colleagues and the world at large. You’ll hear us talk about myth, archetype, dreams and so much more as we discuss his latest book. He makes some really powerful and poignant comments about the importance of our meditative practices being IN the world rather than removed from it; about our contemplative practices having much greater demand on our engagement in the world rather than hiding in self-indulgence… And, at the end, he tasks us with stepping up to the plate when it comes to having the therapeutic conversations that this world needs right now. Let’s listen together. THOMAS MOORE is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Care of the Soul. In his youth he was a monk and studied music composition. He has a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Syracuse University and has been practicing depth psychotherapy for 35 years— influenced mainly by C. G. Jung and James Hillman. In his work Thomas often brings together spirituality, mythology, depth psychology and the arts, emphasizing the importance of images and imagination. In his new book: SOUL THERAPY: The Art & Craft of Caring Conversations, Moore addresses the often-unspoken needs of those providing “soul care” to others while sharing his insights for implementing a spiritual dimension into their work and practices. In his previous acclaimed books, such as the bestselling CARE OF THE SOUL, Moore explored the soul in important areas of our lives—work, marriage, family, religion, and aging. In SOUL THERAPY [HarperOne; May 25, 2021], Moore returns to his core vocation: teaching how to offer soul care to those they assist. This wise guide becomes a training manual infused with a lifetime’s worth of wisdom. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *My Summer Solstice Virtual Retreat *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Led by Dr. Ashanté M. Reese, this beautiful meditation is a playful exploration of what it means to belong to one’s self. Our practice can not and should not be exclusively about our individual selves. Our inner realizations are only worth how we reflect them out into the world. How we belong to ourselves reflects how deeply we belong to each other.   Let’s practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This has been a tough 18 months, hasn’t it? Somedays, even with the light of vaccines and seeing friends, I still feel unsure I can handle all that feels broken in the world. The amount of divisiveness feels unsurmountable. Political parties, masks, vaccines, racial injustice, voter rights. It feels like everyday we hear of decisions being made, and I assume, like me, you make a snap judgment of good or completely wrong and unacceptable. With this level of judgment and division comes a sense of deep worry and even hopelessness. It feels unimaginably huge to ask how we will repair this divide. How will we come together? Because we belong together. We belong to each other. As I’ve struggled with this, I’ve also noticed when I’ve seen glimmers of hope: Bruce and Obama’s podcast Tarana Burke and Brene Brown’s book You are your best thing Subway Book Review These things aren’t related. They aren’t specifically cheerful, uplifting or even meant to be uniting… it is storytelling. When listening or reading these real life stories, it seems our bonds of connection are strengthened. We remember not just that we belong together, but HOW we belong together and WHY. And, I realized that this podcast could be another beacon of hope in a similar vein. Because our practice can not and should not be exclusively about our individual selves. Our inner realizations are only worth how we reflect them out into the world. So today, I introduce a new series to the podcast called Meditation IRL, and it is simply stories. Stories about how one meditates. What their practice is like. What they love and what they struggle with. How they learned and the tools they use. It is simply stories; an inner glimpse of private meditation lives. My hope is that we find threads of connection and ways to lean into even those that challenge us the most so that we can remember that we belong to each other. And with that, I want to introduce the FIRST Meditation IRL guest: long-time student and friend, Dr. Ashanté M. Reese Ashanté is a writer, a teacher and an anthropologist. She is currently an assistant professor in the African and African Diaspora Studies department at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds a PhD in Anthropology, specializing in race, gender, and social justice. She also completed her 200-hour yoga teacher certification with Octavia Raheem and myself at Sacred Chill a few years ago. Join us for our discussion about meditation, daydreams, and belonging to one’s self. Ashanté’s meditation at the end is not to be missed!   You can learn more about Ashanté at http://www.amreese.com/ If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s mini meditation is a special offering from my meditation app, Shoreline. ⁠ In this meditation, The Call of the Lizard, you'll hear the sounds of Kalahari desert in South Africa in the evening. You can hear the winds blowing and the quiet call of the barking gecko. Within this meditation, we reflect on the energy of both the desert and the lizard. The lizard is known for its sensitivity to the subtle; its keen sensory awareness, and its ability to be perfectly still as it takes it all in. ⁠ This is one to repeat several times and journal afterwards each time. Notice how lizard energy shows up for you. ⁠ Shoreline: Meditate to Nature is available in the US, Canada & Australia on iOS. Additional locations and an android version are coming soon. This custom soundscape was recorded by Gordon Hempton. This and many more unique meditations and soundscapes can be found on the app. You can also explore these meditations on Sunday, June 20 during my Summer Solstice Meditation Celebration. Learn more by visiting merylarnett.com/events These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events   All by visiting merylarnett.com.

Now, I know y’all know that I am a deep lover of oracle cards, and the first episode I did on working with oracle cards is still one of my most popular episodes! So, today, I am THRILLED to share an interview with Tarot & Oracle card creator MJ Cullinane. MJ has created numerous magical and beautiful decks. The two I currently own are the Urban Crow Oracle and the ROAR Oracle. Both are stunning, wise and a delight to use. In this episode, MJ and I talk about the difference between oracle and tarot decks, her creative process, and her favorite way to work with her decks. This was such a fun interview and I know you are going to enjoy it as much as I did! Here is a little more about MJ: Margaux Jones (AKA MJ) is an award-winning Seattle-based artist, writer, mother, and lover of all things magical - especially crows. She attended Parsons School of Design, yet her unique technique for telling stories through digital collage is self-taught and has been her passion for over 10 years. Nature and its creatures are a familiar theme in MJ's work, however having grown up south of Boston her collages are heavily influenced by the energy of the city. Her work often merges the two worlds. Her path into the world of Tarot was a beautiful accident that came out of a difficult time in her life. The process of creating the Crow Tarot helped her discover her own wings, though at the time she didn't realize how life-changing the project would become. She simply fell in love with the process, the messages and the feeling each card evoked. ​ The Crow Tarot, MJ's first published deck, has achieved a significant following and recognition with crow lovers and the tarot community including winning the 2019 CARTA award for Best Tarot Deck and Best Illustrator of a Tarot Deck. ​When MJ is not making art or writing she is spending time with her daughter, playing in nature, practicing magic, and finding new sources of inspiration. Learn more about MJ and her decks here: https://www.mjcullinane.com/ And be sure to follow her on Instagram for sneak peeks of her upcoming Forhaxa Tarot Deck: https://www.instagram.com/crowtarotmjcullinane/ If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Who do you invite into your meditation practice and why do you do it? Today’s mini meditation is an opportunity to explore what support, connections or wisdom you might connect to within your meditation practice. This is a snippet of my personal meditation practice at this time and I am excited to share it with you. Let’s practice! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

I mentioned in last week’s class that within my personal practice, I often start by honoring the ancestors of the place I live {the Muscogee/Creek Nation} as well as my own familial ancestors. Afterwards, a student mentioned that she struggles with inviting her ancestors into her meditation practice because she doesn’t think her ancestors were particularly good people. Another friend mentioned that she struggles with inviting her ancestors into her meditations because she doesn’t know much about her family stories. These questions and struggles are so common so I thought it worthwhile to explore. I've spent the last week writing and reflecting on these questions along with my own experiences of ancestral-relating. Today’s meditation class will be devoted to the how/what/why of ancestry within meditation.⁠ We don’t need to sugarcoat, to lie, or to pretend. We don’t need to work with our ancestral lineages for some pseudo-spiritual depth. We can, however, choose to work with our ancestors in an honest, clear way for support, for wisdom and for lessons learned. ⁠ Join me for today’s discussion and a guided meditation to help you explore your ancestral connections. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

One of the many texts we can look to for ancient meditation teachings is The Yoga Sutra by Patanjali. Written 2200 years ago, the great sage Patanjali gathered the essence of yoga philosophy and practice and distilled it into 196 concise sentences - called sutras. For many of us, one of the ultimate sutras is 3.34: “By meditating on the heart, one gains complete knowledge of one’s mind.” Today’s meditation practice is one of the guideposts that points us on our way to gaining complete knowledge of the mind. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

The final step in our journey to the magic of meditation lies within The Way. Many of you have been practicing with me for quite awhile and know my teaching methods well. I most often offer my teachings through the lens of mindfulness meditation, but the truth is that mindfulness is really a distilled {and brilliant} version of the ancient meditation teachings. Teachings from lineages of Tantra Sri Vidya Buddhism Kashmir Shaivism So I thought, if we are going to talk about the way today, we might as well talk about The Way. One of the many texts we can look to for these more ancient teachings is The Yoga Sutra by Patanjali. Written 2200 years ago, the great sage Patanjali gathered the essence of yoga philosophy and practice and distilled it into 196 concise sentences - called sutras. For many, one of the ultimate sutras is 3.34: “By meditating on the heart, one gains complete knowledge of one’s mind.” But how do we get there? HOW do we meditate on the heart? All of the other sutras lay out the path, The Way, for us. In this episode, I want to focus particularly on sutra 1.14 in which Pantanjali outlines 3 rules for mastering the mind. Perhaps you already intuitively know The Way and have been working with it for some time; perhaps there are some pieces here that you will recommit to knowing that combined with the words {your intention}, the will {your trust in the practice} and the way, this practice is nothing short of magic. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This is a special, bonus episode of The Mindful Minute to introduce my 2021 Clear Mind, Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training. I wanted to be able to talk to you about my hopes, thoughts and plans for this training; the ideas behind it; and why I am so beyond proud of this offering. In my 10+ years of teaching meditation, the #1 piece of feedback I receive from students is that I make meditation feel accessible. Some of the comments that make my heart sing: "I FINALLY get it." "I thought I couldn't meditate before I met you..." "I'm home." And, let me be clear - this isn't some magic unique to me. No, this is simply the magic of years to study, practice and experience. This is the magic of bringing forth the tried and true practices of ancient meditation lineages and offering them through the lens of modern day experience. THIS is why I am so excited about this training. THIS is exactly what I hope to offer within Clear Mind, Awakened Heart. Ancient practices + Modern Creativity This training was created both for those that want to teach meditation to others as well as for those that want a deeper understanding of the practice for personal reasons. Meditation Teacher Trainings are few and far between. Those that exist tend to be large-scale with many assistants between you and the teacher. THIS training is specifically designed to be an intimate, in-depth experience limited to a maximum of 20 students. A small class size ensures quality connection time, an opportunity for your questions to be answered, and your specific needs to be addressed. Take 10 minutes to listen to today's bonus episode of The Mindful Minute to learn more about teacher training and why it might be a good fit for YOU. You can learn more here: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-teacher-training You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation series is loosely inspired by Alix E. Harrow’s beautiful novel, The Once & Future Witches. Within this magical novel, she writes of 3 things needed to perform a spell - The Words. The Will. & The Way. We will look at these same elements as tools for our meditation practice. Today’s episode is dedicated to the very peculiar kind of will needed for meditation practice. In the book, this will was a “you’ve got to want it enough” kind of feeling. An inner strength. This same strength is needed to get you to cushion, especially, in the beginning. Your will to meditate is the drive to show up day in and day out, even when it is slow, silly, or boring. We keep showing up and practicing because we trust in what is offered. AND THEN. Then, you gotta let go completely. Once you sit on that cushion, you’ve got to release all expectation of what your practice is going to feel like. It is here that our will to meditate must transform into the will to let go. Just sit down and breathe. Listen. Be curious. Be kind. Do it again tomorrow. Herein lies the magic. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a practice to help you listen and hear your own highest truth. To hear your Sankalpa. ‘Kalpa’ means vow or more literally, “the rule that follows”, and ‘San’ means truth. So, Sankalpa can be translated to be “the rule that follows truth” or a vow that supports your highest truth. This practice helps us discover the magical words we need to remind ourselves of to reach our own highest potential. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

It is May, and with the new month comes a new meditation series! This series was loosely inspired by Alix E. Harrow’s beautiful novel, The Once & Future Witches. This book, according to the NPR.org book review: Once upon a time, Alix Harrow wrote about three sisters. Also, suffragists, witching, folklore, flawed alliances, an alternate America, and women's work. She gave this second novel many gifts: charm, grace, and gorgeousness; feral wonder, clear vision, an ardent heart. She gave it history, awareness of injustice and will to survive it. And so it went into the world to seek its fortune, inviting readers to settle in; to sigh with the pleasure of finding a not too this, not too that, just right story. Within this magical novel, she writes of 3 things needed to perform a spell - The Words. The Will. & The Way. This got me thinking… what is needed to truly feel and discover the magic of meditation? Not the baseline “I’m watching my thoughts, and there sure are a lot of them.” kind of meditation. Although that has true value, to be sure. No, I’m talking about the kind of meditation where you feel yourself drop into something wholly different than those curious thoughts in your head. A space? A universe? Something with true color, texture, feeling, maybe words, maybe visions, maybe just truths suddenly known. This is the type of meditation that has you running towards your meditation cushion each day. And we find it through the words we say, a very peculiar type of will, and a way that has been handed down for generations. In today’s talk and meditation, we explore the words. What are the words that we say to deepen a meditation practice? It turns out that they aren’t just any words, but a vow and commitment we make to support our highest truth. A Sankalpa. Ready to try your hand at magic? Let’s meditate. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

How do you judge when your workday is done? When have you done enough, and where does your wiggle room lie? As more and more of us are working from home, we are discovering perhaps more than ever how important it is to have a clear transition from work to home. Some of us have lost the ding of the elevator that marks the end of a work day, for some the car ride home, and for some it is simply the loss of expectation that we won’t respond to emails or hold Zoom calls after hours… However your work life looks, one thing is clear - it is the establishing of boundaries, creating space and honoring our own sense of Enough that allows us to feel whole and balanced when it comes to work. Use this meditation as a transition in your day - the start of work, a midday break or at the end of your day - to tap into the space & grace we need in our work lives. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

With this episode, the Passions & Paychecks series comes to a close; and whew, y’all… this episode…. In the live class, the comments in the chat were coming in fast and furious - it is VERY clear that we are missing the transitions between home and work, that our boundaries have vanished, and that for most of us, we have no idea what “enough” feels like when it comes to work.   All month, we’ve been talking through our work lives as a function of relating - of being in relationship with ourselves, with our co-workers, and with our organizations. As we look at these relationships through the lens of mindfulness, it becomes clear that The meeting point of passion and paychecks is the sense of enoughness within ourselves.   Without the belief that we are enough and do enough, how can we possibly allow any wiggle room to be anything less than perfect, to occasionally drop the ball, or simply be average without over-achieving?   The work of enoughness is the work of compassion. In today’s practice, we will work with some key phrases that set the intention for believing in our own inherent worth:   As a child of the universe, I am already enough. I belong to myself. I know when I have done enough. I trust myself.   As we meditate together in today’s episode, let yourself ponder - What is your relationship to space? To grace? To enoughness? How does this impact the way you show up and relate to yourself, to your work, and to others at work? If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation practice is an opportunity to cultivate non-judgment as we begin to express ourselves more authentically. It can be easy to second guess these truer parts of ourselves, to feel embarrassed, wrong or uncomfortable after putting yourself out there in a vulnerable and real way.   Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts reminds us that, “The freedom to be average is also the grace granted for imperfect works-in-progress."   Shall we be average together for a bit? My colleague Tiffany Johnson leads this practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. Learn more about Tiffany Johnson by visiting tiffanydawnjohnson.com You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This week, Tiffany Johnson and I continue to explore authenticity as a journey thanks to the research of Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts.   Roberts also writes -   “The spotlight is brighter, employment insecurity and economic insecurity looms larger, and the demands of working, caregiving, and merely surviving have grown exponentially. Who has the wiggle room under these circumstances to drop the ball, to deliver less-than-their-best, to express a bit less patience and a bit more frustration? {....} The freedom to be average is also the grace granted for imperfect works-in-progress."   Whew. Exactly what I needed to hear. How about you?   In this episode, Tiffany talks to us about cultivating a practice of non-judgment as we step more fully into ourselves within our work and personal lives. I share a little about my experience of authentic expression while creating my app and the surprising part that almost derailed the whole project.   Join us for today’s discussion and practice! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. Learn more about Tiffany Johnson by visiting tiffanydawnjohnson.com You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation invites us to experience authenticity not as a static endpoint but as a journey. A perpetually evolving place that invites us to take the next best step even when we can’t see the full picture. Join me for today’s practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

You guys!!! I finally get to see the magic words… my new app, Shoreline, is LIVE and ready to be downloaded! You can find Shoreline by visiting merylarnett.com. It is available in the App store for iPhone users. The android version will be released a bit later. You’ve heard me talk a ton about the app in earlier episodes so all I will say here is please. Go check it out. Download it. Try the free offerings. And please please please, will you leave me a review in the app store? Reviews are everything when it comes to showing up in searches and growing. There is so much goodness in this app. There are meditations that you know and love from the podcast, there is a ton of completely new content and I’m releasing a new meditation every single day on the app. Every. Day. Y’all. We have so much more we are excited to add to the app as we grow, but for now, my new baby is here and I can’t wait for you to experience it. <3 Now, let’s get to today’s class…. In this week's meditation, I continue to co-teach with my friend Tiffany Johnson.   I need to mention that the day this class was recorded, here in the States, we had just learned of another police murder of a young black man - Daunte Wright. So, this class starts out with a brief acknowledgement of the present moment emotions and why this practice, seemingly unrelated, is indeed an important practice for us all to do.   We return to the idea of tapping into the steady space within - not only because of its steadiness but because of what it may be telling us about what we want, need, and feel in the present moment.  Drawing upon the work of Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts, we begin talking about authenticity as a journey made up of acts or expressions that originate from the source.  It is here - at the source - that we may begin to understand how to take the next best step, even when we feel uncertain.  In doing so, we may also become aware of ways to creatively craft our environments - be they work, life, parenthood, community, or something at the intersections.  In all, we affirm that life and work -  just like authenticity - are big journeys made up of small moments. We affirm that our practice of mindfulness meditation- through present moment awareness - can help us be on these journeys, and take the next best step along the way.   We wanted to send some goodies your way from this week's talk:   A. Here is the short clip with Dr. Morgan Roberts speaking about authenticity: https://www.hbs.edu/about/video.aspx?v=1_8963oj3w   B. Here is her article about the 4 freedoms work, which she argues are necessary for creating racial justice at work (thus, in the world,at large). They are all centered around authenticity: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/racial-justice-in-workplace-with-freedom-measurements/   C. Here are some inquiry questions that you may want to reflect on over the next week: 1. Do I feel free to express authentically? 2. What inner experiences do I want to express, but I am not expressing? 3. What inner experiences have I wanted to address in the past that I did express (without oppressing)? (Please give yourself major props for this) 4. Where and how might I be more creative and craft in my working life right now. 5. What aspects of my organization make it difficult for me to express authentically? 6. How would I like aspects of my organization or work to shift in order to express myself more authentically? 7. In this job, what do I have agency over? Where is change possible? What small (but potent) shifts can I begin to make now in expressing authentically? If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. Learn more about Tiffany Johnson here: http://tiffanydawnjohnson.com/ You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Join my friend and colleague, Tiffany Johnson, as she guides us through a meditation designed to wake us up to our true Self and how we relate to ourselves both on the cushion and at work. This meditation is an excerpt from our April Meditation Series: Passion & Paychecks. The full class airs each Thursday on this podcast. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Learn more about Tiffany Johnson: http://tiffanydawnjohnson.com/about/yoga-meditation-with-tiffany/ You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Whew, y’all…. This meditation series is ALL THINGS WORK RELATED! This series developed out of a conversation with my regular Monday night crew - we were talking about some of the everyday struggles that come up at work, the tug to do something different, even feeling creatively stifled...⁠ ⁠ And so, this series was born... Even more exciting, I’m co-teaching this series alongside a friend/student/colleague - Tiffany Johnson.   Tiffany, aside from being a brilliant meditation teacher {and regular Monday night practitioner}, is a work and equity scholar, writer, and teacher. She is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and she does research related to work(places), equity, and well-being.⁠ ⁠ Together, we will bring a unique exploration to the field of the workplace {and the inner self, naturally} over the next four episodes. Exploring what it means to 'work', how our inner experiences show up, and what do we do with passion and creativity when it comes to our 9 - 5?⁠ ⁠ This series is for you if you:⁠ ✔️ struggle with workplace stress⁠ ✔️ aren't quite sure how to navigate the tension between your passion/s and your paycheck⁠ ✔️ love elements of your job but hate the necessary tasks that accompany it⁠ ⁠ Join Tiffany & me in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss work, mindfulness, 4th spaces and how we relate.   Learn more about Tiffany Johnson: http://tiffanydawnjohnson.com/about/yoga-meditation-with-tiffany/ If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is the Elemental Purification practice we did throughout last month’s meditation series: Our Elemental Nature. You can do this practice anytime you want to feel more connected to Earth, Nature and her elements. It is especially potent to do this practice outside, if you have the opportunity. Enjoy! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Y’all... I have been waiting for almost a full year to share this episode with you! It has felt like the biggest, most exciting secret, and now I can finally share this joy with you! As you know by now, I have been working tirelessly on a new meditation app called Shoreline, and one of my creative partners in this endeavour is acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. For months now, Gordon and I have had weekly virtual conversations to sit together and listen and discuss the sounds of the natural world around us. I think perhaps the thing I love most about these conversations is that when I listen to Gordon talk about his experiences of listening to nature, he uses the same words, the same feeling tones that I use as I talk about meditation. It is two different pathways to the exact same place - a place of awakening to the immense love of being alive. As you know, I am passionate about offering meditation in ways that feel accessible and doable for ALL OF US. No matter how busy, how many kids, how many struggles… we can all meditate. And, I believe Shoreline gives us some new options within this practice. I sat down with Gordon a few weeks ago to talk about the Songs of Spring and what is really offered in the “opportunities of now” - let’s listen together. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can listen to Gordon Hempton’s interview on the On Being Podcast here: https://onbeing.org/programs/gordon-hempton-silence-and-the-presence-of-everything/ You can learn more about me and my new app Shoreline here: merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

There is a trail near my house; it cuts through the woods, follows along a creek, and makes its way back to an old textile mill from the 1800s. The mill changed hands a few times and ultimately ended up being run by a woman. This woman also worked to create the first settlement for Eastern European Jewish immigrants in this area. My ancestors are Eastern European Jews. Even before that, before mills and immigrants, the indigenous people first on this land were here. There are carvings in the rocks along this very river from these First People that we can still see today. So, a few times a week, I walk this trail. I step over a heart-shaped rock embedded in the ground, and I reach a spot just before the mill... a sandy little nook along the shoreline. There is a rock that overhangs the water; it is just long enough to lie down on, and so I do. I stretch out on my back, I stare at the sky, and I think about all the other people that might have laid down in this very spot. People that carried worries, if not identical to mine, than very likely in the same vein: Worries about making ends meet Worries about doing the very best by your children Worries about the community and the ecosystems that support that community Worries about changes unknown coming around the corner I lie on this rock, and I allow myself to breathe and to feel, and I stay until I know I’m done. Always past that first inclination to get up... I stay until I well and truly feel held. Because I always do. When I come here and I lie on the earth, on this stone that has seen eons longer than I ever will, I feel held. I feel supported. I remember that these worries aren’t meant to be carried by me alone. When we talk about the earth element - absolutely we can talk about what we want to plant. We can talk about nutrients and nourishment and fecundity, but let’s first talk about support. Let’s talk about being held. For the earth is what has held us {all beings} throughout time. Join me now for today’s discussion of the earth element, both external and internal, and then a 20-minute guided meditation practice. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Shoreline: my new meditation app *Live, virtual meditation classes with me *Upcoming events All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is another sneak peak of the upcoming meditation app Shoreline. Today’s practice works with one of my favorite Zen koans from John Tarrant Roshi: The coin that is lost in the river is found in the river. Curious? Join me for today’s 10 minute meditation; the river soundscape you hear in the background was recorded by acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. You’ll be able to access more meditations and soundscapes like this in my new app Shoreline; click the link below to find out when it will be available for download! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *My upcoming meditation app: Shoreline *and, my live, virtual meditation classes All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Water. An essential ingredient of life; we know it in many forms - rivers and oceans, rainfall and mist, trickles, streams and tears. Water is perpetually seeking a goal it will never achieve: to reach the center of the earth. Instead of achievement, water teaches us the importance of the journey. Water is always moving, concerned with nothing other than its own flow and following a path of least resistance. Each of us was held in water for roughly 9 months; perhaps it is even correct to say this is the first element we know. Water allows for birth; not just of human life, but also of ideas, of creativity, and of vitality. Water allows us to be reborn again and again. In working with the elements inside of our meditation practice, we’ve swept ourselves clean and dried ourselves out through wind. We have burned what no longer serves, not to destroy it, but so that we can allow the nutrients buried deep inside to be freed as ash and then be absorbed through the flow of water. Water teaches us of perseverance, inevitability and surprise. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we follow this path through a brief dharma talk and 20-minute guided meditation. Let go into flow. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Spring Equinox Virtual Meditation Retreat *My upcoming meditation app: Shoreline *and, my live, virtual meditation classes All by visiting merylarnett.com. The story I read in today’s episode is an excerpt from Illusions by Richard Bach You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Happy Monday y’all! Today’s mini meditation is another sneak peek within my soon-to-be-released meditation app: Shoreline! I’ll be releasing a longer episode later this month with all the details and background stories of this app, but in the meantime... This meditation practice is drawing on an innately meditative experience - that of staring at a campfire. Any camper will tell you that something quiet and reflective occurs as the sun sets and the campfire burns. Perhaps it is the yellow orange flames that lick or the crackle of burning wood, but something of this experience calls us inward. Fire calls to us on an elemental level as well - for the elements show up within us just as they do outside of us. Fire calls forth experiences of transformation, of lighting the path ahead and of creating the warmth of safety and the clearing away of what is no longer needed. This meditation uses the sounds of campfire embers as recorded by acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. Enjoy! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can learn more about my: *Spring Equinox Virtual Meditation Retreat *My upcoming meditation app: Shoreline *and, my live, virtual meditation classes All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Fire is perhaps the most often referenced element within sacred practices from around the world. In cultures near and far, the belly is seen as the home of our life force, our passion, our drive, our digestion {of food, thought and feeling}. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote of the “fire in the belly” to describe a person’s drive back in 1882, and today, science continues to prove the deep relationship between our gut and our brain. When we work with the element of fire in our meditation practice, it is useful to reflect on the element of fire in the external world as well. In reading about controlled burns of forest, two of the most often cited benefits are: Fire reduces the risk of destructive wildfires. In the same way, when we intentionally work with the fire element in meditation, we are preventing the wild flare-ups that are all too common in moments of high-stress. Fire can be rejuvenating. It returns nutrients to the soil in the ashes of vegetation that could otherwise take years to decompose. The additional sunlight and open space in a forest can help young trees and other plants start to grow. Likewise, when we burn away the stories that haunt us, we are left rich and fertile for deep healing and new growth. In Winter Solstice ceremonies, fires are lit to call the light of the sun home. In Indigenious ceremonies, grasslands along the river are burned to call the salmon home. At first glance, fire can seem like a fearsome, raging torrent, but in actuality, it is lighting our path home and nurturing our rejuvenation. So let’s burn. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we delve into the fire with a dharma talk and guided, 20-minute meditation practice. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you found this podcast. Your review helps others to find this show! You can learn more about my: *Spring Equinox Virtual Meditation Retreat *My upcoming meditation app: Shoreline *and, my live, virtual meditation classes All by visiting merylarnett.com. You can also grab my FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com. It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Y’all! I am so thrilled to share with you a sneak peek into my labor of love: a new meditation app called Shoreline. I'm delighted to offer my listeners and students something straight from my heart. You likely know how much I love meditating in nature, and now, I am able to bring you my very favorite meditative experiences combined with stunning soundscapes created by Emmy-award winning acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. Together, we will use the elements, unique geographical locations and the call of many wild animals to enhance our meditation practices. I can't wait to share this with you. The app won’t be available for download for a few more weeks; in the meantime, every Monday, I will release a sneak peek meditation from the app starting with today’s practice: Swept Away By The Wind. Sign-up to be notified when Shoreline goes live here: https://mailchi.mp/merylarnett/shoreline-announcement These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.merylarnett.com/live-virtual-meditation-classes ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

When we pull up a map, we do it because we are trying to figure out how to get somewhere we want to be. We see developed land represented as one color and forest as another. We see water represented in blue and roads in a myriad of colors indicating the type of road. What we see are symbols that can help guide us on a journey. The ancient meditation practitioners also left us maps. They left us markers from their journey to help us on ours… The map of the interior journey is often described via a map known as the chakras. Depending on the school of thought, there might be differing numbers of chakras, differing locations, colors or symbols; just as different mapmakers vary their symbols. Regardless of what the map may look like, we can read it because certain threads are maintained as consistent. In the meditation world, this consistency is the symbiotic relationship between the outer world and the inner world. When an ecosystem is healthy and thriving, we see the elements {Earth, Air, Fire & Water} working in tandem to promote the most prosperity, the most diversity possible. The same holds true within the inner landscape. We can use the elements both as an anchor for our meditation practice as well as tools for healing. In this month’s meditation series, we will explore each of the four elements, starting with wind, and practicing a technique known as elemental purification. I hope you’ll join me! You can take this awareness of the elements even deeper this month during my Spring Equinox Virtual Meditation Retreat on Saturday, March 20. Learn more here: https://www.merylarnett.com/events You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

In my experience on the meditation cushion, the web of indebtedness is exactly what we innately become aware of as our meditation practice moves into deeper cycles. It begins as we enter into a reciprocal relationship with our meditation practice.   We give our time, energy and attention to our practice, and it responds to us with greater awareness, insight and warmth… The practice becomes sweeter because we give ourselves to it.   And eventually, this spills over into our everyday actions. Join me for today’s mini meditation practice and notice how it feels to consciously ‘give’ to your meditation practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This month, we have been exploring the cycle of awakening in this 4 part series - ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ And, with today’s episode, we reach the pinnacle of this cycle. Reciprocity. This cycle moves from paying attention, to noticing the gifts, to an outpouring of gratitude, and finally to reciprocity. Reciprocity is the literal answer to “what does love have to do with it?” Reciprocity is the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit; cultural anthropologists support this idea in what they call the "web of indebtedness". In my experience, this web of indebtedness is exactly what we innately become aware of as our meditation practice moves into deeper cycles. It begins as we enter into a reciprocal relationship with our meditation practice.   We give our time, energy and attention to our practice, and it responds to us with greater awareness, insight and warmth… The practice becomes sweeter because we give ourselves to it.   And eventually, this spills over into our everyday actions -   We become more aware of our excess. Of how and what we teach our children. We are more inclined to listen and engage with humans we might not otherwise notice…   And that noticing, it is starting another loop on the never-ending spiral of awakening. It is yet again paying attention, which will lead to noticing more gifts, more gratitude and new levels of reciprocity…   Let’s explore this cycle now; join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we talk through this teaching and then share in a 20-minute guided meditation. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a practice inspired by the words of Maya Angelou - “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” A practice of gratefulness and wakefulness without the requisite “3 things you are grateful for…” cliche. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

I can imagine many of you, like me, feel something between a yawn and an eye roll when you hear the word 'gratitude' these days - it has become such an overused, misunderstood word... I must have taught a dozen different gratitude classes over the years, but I've noticed a significant shift in my practice and understanding of gratefulness in the time of COVID. This shift got me thinking… when excess is stripped away, is it possible we feel more abundant?⁠ In the past, if I practiced gratitude, I did my diligence to write down 3 things I was grateful for - the issue was I tended to take the “things” part of that phrase too literally. I would be grateful for my coffee {and let’s be clear, I still am. Every. Single. Day.}, but living gratefully really isn’t about the things. Or the shoulds. A gratefulness that feels alive in our bodies doesn’t come from a mandate that “you SHOULD practice gratitude”. In fact, I believe that gratitude isn’t something we can ‘do’. I think it is actually the spontaneous evolution of waking up to a more heartfelt existence. So, in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, I ask you to brave a discussion of gratitude; we will look at it perhaps from a different perspective, with absolutely no request to journal 3 things you are grateful for at the end!! Ready? You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation practice is a practice in recognizing the gifts that your time and attention bestow on you. Every breath, every thought, every feeling is a gift from your soul to your ego-self. Will you waste these gifts obsessing about your next to-do, or will you witness that obsessive thought with a smile and a “thank you” as you honor the gift of wisdom that just landed in your lap? And because this is a practice in receiving gifts, we will bring in a few extra elements meant to infuse your practice with a sense of sacredness and reverence. Join me for this short practice, and be sure to tune into the episode titled What’s Love Got To Do With It {part 2} for a deeper explanation of the gifts we receive from meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Gifts. ⁠ ⁠ Last week, on my birthday, I received so many gifts. Gifts of time, attention, tea & cookies... By the end of the end of day, my heart was so full of gratitude it felt like it might burst, and the question floating around in my head was - ⁠ ⁠ What if we felt in our bones that all of our life experiences contain gifts? ⁠ The good. The bad. The boring.⁠ When our meditation practice shifts from simply paying attention to the acknowledgement of gifts, well now, we have taken the first step in deepening our meditation practice to something beyond our small ego-based selves… What a gift meditation practice is, a luxury of time, breath and relating to yourself with curiosity and kindness. And here is the interesting thing - with every gift that we acknowledge, 30 more come tumbling into view. Suddenly, we find ourselves awash in gifts that might have previously been unnoticed moments in our lives. Every breath, every thought, every feeling is a gift from your soul to your ego-self. Will you waste these gifts obsessing about your next to-do, or will you witness that obsessive thought with a smile and a “thank you” as you honor the gift of wisdom that just landed in your lap? Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute is a practice in recognizing the gifts. ALL the gifts. With every distraction, every discomfort, every joy, every mundane thought, we will remind ourselves, “this is a gift.” Curious what comes from a practice like this? Try it for yourself and find out! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

I’m currently reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. In it, the author writes of providing an antidote to what she calls “plant blindness” - the learned ignoring of the plant life around us. This blindness “impedes the recognition of the green world as a garden of gifts.” Kimmerer offers an antidote via a cycle of experience- Attention Gift Gratitude Reciprocity I recognize this cycle as also being the cycle of waking up. This is the cycle of an ever-deepening meditation practice. And it begins with paying attention. Let’s try it together in today’s mini meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

What’s love got to do with it? ⁠ Well... Everything, it turns out.⁠ ⁠ So many of us come to a meditation practice searching for some version of “peace” - less stress, more happiness, some form of contentment. And yet, far too easily, we can get stuck with one foot off the meditation cushion, not realizing we haven’t let ourselves go all in.⁠ ⁠ As practitioners, it is important that we remember that meditation doesn’t end with the mind. We don’t simply meditate, get to know our own thoughts and then stop. We follow an ever-deepening spiral of awareness that both broadens our understanding of the world around us and deepens our understanding of ourselves as awakened beings.⁠ ⁠ My February meditation series lays out a map that moves us through this deepening cycle from a mindful mind to an awakened heart with plenty of practice time so you can feel for yourself what love has to do with it

Sunset is the time when the masculine energy of the day {the heat, fire, planning and passion} is met with the feminine energy of the moon {the cooling, nourishing, restorative and creative}. In some cultures, this time of day is seen as a portal - A time to descend into the netherworld to collect fuel, firewood or the creative spark. A time to close out the cycle of the day, to honor birth and death, conscious and unconscious… Meditating at sunset is an invitation to honor the ritual of cycles in our lives and the wholeness that comes when we don’t miss any of the steps in the cycle. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we learn how to meditate at sunset and cultivate the quality of compassion as part of this practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Our January meditation series comes to a close with a reflection of sunset and the practices that are asked of us at this time. Sunset is the time when the masculine energy of the day {the heat, fire, planning and passion} is met with the feminine energy of the moon {the cooling, nourishing, restorative and creative}. In some cultures, this time of day is seen as a portal - A time to descend into the netherworld to collect fuel, firewood or the creative spark. A time to close out the cycle of the day, to honor birth and death, conscious and unconscious… Sadly, as with so many things, modern culture has taught us to bulldoze right through this transition with no notice or pause. I’m as guilty of this as the next person. From 5 - 7 p.m. it feels like a full out sprint in my house. Dinner. Baths. Bedtimes. Clean-up. Crash. Who has time to savor the striations in the sky as day and night meet… And yet… There is something in this nightly invitation to pause that teaches us about wholeness and about balance. Not the mythical I-can-do-it-all-perfectly-all-the-time balance, but the balance of give and take. Sometimes the masculine. Sometimes the feminine. Sometimes with the doing. Sometimes with the being. It is an invitation to honor the ritual of cycles in our lives and the wholeness that comes when we don’t miss any of the steps in the cycle. Sunset is the opportunity to invite in the element of compassion within our meditation practice. We can feel the sunset wrap her arms around us like a wise, ancestral grandmother and say something warm and lovely - Good job today. What a beautiful heart you have. I love you. We need those words spoken to us and it is quite possible no one else will say them as often as we need. So, we learn how to say them to ourselves - literally and metaphorically. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we learn how to meditate at sunset and cultivate the quality of compassion as part of this practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation includes 3 special steps that we can use to infuse our meditation practice with a bit more sacredness. It’s an upleveling, if you will, for times when we really need our meditation practice to support big emotions and important moments in our lives. This practices is inspired by this reminder from Martin Luther King Jr. - “Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.” These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute is a special offering in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the painful struggles our country is wading through in this moment of time.  Two weeks ago, on Wednesday, January 6, we watched as a group of Americans stormed our Capitol during a joint session of Congress. We watched and heard hatred spew for so many of the cultural, ethnical, racial, sexual divides that make up our population. And amidst this heartbreaking and terrifying display of hatred, our own {my own} values of non-hate/ non-violence have been tested. Today, I am holding close this reminder from Martin Luther King Jr. - “Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethic of love to the center of our lives.” Today’s class will be a discussion of what to ‘do’ with hate/anger/grief/fear - all the heavy emotions - within our meditation practices and how to project the ethic of love to the center of our lives. Please join me <3 You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Lunchtime is the time of day when we need an added dose of focus and energy to carry us through the rest of the day. It is a natural point of low energy, and often it is also a time when we start to think about how much we haven’t gotten done yet. We start planning tomorrow’s to-do list while still working through today. This tension between low-energy and high-demands actually diminishes our ability to get things done in a creative and timely manner. A mid-day meditation practice is benefited from bringing in the mindfulness tenant of non-judgment. Non-judgment asks us to release our obsession with ‘good job/bad job’. It asks us to let go of ‘I like it/I don’t like it’. And instead, it asks us to simply sit with what is… The simple flow of breath and quieting of the mind is restful and restoring for the body and the brain. Give this practice a try today and see how it impacts your afternoon! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

For years, lunchtime was my meditation time. It was an easy time for me to be consistent; I knew I was going to eat lunch at some point every day, I knew I could take 10 minutes before that first bite to tune-in, and I could sync it with my kids naps! This is also the time of day when we need an added dose of focus and energy to carry us through the rest of the day. It is a natural point of low energy, and often it is also a time when we start to think about how much we haven’t gotten done yet. We start planning tomorrow’s to-do list while still working through today. This tension between low-energy and high-demands actually diminishes our ability to get things done in a creative, not to mention timely, manner. A mid-day meditation practice is benefited from bringing in the mindfulness tenant of non-judgment. Non-judgment asks us to release our obsession with ‘good job/bad job’. It asks us to let go of ‘I like it/I don’t like it’. And instead, it asks us to simply sit with what is… Rather than grasp for that fully finished project; the perfectly completed to-do list in the middle of the day… let us settle down for a rest within what is. The simple flow of breath and quieting of the mind is restful and restoring for the body and the brain. Isn’t it interesting that we KNOW it is true that if we rest we will be more productive and yet we still fight with it. Funny when you can’t believe the science right in front of you because the culture so loudly insists it isn’t true… or is it? Taking time to pause regularly might be the most sacred and important act we can make in 2021. This is the building block; the fully evolved solution will grow out of this quiet, intentional space. Tune into The Mindful Minute today as we take time for a mid-day meditation pause, and find out for yourself, what happens when you make space to rest in the middle of your day? You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This mini-meditation is a sunrise {or morning} meditation practice that is designed to help you start your day with a wakeful and calm presence. Practicing first thing in the morning is a great way to get in touch with the quiet of your mind, to establish yourself within your intentions and to move into your day with a quiet grace. I can’t guarantee that your kids, pets and colleagues will cooperate, but I can guarantee that at least you’ll have a head start on a peaceful day ;-) Join me! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Every time of day has a particular energy and a particular need: a need for energy rising, a need for balance, or a need for relaxation. As we kick off 2021, I thought it would be valuable to explore meditating at different times of day - sunrise, midday and sunset - and the practices and energies that accompany these times of day. Although it can be ideal to commit to a particular time of day for your meditation practice, I’ve found tremendous benefit in altering my time of practice based on the needs of the day. If you are committing or re-committing to your meditation practice this year, this series will be an ideal kickstarter. We will be reviewing the primary components of a mindfulness meditation practice and syncing them to different times of day and different meditation practices. Perhaps you’ll find just the practice you need to start the new year right! Join me for today’s episode of #TheMindfulMinute as we explore presence, sunrise and the energy of meditating in the morning. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

As we enter into the New Year, it is so easy to get sucked into the “new year, new you” mentality - the goals, the aspirations, the improvements… However, I want to invite in a different idea: Perhaps the return of the light isn’t asking for new and improved, but rather like its own return - it is asking us to return home to ourselves. This mini practice is a special meditation designed to guide you to discover your own personal talisman, meant to hold you steady on your own unique path. What is it? Only you can know… Join me for today’s episode of #TheMindfulMinute and let’s discover it together. Happy New Year. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series has been a collection of archetypal tools that we can use to carry us through the winter months. We started this series with the knife {the ability to learn new ways}, then we found the candlestick {the tenacity to ride a rough road}, and now we add our final and most personal tool - the talisman. A talisman is often an object that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck. It can connect us to the strength of the spirit world, to our own mystical knowledge and healing repertoire, and, most directly, it is something that connects us to our deepest intention, our deepest selves. As we enter into the New Year, it is so easy to get sucked into the “new year, new you” mentality - the goals, the aspirations, the improvements… However, I want to invite in a different idea: Perhaps the return of the light isn’t asking for new and improved, but rather like its own return - it is asking us to return home to ourselves. So, how do we return home to ourselves and what does that actually mean? Join me for today’s episode of #TheMindfulMinute as we explore the return home, the talisman and the very definition of peace as guidance into 2021. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s practice is a practice known as Bhavana. It is a steeping of our souls just as we would steep a cup of tea. A tea bag full of herbs is placed in warm water and as it soaks, the water takes on the qualities of the herbs. In this same way, as we call in what is most needed for our future during meditation, our warm bodies take on these qualities. Ready to try it? Let’s practice. Learn more about my New Year’s Day virtual meditation retreat here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Before humans understood how the earth moves around the sun, the time of the Winter Solstice was a scary one. It appeared as if the sun had stopped moving, and what if it never rose again? What if light and warmth didn’t return? In these times of unknown, our ancestors created celebrations and rituals to call the sun back. They celebrated what they were grateful for and they honored what they most wanted - the light. This is so relevant for us today. We are in an incredible time of transition with so much unknown. So many pandemics that need to be addressed with little in the way of a clear path forward. It is like we have forgotten that the earth rotates around the sun. So, let us do as our ancestors did. Let us celebrate what we are grateful for and call out what we most want. We do this through the attention and intention of our meditation practice. We take time to acknowledge the good and the beautiful - even if it is as simple as a cup of warm coffee in the morning - and, we steep ourselves in the intentions we want for ourselves and our world. Today’s practice is a practice known as Bhavana. It is a steeping of our souls just as we would steep a cup of tea. A tea bag full of herbs is placed in warm water and as it soaks, the water takes on the qualities of the herbs. In this same way, as we call in what is most needed for our future during meditation, our warm bodies take on these qualities. Ready to try it? Let’s practice. Learn more about my New Year’s Day virtual meditation retreat here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Much like our ancestors in the season of the Winter Solstice, we too can find solace during times of transition with rituals and practices that warm our hearts, stoke the fires of hope and rekindle the flames of connection. This meditation series began last week with the introduction of the first of three archetypal tools that will support our meditation practice and ourselves during the winter. We began with The Knife. Psychologically, the knife represents: Carving out a life for yourself A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings An ability to learn new ways We placed this knife in the cave of the heart to be called on anytime we need. And, today we add The Candlestick to our cave. We add the flame. Nearly every spiritual tradition honors the flame as a sacred symbol. Often, it is thought of as the fire of transformation or, for some, the fire of manifestation. In almost all historical Winter Solstice rituals there was fire. It is quite literally the light. What resonates with me the most in this season is the representation of the candlestick as the tenacity to ride a rough road. This tool reminds us of our grit, our determination, our perseverance to not only get through tough times but to get through them “well”. To recover and to GROW from our experiences rather than dwell or diminish. It reminds us that to be asleep during transition is to wish to go back to what was... To be awake, with our hearts bolstered by the tools of our meditation practice, we don’t clamour for what was. Instead, we courageously burn to the ground what isn’t working, and with passion we create anew. We don’t get through a rough road by holding on so tightly that our bones rattle. We get through a rough road by chucking stuff out the windows to lighten the load, to let go of what we are banging into again and again, and nourish what helps us to fly. As we get ready to welcome the light back, what will you burn away? What will you let go of in order to fly? Let’s practice. This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration: The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20 New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21 Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a practice that calls forth the first ancient tool needed to help us move through the transition of 2020 to 2021: The knife. Psychologically, a knife can represent Carving out a life for yourself A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings An ability to learn new ways When we acknowledge the metaphorical knife in hand {and heart} we are opening ourselves up to a willingness to learn new ways and reimagine our futures. Have a journal handy after this mini meditation practice, and when you have time, be sure to go back and listen to the full class {titled The Return of the Light {part 1} that aired on 12/10/20}. This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration: The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20 New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21 Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

December is a month of transition, a month of closure and a month of expectation. Ancient lore tells us that within this month, there is a period of time when it appears that the sun has stopped moving across the sky. These days of little light, known now as the Winter Solstice, was originally a time of worry. What if the sun didn’t resume its journey across the sky? What if the light didn’t return? I find a lot of similarity and comfort in these stories as we face the long winter months of the COVID pandemic, the country’s divisiveness, and the multitude of massive issues that need to be addressed. It can feel as if the sun has stopped moving, can’t it? Like nothing will change and we might never find ourselves on the other side? Much like our ancestors, we too can find solace in rituals and practices that warm our hearts, stoke the fires of hope and rekindle the flames of connection. The first of these ancient tools that we need is The Knife. Psychologically, a knife can represent Carving out a life for yourself A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings An ability to learn new ways And, this is what I really want to talk about in today’s class - an ability to learn new ways. Our asleep heart/mind doesn’t want to learn. In fact, it avoids learning at all costs. It doesn’t want to know because to know is to invite in a willingness to be changed by what you learn. And, an asleep heart DOES NOT WANT CHANGE. To an asleep heart, a fearful, limited life is better than an unknown future. An asleep heart nudges us to greet transitions by saying, “I hope things go back to the way they were...” In contrast, an awake heart sees the open expanse up ahead and invites in EXACTLY what she or he wants to see there in new and fresh ways. When we acknowledge the metaphorical knife in hand {and heart} we are opening ourselves up to a willingness to learn new ways. Many of us have learned how to navigate life in a mask and without hugs or handshakes. We have carved out new spaces for working from home, schooling from home and still living from home. We are re-learning how to celebrate birthdays and holidays; we are re-learning how to grieve and acknowledge loss. And, man, are we learning how to live and love through fear. Join me in this first part of my December meditation series as we call forth the tools we need to navigate the transition from 2020 to 2021. Let’s practice. This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration: The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20 New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21 Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Often when we meditate, a central image, feeling or idea will emerge during our practice. These images can be viewed through an archetypal lens to help us gain deeper insight into ourselves and our present moment. Archetypal energy can be thought of as an initial and eternal energy that exists across continents, cultures and time itself. When we tap into this understanding our practice comes into sharper focus. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we explore what energy is present for you today! Learn more about my live, virtual Winter Solstice meditation and my New Year’s Day virtual mini retreat here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

When I was a young yoga teacher, one of my students gifted me a set of animal spirit oracle cards after a bird repeatedly flew into the studio while I was teaching. This small gift set me on a 10+ year journey of using oracle cards as part of my personal meditation practice. What I’ve learned through using a myriad of oracle cards {animal medicine, tarot, archetypes, yantras, etc.} are lessons in Trusting in my own inner wisdom Connecting to forces unseen and the divine feminine Understanding and working with archetypal energy In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we will talk about different decks, how to incorporate an oracle deck into your meditation practice, trusting your intuitive response, and how to understand the energy beneath each card. This class is great for those wanting to use a deck and aren’t sure how, and for those that want to work with specific images or feelings that arise in meditation practice {with or without a deck to support it!}. So grab your favorite deck of oracle cards, your headphones and tune in today! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” ~Dale Carnegie Join me for a short meditation focused on cultivating contentment for the moment just as it is. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

Somehow, the holidays are upon us... and, for many of us, this year's holidays won't look quite the same. Perhaps they will be smaller, more intentional, or quieter.⁠ Some of us will appreciate this smaller, quieter time. Some of us will ache for what we wish we could do. Likely, we will all experience a mix of the two. As we approach the holidays in the time of Corona, I thought it worthwhile to spend some time reflecting on contentment. ⁠ Discontentment is the illusion that there can be something else in the moment. Something is missing and if I just had THAT then I could be happy… Contentment is understanding that the moment is complete. Just as it is. This can be difficult to believe when the moment isn't 100% comfortable, but this is our practice. Pause long enough to notice what we think we are missing and to let ourselves rest inside the moment as it is. “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” ~Dale Carnegie May we all embrace the holiday season as it is this year, may we stay safe and healthy, and may we know we are loved. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

It is time to gather our courage, to gather our ferocity to stay awake and engaged even though we may be tired in this leg of our journey. A fierce courage to keep going when the going is tough. A fierce love when we’d rather judge, discriminate or ignore. A fierce engagement with both our meditation practice and with our actions in the world. In essence, our fierceness is the reclaiming and wise application of our intuition. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we cultivate and gather ferocious love! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/   #meditatewithmeryl

A few months ago, for several weeks, every single night I dreamed about spiders. Sometimes the dream was about the spider itself, sometimes the spider was just chilling in the background, sometimes I was doing spider-like things like weaving…  Then, I remembered reading “The Spider’s Prayer” from Kim Krans’ graphic memoir, Blossoms and Bones:  Tangled or Tattered,  Precise or Perfect, Here I am in the web of my life. I am not trapped by it. I am the maker of it. And, when the morning wind has its way, My task will be to weave again. This meditation series started right before the US election with an exploration of resting within the unknown {part 1}. Then, we spent some time immediately after the election nourishing ourselves {part 2}. And now, it is time to gather our courage, to gather our ferocity to stay awake and engaged even though we may be tired in this leg of our journey. A fierce courage to keep going when the going is tough. A fierce love when we’d rather judge, discriminate or ignore. A fierce engagement with both our meditation practice and with our actions in the world.  In essence, our fierceness is the reclaiming and wise application of our intuition.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss ferocity and then practice applying this concept within our meditation practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This special meditation is a practice designed to nurture and soothe your soul. When weary, downtrodden, or fretful, this rich meditation is offered to fill you up and remind you of your own loveliness.  As poet Lynn Ungar says: Imagine setting it all down— papers, plans, appointments, everything— leaving only a note: “Gone to the fields to be lovely. Be back when I’m through with blooming.” These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

I intended to talk about “fierceness” in the second installment of my Election Month meditation series. I look forward to talking about the intersection of ferocity and mindfulness {and I will soon!}, and yet... In the days since last week, which feels like last year it lasted so long, I have felt such an intense exhaustion, a level of weariness, that I knew today was not the day for fierce-ness. Tomorrow perhaps.  Next week, definitely.  But today, today's a day for nourishment. Today is a day for filling up rather than draining. For remembering our loveliness. Before we can come together and unite, we must remember the fullness of ourselves. If we show up half-dragging and mostly drained, we don’t have much capacity to move forward.  We can use our meditation practice as a tool for clearer thinking, wise action, and getting through our days in an engaged way, and we can also use our meditation practice as a way to remember our loveliness. It can be a practice to refill our mental and emotional cups with nourishment and vitality.  As poet Lynn Ungar says: Imagine setting it all down— papers, plans, appointments, everything— leaving only a note: “Gone to the fields to be lovely. Be back when I’m through with blooming.” Today’s special meditation is a metaphorical journey to the fields to be lovely once again. I hope you’ll join me! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

If you aren’t sure how you’ll keep going this month, if staying in bed and pulling the covers over your head is tempting, then this particular meditation is for you. In a safe, accessible way, we are pulling up our big kid pants, and stepping out in each moment of our life with eyes wide open and hearts blazing. Join me for this brief mini-meditation and keep going - Tender, Messy, Awake. We got this! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

As we muddle through this long-awaited election, we are tangling with some fierce emotions, and while I could teach some lovely, feel-the-peace type meditations {and I’m sure I will} it feels to me crucial that we use this time to engage with the fierce and the not-so-beautiful side of the human experience.  In this month’s meditation series, we are going to examine the beauty of the unknown, the beauty of fierceness, and the beauty of the not-so-beautiful. This series will offer up some tools for making friends with the most difficult moments in our lives, for embracing rather than fearing the perpetual paradox of being human, and connecting back to the wildness of our roots. If you aren’t sure how you’ll keep going this month, if staying in bed and pulling the covers over your head is tempting, then this particular meditation series is for you. In a safe, accessible way, we are pulling up our big kid pants, and stepping out in each moment of our life with eyes wide open and hearts blazing.  Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute starts with the UNKNOWN.  Will we get an answer tomorrow?  Can we trust it?  What will happen next? It is almost inevitable that our minds run away with the fear of the unknown. Run over the cliff of the future. And yet, our job right now is to stop ourselves from running away with fear. It is to stay deeply rooted in the present. I’m pretty confident that most of us listening are hoping for a peaceful outcome to the election, one that unites our country and provides folks with a sense of hopefulness, security and peace. Yet, when we so deeply feel the lack of control over a moment such as this, how many of us respond in ways that divide, destabilize and devalue the moment?  * We think in terms of Us vs Them* We pick fights with partners, kids, co-workers because we can* We devalue ourselves and our well-being by suddenly dropping all the tools that help us stay rooted and strong If we want to see a courageous and peaceful future, we must apply those fearless principles within ourselves on the most micro level. Join me for today’s episode as we discuss the antidote to fear and share in a 20-minute guided meditation. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Within our meditation practice, there are times when we feel quite deep and internal, and there are times when we feel more ‘on the surface’ and external. This flow from depth to surface and back again is a normal and healthy part of our practice. Mark Nepo refers to this ever-moving flow as “persistent drift”.  Join me for today’s mini meditation as we honor whatever cycle we may find ourselves in during meditation.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about cycles. Cycles within our own lives, our relationships and within our meditation practice. Have you noticed that your meditation practice ebbs and flows? Sometimes in consistency, yes. But more so, what I mean here is in the times you feel depth, and the times you feel surface.  The times when you are listening externally, and the times when you are listening internally.  The times when it feels quiet and restful, and the times of profound insight and inspiration. These cycles occur innately within our meditation practice. Just as you might find in your relationships, there are times of ease and times of difficulty. Our practice is to learn to both listen and value the cycles we are in rather than rush to “fix” our experience. Mark Nepo calls this flow from depth to surface and back again “persistent drift”. This drift is both cleansing and feeding for our soul. As we wrap up our exploration of grace this month, I believe it is the letting go into grace that allows us to participate and thrive through the natural drift of our practice and our lives.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss and practice this persistent drift within meditation. You can expect a brief talk followed by a 20-minute guided meditation.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

In many meditation teaching traditions, there is an unbroken lineage of teachers. This means that each teacher can trace back to the teacher before her all the way back to the original Guru of the lineage. And, within this unbroken lineage there is a power of transmission. The Guru energy is carried through each teacher in the lineage in its own way and passed through to its students. In essence, this means you have direct contact with Guru energy assuming you study within an unbroken lineage.  I am a lineage holder in 2 unbroken lineages, and with this, we can call on this unbroken line of teachers to help quicken and deepen the energy of our meditation. Invoking this kind of grace is not placing your power somewhere else. It is actually calling out the power we have concealed inside.  Join me for today’s mini meditation as we experience for ourselves what the grace of the guru can do to enliven our meditation practices. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute explores inviting the grace of a “Guru” into your meditation practice. Now, there is a lot of misconception out there about what a Guru is or isn’t so we will explore what this actually means and how it can help your meditation practice.  A Guru is a teacher who is fully enlightened, realized or awakened and has the capacity to awaken you to your own enlightenment. Not many of us will have the good fortune to study with an in-the-flesh enlightened master.  In case you weren’t sure… I am NOT an enlightened master ;-) However, in many meditation teaching traditions, there is an unbroken lineage of teachers. This means that each teacher can trace back to the teacher before her all the way back to the original Guru of the lineage. And, within this unbroken lineage there is a power of transmission. The Guru energy is carried through each teacher in the lineage in its own way and passed through to its students. In essence, this means you have direct contact with Guru energy assuming you study within an unbroken lineage.  I am a lineage holder in 2 unbroken lineages, and with this, we can call on this unbroken line of teachers to help quicken and deepen the energy of our meditation. When we ask a Guru to be present in our meditation, we are really asking for their inner awakeness, their lovingkindness to be kindled within us. It is, in essence, connecting us to our own inner teacher. When you study with an external teacher, like myself, my job is to connect you to your own deepest experiences. Your own inner teacher.  Invoking this kind of grace is not placing your power somewhere else. It is actually calling out the power we have concealed inside.  Join me for today’s talk and guided meditation as we experience for ourselves what the grace of the guru can do to enliven our meditation practices. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is an invitation to give our hearts over to our meditation practice. Not to hold back or to judge, but to say yes to each and every inner experience. YES to the daydream YES to the repetitive thoughts YES to falling asleep YES to the blah and YES to majesty. As we trust what unfolds, the unfolding becomes more meaningful. Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute. Within this meditation, you will hear a few beautiful phrases inviting our bodies, minds and hearts deeper into the practice. These phrases were originally written by meditation teacher Sally Kempton and are discussed in more detail in the 10/15/20 episode of The Mindful Minute “Giving It Up to Grace {part 2}”. Enjoy! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series, Giving It Up to Grace, is an exploration of 4 types of grace that can serve as tools for deepening our experiences both on the meditation cushion and in our daily lives. We started the series last week {part 1} by tapping into the mystical, cosmic forces of the universe, and using the beauty of a sunset or the majesty of a mountain as a way into something deeper within ourselves.  Alternatively, many of us will find a deepening of practice and an awakening of heart through the direct grace of self. The very essence of grace is trusting ourselves as capable of discovering our own deepest truths.  Grace is not something we either have or don’t have, as Sharon Salzberg describes in her book Faith, “it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experiences.” In Pali, the original language of these teachings, the word often used for faith/trust/grace is “saddha” and it more directly translates as “To place the heart upon” This is an invitation to give our hearts over to our practice. Not to hold back or to judge, but to say yes to each and every inner experience. YES to the daydream YES to the repetitive thoughts YES to falling asleep YES to the blah and YES to majesty. As we trust what unfolds, the unfolding becomes more meaningful. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. We will have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series, Giving It Up to Grace, is an exploration of 4 types of grace that can serve as tools for deepening our experiences both on the meditation cushion and in our daily lives. We started the series last week {part 1} by tapping into the mystical, cosmic forces of the universe, and using the beauty of a sunset or the majesty of a mountain as a way into something deeper within ourselves.  Alternatively, many of us will find a deepening of practice and an awakening of heart through the direct grace of self. The very essence of grace is trusting ourselves as capable of discovering our own deepest truths.  Grace is not something we either have or don’t have, as Sharon Salzberg describes in her book Faith, “it is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own deepest experiences.” In Pali, the original language of these teachings, the word often used for faith/trust/grace is “saddha” and it more directly translates as “To place the heart upon” This is an invitation to give our hearts over to our practice. Not to hold back or to judge, but to say yes to each and every inner experience. YES to the daydream YES to the repetitive thoughts YES to falling asleep YES to the blah and YES to majesty. As we trust what unfolds, the unfolding becomes more meaningful. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. We will have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

The more I pay attention, the more I realize how much energy I spend trying to control every second of my life. I want things to look, feel, and behave a certain way at all times, and when it doesn’t {which is often}, it creates stress and struggle. You do too? Today’s mini meditation is a practice in releasing the control we so falsely believe we hold over every waking moment. Invoking a spirit of grace within our meditation practice is what allows meditation to feel like an “effortless effort” rather than a battle of will with your mind. Give it a try for yourself in today’s mini meditation practice and let’s see what happens… These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

The more I pay attention, the more I realize how much energy I spend trying to control every second of my life. I want things to look, feel, and behave a certain way at all times, and when it doesn’t {which is often}, it creates stress and struggle. You do too? Today’s mini meditation is a practice in releasing the control we so falsely believe we hold over every waking moment. Invoking a spirit of grace within our meditation practice is what allows meditation to feel like an “effortless effort” rather than a battle of will with your mind. Give it a try for yourself in today’s mini meditation practice and let’s see what happens… These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

The more I pay attention, the more I realize how much energy I spend trying to control every second of my life. I want things to look, feel, and behave a certain way at all times, and when it doesn’t {which is often}, it creates stress and struggle. You do too? October’s meditation series, Giving It Up to Grace, is a lesson in releasing the control we so falsely believe we hold over every waking moment. Invoking a spirit of grace within our meditation practice is what allows meditation to feel like an “effortless effort” rather than a battle of will with your mind. In this month’s series, we will explore 4 different kinds of grace {allowing for all beliefs and non-beliefs to engage in this exploration}, and we will learn why invoking this quality within our meditation practice impacts the depth of our meditations as well as the ways we move through our daily lives.  Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute explores the cosmic force of grace within the universe itself. Often, we tap into this energy in experiences with nature. For me, listening to the sound of someone witnessing a total eclipse, and the first time I stepped foot in the desert are two memorable moments when the grace of the universe was palpable. We can invite this same energy into our meditation practice and into our ordinary lives. I believe we need this now more than ever. With the pain and struggle of 2020, it often feels like too much for the logical mind. Too much for reasoning or for explanation. In order to make it though with a sense of hope, with engagement and with wakefulness, I believe we must invoke a spirit of grace to help us make it through.  Give it a try for yourself in today’s meditation practice and let’s see what happens… You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

The more I pay attention, the more I realize how much energy I spend trying to control every second of my life. I want things to look, feel, and behave a certain way at all times, and when it doesn’t {which is often}, it creates stress and struggle. You do too? October’s meditation series, Giving It Up to Grace, is a lesson in releasing the control we so falsely believe we hold over every waking moment. Invoking a spirit of grace within our meditation practice is what allows meditation to feel like an “effortless effort” rather than a battle of will with your mind. In this month’s series, we will explore 4 different kinds of grace {allowing for all beliefs and non-beliefs to engage in this exploration}, and we will learn why invoking this quality within our meditation practice impacts the depth of our meditations as well as the ways we move through our daily lives.  Today’s episode of The Mindful Minute explores the cosmic force of grace within the universe itself. Often, we tap into this energy in experiences with nature. For me, listening to the sound of someone witnessing a total eclipse, and the first time I stepped foot in the desert are two memorable moments when the grace of the universe was palpable. We can invite this same energy into our meditation practice and into our ordinary lives. I believe we need this now more than ever. With the pain and struggle of 2020, it often feels like too much for the logical mind. Too much for reasoning or for explanation. In order to make it though with a sense of hope, with engagement and with wakefulness, I believe we must invoke a spirit of grace to help us make it through.  Give it a try for yourself in today’s meditation practice and let’s see what happens… You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

It is SO easy to intellectualize the practice of meditation. To study, to read and to learn without taking time to explore these concepts through the lens of the heart. And yet, this practice of ‘mindfulness’ is often translated to something closer to “heartfulness”. This is meant to be a tender and embodied practice. Not em-brained. Embodied.  We let ourselves soften into a practice that feels warm and kind and generous of spirit rather than stern or overly-disciplined.  Join me for today’s mini-meditation as we practice softening into a heartfelt meditation practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

It is SO easy to intellectualize the practice of meditation. To study, to read and to learn without taking time to explore these concepts through the lens of the heart. And yet, this practice of ‘mindfulness’ is often translated to something closer to “heartfulness”. This is meant to be a tender and embodied practice. Not em-brained. Embodied.  We let ourselves soften into a practice that feels warm and kind and generous of spirit rather than stern or overly-disciplined.  Join me for today’s mini-meditation as we practice softening into a heartfelt meditation practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

With every potent and powerful transition, it can be SO tempting to turn back. To pretend we didn’t see or don’t know better because it can feel easier to be miserable than to push for the breakthrough to joy. But we are born for joy. The practice isn’t teaching us to be joyful; the practice is helping us access our joy.  Some days this can be hard to believe. Here in the States, we just lost a Supreme Court Justice, and both political parties will continue to spew hatred and lies and try to manipulate in their own ways. And, it will continue to break our hearts.  In this moment, I believe the only thing we can do is carry on with the most on-fire compassion practice of all time. NOW IS THE TIME. It is SO easy to intellectualize the practice of meditation. To study, to read and to learn without taking time to explore these concepts through the lens of the heart. And yet, this practice of ‘mindfulness’ is often translated to something closer to “heartfulness”. This is meant to be a tender and embodied practice. Not em-brained. Embodied.  We let ourselves soften into a practice that feels warm and kind and generous of spirit rather than stern or overly-disciplined. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss letting go into compassion and share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

With every potent and powerful transition, it can be SO tempting to turn back. To pretend we didn’t see or don’t know better because it can feel easier to be miserable than to push for the breakthrough to joy. But we are born for joy. The practice isn’t teaching us to be joyful; the practice is helping us access our joy.  Some days this can be hard to believe. Here in the States, we just lost a Supreme Court Justice, and both political parties will continue to spew hatred and lies and try to manipulate in their own ways. And, it will continue to break our hearts.  In this moment, I believe the only thing we can do is carry on with the most on-fire compassion practice of all time. NOW IS THE TIME. It is SO easy to intellectualize the practice of meditation. To study, to read and to learn without taking time to explore these concepts through the lens of the heart. And yet, this practice of ‘mindfulness’ is often translated to something closer to “heartfulness”. This is meant to be a tender and embodied practice. Not em-brained. Embodied.  We let ourselves soften into a practice that feels warm and kind and generous of spirit rather than stern or overly-disciplined. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we discuss letting go into compassion and share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s practice is a subtle one. The last level of letting go is to let go of the thoughts, and, deeper still, to let go of identifying as the thinker. You see, we are both the one who thinks AND the one who knows that it is thinking.  When we are able to let go in this way, our view, in fact our very being, becomes more expansive. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we explore what it looks like to let go of identifying yourself as the thinker and how that impacts your ability to expand. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s practice is a subtle one. The last level of letting go is to let go of the thoughts, and, deeper still, to let go of identifying as the thinker. You see, we are both the one who thinks AND the one who knows that it is thinking.  When we are able to let go in this way, our view, in fact our very being, becomes more expansive. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we explore what it looks like to let go of identifying yourself as the thinker and how that impacts your ability to expand. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s practice is a subtle one. The last level of letting go is to let go of the thoughts, and, deeper still, to let go of identifying as the thinker. You see, we are both the one who thinks AND the one who knows that it is thinking. My favorite metaphor for this is to think of the road outside your house or office. Cars drive by, sometimes many, sometimes a few… and never, do you jump up mid-sentence, run outside and get into one of these random cars to go for a ride.  Our meditation practice helps us to see our thoughts as these cars. Sometimes many, sometimes a few, but almost always we let our thoughts take us for a spin. We get in, we check out the upholstery, notice the transmission, and then see a shiny thought up ahead so we jump out and get into that thought instead… Let’s go a little further - When you are in a car, how many other cars can you see? The one in front of you for sure; maybe if you are paying attention you are aware of the cars to either side or behind you, so maybe four cars total?  But what if you get out of the car and sit on the side of the road? How many cars do you see now? You can see them all. Your view, in fact your very being, becomes more expansive. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore what it looks like to let go of identifying yourself as the thinker and how that impacts your ability to expand. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s practice is a subtle one. The last level of letting go is to let go of the thoughts, and, deeper still, to let go of identifying as the thinker. You see, we are both the one who thinks AND the one who knows that it is thinking. My favorite metaphor for this is to think of the road outside your house or office. Cars drive by, sometimes many, sometimes a few… and never, do you jump up mid-sentence, run outside and get into one of these random cars to go for a ride.  Our meditation practice helps us to see our thoughts as these cars. Sometimes many, sometimes a few, but almost always we let our thoughts take us for a spin. We get in, we check out the upholstery, notice the transmission, and then see a shiny thought up ahead so we jump out and get into that thought instead… Let’s go a little further - When you are in a car, how many other cars can you see? The one in front of you for sure; maybe if you are paying attention you are aware of the cars to either side or behind you, so maybe four cars total?  But what if you get out of the car and sit on the side of the road? How many cars do you see now? You can see them all. Your view, in fact your very being, becomes more expansive. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore what it looks like to let go of identifying yourself as the thinker and how that impacts your ability to expand. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Sometimes within our meditation practice, we simply desire a story. We follow a thought that arises because it is interesting - We dissect that dream from last night. We rehearse the argument we will have with our partner later. We think through a problem at work. We write the next chapter of our novels… And, sometimes it can be SO good. The idea that arises is brillant! The problem is solved! I SHOULD reflect on this yummy philosophical exploration…. However, even though we might still be seated on the cushion, we have stopped meditating at this point. We have lost our concentration and our detachment; instead of meditating, we are thinking.  Today’s mini meditation is a chance to practice letting go of those desires, no matter how good the thoughts, and return to a deeper meditative experience. Join me! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Register for Monday Sept 21 International Day of Peace class as well as the giveaway of the Dalai Lama’s new album Inner World: https://www.union.fit/events/meryl-arnett-a-practice-for-peace Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Sometimes within our meditation practice, we simply desire a story. We follow a thought that arises because it is interesting - We dissect that dream from last night. We rehearse the argument we will have with our partner later. We think through a problem at work. We write the next chapter of our novels… And, sometimes it can be SO good. The idea that arises is brillant! The problem is solved! I SHOULD reflect on this yummy philosophical exploration…. However, even though we might still be seated on the cushion, we have stopped meditating at this point. We have lost our concentration and our detachment; instead of meditating, we are thinking.  Today’s mini meditation is a chance to practice letting go of those desires, no matter how good the thoughts, and return to a deeper meditative experience. Join me! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Register for Monday Sept 21 International Day of Peace class as well as the giveaway of the Dalai Lama’s new album Inner World: https://www.union.fit/events/meryl-arnett-a-practice-for-peace Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

After learning how to let go of tension in the body {see part 1 of this series}, the next layer of tension we release is the tension of desire, and, oh, it can be so subtle! The tension of desire is the experience of all the things that distract our minds in meditation. This can be the more obvious desires such as, “I am hungry; I should go eat right now.” or “if I don’t respond to that email right now, I’ll never be able to relax…”. Desires can also be a bit more hidden from our awareness. Sometimes we simply desire a story. We follow a thought that arises because it is interesting - We dissect that dream from last night. We rehearse the argument we will have with our partner later. We think through a problem at work. We write the next chapter of our novels… And, sometimes it can be SO good. The idea that arises is brillant! The problem is solved! I SHOULD reflect on this yummy philosophical exploration…. However, even though we might still be seated on the cushion, we have stopped meditating at this point. We have lost our concentration and our detachment; instead of meditating, we are thinking.  So, we must learn to let go of desire itself. No matter what comes up in meditation, we practice letting go. Even when you think to yourself: * I should eat right now or I won’t have time before work begins.* OMG I just had the best idea for my novel and I should go research it while I feel inspired* I simply MUST go tell my partner to turn down the TV or I won’t be able to meditate All of these thoughts could be true, and they are still desires. We can build the ‘let go’ muscle by dropping them. It will be ok. You’ll still eat breakfast.  One of my teachers used to say, “even if Buddha himself shows up in your meditation and tells you YOU are the next incarnate… let it go.” Let’s practice letting go of desire in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. We will have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. Register for Monday Sept 21 International Day of Peace class as well as the giveaway of the Dalai Lama’s new album Inner World: https://www.union.fit/events/meryl-arnett-a-practice-for-peace Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

After learning how to let go of tension in the body {see part 1 of this series}, the next layer of tension we release is the tension of desire, and, oh, it can be so subtle! The tension of desire is the experience of all the things that distract our minds in meditation. This can be the more obvious desires such as, “I am hungry; I should go eat right now.” or “if I don’t respond to that email right now, I’ll never be able to relax…”. Desires can also be a bit more hidden from our awareness. Sometimes we simply desire a story. We follow a thought that arises because it is interesting - We dissect that dream from last night. We rehearse the argument we will have with our partner later. We think through a problem at work. We write the next chapter of our novels… And, sometimes it can be SO good. The idea that arises is brillant! The problem is solved! I SHOULD reflect on this yummy philosophical exploration…. However, even though we might still be seated on the cushion, we have stopped meditating at this point. We have lost our concentration and our detachment; instead of meditating, we are thinking.  So, we must learn to let go of desire itself. No matter what comes up in meditation, we practice letting go. Even when you think to yourself: * I should eat right now or I won’t have time before work begins.* OMG I just had the best idea for my novel and I should go research it while I feel inspired* I simply MUST go tell my partner to turn down the TV or I won’t be able to meditate All of these thoughts could be true, and they are still desires. We can build the ‘let go’ muscle by dropping them. It will be ok. You’ll still eat breakfast.  One of my teachers used to say, “even if Buddha himself shows up in your meditation and tells you YOU are the next incarnate… let it go.” Let’s practice letting go of desire in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. We will have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. Register for Monday Sept 21 International Day of Peace class as well as the giveaway of the Dalai Lama’s new album Inner World: https://www.union.fit/events/meryl-arnett-a-practice-for-peace Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

he first level of letting go within a meditation practice is the letting go of tension.  As we experience anything in life, the very first level of response occurs in our bodies. We lean in to what we love. We twist away from what we dislike. We furrow our brows when something perplexes us. We tense our shoulders or our jaws when we try too hard or feel defeated… Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we let go of tension during a guided meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

he first level of letting go within a meditation practice is the letting go of tension.  As we experience anything in life, the very first level of response occurs in our bodies. We lean in to what we love. We twist away from what we dislike. We furrow our brows when something perplexes us. We tense our shoulders or our jaws when we try too hard or feel defeated… Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we let go of tension during a guided meditation. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Within our mindfulness meditation practice, the piece that always receives primary billing is the PRACTICE itself. The effort of concentration or continually returning our mind to the object of focus - most often our breath. However, there is an equally important second aspect of the practice that we will focus on in this month’s meditation series - detachment or letting go.  Detachment is the act of releasing all the things we do while “practicing.”  When we practice something we are trying to get better, aren’t we? My son is taking spanish lessons and the expectation is he will get good-ish at speaking spanish one day. And, I know I don’t have to tell you, the devil is in those expectations.  So too with our meditation practice.  We EXPECT to get ‘better’ at meditating.  We expect to * get calm* get quiet* get happy* feel better* see something* hear something* have some sort of mystical experience And without the tenant of ‘letting go’ we can get ourselves in quite a tangle. Letting go is the act of disengaging with the normal ways we try to control and understand ourselves within any given moment.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the first level of letting go within our meditation practice.  My Practice For Peace Class is available for registration here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett Join me on Sept 21 at 6 a.m. by donation only! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Within our mindfulness meditation practice, the piece that always receives primary billing is the PRACTICE itself. The effort of concentration or continually returning our mind to the object of focus - most often our breath. However, there is an equally important second aspect of the practice that we will focus on in this month’s meditation series - detachment or letting go.  Detachment is the act of releasing all the things we do while “practicing.”  When we practice something we are trying to get better, aren’t we? My son is taking spanish lessons and the expectation is he will get good-ish at speaking spanish one day. And, I know I don’t have to tell you, the devil is in those expectations.  So too with our meditation practice.  We EXPECT to get ‘better’ at meditating.  We expect to * get calm* get quiet* get happy* feel better* see something* hear something* have some sort of mystical experience And without the tenant of ‘letting go’ we can get ourselves in quite a tangle. Letting go is the act of disengaging with the normal ways we try to control and understand ourselves within any given moment.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the first level of letting go within our meditation practice.  My Practice For Peace Class is available for registration here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett Join me on Sept 21 at 6 a.m. by donation only! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

If we want days that feel joyful, we must look for and call out joy.  If we want days that feel peaceful, we must look for and call out peace.  It isn’t about making it to the top of the mountain, the end of the trail, or through the tough time. Meditation, and life, is about living fully present and awake, and to move slowly enough to actually enjoy ourselves. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we learn to sit within the pauses. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

If we want days that feel joyful, we must look for and call out joy.  If we want days that feel peaceful, we must look for and call out peace.  It isn’t about making it to the top of the mountain, the end of the trail, or through the tough time. Meditation, and life, is about living fully present and awake, and to move slowly enough to actually enjoy ourselves. Join me for today’s mini meditation as we learn to sit within the pauses. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

The poet dreams of the mountain Sometimes I grow weary of the days, with all their fits and starts. I want to climb some old gray mountains, slowly, taking The rest of my lifetime to do it, resting often, sleeping Under the pines or, above them, on the unclothed rocks. I want to see how many stars are still in the sky That we have smothered for years now, a century at least. I want to look back at everything, forgiving it all, And peaceful, knowing the last thing there is to know. All that urgency! Not what the earth is about! How silent the trees, their poetry being of themselves only. I want to take slow steps, and think appropriate thoughts. In ten thousand years, maybe, a piece of the mountain will fall. ~Mary Oliver This feels so beautifully poignant and important right now.  We do grow weary, don’t we?  It can be so hard when we are wrapped up in difficult moments to see beyond them, to remember that behind every gray, cloud-covered sky that we bemoan, there is the exact same blue sky that we rejoice over on the beautiful days.  We are conditioned to believe in the magical thinking of the future.  If I can only get HERE then I will be happy/be ok/be peaceful/be successful…. But, what are we missing when our eyes are only on the future? It isn’t about making it to the top of the mountain, the end of the trail, or through the tough time.  Life, this life, is about living fully. PERIOD. We live. Awake. Impassioned. Emboldened. Because we only have this moment to rejoice in. To celebrate or enjoy. Just this one.  And in order to do this, we must see beyond the headlines of the moment.  We must dig deep into the present moment, mining it for all the gems that lay hidden just under the surface.  If we want days that feel joyful, we must look for and call out joy. If we want days that feel peaceful, we must look for and call out peace.  When you feel like throwing your hands up, can we remember to climb slowly, resting often and forgiving it all. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute and let’s climb slowly together. We will share in a guided meditation and brief talk of mountains and weariness. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a

The poet dreams of the mountain Sometimes I grow weary of the days, with all their fits and starts. I want to climb some old gray mountains, slowly, taking The rest of my lifetime to do it, resting often, sleeping Under the pines or, above them, on the unclothed rocks. I want to see how many stars are still in the sky That we have smothered for years now, a century at least. I want to look back at everything, forgiving it all, And peaceful, knowing the last thing there is to know. All that urgency! Not what the earth is about! How silent the trees, their poetry being of themselves only. I want to take slow steps, and think appropriate thoughts. In ten thousand years, maybe, a piece of the mountain will fall. ~Mary Oliver This feels so beautifully poignant and important right now.  We do grow weary, don’t we?  It can be so hard when we are wrapped up in difficult moments to see beyond them, to remember that behind every gray, cloud-covered sky that we bemoan, there is the exact same blue sky that we rejoice over on the beautiful days.  We are conditioned to believe in the magical thinking of the future.  If I can only get HERE then I will be happy/be ok/be peaceful/be successful…. But, what are we missing when our eyes are only on the future? It isn’t about making it to the top of the mountain, the end of the trail, or through the tough time.  Life, this life, is about living fully. PERIOD. We live. Awake. Impassioned. Emboldened. Because we only have this moment to rejoice in. To celebrate or enjoy. Just this one.  And in order to do this, we must see beyond the headlines of the moment.  We must dig deep into the present moment, mining it for all the gems that lay hidden just under the surface.  If we want days that feel joyful, we must look for and call out joy. If we want days that feel peaceful, we must look for and call out peace.  When you feel like throwing your hands up, can we remember to climb slowly, resting often and forgiving it all. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute and let’s climb slowly together. We will share in a guided meditation and brief talk of mountains and weariness. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a

Today’s mini meditation is a practice in resting in our intrinsic joy. It is a refuge from the difficult moments and a celebration of the magic in the mundane. Join me for this short, sweet practice.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

Today’s mini meditation is a practice in resting in our intrinsic joy. It is a refuge from the difficult moments and a celebration of the magic in the mundane. Join me for this short, sweet practice.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

Joy is intrinsic to each of us. It is our birthright. Across time, culture and lineage, meditation texts tell us that as we settle deeper into ourselves, what we discover is joy. Now, for the joy of it {see what I did there??} perhaps you want to Google the definition of joy. And then happiness. And then happy. And enjoy the lack of clarity that comes with these definitions. So, let us turn to the ever-wise definitions offered by Brene Brown -  “Happiness is tied to circumstances and joyfulness is tied to spirit and gratitude.” We need both, don’t we? We need the happiness that comes from a flawless Zoom call or 20 sweet minutes when your kids behave.  Equally, it is deeply valuable, especially in the circumstances of 2020, to foster and grow the connection to the piece of us that is NOT tied to circumstances. That amidst online schooling and cancelled vacations and whatever else, we can still experience joy.  In ancient Greek the word for joy translates to “culmination of being”.  Since this trait is intrinsic to all of us, I don’t need to teach about how to be more joyful. I think what most of us need is practice getting out of our own way. Joy can be an intense and vulnerable experience. It often triggers feelings of grasping or of fear of what might come next… The best thing we can do is work with these 3 qualities of consciousness that we have focused on in this meditation series: * Be in the present moment* Be aware of yourself and everything else* Trust the joy that arises as your birthright Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for this discussion of joy and a 20-minute guided meditation practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Joy is intrinsic to each of us. It is our birthright. Across time, culture and lineage, meditation texts tell us that as we settle deeper into ourselves, what we discover is joy. Now, for the joy of it {see what I did there??} perhaps you want to Google the definition of joy. And then happiness. And then happy. And enjoy the lack of clarity that comes with these definitions. So, let us turn to the ever-wise definitions offered by Brene Brown -  “Happiness is tied to circumstances and joyfulness is tied to spirit and gratitude.” We need both, don’t we? We need the happiness that comes from a flawless Zoom call or 20 sweet minutes when your kids behave.  Equally, it is deeply valuable, especially in the circumstances of 2020, to foster and grow the connection to the piece of us that is NOT tied to circumstances. That amidst online schooling and cancelled vacations and whatever else, we can still experience joy.  In ancient Greek the word for joy translates to “culmination of being”.  Since this trait is intrinsic to all of us, I don’t need to teach about how to be more joyful. I think what most of us need is practice getting out of our own way. Joy can be an intense and vulnerable experience. It often triggers feelings of grasping or of fear of what might come next… The best thing we can do is work with these 3 qualities of consciousness that we have focused on in this meditation series: * Be in the present moment* Be aware of yourself and everything else* Trust the joy that arises as your birthright Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for this discussion of joy and a 20-minute guided meditation practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

One of the three qualities of consciousness is a Self that is aware of itself and everything else. What this means in essence is that there is a piece of our consciousness that can see or witness what is happening. This larger awareness knows how we feel about the situation we are in; it knows where we are in space and time; and this knowing is very different from the jumble of thoughts we experience in any given moment.  Join me for today’s mini-meditation and discover for yourself: what else is happening besides that loud tangle of thoughts and distractions that keeps arising when you meditate? These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

One of the three qualities of consciousness is a Self that is aware of itself and everything else. What this means in essence is that there is a piece of our consciousness that can see or witness what is happening. This larger awareness knows how we feel about the situation we are in; it knows where we are in space and time; and this knowing is very different from the jumble of thoughts we experience in any given moment.  Join me for today’s mini-meditation and discover for yourself: what else is happening besides that loud tangle of thoughts and distractions that keeps arising when you meditate? These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

What is it that you know, and how does that knowing differ from your thoughts?  What or who gives context to your experiences and your ideas of self? When you meditate, what else is happening besides that loud tangle of thoughts and distractions that keeps arising? One of the three qualities of consciousness is a Self that is aware of itself and everything else. What this means in essence is that there is a piece of our consciousness that can see or witness what is happening. This larger awareness knows how we feel about the situation we are in; it knows where we are in space and time; and this knowing is very different from the jumble of thoughts we experience in any given moment.  In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we are going to break down this expansive, intangible idea of self, and try a unique meditation technique for accessing the Self that knows. I hope you’ll join me! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

What is it that you know, and how does that knowing differ from your thoughts?  What or who gives context to your experiences and your ideas of self? When you meditate, what else is happening besides that loud tangle of thoughts and distractions that keeps arising? One of the three qualities of consciousness is a Self that is aware of itself and everything else. What this means in essence is that there is a piece of our consciousness that can see or witness what is happening. This larger awareness knows how we feel about the situation we are in; it knows where we are in space and time; and this knowing is very different from the jumble of thoughts we experience in any given moment.  In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we are going to break down this expansive, intangible idea of self, and try a unique meditation technique for accessing the Self that knows. I hope you’ll join me! You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Our true, deepest Self is ever-present. Always residing in the present moment, which is simultaneously ending and beginning endlessly. Each moment is infinitely thin, a slender slice of time in the continuum of our lives, and yet, this tiny, tender slice of time contains all that has been in the past as it creates the makings of the future. Equally, the moment is completely fresh. The past has ended and the future has not yet begun. Join me for today’s mini meditation practice created to help us strengthen our connection to Now.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

Our true, deepest Self is ever-present. Always residing in the present moment, which is simultaneously ending and beginning endlessly. Each moment is infinitely thin, a slender slice of time in the continuum of our lives, and yet, this tiny, tender slice of time contains all that has been in the past as it creates the makings of the future. Equally, the moment is completely fresh. The past has ended and the future has not yet begun. Join me for today’s mini meditation practice created to help us strengthen our connection to Now.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

According to the ancient sages, the Self has three basic qualities: The Self is ever-present. The Self is aware of itself and everything else. The Self is joyful. In this month’s meditation series, we are going to explore these three qualities in terms of modern-day life. What do these three qualities mean, and why do they matter to you as you navigate today’s version of ‘normal’? These teachings help us to access the part of ourselves that provides a steady and calm knowing amidst the constantly changing whirlwind of daily life. Rather than spend all day, every day lost in the circle of thoughts - school, work, bills, health, equity, justice -  we can learn to rest in the steadiness and calm of the true Self. We can touch into the joy that is intrinsic in all of us. It is here that true creativity flows, that connections flourish, and that peace of mind takes lasting hold.  Today’s episode begins with a settling into the “ever-present” state. Endlessly ending and endlessly beginning. The present moment is infinitely thin, a slender slice of time in the continuum of our lives; and yet, this tiny, tender slice of time contains all that has been in the past as it creates the makings of the future. Equally, the moment is completely fresh. The past has ended and the future has not yet begun. “Forever is composed of nows” ~Emily Dickinson Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

According to the ancient sages, the Self has three basic qualities: The Self is ever-present. The Self is aware of itself and everything else. The Self is joyful. In this month’s meditation series, we are going to explore these three qualities in terms of modern-day life. What do these three qualities mean, and why do they matter to you as you navigate today’s version of ‘normal’? These teachings help us to access the part of ourselves that provides a steady and calm knowing amidst the constantly changing whirlwind of daily life. Rather than spend all day, every day lost in the circle of thoughts - school, work, bills, health, equity, justice -  we can learn to rest in the steadiness and calm of the true Self. We can touch into the joy that is intrinsic in all of us. It is here that true creativity flows, that connections flourish, and that peace of mind takes lasting hold.  Today’s episode begins with a settling into the “ever-present” state. Endlessly ending and endlessly beginning. The present moment is infinitely thin, a slender slice of time in the continuum of our lives; and yet, this tiny, tender slice of time contains all that has been in the past as it creates the makings of the future. Equally, the moment is completely fresh. The past has ended and the future has not yet begun. “Forever is composed of nows” ~Emily Dickinson Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we have a brief discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

If you have never done a sound bath before, be sure to listen to the full length episode on 8/6/20 as Shawn Moore and I discuss the beauty and power of sound-based meditation. Shawn is a registered yoga teacher, sound practitioner, and meditation instructor, as well as a friend and colleague. He was kind enough to record a sound practice just for YOU! Be sure to grab some headphones for the best sound experience, make up a cozy nest to settle into and listen today! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

If you have never done a sound bath before, be sure to listen to the full length episode on 8/6/20 as Shawn Moore and I discuss the beauty and power of sound-based meditation. Shawn is a registered yoga teacher, sound practitioner, and meditation instructor, as well as a friend and colleague. He was kind enough to record a sound practice just for YOU! Be sure to grab some headphones for the best sound experience, make up a cozy nest to settle into and listen today! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Sound Baths & Meditation: Are they the same thing? An Interview with Shawn J. Moore Y’all, I am so thrilled to share today’s episode with you! Today, I am offering a conversation I recorded with my friend and colleague, Shawn J. Moore about sound meditation. Sound baths. Sound healing. Sound therapy. Sound meditation. There has been a lot of talk about this type of experience over the last few years, and I thought you might enjoy hearing from an actual practitioner about this style of meditation: what it is, why it works, and more. Shawn was kind enough to record a special sound bath experience just for us so be sure to set aside time at the end of this practice! Shawn is the Director of Student Leadership at Morehouse College, a Registered Yoga Teacher, sound practitioner, meditation teacher, graphic designer, and Gallup-certified Strengths coach. Shawn is going to talk to us about his own journey to meditation starting in high school {anyone else remember sitting in Barnes & Noble reading ALL the books??}. In 2019, he decided to take his refuge vow (a formal commitment to the Buddhist Path) in the Shambhala lineage.  Today, he integrates meditation and mindfulness as a tool for his own creative resilience, personal power, and healing, with the privilege of sharing these nurturing tools with his community. As I mention in the episode, Shawn and I share a love of books, especially in the meditation/psychology/self-help section, so Shawn was nice enough to offer up his favorite books for those of you who might be interested: Siddhartha  by Herman Hesse Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron  American Gods by Neil Gaiman  Turning the Mind Into An Ally by Sakyong Mipham The Mysticism of Sound and Music by Hazrat Inayat Khan You can learn more about Shawn by visiting his website, https://www.shawnjmoore.com/. And, be sure to check out his podcast, The Mindful Rebel {https://www.shawnjmoore.com/aboutpodcast}. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Sound Baths & Meditation: Are they the same thing? An Interview with Shawn J. Moore Y’all, I am so thrilled to share today’s episode with you! Today, I am offering a conversation I recorded with my friend and colleague, Shawn J. Moore about sound meditation. Sound baths. Sound healing. Sound therapy. Sound meditation. There has been a lot of talk about this type of experience over the last few years, and I thought you might enjoy hearing from an actual practitioner about this style of meditation: what it is, why it works, and more. Shawn was kind enough to record a special sound bath experience just for us so be sure to set aside time at the end of this practice! Shawn is the Director of Student Leadership at Morehouse College, a Registered Yoga Teacher, sound practitioner, meditation teacher, graphic designer, and Gallup-certified Strengths coach. Shawn is going to talk to us about his own journey to meditation starting in high school {anyone else remember sitting in Barnes & Noble reading ALL the books??}. In 2019, he decided to take his refuge vow (a formal commitment to the Buddhist Path) in the Shambhala lineage.  Today, he integrates meditation and mindfulness as a tool for his own creative resilience, personal power, and healing, with the privilege of sharing these nurturing tools with his community. As I mention in the episode, Shawn and I share a love of books, especially in the meditation/psychology/self-help section, so Shawn was nice enough to offer up his favorite books for those of you who might be interested: Siddhartha  by Herman Hesse Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron  American Gods by Neil Gaiman  Turning the Mind Into An Ally by Sakyong Mipham The Mysticism of Sound and Music by Hazrat Inayat Khan You can learn more about Shawn by visiting his website, https://www.shawnjmoore.com/. And, be sure to check out his podcast, The Mindful Rebel {https://www.shawnjmoore.com/aboutpodcast}. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a celebration of the joy that comes from connecting with nature. Ancient meditation practitioners left us texts describing the mini universe they found inside as their meditation practices deepened. We too can access the peace and expansiveness that comes from connecting to elements within. This body is made of earth and gold, Sky and stars, rivers and oceans, Masquerading as muscle and bone.  Every substance is here: Diamonds and silver, magical elixirs, Ambrosia that gives visions, Herbs that nourish and heal. The foundation of the planet,  Immortal magnetic iron,  Circulating in the blood. Every element in you loves the others: Earth loves rain, sky loves sun,  Sun loves the space it shines through, Space loves everyone equally. In meditation, luxuriate in knowing this deep  and simple truth. Every cell is an organ of sense Infused with majesty. The Radiance Sutras These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a celebration of the joy that comes from connecting with nature. Ancient meditation practitioners left us texts describing the mini universe they found inside as their meditation practices deepened. We too can access the peace and expansiveness that comes from connecting to elements within. This body is made of earth and gold, Sky and stars, rivers and oceans, Masquerading as muscle and bone.  Every substance is here: Diamonds and silver, magical elixirs, Ambrosia that gives visions, Herbs that nourish and heal. The foundation of the planet,  Immortal magnetic iron,  Circulating in the blood. Every element in you loves the others: Earth loves rain, sky loves sun,  Sun loves the space it shines through, Space loves everyone equally. In meditation, luxuriate in knowing this deep  and simple truth. Every cell is an organ of sense Infused with majesty. The Radiance Sutras These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

We bought a canoe for Father’s Day this year. I ordered a life jacket for myself, and I received notice it was on backorder for 30 days. This week, I received notice that it is on backorder for another 30 days. This run on all things outdoors brings me such joy. With the slowing and shutting down of our so-called normal lives, we have been reminded of the joy to be found just outside our doors. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? All the gardening happening. And the walking. The kiddie pools and the sprinklers. The patios. Not to mention the visits to lakes, rivers, mountains and streams. We’ve always known nature brings us peace, but never have so many of us chosen it as THE thing to do with this limited, precious time we have each time. Until now. So many of us find balance in going for hikes, in running, in bike rides and campfires…. The reasons for this may be varied and myriad, but there is one reason I want to explore today -  The ancient meditation practitioners discovered within each of us is a mini-universe. Everything found on the outside can be found on the inside.  Inside this clay jug there are canyons and pine mountains, and the maker of canyons and pine mountains! All seven oceans are inside, and hundreds of millions of stars. The acid that tests gold is here, and the one who judges jewels. And the music that comes from the strings that no one touches, and the source of all water. If you want the truth, I will tell you the truth: Friend, listen: the God whom I love is inside. Kabir As we connect with the elements externally, we are also connecting to them internally which brings us a sense of balance and peace. If you are having trouble with your meditation practice feeling dry or stale, you might try practicing outside. If you are feeling cooped up and stressed, you might bring each of the elements to mind as part of your meditation practice.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we celebrate the connection between meditation, nature and peace. We will have a brief discussion followed by a 20-min guided meditation.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.

We bought a canoe for Father’s Day this year. I ordered a life jacket for myself, and I received notice it was on backorder for 30 days. This week, I received notice that it is on backorder for another 30 days. This run on all things outdoors brings me such joy. With the slowing and shutting down of our so-called normal lives, we have been reminded of the joy to be found just outside our doors. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? All the gardening happening. And the walking. The kiddie pools and the sprinklers. The patios. Not to mention the visits to lakes, rivers, mountains and streams. We’ve always known nature brings us peace, but never have so many of us chosen it as THE thing to do with this limited, precious time we have each time. Until now. So many of us find balance in going for hikes, in running, in bike rides and campfires…. The reasons for this may be varied and myriad, but there is one reason I want to explore today -  The ancient meditation practitioners discovered within each of us is a mini-universe. Everything found on the outside can be found on the inside.  Inside this clay jug there are canyons and pine mountains, and the maker of canyons and pine mountains! All seven oceans are inside, and hundreds of millions of stars. The acid that tests gold is here, and the one who judges jewels. And the music that comes from the strings that no one touches, and the source of all water. If you want the truth, I will tell you the truth: Friend, listen: the God whom I love is inside. Kabir As we connect with the elements externally, we are also connecting to them internally which brings us a sense of balance and peace. If you are having trouble with your meditation practice feeling dry or stale, you might try practicing outside. If you are feeling cooped up and stressed, you might bring each of the elements to mind as part of your meditation practice.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we celebrate the connection between meditation, nature and peace. We will have a brief discussion followed by a 20-min guided meditation.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.

According to the Yoga Sutra, meditation connects us to our inner luminosity & sorrowless joy. In modern day terms, when we talk about meditation as a tool for emotional resiliency, we are really talking about tapping into this inner luminosity. ⁠⁠ We won't avoid hardship and pain in our lives just because we meditate, but we will be able to maintain connection to that inner luminosity and sorrowless joy to help us move through with more grace. Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we work with a specific meditation practice to help us build awareness of that inner light. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

According to the Yoga Sutra, meditation connects us to our inner luminosity & sorrowless joy. In modern day terms, when we talk about meditation as a tool for emotional resiliency, we are really talking about tapping into this inner luminosity. ⁠⁠ We won't avoid hardship and pain in our lives just because we meditate, but we will be able to maintain connection to that inner luminosity and sorrowless joy to help us move through with more grace. Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we work with a specific meditation practice to help us build awareness of that inner light. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This month, my meditation series has been focused on building emotional resilience. We are learning how to use the tools of meditation to help us not only survive tough times but more so to thrive in our daily lives. Today’s episode, the final installment of this series, is my personal favorite because I think it is the game-changing practice.  It is the practice of cultivating compassion to take back power. Yep. Compassion equals power. Let me explain. When we are stuck in the tough feelings created by traumatic experiences {fear, shame, anxiety, uncertainty, anger} we are also stuck in what is called our “reptilian” mind. This part of our brain is not evolved or complex in any way. When we are here, we are mostly stuck here, just surviving. Today’s meditation practice is one that helps us move out of our “reptilian” mind and into the more evolved, complex part of our mind. I’m going to call it the wise mind.  Developing emotional resilience, in large part, requires us to be able to shift ourselves out of our reptilian mind and into our wise mind. We need to be able to ask ourselves smart questions like  What is going on right now? What am I feeling in my body? What am I believing right now? Or What story am I telling myself right now?  And then, rather than try to logic away a harsh feeling, we practice with compassion. We use the practice of cultivating a warmth of heart to take power away from singular emotions and give that power to our wise minds, where we can make conscious choices and regain a sense of joy in our days. Join me for today’s dharma talk and 20-minute guided meditation where we learn one of the ancient meditation techniques offered in The Yoga Sutra and how it is still relevant to our modern day lives. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This month, my meditation series has been focused on building emotional resilience. We are learning how to use the tools of meditation to help us not only survive tough times but more so to thrive in our daily lives. Today’s episode, the final installment of this series, is my personal favorite because I think it is the game-changing practice.  It is the practice of cultivating compassion to take back power. Yep. Compassion equals power. Let me explain. When we are stuck in the tough feelings created by traumatic experiences {fear, shame, anxiety, uncertainty, anger} we are also stuck in what is called our “reptilian” mind. This part of our brain is not evolved or complex in any way. When we are here, we are mostly stuck here, just surviving. Today’s meditation practice is one that helps us move out of our “reptilian” mind and into the more evolved, complex part of our mind. I’m going to call it the wise mind.  Developing emotional resilience, in large part, requires us to be able to shift ourselves out of our reptilian mind and into our wise mind. We need to be able to ask ourselves smart questions like  What is going on right now? What am I feeling in my body? What am I believing right now? Or What story am I telling myself right now?  And then, rather than try to logic away a harsh feeling, we practice with compassion. We use the practice of cultivating a warmth of heart to take power away from singular emotions and give that power to our wise minds, where we can make conscious choices and regain a sense of joy in our days. Join me for today’s dharma talk and 20-minute guided meditation where we learn one of the ancient meditation techniques offered in The Yoga Sutra and how it is still relevant to our modern day lives. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

If you’ve discovered each time you sit to meditate lately, you are overcome with feelings of discomfort {too many thoughts, too much tension or anxiety in the body, too busy, etc.} then this is the class for you.  Over the last few months, as I’ve sat to meditate, I’ve noticed a literal feeling of “tangle” in my chest. A tight, anxious, moving feeling that immediately makes me want squash it. ⁠ Don’t feel that. ⁠ Stop it. ⁠ Ignore it. ⁠ I’ve tried it all, and the truth is, no matter how temporarily successful I might be, there that d*mn feeling is again the next time I sit… At some point, in the midst of this feeling and the war of thoughts it inspires, I heard so clearly, “love the tangle.”⁠ Love the tangle. Put your hand on your heart, and I say, "I feel you. I hear you. I acknowledge you." Allow the tangle to be here. Soften the edges, if you can. And, gently, so gently, turn your awareness towards the breath. Every thread of breath gliding to and through that tangle, spreading light and space in its wake. Not to eliminate the tangle, no, but rather to create safe space for it just to be a part of this momentary experience. ⁠ Let’s practice this together in today’s mini-meditation from The Mindful Minute. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

If you’ve discovered each time you sit to meditate lately, you are overcome with feelings of discomfort {too many thoughts, too much tension or anxiety in the body, too busy, etc.} then this is the class for you.  Over the last few months, as I’ve sat to meditate, I’ve noticed a literal feeling of “tangle” in my chest. A tight, anxious, moving feeling that immediately makes me want squash it. ⁠ Don’t feel that. ⁠ Stop it. ⁠ Ignore it. ⁠ I’ve tried it all, and the truth is, no matter how temporarily successful I might be, there that d*mn feeling is again the next time I sit… At some point, in the midst of this feeling and the war of thoughts it inspires, I heard so clearly, “love the tangle.”⁠ Love the tangle. Put your hand on your heart, and I say, "I feel you. I hear you. I acknowledge you." Allow the tangle to be here. Soften the edges, if you can. And, gently, so gently, turn your awareness towards the breath. Every thread of breath gliding to and through that tangle, spreading light and space in its wake. Not to eliminate the tangle, no, but rather to create safe space for it just to be a part of this momentary experience. ⁠ Let’s practice this together in today’s mini-meditation from The Mindful Minute. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series is exploring how a meditation practice bolsters our emotional resiliency. Basically, meditation is one tool that helps us ensure we will make it through tough times with more grace. We started the series {part 1} with a look at the 24-hour, global news cycle and how that can create a semi-permanent state of anxiety in many of us. This week, we discuss how to shift ourselves out of constant anxiety and into a state of rest & relaxation. If you’ve discovered each time you sit to meditate lately, you are overcome with feelings of discomfort {too many thoughts, too much tension or anxiety in the body, too busy, etc.} then this is the class for you.  Over the last few months, as I’ve sat to meditate, I’ve noticed a literal feeling of “tangle” in my chest. A tight, anxious, moving feeling that immediately makes me want to squash it. ⁠ Don’t feel that. ⁠ Stop it. ⁠ Ignore it. ⁠⁠ I’ve tried it all, and the truth is, no matter how temporarily successful I might be, there that d*mn feeling is again the next time I sit… At some point, in the midst of this feeling and the war of thoughts it inspires, I heard so clearly, “love the tangle.”⁠ Love the tangle. Put your hand on your heart, and I say, "I feel you. I hear you. I acknowledge you." Allow the tangle to be here. Soften the edges, if you can. And, gently, so gently, turn your awareness towards the breath. Every thread of breath gliding to and through that tangle, spreading light and space in its wake. Not to eliminate the tangle, no, but rather to create safe space for it just to be a part of this momentary experience. ⁠⁠ More on this experience and *how* to love the tangles in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series is exploring how a meditation practice bolsters our emotional resiliency. Basically, meditation is one tool that helps us ensure we will make it through tough times with more grace. We started the series {part 1} with a look at the 24-hour, global news cycle and how that can create a semi-permanent state of anxiety in many of us. This week, we discuss how to shift ourselves out of constant anxiety and into a state of rest & relaxation. If you’ve discovered each time you sit to meditate lately, you are overcome with feelings of discomfort {too many thoughts, too much tension or anxiety in the body, too busy, etc.} then this is the class for you.  Over the last few months, as I’ve sat to meditate, I’ve noticed a literal feeling of “tangle” in my chest. A tight, anxious, moving feeling that immediately makes me want to squash it. ⁠ Don’t feel that. ⁠ Stop it. ⁠ Ignore it. ⁠⁠ I’ve tried it all, and the truth is, no matter how temporarily successful I might be, there that d*mn feeling is again the next time I sit… At some point, in the midst of this feeling and the war of thoughts it inspires, I heard so clearly, “love the tangle.”⁠ Love the tangle. Put your hand on your heart, and I say, "I feel you. I hear you. I acknowledge you." Allow the tangle to be here. Soften the edges, if you can. And, gently, so gently, turn your awareness towards the breath. Every thread of breath gliding to and through that tangle, spreading light and space in its wake. Not to eliminate the tangle, no, but rather to create safe space for it just to be a part of this momentary experience. ⁠⁠ More on this experience and *how* to love the tangles in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

We can all apply specific mindfulness techniques to help us navigate these emotionally tricky times with as much emotional resiliency as possible.  The goal is not to avoid hard times, but to know without doubt that you can survive these times. When we are feeling the impact of traumatic stress, one of the primary feelings is powerlessness. Therefore, the antidote is to begin to regain a sense of power during our days.  We can start by bringing our minds right back here to the present moment. Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we use presence to calm ourselves and reclaim our peace of mind.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

We can all apply specific mindfulness techniques to help us navigate these emotionally tricky times with as much emotional resiliency as possible.  The goal is not to avoid hard times, but to know without doubt that you can survive these times. When we are feeling the impact of traumatic stress, one of the primary feelings is powerlessness. Therefore, the antidote is to begin to regain a sense of power during our days.  We can start by bringing our minds right back here to the present moment. Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we use presence to calm ourselves and reclaim our peace of mind.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. **Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/** ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Oh, loves. It has been a year thus far, hasn’t it?! Murder hornets, pandemics, and long-overdue demands for social justice have asked much of our emotional resiliency. As I’ve worked with students to navigate these times, I’ve realized that I’m relying on much of my experience in teaching mindfulness for PTSD {Post Traumatic Stress Disorder}. For several years, I was lucky enough to work alongside brilliant psychotherapists and social workers as we offered tools to those working through PTSD and substance abuse. While we won’t all receive a formal diagnosis of PTSD, most of us are working through the experiences of trauma in our daily lives. All of us can apply specific mindfulness techniques to help us navigate these tricky times with as much emotional resiliency as possible.  The goal is not to avoid hard times, but to know without doubt that you can survive these times. When we are feeling the impact of traumatic stress one of the primary feelings is of powerlessness. Therefore, the antidote is to begin to regain a sense of power during our days. This meditation series will look at some of the key steps towards regaining that sense of power and learning to be more comfortable with the acknowledgement that there is very little we can actually control. Let’s start with presence. Get here, in this moment, now. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore what it takes to build emotional resilience through meditation.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

Oh, loves. It has been a year thus far, hasn’t it?! Murder hornets, pandemics, and long-overdue demands for social justice have asked much of our emotional resiliency. As I’ve worked with students to navigate these times, I’ve realized that I’m relying on much of my experience in teaching mindfulness for PTSD {Post Traumatic Stress Disorder}. For several years, I was lucky enough to work alongside brilliant psychotherapists and social workers as we offered tools to those working through PTSD and substance abuse. While we won’t all receive a formal diagnosis of PTSD, most of us are working through the experiences of trauma in our daily lives. All of us can apply specific mindfulness techniques to help us navigate these tricky times with as much emotional resiliency as possible.  The goal is not to avoid hard times, but to know without doubt that you can survive these times. When we are feeling the impact of traumatic stress one of the primary feelings is of powerlessness. Therefore, the antidote is to begin to regain a sense of power during our days. This meditation series will look at some of the key steps towards regaining that sense of power and learning to be more comfortable with the acknowledgement that there is very little we can actually control. Let’s start with presence. Get here, in this moment, now. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore what it takes to build emotional resilience through meditation.  You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett **Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!** Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE! Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu - the portable meditation cushion designed for outdoor use. The Go Zafu combination meditation pad & cushion removes the logistical and comfort barriers that stand between you and peaceful meditation in nature. Use code: Mindful10 to save 10% on https://gozafu.com/ ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ #meditatewithmeryl

While mantra practice is a departure from how I normally teach meditation, it is quite often a part of my personal meditation practice. One of the most significant moments of my life was sitting on the banks of the Ganges river and chanting the Gayatri mantra as the sun rose.  Chants and mantras can be found across continents, cultures, time and religions. With the double bonus of giving your mind a tool to assist in concentration AND offering subtle intentions to the deepest part of your consciousness, it is a powerful practice and one that is very accessible to beginners. Join me in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore mantra meditation through a secular lens. We will be practicing with one of the first mantras taught in meditation: So Hum. So Hum is sanskrit in language and it is often defined as meaning “I am That” or “I am what I am”. It is also believed to be the sound of the breath, which makes it a fabulous anchor for meditation practice. Join me and let’s try it together! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu. Portable meditation cushions perfect for the outdoors and the office! Save 10% with code ‘Mindful10’ https://gozafu.com/ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

While mantra practice is a departure from how I normally teach meditation, it is quite often a part of my personal meditation practice. One of the most significant moments of my life was sitting on the banks of the Ganges river and chanting the Gayatri mantra as the sun rose.  Chants and mantras can be found across continents, cultures, time and religions. With the double bonus of giving your mind a tool to assist in concentration AND offering subtle intentions to the deepest part of your consciousness, it is a powerful practice and one that is very accessible to beginners. Join me in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore mantra meditation through a secular lens. We will be practicing with one of the first mantras taught in meditation: So Hum. So Hum is sanskrit in language and it is often defined as meaning “I am That” or “I am what I am”. It is also believed to be the sound of the breath, which makes it a fabulous anchor for meditation practice. Join me and let’s try it together! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett Many thanks to our sponsor, Go Zafu. Portable meditation cushions perfect for the outdoors and the office! Save 10% with code ‘Mindful10’ https://gozafu.com/ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

First, a short announcement from me about my studio, Sacred Chill {West} and the future of live, virtual classes with me, and then… The Dalai Lama is releasing a new album, Inner World, on July 6 in conjunction with his 85 birthday. This album is His Holiness’ teachings and mantras set to music, and it is fairly significant because this is the first time he has ever released mantras to music as a practice. As I was reflecting on this new offering, I thought it might be interesting to talk to y'all about the different styles of meditation out there. I often get questions about varying types of meditation, and today, I will break down the major differences between some of these well-known styles of meditation. At the end of class, we will do a 20-minute guided meditation using a mantra practice {don’t worry, you don’t have to say anything out loud!}. While mantra practice is a departure from how I normally teach meditation, it is quite often a part of my personal meditation practice. With the double bonus of giving your mind a tool to assist in concentration AND offering subtle intentions to the deepest part of your consciousness, it is a powerful practice and one that is very accessible to beginners. Join me in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we look at a few of the different types of meditation {yep; I’ll talk about TM} and try a new practice together.  Practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

First, a short announcement from me about my studio, Sacred Chill {West} and the future of live, virtual classes with me, and then… The Dalai Lama is releasing a new album, Inner World, on July 6 in conjunction with his 85 birthday. This album is His Holiness’ teachings and mantras set to music, and it is fairly significant because this is the first time he has ever released mantras to music as a practice. As I was reflecting on this new offering, I thought it might be interesting to talk to y'all about the different styles of meditation out there. I often get questions about varying types of meditation, and today, I will break down the major differences between some of these well-known styles of meditation. At the end of class, we will do a 20-minute guided meditation using a mantra practice {don’t worry, you don’t have to say anything out loud!}. While mantra practice is a departure from how I normally teach meditation, it is quite often a part of my personal meditation practice. With the double bonus of giving your mind a tool to assist in concentration AND offering subtle intentions to the deepest part of your consciousness, it is a powerful practice and one that is very accessible to beginners. Join me in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we look at a few of the different types of meditation {yep; I’ll talk about TM} and try a new practice together.  Practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

When we meditate, we are in essence harnessing the light of awareness and shining it inside. This light allows us to look deeper inside, to see more, to clear out the cobwebs. Turning on the lights is brave. It is powerful. It is enlivening.  And yet, if we haven’t done the work to shore up the foundation, to clear the path leading deeper in, turning on the light can serve as a shock.  If you’ve been the dark a long time and you step out into the brightness of daylight, it can be blinding, can’t it? We shield our eyes; perhaps we run back inside for sunglasses, something to protect ourselves from the glare….  If we haven’t done the work to be with little discomforts, how might it feel to face bigger discomforts? It can send us running for the hills, abandoning our meditation practice with the seemingly innocent excuse of “I just don’t feel like it” right now.  Today’s mini meditation practice allows us to gain steady traction, firming footing, and gather courage to bring what is needed from the darkness into the light. It allows us to take off the sunglasses. We start to trust the images, the thoughts, the threads of connection that are revealed to us.  We start to be more curious about the responses we have to the daily moments in our lives.  We start to explore the freedom of choice.  Today’s meditation is a practice of shining the light. Let’s get to it. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This past Saturday, June 20, was the Summer Solstice, and it is the first solstice in many years that I didn’t teach a special meditation event. I usually host something extra special to harness the power of these reflective times, and yet, this year, even though I had already mapped up what I wanted to share and reflect on, I just kept delaying until the day was upon us and it was too late… The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year; the most light we see in a 24 hour period.   When we meditate, we are in essence harnessing the light of awareness and shining it inside. This light allows us to look deeper inside, to see more, to clear out the cobwebs. Turning on the lights is brave. It is powerful. It is enlivening.  And yet, if we haven’t done the work to shore up the foundation, to clear the path leading deeper in, turning on the light can serve as a shock.  If you’ve been the dark a long time and you step out into the brightness of daylight, it can be blinding, can’t it? We shield our eyes; perhaps we run back inside for sunglasses, something to protect ourselves from the glare….  If we haven’t done the work to be with little discomforts, how might it feel to face bigger discomforts? It can send us running for the hills, abandoning our meditation practice with the seemingly innocent excuse of “I just don’t feel like it” right now. I’ve caught this at play in myself lately {hence the lack of a Solstice event this year}. My invitation today is to let go of the need to “think” through this natural play of events. Instead of analyzing, how can you choose to move with each moment as a moment of transformation? How to do this? Well, step one is ‘don’t skip your meditation practice even when you want to…’ Step two is ‘anchor more deeply into your heart.’ This month’s series is called Awakened Heart and my original intent behind this topic was this very talk. The practices of meditation, while they start out working with the mind and the thoughts, are always gently guiding us into the heart. Not in a sappy way; not in a hippy-dippy way. In a clean, clear trajectory towards deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. Every meditation text, every meditation guru from millenia before, guides us here.  It is from here that we can gain steady traction, firming footing, and gather courage to bring what is needed from the darkness into the light.  We start to trust the images, the thoughts, the threads of connection that are revealed to us.  We start to be more curious about the responses we have to the daily moments in our lives.  We start to explore the freedom of choice.  Today’s meditation is a practice of shining the light. Let’s get to it. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Our discomfort is wise. It is asking us to pay attention to something important. Anger. Sadness. Grief. Guilt. Shame. All of these difficult feelings are wise.  And yet, the realities of most of our upbringing is that we learn to respond to this discomfort unwisely. We respond to discomfort with knee-jerk reactions. Our meditation practice teaches us how to be comfortable with discomfort. Or perhaps a better way to say it might be, how to be patient within discomfort.  It is within this pause of discomfort that we are able to hear wise action calling our name. Join me for today’s mini meditation - this particular practice has a specific breathing technique designed to help balance the nervous system. It’s a great practice if you are feeling particularly anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

I take the weekends off; I completely unplug. No social media, no email, no news. Usually that allows me to refuel for the week ahead and to be able to engage wholeheartedly. However, this Monday as I opened my laptop, I opened it to discover that my own city, Atlanta, GA, was the home of another unjust murder of a black man by police. Rayshard Brooks.  This class is offered here to hold space for all of it. For grief, for anger, for fear, for world-weariness, for heart-weariness. Meditation alone will not fix this moment. It can’t. I can’t. We can hold space for each other and for the possibility of comfort within this moment.  I believe one of the greatest gifts of a mindfulness meditation practice is the way it allows us to trust our discomfort. Our discomfort is wise. It is asking us to pay attention to something important. Anger. Sadness. Grief. Guilt. Shame. All of these difficult feelings are wise.  And yet, the realities of most of our upbringing is that we learn to respond to this discomfort unwisely. We respond to discomfort with knee-jerk reactions. Our meditation practice teaches us how to be comfortable with discomfort. Or perhaps a better way to say it might be, how to be patient within discomfort.  The very nature of our thoughts has created a problem for us.  When we experience discomfort our brain is designed to immediately encourage a response to fix the problem. Feeling fear? Get safe. Feeling hungry? Find food. Culture has taught us that we should be happy and comfortable all the time, and if we aren’t, we are doing something wrong.  Together, these two thought processes leave us with this lesson: if we are uncomfortable, WE MUST FIX IT IMMEDIATELY. And the quickest way to do that? Fight or Flight. What’s important here is that fight or flight can inspire BOTH wise and unwise action. Our work is to tap into wise action. So often yoga & meditation teachers use the phrase “do your work” - meaning when a lesson or insight shows up in your life, work with it.  It sounds action-oriented but really it is “allowing” oriented. Allow this lesson to be here. To show itself to you. Be curious. Be kind to yourself as you learn to stay another moment.  It is within this liminal space that we are able to hear wise action calling our name. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute and let’s do our work together. Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

 Hope is a practice. It is something we do rather than something we have. So too is our meditation practice. It isn’t a state to have or exhibit, it is a practice to return to on a daily basis. We can’t plan our way into a meaningful life. We must practice into it. We will make false steps, we will stumble, we will see small gains. We will practice.  Join me for today’s mini-meditation as a practice into hope. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

I am humbled to share this practice with you all today. You are showing up even though I’m sure many of you are experiencing feelings of I-don’t-want-to right now. Perhaps you don’t want to meditate right now because you are so uncomfortable, or angry, or disappointed, or scared, or tired, or done with waiting one more second, or all of the above. I am humbled to share in this practice because it reminds me and us that hope is also a practice. Hope is a practice. It is something we do rather than something we have. So too is our meditation practice. It isn’t a state to have or exhibit, it is a practice to return to on a daily basis. Cynics don’t build the future. Those courageous enough to act from the humility of their lived experiences and the audacity of their boldest dreams, this is who builds the future.⁠ We can’t plan our way into a meaningful life. We must practice into it. We will make false steps, we will stumble, we will see small gains. We will practice.  As Jaqueline Novogratz said, “We are made from what came before. We make ourselves out of the promises that lie ahead. And we are always in the process of becoming.” Join me in today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we share in this process of becoming. We will start with a short talk on hope and then share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice. Now, let’s practice. Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Today’s meditation practice is a compassion practice that can apply to any person or group of people that you choose to practice for - it can be practiced for yourself, if you are the one who needs that loving support today. When we practice, we are deeply connecting to the thread of humanity we all share. Let us stand {and sit} together in solidarity and in love. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This week I am sharing a discussion with my business partner and all around favorite person, Octavia Raheem. Octavia & I have been friends, colleagues & partners for many years, and now, Octavia has published her first book - Gather. I had the distinct good fortune to read Gather in advance, and I have used it as part of my personal meditation practice everyday since. It is a collection of essays, prayers and poems written from the deep knowledge sourced in Octavia’s personal meditative practices. Each entry is followed with beautiful and thoughtful journal prompts inviting introspection and reflection. Join Octavia and me for today’s discussion as we talk about yoga nidra, meditation, ancestors, courage and rest. Perhaps most importantly, be sure you stay for Octavia’s guided meditation on courage at the end of today’s episode. It is a practice we all need right now! You can learn more about Octavia Raheem here: http://octaviaraheem.com/gather/  Or follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/octaviaraheem/ Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

This podcast episode is offered humbly as a practice to support and uplift in times of crisis. This is recorded as America experiences widespread protests and riots in response to the deep, and too-long-ignored racism prevalent in every layer of our culture. This talk and this practice, I hope, are useful for all beings everywhere as we bravely and unflinchingly face the oppressions, discriminations, forced exoduses and genocides that occur anytime we create the label “other”.  I encourage you to listen to a myriad of voices alongside my own: Reverend Angel Kyodo Williams, Sebene Selassie, Spring Washam and Joanna Hardy are a few of the teachers I follow. *************** I can’t remember who said it or where I read it, but I remember reading somewhere in my studies that meditation eventually asks you to feel The Great Heartbreak of the World. At the time, I remember thinking, “ummmmm. No thanks.” Who wants to feel heartbreak?! What I wanted was to feel better: less stress, more happiness. So, I meditated. Sometimes regularly; sometimes not. Usually not for more than 10 minutes, and I did start to feel better. So, I meditated with more consistency for longer time frames. I read some books and studied with teachers I respected, and the more I practiced, the more I found myself moving from my head to my heart. I was feeling MORE. I was more aware of my own feelings in everyday situations, and I was more aware of when I was purposely NOT feeling or numbing out to world events as if they didn’t affect me. Eventually, there was a moment when “The Great Heartbreak of the World” finally resonated - I understood what that teacher meant. He/she meant we have to feel it all. We can’t ignore the pains of any being’s suffering if we are truly awake. In this moment, as cities across America experience the rage of oppression and racism gone on for far too long, we meditate. We meditate not to feel better but to feel. As Pema Chodron says,  “To stay with that shakiness—to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge—that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.”  Today’s meditation practice is a compassion practice that can apply to any person or group of people that you choose to practice for - it can be practiced for yourself, if you are the one who needs that loving support today. When we practice, we are deeply connecting to the thread of humanity we all share. Let us stand {and sit} together in solidarity and in love. Reverend Angel Kyodo Williams: https://www.instagram.com/zenchangeangel/ Sebene Selassie: https://www.instagram.com/sebeneselassie/ Spring Washam: https://www.instagram.com/springwasham/ Joanna Hardy: https://www.instagram.com/joannahardy65/ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation prac...

This mini meditation is led by visionary artist Kim Krans. For the full story, I encourage you to listen to the full length episode released on 5/28/20. For now, enjoy this six minute mini meditation designed to give you a taste of timelessness. This practice helps to pull us out of the moment when we are feeling stuck or lost and gives us access to something larger.  You can learn more about Kim by visiting kimkrans.com Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

I couldn’t be more excited to share today’s episode with you. Today, I am sharing a conversation with my favorite artist, Kim Krans, about the intersection of meditation and creativity. Kim is a visionary artist, author, and creator of The New York Times bestseller The Wild Unknown Tarot. Kim and I share some yoga teachers in our backgrounds, and I’ve found her art to be incredibly inspiring in my own practice. I had the opportunity to interview Kim exactly one year to the day of when she started drawing her new graphic memoir, Blossoms & Bones. In this episode, we talk about how to practice when there are so many practices out there calling our names, about drawing the feeling, archetypes, and the practice of exploring timelessness. Do not miss the six minute meditation Kim guides us through at the end. It is a brief taste of how to take something as esoteric as timelessness and invite it into our meditation practice. And, lastly, if you are struggling with the right/wrong duality of this moment, listen out for her suggestion on working with the infinity symbol as a way to balance that energy. Seriously, mind blown. You can learn more about Kim by visiting kimkrans.com Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

“You set out to find God, but keep stopping at mean-spirited roadhouses.” ~Rumi In today’s mini meditation, our practice reminds us to continue even on the days when we want to give up. We meditate, and we do it because we know every itch we don’t scratch, every thought we don’t chase, every minute we stay seated rather than pursuing the next to-do, these are all the training ground to help us stay awake during our lives. These moments prepare us to hold the tensions that are part of our human existence and to continue on the path even when the mean-spirited roadhouses call our names. Join me for today’s practice; even if you feel like skipping it! Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

“You set out to find God, but keep stopping at mean-spirited roadhouses.” ~Rumi This week brings the final installment of my Responding Creatively to Fear meditation series, and in this week's episode we talk about how to continue when you want to give up. One of the truest statements I think I ever heard was from another Atlanta yoga teacher who said, “best not to start this path because once you do… you can’t get off.” It can be so tempting sometimes to go back to sleep… Isn’t it easier to watch TV for 4 hours and skip that meditation? Isn’t it easier to just have the glass of wine or eat the chocolate cake? Isn’t it easier to mindless scroll on Facebook throughout the day? Fortunately and unfortunately, once you begin to awaken you have begun. You can try to go back to sleep. We almost all do at least once, but some part of your subconscious continues to nudge you… “This isn’t the way. This isn’t what you want. There is something truer. Keep going.” We must stop visiting the mean-spirited roadhouses and aspire to make these practices our way of life. So, we will practice, and we will do it because we know every itch we don’t scratch, every thought we don’t chase, every minute we stay seated rather than pursuing the next to-do, these are all the training ground to help us stay awake during our lives. These moments prepare us to hold the tensions that are part of our human existence and to continue on the path even when the mean-spirited roadhouses call our names. Let’s practice.  Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

When we feel lost in the struggle of all the things we don’t want: We don’t want to feel this way. We don’t want the day to go like this. We don’t want the world to look like this. Then, it is time to imagine a new way. Often, we can’t easily picture something different than our lived reality, but it is there, just waiting to be envisioned and ushered into a life more true, more beautiful. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a practice to engage our imaginations and to challenge the status quo of our thoughts.  Thank you to today’s sponsor, Manta Sleep {mantasleep.com}. Manta sleep believes quality sleep is the foundation for everything good that happens in life, and they make the world’s most comfortable sleep mask to help us get that better sleep. Mindful Minute listeners save 10% on all orders with code ‘Mindful10’. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

A different view. A different thought. A different action.⁠ In our meditation series this month, we are exploring how to respond creatively to fear. Part of that creative response has to be to do something different than we normally do -⁠⁠ If you catch yourself responding the same way to a particular stimulus frequently; it is time to try a different way.⁠ Is it easy? No. Does it take imagination and creativity to invite a response previously unknown to you? Yes. ⁠⁠ Is it possible? Absolutely.⁠ So how? How do we do something different? Often our thought-habits are likened to well-worn, dirt roads with deep ruts down the middle because we’ve driven down the road so many times. It is REALLY hard to get your car out of those ruts, but it is possible. What if we were able to let go of all things we “don’t want,” and instead we start to picture in detail what we DO want. Some of it will feel very far-fetched. Some will feel completely out of our control. Some of it will feel like pie-in-the-sky dreaming. Yet, as Gloria Steinem said, “Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a practice to engage our imaginations and to challenge the status quo of our thoughts. You up for it? Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Meditation reminds us that freedom doesn’t come from resisting our fears but from getting to know them well. In this time of deep uncertainty, learning to enter the cave of mystery and uncertainty is akin to discovering the pathway to freedom. Join me for today’s short meditation to explore your own responses to fear and unknown. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series is based upon one question -  “What do I do when I feel I can’t handle what is going on?” We all have our coping mechanisms, and likely, we’ve all been using them A LOT lately. The problem with these mechanisms is that we use them as tools to avoid the discomfort of feeling out of control, and this pseudo-control becomes like a prison boxing us into our own neurosis. We CAN’T let go of the beliefs or the actions or the escapes because what is left is far too scary.  We become increasingly terrified of the possibility of freedom. Meditation tells us there is another way. Meditation reminds us that freedom doesn’t come from resisting our fears but from getting to know them well. In today’s episode, we explore three ways we protect ourselves from fear and how we can bring a sense of creative curiosity to that fear. Within this exploration, we can hear the whispers of compassion and self-understanding calling… Big thanks to our sponsor, MOON Organics {https://moonorganics.com}. Mindful Minute listeners can save 10% on products and services {like virtual facials!} with code “MINDFUL10”. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is an extra special offering. This 10-minute guided meditation is led by Dr. Rick Hanson as he walks us through the 7 practices of awakening as outlined in his new book Neurodharma. This is a practice you can come to again and again to explore the profound contentment that is possible from your meditation practice. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Are y’all ready to geek out with me today? We are going deep! Today’s episode is a special interview with Dr. Rick Hanson about his new book Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times best-selling author. He’s lectured at NASA, Google, Oxford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. I am so thrilled to share this conversation with Rick today; his book Buddha’s Brain is one I reference all the time as a meditation teacher, and this new book couldn’t arrive at a better time. The book is described as offering “effective ways to find profound contentment and inner peace in a turbulent world,” and I truly found many of the practices he offered to be timely in this pandemic. Rick outlines 7 practices that he’s seen through many different traditions {Christianity, Sufism, Buddhism, etc.} that all lead towards increasing levels of happiness. In this interview, we talk about All 7 practices of awakening love and anger in the time of Corona the truth of the mind grounded in the truth of the body The neuroscience behind our meditative experiences  and more Be sure you keep listening for the meditation Rick leads at the end of today’s episode; he guides us through all  7 stages of awakening in a 10 minute practice to give us a taste of what is possible in a meditation practice. This conversation goes deep quick; stay with us as we explore some of the places a meditation practice can lead! You can learn more about Rick via rickhanson.net and you can access the Neurodharma online class he mentions in this episode here: https://www.rickhanson.net/teaching/neurodharma-online-program/ Big thanks to our sponsor, MOON Organics {https://moonorganics.com}. Mindful Minute listeners can save 10% on products and services {like virtual facials!} with code “MINDFUL10”. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Oh, how my heart is hurting. I am angry and scared and overwhelmed with our local government’s decision to open the economy back up despite the science saying this is far too soon. It is precisely in this moment I turn inward for the calm and the confidence I need to move forward with courage. Today’s mini meditation is an invitation into spaciousness and timelessness that I hope offers a sense of alignment and an ease in making the decisions and taking the actions you/we/all need to make for the good of humanity.  May we all be well and live with ease.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

What is working for you right now? Has anything felt easy? Has there been an auspiciousness or a synchronicity that has shown itself to you? Even something that has just made you go... hmmm.⁠ ⁠These questions are not to lessen anyone’s pure struggle and grief in this moment; rather it is to draw attention to our relationship to TIME.⁠ Unknown to many of us, there are TWO ideas of time out there. Chronos and Kairos.⁠ Chronos is what we know {sort of} as clock time. The time invented to allow for scheduling, accomplishing and always for rushing. ⁠⁠ Chronos is the battle cries we are beginning to hear in response to the Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders of “open the economy. open. open.”⁠ Kairos is something different. Kairos is mythic time, divine time, timelessness. This is when we sit inside a single moment as it unfolds and it changes the entire trajectory of our lives.⁠ And this moment that we are in right now, well this moment is so fractured and confused and has so thoroughly jumbled all that we know, and it is just this type of moment that often opens us up to what is timeless. It is the clarity amid the chaos.⁠ We find this clarity through our meditation practice with patience and precision. The patience to stay in the present moment; the precision to feel and to allow what we feel. ⁠ The gift is what we walk away with. ⁠ ⁠If like me, you are feeling a new swell of anxiety over when will the world re-open; will it be too soon; what will happen next... I hope this invitation into a different awareness of time might help bring alignment and an ease in decision and action.⁠ May we all be well and live with ease. Big thanks to our sponsor, MOON Organics {https://moonorganics.com}. Mindful Minute listeners can save 10% on products and services {like virtual facials!} with code “MINDFUL10”. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is another short meditation practice designed to help you through the emotional & mental struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the moment we must LET GO of convention and constraints. This is the moment we must let go of the shoulds, the coulds and the pressures of self-inflicted guilt.  There is so much pressure right now to do and be a certain way, and yet none of us have done this before. Who is to say there is a right way to live through a pandemic? Join me for this brief guided meditation as we explore what is real for us, what is true and what false beliefs are adding to our struggle. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

I want to talk about letting go today. Today marks week FOUR of our shelter-in-place, our quarantine.  And, the longer I sit and meditate and breathe and work and live and love in this time, the more I realize there has never been such a moment of “Both. And.” We are home and resting AND we have never worked harder and are exhausted. We are meditating AND freaking out on our kids. We are acknowledging the silver linings AND we are in the throws of profound grief. We are organizing and cleaning and gardening AND we are drinking too much, eating too much and wishing we could just go see our friends. Both. And. This is the moment we must LET GO of convention and constraints. This is the moment we must let go of the shoulds, the coulds and the pressures of self-inflicted guilt.  There is so much pressure right now to do and be a certain way, and yet none of us have done this before. Who is to say there is a right way to live through a pandemic? And, so our practice today is to work with the phrase Real and Not True. It is an invitation to eat rules for breakfast. It is catching the judgments that cause pain, and the beliefs that may not actually be true for us. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore what is both real and not true in this moment. We will sit together for a 20-minute guided meditation at the end. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

The beauty of the human experience is that we are fully capable and innately wired to feel seemingly conflicting emotions simultaneously. It is true. We can feel joy and pain. We can feel fear and trust. As long as we are willing to feel, we can feel it ALL. Sometimes as we awake our senses in meditation practice, what we feel isn’t necessarily beautiful… We might feel pain, fear, heartache or sadness. Learning to let it be allows us to savor our full sensorial experience. If we are quick to shut one feeling down, we are quick to shut them all down. So sit and feel. And, cry if you need to cry. Laugh if you need to laugh. Smack the floor in rage if you need to… Let your senses be.  These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

As the days of quarantine tick by, I’ve discovered a new, intense mental rhythm to daily life. It is marked by many, cyclical, consuming thoughts that often take the shape of planning: What will I offer the kids for school When will I work When will my partner work What will we eat Who do I need to call and check on. I should make a list. Repeat.  For others that I’ve talked with, their days too have a new mental rhythm. It goes something like:  I can’t deal with this. I need to lie down. Someone else pls tell me what to do. Repeat. BOTH of these are stress responses. BOTH are totally normal. And, BOTH keep us trapped. We are trapped by thoughts and stuck living only in our actual brains. As if there was no body beneath these giant heads of ours.  Up here in the head, things get very tight. Very small. Very narrow. There is little joy here. So, I offer an invitation today -  Let’s reconnect to feeling. Let’s awaken our senses and our sense of awe. Let’s reacquaint ourselves with beauty. This is not to diminish your experience of this pandemic. This is not to chide or shame or suggest you are doing anything wrong. This is not to create the appearance of meditation allowing you to be perfect in tough moments. I firmly believe that if we let ourselves feel in this moment, we will each discover grief here. And. And, we have to keep living.  We only get this ONE wild & precious life, to quote Mary Oliver, and I’m not about to dump a whole year into the garbage and I hope you aren’t either!! My belief is that if we want our lives to have a sense of fullness, we need to find a way to appreciate beauty.  Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore our capacity to feel seemingly conflicting emotions in the exact same moment. We will talk and then share in a guided meditation for about 20 minutes. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Are you riding the waves of grief as part of this COVID-19 pandemic? I know I am - some days the hurt and the worry feels all consuming {and other days, thank goodness, not as intense…}. Today’s mini meditation is something I’ve been using on the tough days. Our innate response to pain is often to contract, to stuff down and resist… “I don’t WANT to feel this…” And yet, feeling is the only way to get through, the only way to ride that wave without being completely knocked over. So today’s practice is 12-minutes to allow. 12-minutes to allow the feelings to be present with a sense of softness and a trust that taking the time to feel is far more helpful than trying to ignore. After all, the only way to heal is to feel <2 IMPORTANT: This practice can be tremendously beneficial for many of us, and equally, if you are feeling completely overwhelmed and unable to handle the feelings coming up for you, if you are dealing with significant mental health challenges or have PTSD, please wait and practice with the support of a licensed mental health therapist. Sending you all my love <3 We will get through this together. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s episode is something totally new for The Mindful Minute - I am sharing my first ever podcast-interview and boy is it timely! I had no idea when I recorded this interview with Rachel Peavy of Blissful Budget that it would air amidst a global financial crisis. If you or your business has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am so sorry and I feel your pain. I hope that this episode offers some tools to help. Perhaps most importantly, Rachel has just published an article with tips on mindfully getting through a financial emergency {https://blissfulbudget.com/5-tips-for-getting-through-a-financial-emergency/} that has been incredibly helpful for me so far. I started working with Rachel back in November 2019 in conjunction with my “Abundance” meditation series. Rachel’s work to bring mindfulness to our money-relationships has been a real game changer for me.  It is almost embarrassing to admit that even with 10 years of mindfulness practice, I wasn’t applying any sense of mindful awareness to my money. Rachel is going to talk us through some of her top tips for bringing compassionate awareness to our relationship with money. She shares about her use of Tarot cards {y’all know I loved it when she pulled those out in our first session! I love any kind of oracle cards…}, and, best of all, at the end of today’s episode, Rachel will guide us through her Bliss List meditation.  This meditation is one of her tools for creating a budget that brings joy rather than restriction. Although I’m not out buying my weekly cup of coffee right now, it was such a shock of delight when she told me I didn’t have to cut out my weekly coffee splurge once things are back to normal! Tune in today and be sure to drop me a line at merylarnett.com and let me know if today’s episode resonated with you. Would you like more bonus episodes with interviews? You can find Rachel here: https://blissfulbudget.com/ https://www.instagram.com/budgetblissful/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/291328891764021/ Learn more about Sacred Chill {at home} virtual meditation and yoga classes by visiting https://sacredchillwest.com/sacred-chill-at-home/ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s meditation practice is an opportunity to gaze inwards with presence, non-judgment & compassion, and to allow the teachings and ideas from those a little further ahead on the path infuse our subconscious and shine a light so we can see a little more clearly. Join me! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Learn more about Sacred Chill {at home} virtual meditation and yoga classes by visiting https://sacredchillwest.com/sacred-chill-at-home/ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s final episode of the Wayfinding meditation series is an exploration of foresight. You might remember we started this month’s series with a talk on the tools of modern day wayfinding: hindsight, insight & foresight as guidance back to our true selves. At its heart, wayfinding is a system of elements working together to provide guidance; so too is our meditation practice. It is within this practice that we make our way home to ourselves. It is with these tools of hindsight, insight & foresight that we discover ourselves. Hindsight has shown us what was inside all along - our unique soul calling. Insight is the very definition of meditation and the chance for us to tap into the well of peace that exists inside at all times regardless of external circumstances. And now, Foresight… in my mind, foresight is simply another name for The Dharma or The Teachings of Meditation. These teachings serve as a map. In the same way our ancient wayfinders used stars to navigate their way through the world, we can use the teachings to find our way back to ourselves. This doesn’t mean we have to trust everything we are told; it is simply an invitation to live with a “beginner’s mind” - an open, curious place rather than a place of certainty or limitations. Join me for today’s discussion and meditation practice, and as we gaze inwards with presence, non-judgment & compassion, the teachings and ideas from those a little further ahead on the path infuse our subconscious and shine a light so we can see a little more clearly. Learn more about Sacred Chill {at home} virtual meditation and yoga classes by visiting https://sacredchillwest.com/sacred-chill-at-home/ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s practice is an offering to all in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. No matter how consumed by fear or anxiety, see if you can sit today. Even for a few minutes to reconnect with yourself. We will work with the mantra, “May I be safe. May I be held. May I be loved.” as our grounding force in today’s practice. Join me! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Well. It feels like the world was a different place when this series started last week. Here in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over our day-to-day lives, and I know for many of my international listeners, you have already been in the midst of this for some time. After some internal debate, I decided to continue with this series as planned, because, of course, the teachings support this very moment we are in - we began this series with a discussion of the tools of the modern wayfinder. The tools of hindsight, insight & foresight are the gifts a meditation practices offers the practitioner as a means of finding one’s self again. Some of the names for meditation actually translate to mean “insight”. The original meditation texts talk about the practice leading us to our innermost, truthful state of sorrowless joy & inner luminosity. Essentially, these teachings tell us there is an undisturbed well of peace inside... if only we can access it. Ah, but we can!! “When directed outward, the mind unveils of the mysteries pertaining to the external world: we become scientists. When directed inward, it unveils its own mysteries and sees the seer within: we become sages.” ~The Secret of the Yoga Sutra, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait This practice is an invitation to turn the mind’s eye inward and look. To listen. We keep ourselves busy to avoid seeing within, and this practice tells us to stop running away from ourselves and to look.  Now, we happen to be in a moment with a lot of fear and anxiety, so I want to take some time to talk about what happens when we feel fear in our meditation practice. When I meditate, sometimes I feel a lot of fear . . . what should I do?  When we meditate, eventually we will sit amidst the full range of human emotions. Fear is a big one and when it comes up it can be hard to stay to present with it. You can start by simply acknowledging, “I feel fear right now” or “this is fear”. Try to keep your breath relaxed and natural. Keeping your awareness with your breath, you might notice the physical sensations that accompany fear. You might notice any particular story lines/belief/ imagined outcomes that accompany this fear. You don’t need to try to “stop” the fear or change it to something else. Simply, kindly, see if you can stay present, stay mindful of the breath as fear arises and inevitably falls away.  With meditation, we learn that our emotions are constantly shifting and changing. As fluid as the weather, sometimes it is stormy and sometimes it is sunny. Patience and kindness is what allows us to weather the storm with as little damage as possible. Always, with any intense emotion including fear, if the feelings are too much - meaning you can no longer keep the breath relaxed and natural or you can’t keep yourself in the present moment - gently end your meditation, open your eyes and give yourself several minutes to reconnect to the safety of the moment you are in. You can try any of the grounding techniques we’ve learned to bring yourself back to neutral. It might take  practice to stay present during fear. Maybe at first you can only stay for a minute or two, but each time you mediate you might find that you can stay a little longer a little easier. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore working with fear and the well of peace inside; we will also practice with the mantra “May I be safe. May I be held. May I be loved.” as part of today’s practice.  Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Whew. These times are intense y’all. News of Coronavirus seems to have consumed most of our attention these days and is keeping our nervous systems and our brains on HIGH alert. The stress and anxiety is real and not helpful. So, today I’m sharing the practice I am relying on to keep me steady and C H I L L these days… Metta {compassion-based meditation} is a traditional meditation practice that was offered as an *antidote to fear* I used it daily during my postpartum anxiety. I return to it daily in this moment of uncertainty and anxiety swirling around our day-to-day lives. Tune into today’s mini-meditation as a daily practice you can do to acknowledge all that you feel without letting yourself become consumed by it. As my business partner recently wrote, “let us not look away or over consume media. Let us not dissolve into sheer panic even as there is fear that deserves to be acknowledged. Let us be consistent, grounded, and intentional in our response and actions. For us, this is the chill way.” Let’s chill. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Whew. These times are intense y’all. News of Coronavirus seems to have consumed most of our attention these days and is keeping our nervous systems and our brains on HIGH alert. The stress and anxiety is real and not helpful. So, today I’m sharing the practice I am relying on to keep me steady and C H I L L these days… Metta {compassion-based meditation} is a traditional meditation practice that was offered as an *antidote to fear* I used it daily during my postpartum anxiety. I return to it daily in this moment of uncertainty and anxiety swirling around our day-to-day lives. Tune into today’s mini-meditation as a daily practice you can do to acknowledge all that you feel without letting yourself become consumed by it. As my business partner recently wrote, “let us not look away or over consume media. Let us not dissolve into sheer panic even as there is fear that deserves to be acknowledged. Let us be consistent, grounded, and intentional in our response and actions. For us, this is the chill way.” Let’s chill. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

Our community intention this month is R E M E M B E R How long have you spent running away from yourself? How many times has “should” informed your decisions? How many times has someone else’s picture made you change your picture? This month’s meditation series is devoted to the remembrance of and reconnection to one’s true self. The you that ONLY YOU can express. Discovering the pathway to the true self is an act of wayfinding - mapping the stars, feeling the currents, trusting the internal whispers. Civil Rights Activist Ruby Sales points out that complete sight is comprised of hindsight, insight & foresight. These are the tools of the modern wayfinder.  At its heart, wayfinding is a system of elements working together to provide guidance; so too is our meditation practice. It is within this practice that we make our way home to ourselves. In this first episode, we are exploring the tool of HINDSIGHT. “It was Karl Marx, I think, who once proposed that evolution be studied in reverse, with an eye firmly fixed on the evolved species while glancing backward for hints.”  ~Jerome Bruner, In Search of Mind In reading James Hillman’s The Soul’s Code - he shares The Acorn Theory. In a nutshell {haha}, this theory is the idea that our calling, our purpose is within us from the moment of conception. We come into the world with this calling, this dharmic path already inside us. Much like an acorn ALREADY has an oak tree inside it.  Then all along the way, life happens. Expectations, shoulds, praise and blame, gain and loss, fame and disrepute - this all happens in big and small ways. And each experience adds layer to our eyes and impacts the way we view ourselves and the world.  In this winding way, we lose the clarity of calling, purpose and intention.  We can use our meditation practice as a way to reflect back, to look for clues to our true self. Meditation in particular can help us do this without getting lost in story. If we were just to reflect back - maybe in conversation or with pen & paper, you might be able to glean some insight. And also, you likely will get sucked into the stories you always tell yourself. You are looking through the same dirty windscreen. Meditation clears our eyes. We look back without judgment and with compassion. We stay rooted in the present so as not to get lost living in the past. These tools keep us on track. As Rumi said, “You set out to find God, but then you keep stopping for long periods at mean-spirited roadhouses. Don’t wait any longer. Dive in the ocean, leave, and let the sea be you…” Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for our discussion on hindsight and a special guided meditation designed to help us trace ourselves back to the first hints of truth inside. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Save this episode to have on hand for the stressful moments! You can get the background of this practice by listening to the full episode on March 5, 2020 {Like A Chicken With Her Head Cut Off}. This practice is a 10-minute meditation designed for use specifically on super stressful days or in stressful moments. When stressed, it can be so tempting to scream I DON’T HAVE TIME and run around like a chicken with your head cut off. Yet, if you can give yourself 5 - 10 minutes to connect to the moment without judgment and with compassion, you will be able to move forward in a healthy and wise way.  Give it a try today! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s episode of The Mindful Minute is a sneak peek into my new virtual offering: Mindfulness & Managing Stress. This program was created for some of my corporate clients that want to introduce mindfulness into the workplace and don’t have the space or time to do live sessions. Today, I’m sharing my favorite practice out of the 6-week course. This practice is specifically for those moments when stress overcomes us - when we are tempted to run around like a chicken with our heads cut off and scream, “I DON’T HAVE TIME!!!!” You’ll learn 3 protective beliefs around stress that come from stress researcher Kelly McGonigal and then we will do a short 10-minute practice together. I hope you’ll use the practice this week and let me know if it helps shift your stressful moments. I’ll be practicing too! If you are interested in bringing this program to your office, you can learn more by visiting merylarnett.com and click on classes! Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation starts with a story…. Once upon a time, there was a kingdom far, far away. There was a king. A queen. And, a fearsome dragon who made living far too uncomfortable. The king went to beg for relief and the dragon offered, “I will leave your village alone if you will give me your daughter as my wife.” The King & Queen discussed this proposition with their daughter, and playing the role of good daughters everywhere, she acquiesced, but, this daughter was also wise. So the good daughter pays a visit to the Crone, who tells her, “Fear not, my dear. You must buy 7 wedding dresses…” and then whispers some more in her ear. The day of the wedding comes, and that evening, the dragon says to the Princess, “well my dear, why don’t you take off your wedding dress and let’s retire to the marital chamber…” The Princess responds, “Yes, dear. But I need to ask for a sign of our equality in this marriage. For every article of clothing I remove, I want you to remove one too.” The Dragon agrees. And so the bride removes her first wedding dress and the dragon removes a layer of spikes. And the second dress, and a layer of scales. And this continues until all that is left is… you guessed it... a handsome prince:-) This undressing, this vulnerability is at the heart of our meditation practice. It is essentially what we are doing each time we sit. We are removing our scales and our spikes to sit with ourselves in a tender way.  Join me for this short practice as our chance to unglove ourselves for the day. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

All month, we’ve been talking about the deeply vulnerable experience created in meditation. The uncovering and unrestriction of our feelings to sit with ourselves in a gentler way is profoundly powerful. Mark Nepo describes this experience as “Our challenge each day is not to get dressed to face the world, but to unglove ourselves so that the doorknob feels cold, the car handle feels wet, and the kiss goodbye feels like the lips of another being, soft and unrepeatable.” And, yet... how many of us have had nightmares of arriving at school or work only to discover we are naked?! Walking through the world in a vulnerable, ungloved way asks tremendous courage of each of us. So the question becomes: How can we care for ourselves, nourish ourselves and all the while push the edge of uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure {vulnerability}? Tune into The Mindful Minute today as we discuss this very question and then sit for a 20-minute guided meditation practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Feeling a little “off” today? Something got your emotions swirling around and your anxiety riding high? So, what is there to do?? Happily, there is a lot of opportunity to work with this vulnerable feeling and evolve it into something a bit more friendly and welcoming. After all, vulnerability is the epicenter for joy, connection and creativity. Rather than continuing to run from ourselves, why don’t we sit down and stay awhile? These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Last week, we kicked off the February meditation series with an exploration of why we feel so much more when we start a meditation practice. We worked with Brene Brown’s definition of vulnerability {uncertainty, risk & emotional exposure} as a clear picture of what is happening when we meditate. In this week’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we explore what is happening when we feel vulnerable. The Physiology of Vulnerability. This physiology shows up in a lightning quick process that moves through our brains, our bodies and our emotions. It is an amazing process, and truth be told, it isn’t totally a bad thing. After all, this primal response is what has allowed our species to survive, evolve and thrive.  And yet, today, it isn’t really necessary all the time. Often we aren’t in danger. We are just feeling something we’ve deemed as “yucky” likely from the safety of our meditation cushions. There is no tiger lurking outside the door. So, what is there to do?? Happily, there is a lot of opportunity to work with this innate response and evolve it into something a bit more friendly and welcoming. After all, vulnerability is the epicenter for joy, connection and creativity. Rather than continuing to run from ourselves, why don’t we sit down and stay awhile? Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Brené Brown says that “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy  and creativity.” And, as powerful and important as that is, vulnerability also has its own unique feeling in the body - often, it is one that feels “unsafe” to our primal brain. What a paradox to know that love, belonging and joy are right there, and yet, they feel inaccessible because of the feelings vulnerability creates in the body. Join The Mindful Minute for today’s mini-meditation as a way to practice building your comfort with discomfort, and therefore building your comfort with joy! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

There is an old joke about a therapist who tells her client to start meditating. She says, “you’ll feel better…” So, the client begins a meditation practice and comes back to the therapist only to report, “You lied to me! I am feeling all this STUFF coming up. All these emotions and anxiety… I don’t feel better at all?!” And, the therapist smiles and says, “ah, yes. You are feeling your anxiety better. You are feeling your sadness better. ALL your emotions better!” Isn’t this the truth?! As we embark on a meditation practice, it isn’t uncommon for new practitioners to find themselves in a moment that feels… more. More emotional. More sensitive. More joyful. More heartache. More. This “more-ness” comes from the experience of, perhaps for the first time ever, opening up to our hearts and our vulnerability. We are allowing ourselves to feel fully. And, this new-er, more connected heartfulness comes with its own tangible, physical experiences. The physiology of vulnerability.  If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I’m not going to think about that right now…” Well, meditation is about to make you REAL uncomfortable, and for the very best reasons. Because now, we are going to stop numbing, ignoring and distracting. We are going to carve out safe space and dedicated time to allowing ourselves to feel. Basically, we sit down. We shut up. And we say, “ok, body. What do you need to tell me today?” And we listen.  The beauty of this practice is that, while it feels momentarily uncomfortable in the beginning, the amount of freedom we feel from no longer hiding from ourselves and our emotions is exponential. Our capacity to feel joy is exponential. When we don’t numb to part of the emotional spectrum, we are available to so much more.  Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we break down the physiology of vulnerability and use our meditation practice as a tool to feel BETTER! Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast! ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation comes from a new virtual course I’ve recently created for companies wanting to introduce mindfulness in the office. This meditation is a quick practice of returning to presence when we are stressed, distracted or overwhelmed at work. Take 5 minutes and try it today. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

I am always honored when someone takes the time to share a bit about their meditation practice with me and asks about their meditation struggles. This year, I intend to do an occasional FAQ bonus episode where I will answer a few of the questions I receive, and this is the inaugural episode! Today, I am chatting about what to do if “feeling the breath” makes you feel anxious, uncomfortable or like you are hyperventilating. I’ll try to answer the “how do I know my practice is working??” quandary. And, I’ll talk about meditating with the really tough stuff: trauma, emotional or mental overwhelm and imbalance… Lastly, I’d love to hear from you! What do you struggle with in your meditation practice? You can email me {[email protected]} or reach out via Instagram {@merylarnett}. My February meditation series, Nourish Yourself, kicks off next Thursday! Talk to you then. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Gregory Boyle defines compassion as “to be in awe of what someone has to carry, rather than to stand in judgment of how they carry it.”  Can you reflect that inwards? Can you be in awe of what you have to carry rather than stand in judgment of how you carry it? Join me for today’s mini meditation as we practice cultivating awe and compassion for ourselves so that we can connect with the greater world in a healthier, more compassionate way. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Mindfulness Meditation is often described with the image of a bird - one of the bird’s wings is “presence/awareness” and the other wing is “heartfulness”. This heartfulness is the cultivation of compassion. It is both part of the practice itself and part of the outcome of the practice. Gregory Boyle defines compassion as “to be in awe of what someone has to carry, rather than to stand in judgment of how they carry it.”  Let’s just pause for a moment and take that in… … … So. Powerful. And, what we know to be true is that real compassion cannot exist unless it begins with the Self. We can’t run out and save the world when we are quietly ripping ourselves to shreds inside. We can’t care for others when we are falling apart ourselves. So, let’s talk compassion. Let’s talk about how to practice it in tangible ways. Let’s talk about what to do when what is going on inside is too intense to be with in any way, especially a kind way. Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a discussion and practice centered around compassion. Let’s cultivate awe together.  Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is practice that is phenomenal if you find yourself really struggling with thoughts during meditation. If you aren’t sure what to do with your thoughts, how to relate to them without struggle, or how to get quiet… this might be the practice for you! This is the practice that many of my students comment finally helps them to “get” it! Give it a try today and let me know your experience {via email or instagram}! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This class was recorded on MLK Day 2020. I always feel a profound sense of gratitude and deeply humbled to try and share teachings on this day. As it happened, this day was also the day I planned to talk about the component of ‘non-judgment’ as part of a mindfulness practice. As you might remember from last week’s class, mindfulness can be defined as being present without judgment and with compassion. That non-judgment component is often the most mis-understood part of this practice because it can easily be misconstrued to mean that nothing phases you; that there are no big emotions present; and it’s all “it is what it is…” attitude. Not. True. Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore the nuances of non-judgment, and the ways in which this teaching stands in deep support of social justice, activism and being an agent of change. I can’t begin to offer answers, but I can share this practice, which, for me, has offered deep and clear insight into how I want to be in this world. I hope you find the same! Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

I created this podcast as a way to share mindfulness meditation as a support of our everyday joy. I have been practicing and teaching mindfulness meditation for 10 years as an everyday practitioner. What I mean by “everyday” is that I’m a mom-of-two. I’m a partner and activity community member. I’m a business owner. I have real life responsibilities and commitments. I’m not a monk and I don’t think you need to be one either in order to find daily joy and happiness. When I started my meditation journey, it took me years to figure out what I was doing, why I was doing it and how to do it most effectively. And, in the course of that time, I also began to experience little moments of life that felt more awake, more alive, more enjoyable. Those little moments kept propelling me along the path until I ended up with this deeply committed and enlivened meditation practice that I have today.  This podcast is a recording of my live Monday night mindfulness meditation class that takes place at my studio in Atlanta, GA. Every Thursday, I release a new episode that includes a 10 - 15 minute talk that explores the teachings of a mindfulness practice followed by a 20-minute guided meditation practice.  You can start with any episode, at any time. Just dive in. There is no time like the present to begin! Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This month, here at The Mindful Minute, we are all about building a strong, consistent meditation practice, and that begins by training the brain to come back to presence. Today’s mini meditation is inspired by Viktor Frankl who said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” We find that space in the present moment, and today’s meditation is focused on bringing us into and keeping us in this present moment, spacious experience. Join me! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This 3-part series is designed to help you start and maintain a daily meditation practice. It's designed to help those who "can't" meditate, those who tried once and quit, and those who are curious but don't know what the heck to "do"...⁠ In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we are going to break down what exactly mindfulness is; we will remove the many, many myths out there about what you should be doing and what you should be feeling; and, we will talk about the most important step you can take to building a consistent, supportive meditation habit {hint: it might not be what you think!}. Tune in today for our short discussion and 20-minute guided meditation as the pathway to building a meditation habit with staying power. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This mini meditation is a practice you can do right before bed each night. Walking back through your day to extend awareness and gratitude for all those {seen and unseen} that impact our day. Try it today and let me know how it impacts you! These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

Well, y’all… I’m practicing what I preach today! If you’ve listened for awhile, you know that this podcast is usually a recording of my live Monday night meditation class, and, this Monday, I was supposed to kick-off the New Year with the start of my “Begin Again” meditation series… But, Monday night I was home with a sick baby recovering from croup, and I had to miss teaching. So, this week’s podcast episode is a recording of my Wednesday night class which is a compassion-based meditation practice. I hope this serves you as much as it served me this week!! When our plans fall apart, when the list of “not-done” far outweighs the “done” it can be easy to fall into a small, tight mind. A mind that is silently and never-endingly repeating “not enough” “not enough” “not enough” and a spiral of thoughts about what else will fall apart because things didn’t get done…. And, the truth is, we can’t change the moment. Sometimes it is just going to be a moment of suffering… AND, we can meet these moments with a practiced compassion to perhaps ease our suffering somewhat. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the two mini-practices I’ve added to start and end my day for 2020. Both of these practices are centered on mindful self-compassion and the ways we can expand this out to all those we come into contact with throughout our days and our lives.  May we all start the year as a compassionate mess rather than a hot mess!! Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

In many traditions, the greatest teachers are called Sages. Originally, sage was a verb - “to sage” and it meant to taste or to experience. Overtime, we’ve learned to place all our stock on one who has tasted when really the true work is to taste/experience for ourselves. Join me for today’s short meditation practice as a way to see for yourself what a meditation practice can offer you. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

"In naming things we often come to mistake the names for the things themselves..."  ~Maria Popova⁠ As part of the New Year traditions, many of us are anxious to reflect, to set intentions and goals, to pick a "word" of the year, to name what it is we most want...⁠ There is great value in these reflections and goals, and yet, each of the things we name {even a goal of starting a meditation habit} is standing in for a feeling we are chasing. So, what's that feeling? And, what's beneath that one?⁠ There are so many places in our lives when we substitute studying/reading/planning as a stand-in for the actual exploration itself. It can be SO tempting to let someone else tell us the way, to tell us what we should want, or to tell us what we should do.  Our meditation practice is an invitation to come back to exploring through a new way of listening. In meditation, we watch the beauty of the unfolding pathway of thought as a way of knowing beyond "names".⁠ Join me for today’s New-Year-inspired episode of The Mindful Minute as we explore, listen, and taste our way to a clear start to the year and the decade. Be sure to grab a notebook or journal and spend a few minutes free writing after your practice so you remember all that unfolds during your 20-minute meditation. Happy New Year! Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This week’s mini practice is a drop into spaciousness and then the prompt to journal immediately afterwards. For 5 - 10 minutes after your meditation practice, write everything you can think to write. Write about how your practice felt, what you thought about, how you feel right now, etc. Just keep going until the well is dry or the timer dings.  Journaling is the marginalia of our meditation practice. It is our chance to highlight, asterisk, and underline important messages, patterns and insights that arise in our practice so we don’t forget them.  Try it out today and see for yourself… maybe this will be part of your new habit for 2020. These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice. Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl

This past weekend's Winter Solstice felt particularly potent for me. Some years I reflect and teach on the dark. Some years I reflect and teach on the coming light. This year, I felt drawn to savor the pause in-between. ⁠ There is a space in meditation when "nothing" is happening, there is no loud thoughts, there are no clear insights, there is just a sense of nothingness.⁠ It can be easy to forget that much of our meditation practice rests in our liminal spaces. Especially in times of being overly-busy, our meditation practice can feel like it is spent fighting with the mind, efforting, noting all the thoughts, etc. ⁠ In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute  we explore how to drop a little more easily into a spacious pause and savor these moments of silence & stillness amidst the noise of the season.⁠ Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/  ***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit *** #meditatewithmeryl