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A Serene Encounter With Reality
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Hi, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, I'm going to share a bit about what meditation is and what it isn't. And I'd like to frame this with a quote by the great Zen meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hahn. And he says, "Meditation is not evasion. It's a serene encounter with reality." "Meditation is not evasion.
It's a serene encounter with reality." So remember this thing that we're doing, this practice, this taking five minutes, 10 minutes, 20, 30 minutes to stop and tune in, it's not designed to be a practice of escape or disconnection. It's a practice of moving closer to our experience. But as we do, we relax into it. We find peace within it. The alternative is, yeah, we can try to evade, but it doesn't get rid of our life circumstance.
It doesn't get rid of the thoughts, emotions, sensations. We just tend to then have new troubles that often come from numbing ourselves or shutting down. And so the ability to really find it a true peace, a peace that is grounded in the truth of what's here, that comes from turning toward the reality of the moment, a serene encounter with reality. But I, I want to focus on that word, serene. It's a word many of us have heard before, and I've heard a number of times, but I looked it up to really get a sense of why did he maybe use that word.
And, uh, uh, serene, the word serene actually means calm, peaceful, and untroubled. Calm peaceful and untroubled. And so this, the meditation process itself, it's a turning toward our experience. Noticing the thoughts, being with the breath, feeling all the different things that arise in our awareness. But it's not this pure perception or a judgmental kind of awareness.
Calm, peaceful, untroubled. We're building an internal container that can meet what arises with grace, with serenity. So a lot of this you probably already know from meditating, but I think it's a really important reminder as we continue our practice. So as you go into the meditation today, see if you can embrace it as a serene encounter with reality. See what that would feel like for you.
As always thank you for your practice and let's settle in for our meditation.
Cory Muscara
4.7A Serene Encounter With Reality
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, I'm going to share a bit about what meditation is and what it isn't. And I'd like to frame this with a quote by the great Zen meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hahn. And he says, "Meditation is not evasion. It's a serene encounter with reality." "Meditation is not evasion.
It's a serene encounter with reality." So remember this thing that we're doing, this practice, this taking five minutes, 10 minutes, 20, 30 minutes to stop and tune in, it's not designed to be a practice of escape or disconnection. It's a practice of moving closer to our experience. But as we do, we relax into it. We find peace within it. The alternative is, yeah, we can try to evade, but it doesn't get rid of our life circumstance.
It doesn't get rid of the thoughts, emotions, sensations. We just tend to then have new troubles that often come from numbing ourselves or shutting down. And so the ability to really find it a true peace, a peace that is grounded in the truth of what's here, that comes from turning toward the reality of the moment, a serene encounter with reality. But I, I want to focus on that word, serene. It's a word many of us have heard before, and I've heard a number of times, but I looked it up to really get a sense of why did he maybe use that word.
And, uh, uh, serene, the word serene actually means calm, peaceful, and untroubled. Calm peaceful and untroubled. And so this, the meditation process itself, it's a turning toward our experience. Noticing the thoughts, being with the breath, feeling all the different things that arise in our awareness. But it's not this pure perception or a judgmental kind of awareness.
Calm, peaceful, untroubled. We're building an internal container that can meet what arises with grace, with serenity. So a lot of this you probably already know from meditating, but I think it's a really important reminder as we continue our practice. So as you go into the meditation today, see if you can embrace it as a serene encounter with reality. See what that would feel like for you.
As always thank you for your practice and let's settle in for our meditation.
Cory Muscara
4.7Duration
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This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
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Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
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Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
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