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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about transforming our relationship with regret. So when I think about regret, regret is actually a funny thing because even though we know that no matter how much we sit there and wish we'd done things differently, it doesn't change what happened in the past. And it's a strange habit because regret doesn't feel good. It causes us to suffer quite a bit.
And yet we can't seem to help ourselves just replaying it again and again. Now the reason that our minds tend to do this is because of how we evolved. So in the past, our hunter-gathererer ancestors, their life was really difficult and dangerous. And so to survive, it was important for them to replay any dangerous encounters. You know, such as a run-in with a bear or a rival clan.
If they manage to survive the encounter, you see, the mind would replay the event again and again and again, so they could learn from it and have a better chance of survival next time. These days, the mind tends to do the same thing with any mistakes, misfortunes, embarrassments, and regrets. It just replays them again and again. But it tends to do this way beyond what's actually helpful or useful. So I offer you this.
A wise teacher once said to me, regret is okay, but just a spoonful. What he meant was that if you notice the mind going into regret mode, then there can be a great opportunity to recognize that what we did may not have been helpful for ourselves and others and we can learn from that. And we can make an intention to do better in the future. But then after that, you just let the mind relax. You've learned what you needed to, so you can trust that it's okay now to let it go.
This spoonful of regret really need not take long at all. Maybe just a minute or so. Just enough time to acknowledge what happened, learn from it, make an intention to grow from it. And we can do this with an attitude of honoring any other people involved and honoring ourselves. So we do this as an act of love for them and ourselves.
In this way, our regrets, rather than being debilitating or unhelpful, can become a great source of wisdom, motivation, strength, and mental clarity. So here's my invitation. Whenever regret arises, as best you can, not spending too much time wishing you could change things that you can't or punishing yourself or berating yourself. Instead, just switch the focus to taking a mindful pause. Give yourself one minute, maybe two max to have a spoonful of regret.
Just enough to learn, grow, make an intention to behave from now on, in ways that leave yourself and others feeling happier, healthier, and more empowered. As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
A Spoonful of Regret
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, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about transforming our relationship with regret. So when I think about regret, regret is actually a funny thing because even though we know that no matter how much we sit there and wish we'd done things differently, it doesn't change what happened in the past. And it's a strange habit because regret doesn't feel good. It causes us to suffer quite a bit.
And yet we can't seem to help ourselves just replaying it again and again. Now the reason that our minds tend to do this is because of how we evolved. So in the past, our hunter-gathererer ancestors, their life was really difficult and dangerous. And so to survive, it was important for them to replay any dangerous encounters. You know, such as a run-in with a bear or a rival clan.
If they manage to survive the encounter, you see, the mind would replay the event again and again and again, so they could learn from it and have a better chance of survival next time. These days, the mind tends to do the same thing with any mistakes, misfortunes, embarrassments, and regrets. It just replays them again and again. But it tends to do this way beyond what's actually helpful or useful. So I offer you this.
A wise teacher once said to me, regret is okay, but just a spoonful. What he meant was that if you notice the mind going into regret mode, then there can be a great opportunity to recognize that what we did may not have been helpful for ourselves and others and we can learn from that. And we can make an intention to do better in the future. But then after that, you just let the mind relax. You've learned what you needed to, so you can trust that it's okay now to let it go.
This spoonful of regret really need not take long at all. Maybe just a minute or so. Just enough time to acknowledge what happened, learn from it, make an intention to grow from it. And we can do this with an attitude of honoring any other people involved and honoring ourselves. So we do this as an act of love for them and ourselves.
In this way, our regrets, rather than being debilitating or unhelpful, can become a great source of wisdom, motivation, strength, and mental clarity. So here's my invitation. Whenever regret arises, as best you can, not spending too much time wishing you could change things that you can't or punishing yourself or berating yourself. Instead, just switch the focus to taking a mindful pause. Give yourself one minute, maybe two max to have a spoonful of regret.
Just enough to learn, grow, make an intention to behave from now on, in ways that leave yourself and others feeling happier, healthier, and more empowered. As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
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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.
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Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
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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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