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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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Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Welcome back to Day Three of our Un-challenge. In the last couple of days, we've explored letting ourselves unwind some of this deep tension through embodying a more still place within us. Yesterday, we talked about why that can sometimes be difficult and we use this phrase, you're welcome here too. In today's session, I want to explore how we navigate some of the "mess" that can arise when we actually start opening to the fullness of our life. And so the theme of today will be embracing the mess.
And I want to share a short Zen story with you to frame this. It's about this Zen farmer who had a horse, and he depended on this horse to till his fields and sustain his farm. But one day that horse ran away. Then you know, all the villagers they came by and they said, "We're so sorry. This is such a tragedy." And the farmer said, "You know what? Good luck, bad luck, who knows." And so a week goes by.
The farmer is still trying to figure out what to do next. And the horse comes back and it brings another horse with it. And now all the villagers they come by and they go, "Wow, this is such good luck. You're so lucky." Farmer goes, "Well. Good luck, bad luck, who knows." Two weeks later, the farmer's son is working with one of the horses, trying to tame it, falls off its back and breaks his leg.
Now all the villagers, they come by again, and they say, "We're so sorry. This is such bad luck." Farmer says, "Well, bad luck, good luck, who knows." Another couple of weeks later, the army comes through town and they're conscripting all the able-bodied young men that they can. They come by the farmer's son, they see him and they pass by. And the villagers they come by and they say, "Wow, this is really good luck." And can you guess the farmer's response? Good luck, bad luck, who knows. I always really love this story because I think it captures the heart of having a mind of equanimity in relationship to our experience.
There's a really deep wisdom to the farmer. Although some people could write this off and say, oh, his head's in the clouds. Well, is that true? Or is he actually having an honest, interfacing with his moment to moment experience? Because the reality is, is that we actually don't know what a moment will lead to. There are endless examples of things that we thought would be bad that ended up leading to something positive and things that we thought would be positive that ended up leading to something "bad". You know, trauma can actually lead to a deep soul exploration and subsequently lead to growth.
Getting a new house could lead to having terrible neighbors and a whole host of other problems. A diagnosis of cancer can actually lead to a new appreciation of life. Getting a new job that we were excited about might lead to coworkers that were frustrated by. And so you see how we can get so attached to our idea of what this moment means that there's not actually space for it to become what it will become. And because of that, we actually set ourselves up for some suffering in the long term.
We either get attached to how this moment should be, or we resist so much how this moment is that we're creating this extra tension. What would it be like to take the orientation of the farmer, which isn't denying reality. It's not saying that we endorse it, that we like it, that we wish bad things to happen. It's just this simple, honest acknowledgement of good luck, bad luck, who knows. And so today I invite you to explore taking that relationship to some of your moments.
There might be some things, if we're being honest, that this is just too difficult to do with. I think of some experiences of grief where it could actually feel like maybe a form of violence against our grief to say, good luck, bad luck, who knows. Maybe we just need to be in that space of, no, this is bad luck and I need to feel what I'm feeling and that's okay. So start with some other moments. You know, someone cuts you off in the road and it's like, "All right.
Bad luck, good luck, who knows." Or you miss a meeting, bad luck, good luck. Who knows. And just see what it's like to take that orientation to your experience. This really helps us connect to that part of us that is balanced in relationship to what is arising and continue to not fuel that aspect of us that is constantly trying to control or understand or make sense of how this is all going to unfold, because the reality is we can't know. And there's a way we can inhabit our experience that is much more spacious, like the farmer.
So try this out and let's settle in for today's meditation.
Embrace the Mess
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.
Welcome back to Day Three of our Un-challenge. In the last couple of days, we've explored letting ourselves unwind some of this deep tension through embodying a more still place within us. Yesterday, we talked about why that can sometimes be difficult and we use this phrase, you're welcome here too. In today's session, I want to explore how we navigate some of the "mess" that can arise when we actually start opening to the fullness of our life. And so the theme of today will be embracing the mess.
And I want to share a short Zen story with you to frame this. It's about this Zen farmer who had a horse, and he depended on this horse to till his fields and sustain his farm. But one day that horse ran away. Then you know, all the villagers they came by and they said, "We're so sorry. This is such a tragedy." And the farmer said, "You know what? Good luck, bad luck, who knows." And so a week goes by.
The farmer is still trying to figure out what to do next. And the horse comes back and it brings another horse with it. And now all the villagers they come by and they go, "Wow, this is such good luck. You're so lucky." Farmer goes, "Well. Good luck, bad luck, who knows." Two weeks later, the farmer's son is working with one of the horses, trying to tame it, falls off its back and breaks his leg.
Now all the villagers, they come by again, and they say, "We're so sorry. This is such bad luck." Farmer says, "Well, bad luck, good luck, who knows." Another couple of weeks later, the army comes through town and they're conscripting all the able-bodied young men that they can. They come by the farmer's son, they see him and they pass by. And the villagers they come by and they say, "Wow, this is really good luck." And can you guess the farmer's response? Good luck, bad luck, who knows. I always really love this story because I think it captures the heart of having a mind of equanimity in relationship to our experience.
There's a really deep wisdom to the farmer. Although some people could write this off and say, oh, his head's in the clouds. Well, is that true? Or is he actually having an honest, interfacing with his moment to moment experience? Because the reality is, is that we actually don't know what a moment will lead to. There are endless examples of things that we thought would be bad that ended up leading to something positive and things that we thought would be positive that ended up leading to something "bad". You know, trauma can actually lead to a deep soul exploration and subsequently lead to growth.
Getting a new house could lead to having terrible neighbors and a whole host of other problems. A diagnosis of cancer can actually lead to a new appreciation of life. Getting a new job that we were excited about might lead to coworkers that were frustrated by. And so you see how we can get so attached to our idea of what this moment means that there's not actually space for it to become what it will become. And because of that, we actually set ourselves up for some suffering in the long term.
We either get attached to how this moment should be, or we resist so much how this moment is that we're creating this extra tension. What would it be like to take the orientation of the farmer, which isn't denying reality. It's not saying that we endorse it, that we like it, that we wish bad things to happen. It's just this simple, honest acknowledgement of good luck, bad luck, who knows. And so today I invite you to explore taking that relationship to some of your moments.
There might be some things, if we're being honest, that this is just too difficult to do with. I think of some experiences of grief where it could actually feel like maybe a form of violence against our grief to say, good luck, bad luck, who knows. Maybe we just need to be in that space of, no, this is bad luck and I need to feel what I'm feeling and that's okay. So start with some other moments. You know, someone cuts you off in the road and it's like, "All right.
Bad luck, good luck, who knows." Or you miss a meeting, bad luck, good luck. Who knows. And just see what it's like to take that orientation to your experience. This really helps us connect to that part of us that is balanced in relationship to what is arising and continue to not fuel that aspect of us that is constantly trying to control or understand or make sense of how this is all going to unfold, because the reality is we can't know. And there's a way we can inhabit our experience that is much more spacious, like the farmer.
So try this out and let's settle in for today's meditation.
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Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
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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.
- 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.
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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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