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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, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to discuss where people tend to go wrong when thinking about what meditation is. Now, the main issue is that our culture conflates meditation with relaxation. It's why you'll often hear people say things like the gym is my meditation or cooking is my meditation or being in nature is my meditation. Often what people mean when they say these things is that this is what brings them calm, focus, and joy.
And that's amazing. I'm a big proponent of all of those things. I do all of those things, but they're not necessarily meditation. Meditation, at least mindfulness meditation, is ,in addition to being a practice for stabilizing attention, a form of inquiry. Not only are you intentionally tracking your moment to moment experience, but you're doing it in service of cultivating insight and wisdom about your experience, which requires a certain kind of discernment and looking at what's arising.
Going to the gym, cooking, going for a walk or any other activity you perceive as your meditation may bring calm, focus, and joy, but these activities don't have an inherent aspect of paying attention in a particular way, discerning or looking at experience. They can, and that's what makes this whole thing interesting. Thich Nhat Hanh, the famous Zen meditation teacher, he's notorious for saying everything can become a meditation. And what he means by that is that we can bring this quality of awareness, of paying attention, of non-judgment, of curiosity to whatever experience we're in. Cooking, going for a walk, having a conversation with someone, so it's true that all of these things can be made a meditation, but the thing that determines that is how we're paying attention.
So notice if you're in conversations with other people and they say something like, you know, this is my meditation, or going to the gym is my meditation. You don't have to get into an argument about it, but I did want to offer some clarity so that you can understand some of the nuances here. It's not necessarily the case that these things aren't their meditation, but often what they mean is this brings me more focus, more calm, a little bit more joy. The thing that will turn it into a meditation is the quality of attention and awareness that we're bringing to the experience. And with that, I invite you to explore what would it look like for more moments of your day to become a meditation, for you to bring a curious, non-judgmental awareness to what you're doing, to really practice being deeply present and to notice what's arising for me right now, and to track that experience as it moves through you.
In that way, every moment can become a meditation. So let's settle in for our official meditation now. Thank you so much for your practice and I'll talk to you in a moment.
Meditation vs. Relaxation
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, we're going to discuss where people tend to go wrong when thinking about what meditation is. Now, the main issue is that our culture conflates meditation with relaxation. It's why you'll often hear people say things like the gym is my meditation or cooking is my meditation or being in nature is my meditation. Often what people mean when they say these things is that this is what brings them calm, focus, and joy.
And that's amazing. I'm a big proponent of all of those things. I do all of those things, but they're not necessarily meditation. Meditation, at least mindfulness meditation, is ,in addition to being a practice for stabilizing attention, a form of inquiry. Not only are you intentionally tracking your moment to moment experience, but you're doing it in service of cultivating insight and wisdom about your experience, which requires a certain kind of discernment and looking at what's arising.
Going to the gym, cooking, going for a walk or any other activity you perceive as your meditation may bring calm, focus, and joy, but these activities don't have an inherent aspect of paying attention in a particular way, discerning or looking at experience. They can, and that's what makes this whole thing interesting. Thich Nhat Hanh, the famous Zen meditation teacher, he's notorious for saying everything can become a meditation. And what he means by that is that we can bring this quality of awareness, of paying attention, of non-judgment, of curiosity to whatever experience we're in. Cooking, going for a walk, having a conversation with someone, so it's true that all of these things can be made a meditation, but the thing that determines that is how we're paying attention.
So notice if you're in conversations with other people and they say something like, you know, this is my meditation, or going to the gym is my meditation. You don't have to get into an argument about it, but I did want to offer some clarity so that you can understand some of the nuances here. It's not necessarily the case that these things aren't their meditation, but often what they mean is this brings me more focus, more calm, a little bit more joy. The thing that will turn it into a meditation is the quality of attention and awareness that we're bringing to the experience. And with that, I invite you to explore what would it look like for more moments of your day to become a meditation, for you to bring a curious, non-judgmental awareness to what you're doing, to really practice being deeply present and to notice what's arising for me right now, and to track that experience as it moves through you.
In that way, every moment can become a meditation. So let's settle in for our official meditation now. Thank you so much for your practice and I'll talk to you in a moment.
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Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
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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.
- 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.
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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.
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A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
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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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