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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 talk about the word papancha. Now this is a word from the Pali language and it means the countless generation of pointless thoughts, mental proliferation. When one thought leads to another, then another, then another then another. This is papancha.
I first learned about this word while practicing meditation in Burma. It's used to describe the mental proliferation that can get activated by a single sense experience such as a sight, a sound, a smell, taste, sensation. And we've all experienced it. I'm sure you already had that recognition when hearing the definition. Just one thought triggers another thought, which triggers another thought and triggers another thought until several minutes have gone by and you're completely lost in some trail of thinking that no longer has anything to do with the original experience that arose.
That's papancha. And I, I love the word, papancha, because the way it sounds is, at least for me, how the experience of mental proliferation feels. All that ping ponging of this thought, this thought, this thought, this thought. It just feels like how the word papancha sounds. So how can we use this? Well, in your meditation practice, when you notice this mental proliferation arise, one, recognize that there's a word for this, papancha.
And because there's a word for it, it means every other human has experienced it. So you're in good company. It's normal. And you can use it to label the experience so that it doesn't become so personal. A lot of times when the thoughts are going in all these different directions, we can feel like, you know, what's wrong with me? What's wrong with my mind? Why is it doing this? Why I won't to stop thinking? But instead, if we just go, Oh, that's papancha.
Right? It kind of depersonalizes the experience and puts a name on something in a way that allows us to just recognize it for what it is,ah mental proliferation, papancha. So I invite you to, to start to bring that into your meditation practice and even throughout your day, when you notice that mental proliferation and setting, instead of getting caught up in judgment or self-berating, just say, Oh, there's papancha. There's papancha. And bring the attention back to the present moment. Mind goes off again, there's papancha.
And have some fun with it. At the heart of it. I think that's the biggest thing we really want to cultivate in our practice, little bit more playfulness, a little bit more understanding and a little bit more ease in relationship to our mind, especially our papancha mind. So enjoy adding this to your practice. Thank you for your practice and let's settle in for today's meditation.
Mental Proliferation
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 talk about the word papancha. Now this is a word from the Pali language and it means the countless generation of pointless thoughts, mental proliferation. When one thought leads to another, then another, then another then another. This is papancha.
I first learned about this word while practicing meditation in Burma. It's used to describe the mental proliferation that can get activated by a single sense experience such as a sight, a sound, a smell, taste, sensation. And we've all experienced it. I'm sure you already had that recognition when hearing the definition. Just one thought triggers another thought, which triggers another thought and triggers another thought until several minutes have gone by and you're completely lost in some trail of thinking that no longer has anything to do with the original experience that arose.
That's papancha. And I, I love the word, papancha, because the way it sounds is, at least for me, how the experience of mental proliferation feels. All that ping ponging of this thought, this thought, this thought, this thought. It just feels like how the word papancha sounds. So how can we use this? Well, in your meditation practice, when you notice this mental proliferation arise, one, recognize that there's a word for this, papancha.
And because there's a word for it, it means every other human has experienced it. So you're in good company. It's normal. And you can use it to label the experience so that it doesn't become so personal. A lot of times when the thoughts are going in all these different directions, we can feel like, you know, what's wrong with me? What's wrong with my mind? Why is it doing this? Why I won't to stop thinking? But instead, if we just go, Oh, that's papancha.
Right? It kind of depersonalizes the experience and puts a name on something in a way that allows us to just recognize it for what it is,ah mental proliferation, papancha. So I invite you to, to start to bring that into your meditation practice and even throughout your day, when you notice that mental proliferation and setting, instead of getting caught up in judgment or self-berating, just say, Oh, there's papancha. There's papancha. And bring the attention back to the present moment. Mind goes off again, there's papancha.
And have some fun with it. At the heart of it. I think that's the biggest thing we really want to cultivate in our practice, little bit more playfulness, a little bit more understanding and a little bit more ease in relationship to our mind, especially our papancha mind. So enjoy adding this to your practice. Thank you for your practice 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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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.
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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.
- Babs312
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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.
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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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