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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:
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'd like to talk about the challenge of letting go of our sticky mental stories. So during a meditation one morning recently, I had this familiar experience where I lost my focus on my breathing and I got caught up in thinking. And it was the same story that had been going through my mind for weeks and weeks and weeks. I'd had a difficult situation in my life where I didn't handle a particular conversation as well as I would've liked to.
And so my mind just kept going back to this situation and replaying all the things I wish I had done better, said better. You know, everything I should have done more skillfully. And sometimes the stories were just an absolute shame fest where my mind was just berating me for being so unmindful and reactive. I wonder if you can relate to ever having a sticky story like this, that just keeps going around and, and around in your mind. It's really easy to get swept away by these kinds of unhelpful stories in the mind.
Like a good TV show, we just become completely engrossed in this inner narrative and therefore we kind of get pulled into all the inner turmoil and turbulence and negativity that they can whip up. But with awareness, we can gently let go of the story and bring ourselves back to the peace and stability of the present moment. One really great way to do that is to give your sticky story a name. Like for me, I named my sticky story that you should've-would've-could've story. So I would say to myself mentally, ah, here's the should've-would've-could've story again.
My friend who worries all the time about her partner leaving her, calls her story, the he won't stay story. So if she catches herself thinking that story, she says, ah, here's the he won't stay story again. I see you story. So if your mind tells you you're not good enough. You could say to yourself, Oh, here's the not good enough story again.
Or if your mind worries a lot, you could say, ah, here's the what if story again? So you might like to have some fun with this and give you a sticky story, a kind of humorous or playful name. Have some fun with this because by naming your story in this way, you're dis identifying from it and you take the power out of it so that it no longer triggers you. It no longer pulls you around so much. So this is something that we can use both in our meditation practice and as we're going about daily life. So this is my invitation for you today and ongoing ,to see if you can name your sticky stories and then let them go.
Because by learning to let go of those storylines you'll experience a sense of freedom, lightness and ease, not only in your mind, but also in your relationships and your whole life. So thank you for doing this inner work and for being here with us. And now let's continue this practice of naming and unhooking from our stories in today's meditation.
Name the Story, Let It Go
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'd like to talk about the challenge of letting go of our sticky mental stories. So during a meditation one morning recently, I had this familiar experience where I lost my focus on my breathing and I got caught up in thinking. And it was the same story that had been going through my mind for weeks and weeks and weeks. I'd had a difficult situation in my life where I didn't handle a particular conversation as well as I would've liked to.
And so my mind just kept going back to this situation and replaying all the things I wish I had done better, said better. You know, everything I should have done more skillfully. And sometimes the stories were just an absolute shame fest where my mind was just berating me for being so unmindful and reactive. I wonder if you can relate to ever having a sticky story like this, that just keeps going around and, and around in your mind. It's really easy to get swept away by these kinds of unhelpful stories in the mind.
Like a good TV show, we just become completely engrossed in this inner narrative and therefore we kind of get pulled into all the inner turmoil and turbulence and negativity that they can whip up. But with awareness, we can gently let go of the story and bring ourselves back to the peace and stability of the present moment. One really great way to do that is to give your sticky story a name. Like for me, I named my sticky story that you should've-would've-could've story. So I would say to myself mentally, ah, here's the should've-would've-could've story again.
My friend who worries all the time about her partner leaving her, calls her story, the he won't stay story. So if she catches herself thinking that story, she says, ah, here's the he won't stay story again. I see you story. So if your mind tells you you're not good enough. You could say to yourself, Oh, here's the not good enough story again.
Or if your mind worries a lot, you could say, ah, here's the what if story again? So you might like to have some fun with this and give you a sticky story, a kind of humorous or playful name. Have some fun with this because by naming your story in this way, you're dis identifying from it and you take the power out of it so that it no longer triggers you. It no longer pulls you around so much. So this is something that we can use both in our meditation practice and as we're going about daily life. So this is my invitation for you today and ongoing ,to see if you can name your sticky stories and then let them go.
Because by learning to let go of those storylines you'll experience a sense of freedom, lightness and ease, not only in your mind, but also in your relationships and your whole life. So thank you for doing this inner work and for being here with us. And now let's continue this practice of naming and unhooking from our stories in 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.
- Babs312
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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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