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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'm going to talk about the nature effect. So we all know the effect that nature can have on our mood. But over the last decade, many studies have actually shown that spending time in natural environments lowers stress, improves mood and boosts mental health. But getting to a forest or a beach, of course isn't always possible.
But the good news is, is that you don't need to travel far to get a fix of the healing power of nature. Even if you find yourself in the heart of a city, all you have to do is take some time to notice, to pay attention to the natural world around you. So for instance, you can look up at the sky and watch the clouds streak across in their ever changing, shape shifting patterns. You can watch a sunset or a sunrise. You can listen to the song of morning birds or the sound of the breeze in a tree.
And if possible, you could take some time to walk in a park or just sit somewhere and enjoy the warmth of the sun, the beauty of the snow or the flowers in spring, depending on the season. And these simple, active awareness of nature have a very uplifting, restorative and healing power. It quiets the mind, soothes the nervous system and reconnects us to presence and calm. One really interesting study points to the power of this nature effect. Robert Taylor Homes was a public housing project in Chicago, situated between roads and railway tracks, totally isolated from nature.
It was a place where violent crime and drugs were a problem. They were rampant. And the buildings were really barren, paved with concrete. And in the late 1990s, the University of Illinois conducted studies with the Robert Taylor Homes project to examine the impact of physical environments on wellbeing. The researchers looked at the effects that trees had on people's lives and found that just a few trees and some grass around an apartment was enough to significantly improve the resident's mental health and cognitive functioning.
They found, in fact, the greener a building surroundings were, the lower the crime rate. This research ultimately led to Chicago City government spending $10 million on planting 20,000 trees throughout the city. My invitation for today and ongoing is, whether you're surrounded by city or Cypress trees, turn your attention to the beauty of the natural world every now and then, and let it restore you, centre you and heal you. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "It's not so much for its beauty that the forest makes its claim upon men's hearts as for that subtle something, that quality of air and emanation from old trees that so wonderfully recharges a weary spirit." As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
The Nature Effect
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 the nature effect. So we all know the effect that nature can have on our mood. But over the last decade, many studies have actually shown that spending time in natural environments lowers stress, improves mood and boosts mental health. But getting to a forest or a beach, of course isn't always possible.
But the good news is, is that you don't need to travel far to get a fix of the healing power of nature. Even if you find yourself in the heart of a city, all you have to do is take some time to notice, to pay attention to the natural world around you. So for instance, you can look up at the sky and watch the clouds streak across in their ever changing, shape shifting patterns. You can watch a sunset or a sunrise. You can listen to the song of morning birds or the sound of the breeze in a tree.
And if possible, you could take some time to walk in a park or just sit somewhere and enjoy the warmth of the sun, the beauty of the snow or the flowers in spring, depending on the season. And these simple, active awareness of nature have a very uplifting, restorative and healing power. It quiets the mind, soothes the nervous system and reconnects us to presence and calm. One really interesting study points to the power of this nature effect. Robert Taylor Homes was a public housing project in Chicago, situated between roads and railway tracks, totally isolated from nature.
It was a place where violent crime and drugs were a problem. They were rampant. And the buildings were really barren, paved with concrete. And in the late 1990s, the University of Illinois conducted studies with the Robert Taylor Homes project to examine the impact of physical environments on wellbeing. The researchers looked at the effects that trees had on people's lives and found that just a few trees and some grass around an apartment was enough to significantly improve the resident's mental health and cognitive functioning.
They found, in fact, the greener a building surroundings were, the lower the crime rate. This research ultimately led to Chicago City government spending $10 million on planting 20,000 trees throughout the city. My invitation for today and ongoing is, whether you're surrounded by city or Cypress trees, turn your attention to the beauty of the natural world every now and then, and let it restore you, centre you and heal you. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "It's not so much for its beauty that the forest makes its claim upon men's hearts as for that subtle something, that quality of air and emanation from old trees that so wonderfully recharges a weary spirit." 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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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
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.
- 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
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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