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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 relationship between thoughts and behavior. Now, a lot of people think that thoughts drive behavior. We have a thought and then it activates us to do something. However, it's not that simple.
Thoughts don't actually drive behavior. Thoughts trigger feelings in the body that then drive behavior. And because of that, you can not live an intentional life without being attuned to what's happening in your body. That makes me think of that quote that's often attributed to Viktor Frankl. " Between stimulus and response there's a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response. And then in our response lies our growth, our freedom and our happiness." Well, the actual stimulus that is going to create some sort of behavior is not the thought itself. It's going to be the thought that triggers a certain emotion. And so, we need to be able to feel what is arising in our bodies, the anger that is coming up in our chest in this moment. And that that anger is causing us to feel like, oh, I'm, I'm jumping out of my skin.
I need to say something. Have you had that experience before? It's like, I got to get this out. And so it's that feeling that then causes us to say something that maybe an hour later we realized, oh, I shouldn't have said that. It's not the thought, I'm angry at this person. It's the thought that then triggers the emotion and it's that fire and that heat in our body that then triggers some sort of response or some sort of behavior.
So as you consider what it looks like to live your life more mindfully, and especially in the context of making behavior change and learning to inhabit that space between stimulus and response, really see if you can pay attention to what is arising in your body moment to moment, and see if you can feel how it makes you want to react in a certain way. The way to work with that is just start with awareness and then take a deep breath. Feel the tension. Feel the urge. Feel that volition moving through you.
Take a deep breath. And ask yourself, how do I really want to respond in this moment? And often that can be enough to allow you to respond at least a little more intentionally rather than reactively. So the key takeaway here: thoughts don't drive behavior, thoughts trigger feelings in the body that drive behavior. And we can not live an intentional life without being attuned to what's arising in our body. Thank you for your practice.
Let's settle in for today's meditation.
Thoughts Don't Drive Behavior
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 relationship between thoughts and behavior. Now, a lot of people think that thoughts drive behavior. We have a thought and then it activates us to do something. However, it's not that simple.
Thoughts don't actually drive behavior. Thoughts trigger feelings in the body that then drive behavior. And because of that, you can not live an intentional life without being attuned to what's happening in your body. That makes me think of that quote that's often attributed to Viktor Frankl. " Between stimulus and response there's a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response. And then in our response lies our growth, our freedom and our happiness." Well, the actual stimulus that is going to create some sort of behavior is not the thought itself. It's going to be the thought that triggers a certain emotion. And so, we need to be able to feel what is arising in our bodies, the anger that is coming up in our chest in this moment. And that that anger is causing us to feel like, oh, I'm, I'm jumping out of my skin.
I need to say something. Have you had that experience before? It's like, I got to get this out. And so it's that feeling that then causes us to say something that maybe an hour later we realized, oh, I shouldn't have said that. It's not the thought, I'm angry at this person. It's the thought that then triggers the emotion and it's that fire and that heat in our body that then triggers some sort of response or some sort of behavior.
So as you consider what it looks like to live your life more mindfully, and especially in the context of making behavior change and learning to inhabit that space between stimulus and response, really see if you can pay attention to what is arising in your body moment to moment, and see if you can feel how it makes you want to react in a certain way. The way to work with that is just start with awareness and then take a deep breath. Feel the tension. Feel the urge. Feel that volition moving through you.
Take a deep breath. And ask yourself, how do I really want to respond in this moment? And often that can be enough to allow you to respond at least a little more intentionally rather than reactively. So the key takeaway here: thoughts don't drive behavior, thoughts trigger feelings in the body that drive behavior. And we can not live an intentional life without being attuned to what's arising in our body. Thank you for your practice.
Let's settle in for today's meditation.
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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.
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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.
- 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
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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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