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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 how we can work with eco anxiety. So we are currently living through a time of upheaval, uncertainty, and looming challenges. So really understandably many of us are feeling, you know, ongoing feelings of fear and anxiety. In a situation like this, it's really easy to get caught up in unhelpful thinking habits, like becoming consumed with rumination and worry about the future, or, you know, we might try distracting ourselves in an attempt to escape things or numb ourselves through addictions.
We may even fall into a sense of helplessness or even depression because it's so overwhelming. Is there another way? Is it possible to face what's happening around us without getting swept away by fear overwhelm or hopelessness? I believe that it is possible. And in order to do so, we need mindfulness, self-compassion, and the ability to focus on what we can control. Firstly, we need mindfulness because it offers us a refuge, a stable and safe inner place amongst the storms of life. When we anchor ourselves in presence, in this place of inner strength and stability, we find that we're more able to hold and bear what once felt unbearable.
We learn to gently face things as they are and work with them more skillfully. Second, we need self-compassion so that we can meet our difficult emotions. You know, in difficult times, we don't want to pretend that we're not feeling difficult emotions. We don't want to try and escape them or struggle with them too much. Instead, just being able to acknowledge your feelings and give yourself compassion for what you're going through, is a really important skill.
And three is to focus on what you can control. So in times of challenge or crisis, a certain amount of fear and stress is really inevitable and natural. But we often cause ourselves a lot of excess suffering by continuously worrying about all kinds of things that are not really in our control. You know, for example, you cannot control what other people are doing. You cannot control how certain natural disasters might be unfolding around the world or how the whole political landscape is unfolding.
And in fact, the research shows that the more you focus on things that you cannot control, the more overwhelmed and disempowered and frantic you're likely to feel. So one of the most important things you can do when facing a challenge is to focus on what you can control and accept for now, the rest really simply is as it is. What you can control is your behavior. And our research shows that focusing on what you can control and taking action guided by your values, shifts you from a state of helplessness to one of hopefulness and empowerment. So your values, you know, that are going to guide your actions might be things like kindness, courage, playfulness, determination.
Whatever your values are, connect with them, let them guide your actions. Perhaps just starting by considering what's one small thing that I can do today to make things better. So in a time when you might've otherwise felt paralyzed, depressed, or overwhelmed, taking action restores calm, resilience, and agency. So may you connect with the presence, compassion, and strength that you have inside of you as you navigate these challenging times. Thank you for your practice and your presence here.
Let's settle in for today's meditation.
Three Ways to Work With Eco-Anxiety
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 how we can work with eco anxiety. So we are currently living through a time of upheaval, uncertainty, and looming challenges. So really understandably many of us are feeling, you know, ongoing feelings of fear and anxiety. In a situation like this, it's really easy to get caught up in unhelpful thinking habits, like becoming consumed with rumination and worry about the future, or, you know, we might try distracting ourselves in an attempt to escape things or numb ourselves through addictions.
We may even fall into a sense of helplessness or even depression because it's so overwhelming. Is there another way? Is it possible to face what's happening around us without getting swept away by fear overwhelm or hopelessness? I believe that it is possible. And in order to do so, we need mindfulness, self-compassion, and the ability to focus on what we can control. Firstly, we need mindfulness because it offers us a refuge, a stable and safe inner place amongst the storms of life. When we anchor ourselves in presence, in this place of inner strength and stability, we find that we're more able to hold and bear what once felt unbearable.
We learn to gently face things as they are and work with them more skillfully. Second, we need self-compassion so that we can meet our difficult emotions. You know, in difficult times, we don't want to pretend that we're not feeling difficult emotions. We don't want to try and escape them or struggle with them too much. Instead, just being able to acknowledge your feelings and give yourself compassion for what you're going through, is a really important skill.
And three is to focus on what you can control. So in times of challenge or crisis, a certain amount of fear and stress is really inevitable and natural. But we often cause ourselves a lot of excess suffering by continuously worrying about all kinds of things that are not really in our control. You know, for example, you cannot control what other people are doing. You cannot control how certain natural disasters might be unfolding around the world or how the whole political landscape is unfolding.
And in fact, the research shows that the more you focus on things that you cannot control, the more overwhelmed and disempowered and frantic you're likely to feel. So one of the most important things you can do when facing a challenge is to focus on what you can control and accept for now, the rest really simply is as it is. What you can control is your behavior. And our research shows that focusing on what you can control and taking action guided by your values, shifts you from a state of helplessness to one of hopefulness and empowerment. So your values, you know, that are going to guide your actions might be things like kindness, courage, playfulness, determination.
Whatever your values are, connect with them, let them guide your actions. Perhaps just starting by considering what's one small thing that I can do today to make things better. So in a time when you might've otherwise felt paralyzed, depressed, or overwhelmed, taking action restores calm, resilience, and agency. So may you connect with the presence, compassion, and strength that you have inside of you as you navigate these challenging times. Thank you for your practice and your presence here.
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.
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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.
- 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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