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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, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about transcending the craving mind. So this human mind that we have is always wanting more and it tends to get caught up in believing that if we can just acquire this next thing, then we'll have it all together and we'll finally be happy. Maybe you've noticed this tendency inside of yourself. And maybe you've also noticed that this cycle never stops, right? Once you get what you thought would make you happy, the mind just starts wanting the next thing, and you're never satisfied for too long.
So in order to find a more fulfilling and meaningful way to live, you really need to find a way to transcend the constant cycles of craving. And the first step to doing that is just understanding the craving mind. So the reason our mind is always wanting more, has to do with evolution. In the last 200,000 years of human evolution, our ancestors who lived mostly as hunter-gatherers. Their life was really difficult and dangerous and resources were scarce.
So they needed every survival advantage that they could possibly get. So the mind would always be saying, you need more food, you need better weapons, more water, better shelter, better clothing. More, more, more. So back then, this was a really advantageous way to think for survival. But these days we live in a really different world, but the mind that we inherited still operates in much the same way as it was in the caveman days.
It's still telling us that we need more. And no matter how much we ever get, it never seems like enough. So if we can think about the craving pattern in the mind as being like a little bit of an outdated piece of software, that's still running inside you, then we can understand that the mind's just operating as it was, just as a survival machine. I think this is something we need to understand because it can really get us caught up. When we think that our comforts and luxuries and pledges are sometimes, or somehow rather going to add up to long term happiness.
It's just not a reality. It's not the way that the mind works. So in order to make room for lasting fulfillment in our lives, we really need to relate to the craving mind in a new way. You need to learn how to recognize craving thoughts and feelings when they arise. And just see them as part of the conditioning of the mind, rather than something we have to act upon.
Then once we can do that, we can find a true sense of inner freedom. It's not that we need to get rid of our cravings. They're probably always going to arise, but if we can just recognize them for what they are and not buy into them, then that's the way that we can transcend the craving mind and find contentment in our lives. So as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
Transcending the Craving Mind
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 transcending the craving mind. So this human mind that we have is always wanting more and it tends to get caught up in believing that if we can just acquire this next thing, then we'll have it all together and we'll finally be happy. Maybe you've noticed this tendency inside of yourself. And maybe you've also noticed that this cycle never stops, right? Once you get what you thought would make you happy, the mind just starts wanting the next thing, and you're never satisfied for too long.
So in order to find a more fulfilling and meaningful way to live, you really need to find a way to transcend the constant cycles of craving. And the first step to doing that is just understanding the craving mind. So the reason our mind is always wanting more, has to do with evolution. In the last 200,000 years of human evolution, our ancestors who lived mostly as hunter-gatherers. Their life was really difficult and dangerous and resources were scarce.
So they needed every survival advantage that they could possibly get. So the mind would always be saying, you need more food, you need better weapons, more water, better shelter, better clothing. More, more, more. So back then, this was a really advantageous way to think for survival. But these days we live in a really different world, but the mind that we inherited still operates in much the same way as it was in the caveman days.
It's still telling us that we need more. And no matter how much we ever get, it never seems like enough. So if we can think about the craving pattern in the mind as being like a little bit of an outdated piece of software, that's still running inside you, then we can understand that the mind's just operating as it was, just as a survival machine. I think this is something we need to understand because it can really get us caught up. When we think that our comforts and luxuries and pledges are sometimes, or somehow rather going to add up to long term happiness.
It's just not a reality. It's not the way that the mind works. So in order to make room for lasting fulfillment in our lives, we really need to relate to the craving mind in a new way. You need to learn how to recognize craving thoughts and feelings when they arise. And just see them as part of the conditioning of the mind, rather than something we have to act upon.
Then once we can do that, we can find a true sense of inner freedom. It's not that we need to get rid of our cravings. They're probably always going to arise, but if we can just recognize them for what they are and not buy into them, then that's the way that we can transcend the craving mind and find contentment in our lives. So 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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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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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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