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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, I want to talk about authenticity. A statement I want to first offer you is we want to be careful not to mistake being authentic with being who we've always been. Do not mistake being authentic for being who you've always been. Authenticity is a tough one because what is it actually asking of us to be authentic to what aspect of our experience.
If we're feeling maybe weak in a moment. It's like, I can't do this and the narrative moving through our mind that's saying like, I'm no good. Should we be authentic to that? And then go, yeah, I am no good. And, you know, get caught up in our own self pity. Right.
Yeah. I guess you could make an argument if for that, if being authentic means just meeting whatever is arising in the moment. However, I think there are different layers to what is arising in the moment that we really want to pay attention to on the journey of being authentic. There's a difference between being authentic to your past self and being authentic to the person you're inspired to become. And a lot of times the experience that is arising is an experience related to a past pattern of condition, conditioning, a past way of relating to a certain experience that actually feels outdated.
And when that arises, we also have this other voice that kind of knows that that is an old pattern. And that feels like, you know what, actually, I want to try something different. Well, to follow that voice, that's saying, I want to try something different is not overriding your present moment experience. Like some could argue that, right? That the, the pain or the reality of what's arising right now is saying like, I should just not try or whatever the pattern might be. But then there's this other voice that's saying, wait, I can try.
Like, which one do we follow? Well, if we are inspired to be authentic to the person where excited to grow into, then we're going to follow that new voice rather than that older pattern of self. And that is a form of authenticity. You're being authentic to what feels most alive in you right now in terms of how you want to relate to the other experiences that are there. Sometimes we do want to be authentic to that older self or experiences were going through related to that older self of just like feeling sad and I just want to be in my sadness. I want to be in my self pity.
Right. There's a difference between sadness and self-pity. We can be sad and that's just an organic expression of our humanness in relationship to what's arising. But then we could go through patterns of like, woe is me. And sometimes right, we can do that consciously.
It's like, I'm going to give myself a period of time to consciously go into this and just let myself feel really bad for myself. Sometimes working through that pattern can be an important way of releasing it. But we can let that be inspired in the moment of like, does that feel really important to me? Does that feel like the authentic response to this moment? And if yes, then we follow through with it. If, no, if we're more inspired by something different, a new way of being, then responding to that is what authenticity looks like in that moment. So again, key take away here is that we don't want to mistake being authentic for being who we've always been.
And there's a big difference between being authentic to your past self and being authentic to the person that you're inspired to become. So see if you can bring this into your day as you're exploring, like what does it look like to be me, authentically me, which is something we're all navigating. And it's a big journey and I'm wishing you well on it. Thank you for your practice. Let's settle in for today's meditation.
What Authenticity is NOT
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, I want to talk about authenticity. A statement I want to first offer you is we want to be careful not to mistake being authentic with being who we've always been. Do not mistake being authentic for being who you've always been. Authenticity is a tough one because what is it actually asking of us to be authentic to what aspect of our experience.
If we're feeling maybe weak in a moment. It's like, I can't do this and the narrative moving through our mind that's saying like, I'm no good. Should we be authentic to that? And then go, yeah, I am no good. And, you know, get caught up in our own self pity. Right.
Yeah. I guess you could make an argument if for that, if being authentic means just meeting whatever is arising in the moment. However, I think there are different layers to what is arising in the moment that we really want to pay attention to on the journey of being authentic. There's a difference between being authentic to your past self and being authentic to the person you're inspired to become. And a lot of times the experience that is arising is an experience related to a past pattern of condition, conditioning, a past way of relating to a certain experience that actually feels outdated.
And when that arises, we also have this other voice that kind of knows that that is an old pattern. And that feels like, you know what, actually, I want to try something different. Well, to follow that voice, that's saying, I want to try something different is not overriding your present moment experience. Like some could argue that, right? That the, the pain or the reality of what's arising right now is saying like, I should just not try or whatever the pattern might be. But then there's this other voice that's saying, wait, I can try.
Like, which one do we follow? Well, if we are inspired to be authentic to the person where excited to grow into, then we're going to follow that new voice rather than that older pattern of self. And that is a form of authenticity. You're being authentic to what feels most alive in you right now in terms of how you want to relate to the other experiences that are there. Sometimes we do want to be authentic to that older self or experiences were going through related to that older self of just like feeling sad and I just want to be in my sadness. I want to be in my self pity.
Right. There's a difference between sadness and self-pity. We can be sad and that's just an organic expression of our humanness in relationship to what's arising. But then we could go through patterns of like, woe is me. And sometimes right, we can do that consciously.
It's like, I'm going to give myself a period of time to consciously go into this and just let myself feel really bad for myself. Sometimes working through that pattern can be an important way of releasing it. But we can let that be inspired in the moment of like, does that feel really important to me? Does that feel like the authentic response to this moment? And if yes, then we follow through with it. If, no, if we're more inspired by something different, a new way of being, then responding to that is what authenticity looks like in that moment. So again, key take away here is that we don't want to mistake being authentic for being who we've always been.
And there's a big difference between being authentic to your past self and being authentic to the person that you're inspired to become. So see if you can bring this into your day as you're exploring, like what does it look like to be me, authentically me, which is something we're all navigating. And it's a big journey and I'm wishing you well on it. Thank you for your practice. Let's settle in for 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.
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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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