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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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In this meditation, we'll explore a powerful cognitive hack to step out of our mental chaos and into presence.
Let's start by settling into a comfortable posture. This could be sitting down, lying down or standing. And if it feels comfortable for you, you can invite your eyes to close. We'll, take a deep breath together. Breathing in through the nose.
And slowly out through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to relax. Allow the shoulders to be at ease. And invite the belly to soften. We're really just letting go of any tension that might be in the body.
As the body starts to relax, the breath can fall back into its normal rhythm. We'll take a few moments just to anchor our attention at the breath as a way to stabilize our concentration and rein in some of those thoughts that may be pulling us in a lot of different directions. In today's meditation where talking about shifting our what if to what is. We're all familiar with the tension that can be created from the what if minds? What if this happens? What if that happens? What if it doesn't go well? What if they don't like me? What if, what if, what if. We need to balance that with what is.
Connecting to what is actually here right now rather than just what my mind thinks might happen. And the best way to do this is to drop into our sensory experience because there's no story in our senses, that comes from thoughts. So we'll move through the five senses, just being with what is here at this sense. Starting with the sense of sight. You might have visual images in your mind.
But the actual experience of seeing with your eyes closed right now, what's that like? Chances are, it's just darkness. You're welcome to open your eyes for a moment, if you'd like. Noticing what is it like to see? We might have stories and labels about what we're seeing. Really it's just shape and color and it comes together in a particular formation. So can we just observe seeing.
And close your eyes again. Now let's do that with hearing. What do you hear? What about smelling? Is there anything you can smell in this moment, even if it's subtle? What's the smell of the space you're in? And taste. Is there any taste right now? Maybe lingering taste on your tongue from a previous meal. And then lastly, for now, what is it that you feel? What sensations are in your body? Is it your seat against the chair? The back against the couch? Do you feel air against your skin? When we drop into our senses in this way, we're shifting from what if to what is.
It takes us out of the story of our mind and into the most immediate, direct, fundamental layer of our present moment experience. So let's take one more deep breath together. In through the nose. And out through the mouth. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes again.
Great job. As you go about your day today, see if you can practice shifting your what if to what is. I think you'll be happy with what you see and how helpful it can be for taking us out of the stress of the moment. As always, thank you so much for your practice. And until we talk again, take care.
Shift “What if” to “What is”
In this meditation, we'll explore a powerful cognitive hack to step out of our mental chaos and into presence.
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Let's start by settling into a comfortable posture. This could be sitting down, lying down or standing. And if it feels comfortable for you, you can invite your eyes to close. We'll, take a deep breath together. Breathing in through the nose.
And slowly out through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to relax. Allow the shoulders to be at ease. And invite the belly to soften. We're really just letting go of any tension that might be in the body.
As the body starts to relax, the breath can fall back into its normal rhythm. We'll take a few moments just to anchor our attention at the breath as a way to stabilize our concentration and rein in some of those thoughts that may be pulling us in a lot of different directions. In today's meditation where talking about shifting our what if to what is. We're all familiar with the tension that can be created from the what if minds? What if this happens? What if that happens? What if it doesn't go well? What if they don't like me? What if, what if, what if. We need to balance that with what is.
Connecting to what is actually here right now rather than just what my mind thinks might happen. And the best way to do this is to drop into our sensory experience because there's no story in our senses, that comes from thoughts. So we'll move through the five senses, just being with what is here at this sense. Starting with the sense of sight. You might have visual images in your mind.
But the actual experience of seeing with your eyes closed right now, what's that like? Chances are, it's just darkness. You're welcome to open your eyes for a moment, if you'd like. Noticing what is it like to see? We might have stories and labels about what we're seeing. Really it's just shape and color and it comes together in a particular formation. So can we just observe seeing.
And close your eyes again. Now let's do that with hearing. What do you hear? What about smelling? Is there anything you can smell in this moment, even if it's subtle? What's the smell of the space you're in? And taste. Is there any taste right now? Maybe lingering taste on your tongue from a previous meal. And then lastly, for now, what is it that you feel? What sensations are in your body? Is it your seat against the chair? The back against the couch? Do you feel air against your skin? When we drop into our senses in this way, we're shifting from what if to what is.
It takes us out of the story of our mind and into the most immediate, direct, fundamental layer of our present moment experience. So let's take one more deep breath together. In through the nose. And out through the mouth. And when you're ready, you can open your eyes again.
Great job. As you go about your day today, see if you can practice shifting your what if to what is. I think you'll be happy with what you see and how helpful it can be for taking us out of the stress of the moment. As always, thank you so much for your practice. And until we talk again, take care.
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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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Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
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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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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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