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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 practice letting go as a way to cultivate more ease, lightness, and happiness.
Let's start by finding a comfortable posture. This could be sitting down, lying down or standing. If it feels okay to do so, you can close your eyes. And we'll take one deep breath together to settle in. Breathing in through the nose.
And out through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to soften. Letting the shoulders be at ease. As well as the hands and the belly. You can even do a quick mental sweep of your body, noticing any tension that might be there breathing into it, and then relaxing it on an exhale.
As the body starts to relax, the breath can settle into its natural rhythm. We'll take a few moments to anchor our attention in the present moment by tuning into the breath. You can place one hand on your belly if it's helpful. And all we're doing is practicing bringing our full presence to the sensations of breathing. As the mind wanders, we gently bring it back to this breath, in this moment.
Don't worry about doing it right. As long as you're bringing presence and awareness to the experience, you're practicing meditation. One thing we do want to try to do is catch our mind as quickly as possible when it wanders off into thoughts, ideas, and judgment. As soon as we notice that, just a gentle returning back to the breath, not forceful. Not beating ourselves up for it.
Just, Oh, there goes the mind, and now we bring it back. As much ease in knowing that the mind has wandered as there is in being with the breath. And the theme of this meditation has to do with surrender. Very often in life, our egos want to control things. We work very hard to manufacture our moments to be exactly as we want them to be as a form of cultivating safety, perceived safety.
But the reality is we don't have as much control as we think. And there's a lot of ease that can come from just surrendering to the flow of this moment. So see what it's like to bring that quality of awareness and to being with the breath. Completely letting go of having to be perfect. Perhaps even letting go of the idea that your meditating.
And instead, what if just awareness was meditating, it was just happening. And you surrendered to this vast awareness that just knows what is happening. Don't worry about trying to do anything. Just sit back and let the breath come to you. Completely surrendering to the process.
Before we close, let's take one more deep breath together. In through the nose. And out through the mouth. When you're ready, you can invite your eyes to open again. Great job.
As you go about your day, see what it's like to bring this quality of surrender into your moments. It doesn't mean you don't try to get things done, but there's a spaciousness around what you're doing. And there's a sense of the doing coming out of just being. I'll let you explore what that means for you. As always, thank you for your practice.
And until we talk again, take care.
The Moment Before Release
In this meditation, we'll practice letting go as a way to cultivate more ease, lightness, and happiness.
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Let's start by finding a comfortable posture. This could be sitting down, lying down or standing. If it feels okay to do so, you can close your eyes. And we'll take one deep breath together to settle in. Breathing in through the nose.
And out through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to soften. Letting the shoulders be at ease. As well as the hands and the belly. You can even do a quick mental sweep of your body, noticing any tension that might be there breathing into it, and then relaxing it on an exhale.
As the body starts to relax, the breath can settle into its natural rhythm. We'll take a few moments to anchor our attention in the present moment by tuning into the breath. You can place one hand on your belly if it's helpful. And all we're doing is practicing bringing our full presence to the sensations of breathing. As the mind wanders, we gently bring it back to this breath, in this moment.
Don't worry about doing it right. As long as you're bringing presence and awareness to the experience, you're practicing meditation. One thing we do want to try to do is catch our mind as quickly as possible when it wanders off into thoughts, ideas, and judgment. As soon as we notice that, just a gentle returning back to the breath, not forceful. Not beating ourselves up for it.
Just, Oh, there goes the mind, and now we bring it back. As much ease in knowing that the mind has wandered as there is in being with the breath. And the theme of this meditation has to do with surrender. Very often in life, our egos want to control things. We work very hard to manufacture our moments to be exactly as we want them to be as a form of cultivating safety, perceived safety.
But the reality is we don't have as much control as we think. And there's a lot of ease that can come from just surrendering to the flow of this moment. So see what it's like to bring that quality of awareness and to being with the breath. Completely letting go of having to be perfect. Perhaps even letting go of the idea that your meditating.
And instead, what if just awareness was meditating, it was just happening. And you surrendered to this vast awareness that just knows what is happening. Don't worry about trying to do anything. Just sit back and let the breath come to you. Completely surrendering to the process.
Before we close, let's take one more deep breath together. In through the nose. And out through the mouth. When you're ready, you can invite your eyes to open again. Great job.
As you go about your day, see what it's like to bring this quality of surrender into your moments. It doesn't mean you don't try to get things done, but there's a spaciousness around what you're doing. And there's a sense of the doing coming out of just being. I'll let you explore what that means for you. As always, thank you for your practice.
And until we talk again, take care.
Duration
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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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