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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 how self-compassion eases anxiety and stress, soothes our nervous system and calms our minds.
So just starting this practice by settling into your meditation posture. And when you're ready, just allowing your eyes to lightly close, if that feels okay for you. And as a way of arriving and settling in here a little more fully, just inviting you now to take three deep, slow, full breaths. So breathing in, filling the lungs with air. And exhaling, feeling all the muscles of the chest and the lungs gently relax and contract.
Again, inhaling. Exhale, allowing yourself to soften and settle into gravity a little more. And again, inhale. And out. Really arriving in the here and now and letting everything else go.
And now, as you relax any control of the breath, just bringing to mind now something that maybe is happening in your life that makes you feel a little stressed or anxious. Maybe something that you're worried about. Or something you don't want to be happening. What does it feel like to bring these to mind? Does your mind start getting really busy resisting, struggling, looking for a way out of the situation? If so, see, if you can now let go of the urge to think about it or try and solve it. And instead, just allow yourself to simply feel what you're feeling.
Why do you feel the sensations of that emotion in your body, in this moment? Can you locate that feeling in your body? And if you're able to do so, see if you can just be with the feeling, exploring it, being curious about it. Exploring the sensations of the pain or discomfort with a kindly curiosity. What are they actually like? Is there pulsing or dullness? Are they constant, or do they change? Is there a shape to them? And whatever's here, see if you can allow it to simply be. So making room for it and meeting it with a kindly awareness. You might even find it helpful to imagine you could breathe a kindly awareness into an out from your pain or discomfort.
So bringing the kind of attitude towards your pain or discomfort that you might have towards a loved one who is hurting. Can you have the same attitude towards yourself in the midst of a difficult situation? So bringing compassion and kindness to yourself and your pain. So just remaining in tune with the sensations as best you can. And if they change or dissolve, just come back to following the breath. And as this practice begins to draw to a close, just taking another deep breath in.
And as you breathe out, gently wriggle the fingers and the toes. And just take a moment to notice how you feel after this meditation. And when you're ready, opening the eyes. So don't worry if you found this practice a bit tricky. Remember, you're learning new skills and sometimes that takes time.
But why not set an intention right now that, you know, if you experience something difficult or unpleasant today, perhaps you could take a pause and bring your awareness to what you're feeling in the body. And gently embrace those feelings with a compassionate awareness, just like you'd embrace a loved one who was hurting. So go gently with yourself today, hey.
The Power of Self-Compassion
In this meditation we’ll explore how self-compassion eases anxiety and stress, soothes our nervous system and calms our minds.
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
So just starting this practice by settling into your meditation posture. And when you're ready, just allowing your eyes to lightly close, if that feels okay for you. And as a way of arriving and settling in here a little more fully, just inviting you now to take three deep, slow, full breaths. So breathing in, filling the lungs with air. And exhaling, feeling all the muscles of the chest and the lungs gently relax and contract.
Again, inhaling. Exhale, allowing yourself to soften and settle into gravity a little more. And again, inhale. And out. Really arriving in the here and now and letting everything else go.
And now, as you relax any control of the breath, just bringing to mind now something that maybe is happening in your life that makes you feel a little stressed or anxious. Maybe something that you're worried about. Or something you don't want to be happening. What does it feel like to bring these to mind? Does your mind start getting really busy resisting, struggling, looking for a way out of the situation? If so, see, if you can now let go of the urge to think about it or try and solve it. And instead, just allow yourself to simply feel what you're feeling.
Why do you feel the sensations of that emotion in your body, in this moment? Can you locate that feeling in your body? And if you're able to do so, see if you can just be with the feeling, exploring it, being curious about it. Exploring the sensations of the pain or discomfort with a kindly curiosity. What are they actually like? Is there pulsing or dullness? Are they constant, or do they change? Is there a shape to them? And whatever's here, see if you can allow it to simply be. So making room for it and meeting it with a kindly awareness. You might even find it helpful to imagine you could breathe a kindly awareness into an out from your pain or discomfort.
So bringing the kind of attitude towards your pain or discomfort that you might have towards a loved one who is hurting. Can you have the same attitude towards yourself in the midst of a difficult situation? So bringing compassion and kindness to yourself and your pain. So just remaining in tune with the sensations as best you can. And if they change or dissolve, just come back to following the breath. And as this practice begins to draw to a close, just taking another deep breath in.
And as you breathe out, gently wriggle the fingers and the toes. And just take a moment to notice how you feel after this meditation. And when you're ready, opening the eyes. So don't worry if you found this practice a bit tricky. Remember, you're learning new skills and sometimes that takes time.
But why not set an intention right now that, you know, if you experience something difficult or unpleasant today, perhaps you could take a pause and bring your awareness to what you're feeling in the body. And gently embrace those feelings with a compassionate awareness, just like you'd embrace a loved one who was hurting. So go gently with yourself today, hey.
Duration
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Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
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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.
- 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
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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