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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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A simple and universal practice for developing embodied awareness. You can do this walking meditation no matter where you are.
Before you begin your meditation, just finding a space to walk. It could be outdoors, or it could be inside, perhaps in a hallway or a room, where you could do this practice by walking back and forth. And this meditation could be done as a formal practice. Formal meaning that there's a specific time taken out of your day for this meditation, in the same way you might do with a sitting meditation. Or it might be an informal practice, just bringing mindfulness to your walking as you travel from one place to another.
Just beginning now by taking a pause is before you begin and gathering your awareness into your physical body. So perhaps just noticing the touch of clothing against your skin. The cool touch of air on exposed parts of the skin. Feeling the sensation of your feet in contact with the ground. And then draw the focus to the breath.
And taking one deep, slow, full breath in. And exhaling. Keeping your eyes open, and bringing awareness again to the sensations of the soles of the feet in contact with the ground. And beginning now to walk at a natural pace, or if possible, just slightly slower than your normal pace. And with each step now, paying attention to the sensations on the soles of the feet as each foot touches the ground.
It doesn't matter whether or not you're wearing shoes. Just keep noticing the feelings and sensations in the feet as each foot meets the ground. Noticing the changes in pressure, texture and sensation, one foot after the other. And you'll need to obviously just keep enough awareness of the world around you so that you're aware of where you're going and staying safe. But the main focus of attention is feeling the soles of the feet as you continue to walk.
If you're in a small space, you can practice by walking 10 paces also, or walking the length of the room and then turning around. If at any time the mind wanders away from feeling the sensations in the feet, just notice the thought that distracted you and gently guide the focus back to the feet. There's no need for any frustration or irritation if the mind wanders. That's the same for everybody. Just simply bring the focus back as many times as you need to.
Now as you continue walking naturally, expand your attention to vision. Spring you full attention to what you can see. Taking in the various colors, shapes, movements, and play of light and shadow. And as you do this, aiming to put aside any mental commentary or labeling or judging about what you see. And instead, just being present with what's here to be seen.
And now, beginning to shift the focus to sound. Whether you're indoors or in the woods or in a city, just paying attention to the soundscape. And for these final moments of the meditation, bringing the focus back to awareness of the physical sensations on the soles of the feet. No matter where your mind wandered during this practice, just noticing right now the feeling of the feet touching the ground. And when you were ready to end this walking meditation, just pausing once again and taking a deep, slow, full breath in.
And exhaling naturally. And proceeding now the rest of your day. Perhaps making an intention to take this mindful awareness with you.
Walking
A simple and universal practice for developing embodied awareness. You can do this walking meditation no matter where you are.
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Before you begin your meditation, just finding a space to walk. It could be outdoors, or it could be inside, perhaps in a hallway or a room, where you could do this practice by walking back and forth. And this meditation could be done as a formal practice. Formal meaning that there's a specific time taken out of your day for this meditation, in the same way you might do with a sitting meditation. Or it might be an informal practice, just bringing mindfulness to your walking as you travel from one place to another.
Just beginning now by taking a pause is before you begin and gathering your awareness into your physical body. So perhaps just noticing the touch of clothing against your skin. The cool touch of air on exposed parts of the skin. Feeling the sensation of your feet in contact with the ground. And then draw the focus to the breath.
And taking one deep, slow, full breath in. And exhaling. Keeping your eyes open, and bringing awareness again to the sensations of the soles of the feet in contact with the ground. And beginning now to walk at a natural pace, or if possible, just slightly slower than your normal pace. And with each step now, paying attention to the sensations on the soles of the feet as each foot touches the ground.
It doesn't matter whether or not you're wearing shoes. Just keep noticing the feelings and sensations in the feet as each foot meets the ground. Noticing the changes in pressure, texture and sensation, one foot after the other. And you'll need to obviously just keep enough awareness of the world around you so that you're aware of where you're going and staying safe. But the main focus of attention is feeling the soles of the feet as you continue to walk.
If you're in a small space, you can practice by walking 10 paces also, or walking the length of the room and then turning around. If at any time the mind wanders away from feeling the sensations in the feet, just notice the thought that distracted you and gently guide the focus back to the feet. There's no need for any frustration or irritation if the mind wanders. That's the same for everybody. Just simply bring the focus back as many times as you need to.
Now as you continue walking naturally, expand your attention to vision. Spring you full attention to what you can see. Taking in the various colors, shapes, movements, and play of light and shadow. And as you do this, aiming to put aside any mental commentary or labeling or judging about what you see. And instead, just being present with what's here to be seen.
And now, beginning to shift the focus to sound. Whether you're indoors or in the woods or in a city, just paying attention to the soundscape. And for these final moments of the meditation, bringing the focus back to awareness of the physical sensations on the soles of the feet. No matter where your mind wandered during this practice, just noticing right now the feeling of the feet touching the ground. And when you were ready to end this walking meditation, just pausing once again and taking a deep, slow, full breath in.
And exhaling naturally. And proceeding now the rest of your day. Perhaps making an intention to take this mindful awareness with you.
Duration
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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.
- 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.
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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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