Browse
Top articles
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Try free for 7 days.
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
00:00
00:00
This meditation helps you to step back and be free from your challenging thoughts. Just like the sky is unaffected by whatever weather passes through.
You can practice this meditation lying down on your back, or if you can't do that, whatever posture works for you right now. Take a few moments to feel your body as a whole. Release any tensions that you can easily release. And notice what it feels like to bring your whole body into awareness, noting the rhythm of your natural breathing. Now I'd like to invite you to try a short visualization.
In this exercise, just practice as best you can. You don't need to be able to visualize perfectly. Whatever you manage to do is what it's meant to be. Now imagine you're lying down on your back in the grass gazing at the sky. You feel safe and secure.
The temperature is just right for you. A gentle breeze is blowing that feels wonderful. You have a slight smile upon your face as you look upwards, a smile of contentment. As you look at the sky, you notice various clouds passing through. In this exercise, each time you have a thought, imagine placing your thought upon the clouds.
Your thoughts can be words or images, or whatever other form they take. Just imagine placing them on the clouds. If, when you do this exercise, you don't seem to be having any thoughts, then just enjoy the peace of mind that you're experiencing. And each time you have a thought, place it on the cloud, watch it float by. As you lie here, looking at the sky, you realize sometimes there's lots of clouds flowing through the sky, and sometimes very few.
Sometimes the clouds are white and fluffy, and sometimes they're dark and heavy. Sometimes the sky looks angry in a storm, and other times it looks as if it's happy with hardly any clouds at all. Just keep placing your thoughts upon the clouds as and when they come up. Practicing as best you can. Imagine day turns to night and you see a beautiful sunset.
And then at night time, once the sun goes down, the sky turns to black and the moon comes out, and millions and millions of stars. It's beautiful. The sky, or you could say space, allows all sorts of clouds and rain and storm and sunshine to come and go. The weather seems to be ever changing, but the sky doesn't resist it at all. The sky, the space, is untouched by the weather.
No matter how dark the clouds, no matter how stormy the weather, the sky is unaffected. The weather seems to just come and go. In the same way, your essence, your deepest being, is just like the sky. You have all sorts of thoughts and feelings. Challenging thoughts, uplifting thoughts difficult feelings, pleasant feelings.
They all come and go just like the weather comes and goes. But the sky remains untouched, pure, perfect, whole and complete. Your deepest essence is also pure, perfect, whole and complete. It's your true nature. You can call that sky-like nature of yourself whatever you wish.
We could simply call it awareness, or even friendly awareness. Allow yourself to rest in that kind and friendly awareness. And allow any thoughts or feelings to just come and go. As best you can, be like the sky that makes plenty of space for weather to come and go. I invite you to try gently smiling.
And let your smile remind you that you're not just your thoughts or your feelings. You are awareness itself, pure, whole and complete. As we slowly come towards the end of this meditation, finish by letting go of all effort, even the effort to practice meditation. Just rest in your being.
You are the Sky Meditation
This meditation helps you to step back and be free from your challenging thoughts. Just like the sky is unaffected by whatever weather passes through.
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
You can practice this meditation lying down on your back, or if you can't do that, whatever posture works for you right now. Take a few moments to feel your body as a whole. Release any tensions that you can easily release. And notice what it feels like to bring your whole body into awareness, noting the rhythm of your natural breathing. Now I'd like to invite you to try a short visualization.
In this exercise, just practice as best you can. You don't need to be able to visualize perfectly. Whatever you manage to do is what it's meant to be. Now imagine you're lying down on your back in the grass gazing at the sky. You feel safe and secure.
The temperature is just right for you. A gentle breeze is blowing that feels wonderful. You have a slight smile upon your face as you look upwards, a smile of contentment. As you look at the sky, you notice various clouds passing through. In this exercise, each time you have a thought, imagine placing your thought upon the clouds.
Your thoughts can be words or images, or whatever other form they take. Just imagine placing them on the clouds. If, when you do this exercise, you don't seem to be having any thoughts, then just enjoy the peace of mind that you're experiencing. And each time you have a thought, place it on the cloud, watch it float by. As you lie here, looking at the sky, you realize sometimes there's lots of clouds flowing through the sky, and sometimes very few.
Sometimes the clouds are white and fluffy, and sometimes they're dark and heavy. Sometimes the sky looks angry in a storm, and other times it looks as if it's happy with hardly any clouds at all. Just keep placing your thoughts upon the clouds as and when they come up. Practicing as best you can. Imagine day turns to night and you see a beautiful sunset.
And then at night time, once the sun goes down, the sky turns to black and the moon comes out, and millions and millions of stars. It's beautiful. The sky, or you could say space, allows all sorts of clouds and rain and storm and sunshine to come and go. The weather seems to be ever changing, but the sky doesn't resist it at all. The sky, the space, is untouched by the weather.
No matter how dark the clouds, no matter how stormy the weather, the sky is unaffected. The weather seems to just come and go. In the same way, your essence, your deepest being, is just like the sky. You have all sorts of thoughts and feelings. Challenging thoughts, uplifting thoughts difficult feelings, pleasant feelings.
They all come and go just like the weather comes and goes. But the sky remains untouched, pure, perfect, whole and complete. Your deepest essence is also pure, perfect, whole and complete. It's your true nature. You can call that sky-like nature of yourself whatever you wish.
We could simply call it awareness, or even friendly awareness. Allow yourself to rest in that kind and friendly awareness. And allow any thoughts or feelings to just come and go. As best you can, be like the sky that makes plenty of space for weather to come and go. I invite you to try gently smiling.
And let your smile remind you that you're not just your thoughts or your feelings. You are awareness itself, pure, whole and complete. As we slowly come towards the end of this meditation, finish by letting go of all effort, even the effort to practice meditation. Just rest in your being.
Duration
Play in-app
Scan the following QR code with your camera app to open it on our mobile app
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Annual membership
$0
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
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.
- 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
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
Thank you for joining us
Dive into the full library and enjoy all it has to offer!
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Mindfulness
One membership to gain access to a world of premium mindfulness content created to help you live happier and stress less.