Meditation for the 99%

The most common thing I hear from people who are hesitant about trying meditation is, “But I think too much.”

What I usually say back is, “We all do.”

We all think too much. Wandering thoughts are estimated to occupy 30 to 50 percent of our waking hours. And we all think we think too much.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

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I can’t remember a more contradictory time in my life. I’ve never felt so lonely. For the past month, I’ve been living alone on my family’s farm in rural Southern Maryland. It’s been part “Walden,” part “Joe Dirt,” part “The Blair Witch Project.” Days go by without seeing another human.

But I’ve also never felt so fearless. Unlike when I’ve traveled solo or had nothing to do on a Friday night—which is when I want company the most —the fact that I’m lonely hasn’t bothered me.

What I’ve been practicing is sometimes called the “two wings” of mindfulness: awareness and compassion. Just as a bird needs both wings to fly, we must see reality as it is and hold our reaction to it with compassion. Here's how to practice that.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Download my free ebook "How to Get Out of Your Head."

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

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Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

“Pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral?” Those are the choices. Is that tightness in your lower back pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? Is that emptiness in your chest pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? Is the thought of going to work tomorrow pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? In mindfulness meditation, this is called "noting," and it's a transformative practice.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Download my free ebook "How to Get Out of Your Head."

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

Sometimes I need to kick ass and get shit done. But do I really need to hustle when I’m making dinner or visiting a friend? This episode is about how practicing mindfulness meditation allows me to work smarter and relax harder.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Download my free ebook "How to Get Out of Your Head."

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

I got a massage the other day and was reminded of the first thing you learn in Mindfulness 101: if you’re feeling lost, find your breath.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Download my free ebook "How to Get Out of Your Head."

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

This episode is about so-called "neoliberalism," what political scientist Wendy Brown describes as the application of economic market competition to every aspect of our lives, including democracy itself. Turns out mindfulness is being co-opted by neoliberalism. Here's how to avoid the delusion that you should only practice meditation by yourself.

Please hit "subscribe" and rate the podcast so others can find it.

Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Download my free ebook "How to Get Out of Your Head."

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

This episode is about how I consider my daily meditation practice a ritual, and how that helps me stick with it.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

This episode is about what to do during meditation when you're blindsided by extreme anxiety, fear, or some other overwhelming emotion.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

This episode is about how self-compassion can help weather the storm around family during the holidays.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]

This episode is about the concept of "keystone habits," those that spark chain reactions helping other good habits take hold. Meditation is my keystone habit.

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Here's the original blog post that inspired this episode.

Sign up for my email list to get free meditation tips.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Need help with your meditation practice? Email me: [email protected]