What lives beneath the surface of your winter mind? In this gentle guided meditation, host and meditation teacher Meryl Arnett invites you into the quiet wisdom of winter's stillness. Inspired by the children's book "Over and Under the Snow," this practice explores what rests beneath the metaphorical snow of our busy lives - the feelings, needs, and truths that are warming, waiting to be revealed in their own time.

Perfect for anyone seeking deeper self-awareness during winter months or when something feels "fine" but you sense there's more underneath.

About the soundscape you hear throughout the episode:

The winter sounds in this meditation were recorded by acoustic ecologist Nick McMahan in the Sinlahekin Valley of Washington State, on the lands of Indigenous peoples known today as the Colville Confederated Tribes. Deep in winter, this remote valley feels more wild and isolated than any other time of year. The soundscape captures the stunning quiet beauty of steep snow-covered slopes, small frozen ponds, and the sense of exaggeration each environmental sound holds during winter's cold, dark days.

The photos you see throughout this meditation are also from Nick McMahan.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

In 2026, Our Mindful Nature will release seasonal series rather than weekly episodes, allowing for richer, more in-depth explorations of meditation and mental health topics.

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

How do you welcome a new year when your heart is still holding grief?

Host Meryl Arnett sits down with beloved poet James Crews to explore the essential practice of turning toward grief rather than away from it. In this conversation, James shares insights from his latest poetry collection "Turning Toward Grief" and offers gentle guidance on holding both sorrow and beauty as we enter 2026.

What You'll Discover

Why poetry becomes essential during grief and how it helps us process emotions that feel too big for ordinary words

How to comfort someone who is grieving through James' beautiful poem with practical wisdom about presence versus fixing

How to hold personal grief alongside global uncertainty without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down

Perfect For

People processing recent losses or grief who want gentle, practical guidance

Meditation practitioners experiencing difficult emotions during practice

Caregivers and healing professionals dealing with secondary grief and overwhelm

Anyone feeling the weight of global events and personal challenges

Featured Guest

James Crews is a celebrated poet whose work focuses on turning toward life's most difficult emotions with tenderness and wisdom. Author of multiple poetry collections including "Love Is All Is for All of Us" and "Turning Toward Grief," James creates accessible, healing-centered poetry that helps readers navigate loss, love, and the complexities of being human.

Learn more about James at https://www.jamescrews.net/

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

In 2026, Our Mindful Nature will release seasonal series rather than weekly episodes, allowing for richer, more in-depth explorations of meditation and mental health topics.

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Just the Meditation: This 10-minute guided meditation invites you deep underground to listen for the "message of the heart." Using progressive body softening and breath awareness, you'll descend into your inner underland to discover what wisdom awaits in the shadows.

This meditation is excerpted from our Underland Part 3 episode. Listen to Monday's full episode for context and teachings on journaling your meditation insights and sheltering inner wisdom.

Set against calming nature sounds of the Amazon rainforest, this underground meditation guides you through a unique practice of softening and listening. Rather than rushing through your practice, you'll learn to linger in the depths of consciousness, allowing whatever wants to emerge — whether worries, memories, phrases, images, or daydreams — to surface naturally.

What You'll Experience:

• Guided descent into underground consciousness
• Progressive body softening from face to belly
• Extended silent meditation for deep inner listening
• Practice of witnessing thoughts, stories, and heart messages
• Gentle return with breath awareness and movement
• High-quality nature soundscape from the Amazon Rainforest for immersion

Post-Practice Suggestion: Have a journal nearby to capture any insights, images, or messages that emerged during your practice — even if they seem nonsensical at first.

Podcast Break Notice

Our Mindful Nature will be taking a brief hiatus for the holiday season. We'll return in the new year with fresh nature-inspired practices to support your meditation journey. Thank you for being part of our mindful community — may your practice continue to flourish during this restful pause.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Welcome to Part 3 of our Underland meditation series — the final journey into our inner depths. Over the past two weeks, we've learned to linger in uncomfortable spaces and discover gifts hidden in our shadows. Today, we complete this transformative journey by learning how to protect and preserve the wisdom we've unearthed.

Inspired by ancient traditions of burying treasure for safekeeping, this episode explores how our underground consciousness can serve as both a storage place for pain AND a vault for our most precious insights. Host Meryl Arnett shares why journaling after meditation isn't just helpful — it's essential for integrating the "message of the heart" that emerges from deep practice.

What You'll Learn:

• How to capture non-linear meditation insights and daydreams
• The ancient wisdom of "sheltering" precious discoveries
• The three-step Underland process: descend, mine value, shelter wisdom

Related Episodes: Listen to Parts 1 and 2 of the Underland series for the complete journey of descending into difficult spaces and mining value from shadow work.

Journal Prompts: After your meditation, spend 2-5 minutes writing down what you saw, thought, remembered, felt, or daydreamed — even if it seems nonsensical. This is your inner treasure worth preserving.

Podcast Break Notice

Our Mindful Nature will be taking a brief hiatus for the holiday season. We'll return in the new year with fresh nature-inspired practices to support your meditation journey. Thank you for being part of our mindful community — may your practice continue to flourish during this restful pause.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Just the Meditation:

This 15-minute guided meditation invites you into a deep practice of softening and surrender. Using progressive body awareness, you'll release tension layer by layer — from skin through fascia, muscle, and bone — allowing yourself to melt into the present moment.

Part of the Underland Series: This meditation is excerpted from our Underland Part 2 episode. Listen to Thursday's full episode for context and teachings on entering the rabbit hole and exploring your inner landscape.

Set in the immersive sounds of the Amazon rainforest, this body scan meditation guides you through a unique approach to relaxation. Rather than just releasing muscle tension, you'll explore softening every layer of your being — imagining your skin, fascia, muscle, bone, organs, breath, and even thoughts becoming more fluid and flexible.

What You'll Experience:

• Guided body scan from surface to core
• Extended silent meditation for deep integration
• High-quality Amazon rainforest nature soundscape
• Progressive softening technique for full-body relaxation
• Practice of surrender and letting go

Perfect for:

• Stress relief and anxiety reduction
• Bedtime relaxation
• Midday reset and grounding
• Anyone feeling physically or emotionally tense
• Those seeking deeper meditation practice
• People who hold tension in their body

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Welcome to Part 2 of our Underland meditation series. Last week we explored the underground as a place to dispose of what is harmful — trauma, secrets, and pain. This week, we venture deeper to discover the treasure, wisdom, and insight waiting for us in those shadowed spaces.

Inspired by Robert Macfarlane's book Underland, this meditation uses the metaphor of underground cave exploration to guide you through narrow, uncomfortable passages toward expansive inner caverns of insight. Like Alice's journey down the rabbit hole, this practice invites chaos and uncertainty as pathways to profound self-discovery.

What You'll Experience:

Guided progressive relaxation from skin through fascia, muscle, and bone

Extended silent meditation for deep inner exploration

Amazon rainforest nature soundscape

Practice softening resistance rather than fighting your experience

Tools for working with difficult meditation sessions

Perfect for:

Meditation practitioners ready for deeper shadow work

Anyone struggling with dark or difficult meditation experiences

Those seeking self-discovery and inner wisdom

People working through trauma or emotional healing

Claustrophobic feelings in meditation or life

Related Episodes: Listen to Entering The Underland: Nature Meditation for Processing Fear and Underground Healing {part 1} for the complete exploration of disposing of what is harmful before mining for inner treasure.

Content Warning: This episode discusses trauma, shadow work, and difficult emotions. Practice only when you feel physically and emotionally resourced to do so.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Sometimes the most powerful meditation practice is simply staying present — even when it's uncomfortable. This 10-minute guided meditation invites you to lie down, soften, and surrender to what is, accompanied by the immersive sounds of the Amazon Rainforest.

Instead of trying to fix, change, or escape difficult feelings, this practice asks you to simply be here. To notice your breath. To feel the sounds of the dark rainforest around you. To acknowledge the thoughts and stories in your mind. And to stay for just one more breath.

What To Expect

• Guided body scan to release tension and soften into the present moment
• Breath awareness practice with gentle reminders to return when your mind wanders
• 7 minutes of silent meditation with authentic Amazon Rainforest soundscapes
• Permission to simply be — without needing comfort, peace, or enjoyment
• An invitation to linger in the underland rather than running from discomfort

Perfect For

• Quick meditation practice when you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious
• Bedtime or deep rest meditation
• Practitioners exploring shadow work or darker contemplative practices
• Moments when you need to stop running and simply be present
• Nature sound meditation lovers

Meditation Details

Length: 10 minutes

Style: Guided meditation with silent practice period

Position: Lying down (or seated if preferred)

Soundscape: Amazon Rainforest field recordings

Best for: Anxiety relief, insomnia, stress reduction, grounding practice, surrender practice

Practice Tip

You don't need to feel peaceful, comfortable, or calm during this meditation. The invitation is simply to be here with what is — the comfortable and uncomfortable, the peaceful and noisy, the enjoyable and unenjoyable. This is your time to stop running and practice staying.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Not all meditation asks us to find the light; sometimes we need to explore the darkness. In this first episode of the October Underland series, meditation teacher Meryl Arnett invites you to stop running from your fears and instead turn around to face them. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane's book Underland, this episode and meditation practice explores what happens when we acknowledge the darkness, both within ourselves and in the world around us, rather than trying to escape it.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by political chaos, buried trauma, or simply the weight of difficult emotions you've pushed underground, this meditation will help you understand why staying present to discomfort is the path to genuine healing and transformation.

What To Expect

Understanding the "underland" as both physical space (caves, burial sites) and metaphorical space (the unconscious, buried trauma)

The wisdom of the Three of Swords tarot card: discovering hope at the very center of grief

A guided meditation practice with immersive Amazon Rainforest soundscapes from field recordist Nick McMahan

An invitation to acknowledge what we've disposed of, buried, or hidden that needs our attention

Perfect For

Anyone feeling overwhelmed by political anxiety or helplessness in the face of global events

Meditation practitioners ready to explore deeper, shadow work through contemplative practice

People processing buried trauma, grief, or difficult emotions

Practitioners interested in nature-based meditation with authentic soundscapes

Meditation Details

Length: 22 minutes

Style: Guided meditation with 7-minute silent practice period

Position: Lying down or seated (your choice)

Soundscape: Amazon Rainforest field recordings by Nature Field Recordist Nick McMahan

Best for: Anxiety relief, processing fear, shadow work, trauma acknowledgment, political overwhelm, deep relaxation

Join Meryl throughout October as we explore the underland: what we've disposed of (harmful thoughts and buried trauma), what we can yield (minerals and metaphors), and what we shelter (precious matter and memories).

Next episode: Discover what happens when we soften enough to yield the value and wisdom hidden in our darkness.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Experience the ancient practice of moon bathing with this 10-minute guided meditation under the Full Harvest Supermoon. Join Meryl for a deeply restorative nature-inspired meditation that harnesses the moon's soothing energy to calm anxiety, release stress, and prepare your body and mind for restful sleep.

In this episode, you'll be guided through a gentle moon bathing practice that can be done anywhere you feel safe under the night sky — your back porch, yard, campsite, park bench, or even by a window. Learn to absorb the moon's "life-sustaining nectar" while connecting with the cyclical nature of life and the healing power of nighttime in nature.

What is Moon Bathing?

Moon bathing is the practice of intentionally spending time in moonlight to absorb its cooling, calming energy. Across ancient cultures and continuing today, the moon has been honored as sacred energy — a gentle, balancing force that soothes the nervous system and reminds us of life's natural rhythms.

What You'll Experience

Ancient moon bathing techniques honored across cultures for thousands of years

Multi-sensory awareness practice engaging sight, sound, scent, and touch

Grounding visualization connecting you to both earth and sky

13 minutes of guided relaxation perfect for evening wind-down or bedtime

1 minute of silent moon meditation for personal reflection and curiosity

Perfect For

Evening relaxation and pre-sleep wind-down routines

Anyone feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or mentally exhausted

Those seeking to connect with natural cycles and lunar energy

Meditation practitioners wanting to deepen their nature connection

Anyone interested in gentle, accessible outdoor mindfulness practices

Learn more and sign up for Nature's Reflection: A Meditation and Forest Bathing Retreat happening October 23 - 26 here: https://www.hambidge.org/workshop-schedule/natures-reflection-a-meditation-and-forest-bathing-retreat

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Gordon Hempton for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://soundtracker.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Not all meditation experiences are peaceful — and that's something we need to talk about.

In this conversation, meditation teacher Meryl Arnett sits down with mindfulness trainer and trauma expert David Treleaven, PhD, author of The Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Workbook, to explore how trauma impacts meditation and vice versa.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed, dysregulated, or triggered during meditation practice, this episode will help you understand why — and give you practical tools to work with these challenging experiences.

What To Expect

Why meditation can trigger trauma responses and what to do about it

The spectrum of trauma: understanding the difference between stress, traumatic stress, and PTSD

The Window of Tolerance: a powerful framework for knowing when to lean into meditation and when to back off

Being with vs. working with: two essential approaches to meditation practice

Practical regulation tools beyond traditional seated meditation

Perfect For

Meditation practitioners experiencing difficulty or overwhelm in practice

Yoga and meditation teachers wanting to develop trauma-informed teaching skills

Mental health professionals integrating mindfulness into their work

Anyone with a trauma history exploring meditation

Parents helping children develop emotional regulation skills

Anyone interested in understanding the intersection of meditation and mental health

Featured Guest

David Treleaven, PhD is a writer, educator, and trauma professional specializing in trauma-sensitive mindfulness. His work helps meditation teachers and practitioners understand how to work skillfully with trauma in contemplative practice. He's trained thousands of meditation teachers worldwide and his resources include The Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Workbook and various online trainings.

Find David at: davidtreleaven.com

Resources Mentioned

The Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Workbook by David Treleaven

Widening the Window by Elizabeth Stanley

Teachers referenced: Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Rick Hanson

Free trauma-informed meditation webinar available at davidtreleaven.com

Join the Conversation

Have you experienced challenges in your meditation practice? What tools help you regulate when practice becomes overwhelming? Share your experiences on social media using #meditatewithmeryl

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you're experiencing trauma symptoms or mental health concerns, please consult with a qualified mental health professional.

Learn more and sign up for Nature's Reflection: A Meditation and Forest Bathing Retreat happening October 23 - 26 here: https://www.hambidge.org/workshop-schedule/natures-reflection-a-meditation-and-forest-bathing-retreat

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at:

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.