Our Mindful Nature: Meditation Inspired by Nature to Soothe the Overwhelmed Mind and Ease Anxiety

As we enter into the New Year, it is so easy to get sucked into the “new year, new you” mentality - the goals, the aspirations, the improvements… However, I want to invite in a different idea:

Perhaps the return of the light isn’t asking for new and improved, but rather like its own return - it is asking us to return home to ourselves.

This mini practice is a special meditation designed to guide you to discover your own personal talisman, meant to hold you steady on your own unique path. What is it? Only you can know… Join me for today’s episode of #TheMindfulMinute and let’s discover it together.

Happy New Year.

These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

This month’s meditation series has been a collection of archetypal tools that we can use to carry us through the winter months. We started this series with the knife {the ability to learn new ways}, then we found the candlestick {the tenacity to ride a rough road}, and now we add our final and most personal tool - the talisman.

A talisman is often an object that is thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck. It can connect us to the strength of the spirit world, to our own mystical knowledge and healing repertoire, and, most directly, it is something that connects us to our deepest intention, our deepest selves.

As we enter into the New Year, it is so easy to get sucked into the “new year, new you” mentality - the goals, the aspirations, the improvements… However, I want to invite in a different idea:

Perhaps the return of the light isn’t asking for new and improved, but rather like its own return - it is asking us to return home to ourselves.

So, how do we return home to ourselves and what does that actually mean?

Join me for today’s episode of #TheMindfulMinute as we explore the return home, the talisman and the very definition of peace as guidance into 2021.

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s practice is a practice known as Bhavana. It is a steeping of our souls just as we would steep a cup of tea. A tea bag full of herbs is placed in warm water and as it soaks, the water takes on the qualities of the herbs. In this same way, as we call in what is most needed for our future during meditation, our warm bodies take on these qualities.

Ready to try it? Let’s practice.

Learn more about my New Year’s Day virtual meditation retreat here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

Before humans understood how the earth moves around the sun, the time of the Winter Solstice was a scary one. It appeared as if the sun had stopped moving, and what if it never rose again? What if light and warmth didn’t return?

In these times of unknown, our ancestors created celebrations and rituals to call the sun back. They celebrated what they were grateful for and they honored what they most wanted - the light.

This is so relevant for us today. We are in an incredible time of transition with so much unknown. So many pandemics that need to be addressed with little in the way of a clear path forward. It is like we have forgotten that the earth rotates around the sun.

So, let us do as our ancestors did. Let us celebrate what we are grateful for and call out what we most want. We do this through the attention and intention of our meditation practice.

We take time to acknowledge the good and the beautiful - even if it is as simple as a cup of warm coffee in the morning - and, we steep ourselves in the intentions we want for ourselves and our world.

Today’s practice is a practice known as Bhavana. It is a steeping of our souls just as we would steep a cup of tea. A tea bag full of herbs is placed in warm water and as it soaks, the water takes on the qualities of the herbs. In this same way, as we call in what is most needed for our future during meditation, our warm bodies take on these qualities.

Ready to try it? Let’s practice.

Learn more about my New Year’s Day virtual meditation retreat here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

Much like our ancestors in the season of the Winter Solstice, we too can find solace during times of transition with rituals and practices that warm our hearts, stoke the fires of hope and rekindle the flames of connection.

This meditation series began last week with the introduction of the first of three archetypal tools that will support our meditation practice and ourselves during the winter.

We began with The Knife. Psychologically, the knife represents:

Carving out a life for yourself

A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things

Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings

An ability to learn new ways

We placed this knife in the cave of the heart to be called on anytime we need. And, today we add The Candlestick to our cave. We add the flame.

Nearly every spiritual tradition honors the flame as a sacred symbol. Often, it is thought of as the fire of transformation or, for some, the fire of manifestation. In almost all historical Winter Solstice rituals there was fire. It is quite literally the light.

What resonates with me the most in this season is the representation of the candlestick as the tenacity to ride a rough road.

This tool reminds us of our grit, our determination, our perseverance to not only get through tough times but to get through them “well”. To recover and to GROW from our experiences rather than dwell or diminish.

It reminds us that to be asleep during transition is to wish to go back to what was...

To be awake, with our hearts bolstered by the tools of our meditation practice, we don’t clamour for what was. Instead, we courageously burn to the ground what isn’t working, and with passion we create anew.

We don’t get through a rough road by holding on so tightly that our bones rattle. We get through a rough road by chucking stuff out the windows to lighten the load, to let go of what we are banging into again and again, and nourish what helps us to fly.

As we get ready to welcome the light back, what will you burn away? What will you let go of in order to fly?

Let’s practice.

This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration:

The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20

New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21

Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is a practice that calls forth the first ancient tool needed to help us move through the transition of 2020 to 2021: The knife.

Psychologically, a knife can represent

Carving out a life for yourself

A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things

Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings

An ability to learn new ways

When we acknowledge the metaphorical knife in hand {and heart} we are opening ourselves up to a willingness to learn new ways and reimagine our futures.

Have a journal handy after this mini meditation practice, and when you have time, be sure to go back and listen to the full class {titled The Return of the Light {part 1} that aired on 12/10/20}.

This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration:

The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20

New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21

Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

December is a month of transition, a month of closure and a month of expectation. Ancient lore tells us that within this month, there is a period of time when it appears that the sun has stopped moving across the sky. These days of little light, known now as the Winter Solstice, was originally a time of worry. What if the sun didn’t resume its journey across the sky? What if the light didn’t return?

I find a lot of similarity and comfort in these stories as we face the long winter months of the COVID pandemic, the country’s divisiveness, and the multitude of massive issues that need to be addressed. It can feel as if the sun has stopped moving, can’t it? Like nothing will change and we might never find ourselves on the other side?

Much like our ancestors, we too can find solace in rituals and practices that warm our hearts, stoke the fires of hope and rekindle the flames of connection. The first of these ancient tools that we need is The Knife.

Psychologically, a knife can represent

Carving out a life for yourself

A tool for cutting through obscurity and seeing into hidden things

Cut away what is no longer needed and carving out new beginnings

An ability to learn new ways

And, this is what I really want to talk about in today’s class - an ability to learn new ways.

Our asleep heart/mind doesn’t want to learn. In fact, it avoids learning at all costs.

It doesn’t want to know because to know is to invite in a willingness to be changed by what you learn. And, an asleep heart DOES NOT WANT CHANGE.

To an asleep heart, a fearful, limited life is better than an unknown future. An asleep heart nudges us to greet transitions by saying, “I hope things go back to the way they were...”

In contrast, an awake heart sees the open expanse up ahead and invites in EXACTLY what she or he wants to see there in new and fresh ways.

When we acknowledge the metaphorical knife in hand {and heart} we are opening ourselves up to a willingness to learn new ways.

Many of us have learned how to navigate life in a mask and without hugs or handshakes. We have carved out new spaces for working from home, schooling from home and still living from home. We are re-learning how to celebrate birthdays and holidays; we are re-learning how to grieve and acknowledge loss. And, man, are we learning how to live and love through fear.

Join me in this first part of my December meditation series as we call forth the tools we need to navigate the transition from 2020 to 2021. Let’s practice.

This meditation series is supported by 2 special live, virtual events designed for deeper exploration:

The Winter Solstice celebration on 12/21/20

New Year’s Day Mini Meditation Retreat on 1/1/21

Learn more here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

Often when we meditate, a central image, feeling or idea will emerge during our practice. These images can be viewed through an archetypal lens to help us gain deeper insight into ourselves and our present moment.

Archetypal energy can be thought of as an initial and eternal energy that exists across continents, cultures and time itself. When we tap into this understanding our practice comes into sharper focus.

Join me for today’s mini meditation as we explore what energy is present for you today!

Learn more about my live, virtual Winter Solstice meditation and my New Year’s Day virtual mini retreat here: https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

When I was a young yoga teacher, one of my students gifted me a set of animal spirit oracle cards after a bird repeatedly flew into the studio while I was teaching. This small gift set me on a 10+ year journey of using oracle cards as part of my personal meditation practice.

What I’ve learned through using a myriad of oracle cards {animal medicine, tarot, archetypes, yantras, etc.} are lessons in

Trusting in my own inner wisdom

Connecting to forces unseen and the divine feminine

Understanding and working with archetypal energy

In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we will talk about different decks, how to incorporate an oracle deck into your meditation practice, trusting your intuitive response, and how to understand the energy beneath each card. This class is great for those wanting to use a deck and aren’t sure how, and for those that want to work with specific images or feelings that arise in meditation practice {with or without a deck to support it!}.

So grab your favorite deck of oracle cards, your headphones and tune in today!

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.”

~Dale Carnegie

Join me for a short meditation focused on cultivating contentment for the moment just as it is.

These mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.

You can practice with me live each Monday as I record this podcast. My virtual meditation class includes time for Q&A and a chance to connect with me personally! https://www.union.fit/orgs/meryl-arnett

**Use code: Mindful5 to get your first class for $5!**

Even better, if you enjoyed today’s episode, leave me a review wherever you get your podcasts, screenshot it and send it to [email protected] to get your first live class with me FOR FREE!

***Did you know I have a FREE Meditation Starter Kit on my website merylarnett.com? It is full of my favorite tips, stories and ideas for starting and maintaining a daily meditation practice. Grab your copy today! --> http://bit.ly/meditationstarterkit ***

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/

#meditatewithmeryl