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

All month, we’ve been talking about the deeply vulnerable experience created in meditation. The uncovering and unrestriction of our feelings to sit with ourselves in a gentler way is profoundly powerful.

Mark Nepo describes this experience as “Our challenge each day is not to get dressed to face the world, but to unglove ourselves so that the doorknob feels cold, the car handle feels wet, and the kiss goodbye feels like the lips of another being, soft and unrepeatable.”

And, yet... how many of us have had nightmares of arriving at school or work only to discover we are naked?! Walking through the world in a vulnerable, ungloved way asks tremendous courage of each of us.

So the question becomes: How can we care for ourselves, nourish ourselves and all the while push the edge of uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure {vulnerability}?

Tune into The Mindful Minute today as we discuss this very question and then sit for a 20-minute guided meditation practice.

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Feeling a little “off” today? Something got your emotions swirling around and your anxiety riding high? So, what is there to do?? Happily, there is a lot of opportunity to work with this vulnerable feeling and evolve it into something a bit more friendly and welcoming. After all, vulnerability is the epicenter for joy, connection and creativity. Rather than continuing to run from ourselves, why don’t we sit down and stay awhile?

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.

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Last week, we kicked off the February meditation series with an exploration of why we feel so much more when we start a meditation practice. We worked with Brene Brown’s definition of vulnerability {uncertainty, risk & emotional exposure} as a clear picture of what is happening when we meditate.

In this week’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we explore what is happening when we feel vulnerable. The Physiology of Vulnerability.

This physiology shows up in a lightning quick process that moves through our brains, our bodies and our emotions. It is an amazing process, and truth be told, it isn’t totally a bad thing. After all, this primal response is what has allowed our species to survive, evolve and thrive. 

And yet, today, it isn’t really necessary all the time. Often we aren’t in danger. We are just feeling something we’ve deemed as “yucky” likely from the safety of our meditation cushions. There is no tiger lurking outside the door.

So, what is there to do?? Happily, there is a lot of opportunity to work with this innate response and evolve it into something a bit more friendly and welcoming. After all, vulnerability is the epicenter for joy, connection and creativity. Rather than continuing to run from ourselves, why don’t we sit down and stay awhile?

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Brené Brown says that “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy 

and creativity.” And, as powerful and important as that is, vulnerability also has its own unique feeling in the body - often, it is one that feels “unsafe” to our primal brain. What a paradox to know that love, belonging and joy are right there, and yet, they feel inaccessible because of the feelings vulnerability creates in the body.

Join The Mindful Minute for today’s mini-meditation as a way to practice building your comfort with discomfort, and therefore building your comfort with joy!

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.

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

There is an old joke about a therapist who tells her client to start meditating. She says, “you’ll feel better…” So, the client begins a meditation practice and comes back to the therapist only to report, “You lied to me! I am feeling all this STUFF coming up. All these emotions and anxiety… I don’t feel better at all?!”

And, the therapist smiles and says, “ah, yes. You are feeling your anxiety better. You are feeling your sadness better. ALL your emotions better!”

Isn’t this the truth?! As we embark on a meditation practice, it isn’t uncommon for new practitioners to find themselves in a moment that feels… more. More emotional. More sensitive. More joyful. More heartache. More.

This “more-ness” comes from the experience of, perhaps for the first time ever, opening up to our hearts and our vulnerability. We are allowing ourselves to feel fully. And, this new-er, more connected heartfulness comes with its own tangible, physical experiences. The physiology of vulnerability. 

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I’m not going to think about that right now…” Well, meditation is about to make you REAL uncomfortable, and for the very best reasons. Because now, we are going to stop numbing, ignoring and distracting. We are going to carve out safe space and dedicated time to allowing ourselves to feel. Basically, we sit down. We shut up. And we say, “ok, body. What do you need to tell me today?” And we listen. 

The beauty of this practice is that, while it feels momentarily uncomfortable in the beginning, the amount of freedom we feel from no longer hiding from ourselves and our emotions is exponential. Our capacity to feel joy is exponential. When we don’t numb to part of the emotional spectrum, we are available to so much more. 

Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we break down the physiology of vulnerability and use our meditation practice as a tool to feel BETTER!

Connect with me on Instagram {@merylarnett} to get bonus meditation tips, mini-meditations, and the occasional baby spam: https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ and if you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider leaving me a review wherever you get your podcasts. Reviews help others to find this podcast!

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation comes from a new virtual course I’ve recently created for companies wanting to introduce mindfulness in the office. This meditation is a quick practice of returning to presence when we are stressed, distracted or overwhelmed at work. Take 5 minutes and try it today.

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.

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

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

I am always honored when someone takes the time to share a bit about their meditation practice with me and asks about their meditation struggles. This year, I intend to do an occasional FAQ bonus episode where I will answer a few of the questions I receive, and this is the inaugural episode! Today, I am chatting about what to do if “feeling the breath” makes you feel anxious, uncomfortable or like you are hyperventilating. I’ll try to answer the “how do I know my practice is working??” quandary. And, I’ll talk about meditating with the really tough stuff: trauma, emotional or mental overwhelm and imbalance…

Lastly, I’d love to hear from you! What do you struggle with in your meditation practice? You can email me {[email protected]} or reach out via Instagram {@merylarnett}.

My February meditation series, Nourish Yourself, kicks off next Thursday! Talk to you then.

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

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Gregory Boyle defines compassion as “to be in awe of what someone has to carry, rather than to stand in judgment of how they carry it.” 

Can you reflect that inwards? Can you be in awe of what you have to carry rather than stand in judgment of how you carry it?

Join me for today’s mini meditation as we practice cultivating awe and compassion for ourselves so that we can connect with the greater world in a healthier, more compassionate way.

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.

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

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Mindfulness Meditation is often described with the image of a bird - one of the bird’s wings is “presence/awareness” and the other wing is “heartfulness”. This heartfulness is the cultivation of compassion. It is both part of the practice itself and part of the outcome of the practice.

Gregory Boyle defines compassion as “to be in awe of what someone has to carry, rather than to stand in judgment of how they carry it.” 

Let’s just pause for a moment and take that in… … … So. Powerful.

And, what we know to be true is that real compassion cannot exist unless it begins with the Self. We can’t run out and save the world when we are quietly ripping ourselves to shreds inside. We can’t care for others when we are falling apart ourselves. So, let’s talk compassion. Let’s talk about how to practice it in tangible ways. Let’s talk about what to do when what is going on inside is too intense to be with in any way, especially a kind way.

Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a discussion and practice centered around compassion. Let’s cultivate awe together. 

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

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl

Today’s mini meditation is practice that is phenomenal if you find yourself really struggling with thoughts during meditation. If you aren’t sure what to do with your thoughts, how to relate to them without struggle, or how to get quiet… this might be the practice for you!

This is the practice that many of my students comment finally helps them to “get” it! Give it a try today and let me know your experience {via email or instagram}!

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.

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

***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 ***

#meditatewithmeryl