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

This class is THE class. The start of this month’s meditation series is all about the breath. Because, I know you’ve tried to meditate, and you’ve gotten all the way until the point when the teacher says, “now feel your breath”... and you think, WTH does that even mean?!

I remember that point so well! It took me ages to understand how to feel my breath, what it means, and why on earth it is part of a meditation practice.

In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, I am breaking down ALL the info behind why we pay attention to our breath, how to do it, and, most importantly, how it becomes a pathway to devotion.

If you’ve struggled to meditate before, this episode might be just the tool you need to get started meditating and to feel good doing it.

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

When faced with any disharmony, our tendency is to blame what is outside of ourselves, looking for any means to justify our feelings and thoughts. This mini meditation is a reminder that we are not meant to be perfect, over-achieving robots. We are messy, we are human, and we suffer because we forget this. Join me in this 10-minute meditation as we allow ourselves to live the questions rather than search for answers. 

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

Well… I started my planning for this week’s episode weeks ago. Drafted my talk with the best of intentions. And, then I went on vacation {again} and my baby got sick {again} and now we are home and no one has slept. We are all grumpy, tired and needing space.

And, a few hours before I left the house to teach this class, I lost it on my kids… Ugh. I mean totally lost my patience and yelled over nothing {shakes head}. 

Then, as I drove to the studio, I realized that it is exactly this type of moment we need to talk about. This series is all about “deepening” your meditation practice, and it occurs to me that we can easily mistake what growth really looks like… Like somehow if I meditate enough I will never lose my patience again. Or get angry again…

Growth isn’t linear, my friends, and, far too often, our belief of what growth should look like is the very thing that stops our growth in the first place. 

We can’t be afraid to practice when it is messy or unclear. We can’t be afraid to honestly say we don’t know the answer. Ultimately, we are to learning to be with ourselves in a friendly, curious way. We are learning to live the questions.

Join me for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute as we talk about what a deep practice really is, why the messy moments can be our greatest teachers, and have a 20-minute meditation practice 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

This week’s mini meditation is inspired by… YOU! Well, one of you. I got the nicest email from one of you listeners telling me about the happy struggle to meditate while on a vacation in a beautiful location. As I enjoy my own vacation by the ocean, I, too, felt the pull to enjoy the view, and happily, this is actually a traditional form of meditation. You can keep your eyes open! Some people will find they respond much better to this style, while others will find it to be a little more difficult… Either way, go sit outside today, if you can, and enjoy the chance to experience your meditation practice with your eyes open. The present moment with a view!

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

Oh y’all… I am on vacation this week and enjoying a week of beach time. This week’s meditation is an extra special, beach-side meditation, and it’s a little different than my normal offering. If you listen to The Mindful Minute often, you know that I am a devoted practitioner of mindfulness meditation. The practice of being present, without judgment and with compassion. The downside of this type of practice is that you don’t get a guarantee of feeling good during meditation. If you are feeling super stressed or sad, you’ll feel ALL of that stress or sadness during your practice…. It is fabulous in the long-term, but in the short-term it can be tough.

While on vacation, sometimes I just want a little extra goodness... to feel relaxed. And today’s meditation is that little bit extra to help us relax. This practice is great for days when you are feeling overwhelmed, too many thoughts in your head, or just wanting an extra sweet practice.

Enjoy!

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

The way we speak to ourselves directly informs how we speak to others. Our meditation practice is a gentle way to discover how we are talking to ourselves AND it gives us the gift of choice. Join me today for this brief meditation as we start to imbue our self-talk with kindness.

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

This month’s meditation series is all about taking your meditation practice deeper. One of the facets of a deepening meditation practice is known as Right Speech. The teachings around Right Speech offer us guidance for speaking in a way that gives rise to peace and happiness within oneself and others. It is a practice of speaking deep, kind truth. And, perhaps most importantly, it is a practice that begins within Self. 

Yep, the way we talk to ourselves DIRECTLY impacts how we speak to others. The heart sets the tone for our speech, and our meditation practice allows us to notice and evolve the tone of our heart. This practice commits us to a greater awareness of body, mind and emotions. It makes it possible to recognize what we are going to say as we prepare to say it - and it gives us the gift of choice.

Ready to explore Right Speech for yourself? Tune into The Mindful Minute today for a discussion about speech and 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/ 

***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

Alfred Brendel tells us “The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.”

If you want to take your meditation practice deeper, you must first become comfortable with silence. In this week’s mini meditation, we practice cultivating the skill of deep listening within our meditation practice. We will create a space that is free of agitation, distraction, and reaction. And, if you choose to grab a journal, I’m also sharing one of my favorite ways to hone the skill of deep listening.

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

This month’s meditation series is all about taking your meditation practice deeper. As we dive into a meditation practice, one of the common quandaries we run into is what do we DO with the practice as it starts to affect us? As we begin to quiet down and listen more, how do we work with all that we discover? When and where does change happen?

Well, this deepening starts with a practice of deep listening.

Alfred Brendel tells us “The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.”

If you want to take your meditation practice deeper, you must first become comfortable with silence.

Our minds offer us the most incredible gift; they are simultaneously able to “do” and to “witness”. This means it is possible to think a thought AND to notice that thought at the same time. This ability to witness our innermost thoughts, this is deep listening.

For us to be able to hear our thoughts, we must cultivate a space that is absent of agitation, distraction and, most importantly, reaction. If we pull the judgment card, we are effectively silencing the words we most need to hear.

Read to listen? Tune into today’s episode of The Mindful Minute for a  talk and 20-minute meditation practice. Be sure to grab a notebook or journal as you settle in, I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to build the skill of deep listening at the end of today’s episode!

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

A 10-minute meditation meant to help you reconnect to yourself and your day in a more alivened way. Use this practice to support a daily, home meditation practice.

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