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

By Meryl Arnett, Meditation Teacher & TrainerScience Health & Fitness Mental Health Education Self-Improvement Nature

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

February 19, 2025 Guided Evening Meditation: Release the Day's Tension (For the Overwhelmed Mind)
Just The Meditation ✨
Do you ever find yourself lying in bed, unable to turn off your mind—still thinking about the stress of the day or worrying about tomorrow?
End-of-day fatigue and mental chatter can make it hard to truly unwind, leaving you restless and disconnected. But what if you could release the tension and reclaim your evenings with a simple, soothing meditation?
In this episode, you will consciously release the day's tensions and reconnect with yourself before sleep with a beautiful visualization practice where each moment of your day becomes a bubble, released back to the universe with every exhale.
Experience the profound shift that comes from consciously naming and releasing the thoughts vying for your attention.
Our meditation music in this episode is the wild, diverse and secluded beaches of Hawaii as recorded by Nick McMahan. The ocean waves help to carry away the stress of the day.
Take a deep breath, let it all go, and press play to experience this powerful end-of-day meditation!
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and nature soundscapes each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing.
Follow Nick’s audio projects: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at: https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
11 min
February 17, 2025 Overwhelmed by Noon? Try This Quick Lunch Break Meditation for Stress Relief
Overwhelmed? Stressed? Anxious? Try this quick 10-minute, lunch break meditation that is designed to reset the nervous system and quiet the mind.
No chatter; no distractions - this episode is JUST THE MEDITATION.
Pop-in your headphones, settle into a comfy spot and let's meditate on our lunch break.
Today's meditation music comes to us from a bamboo forest on the road to Hana - almost musical, definitely rhythmic, and always soothing.
Take a few minutes for yourself and experience this grounding meditation—press play and feel the shift instantly!
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and nature soundscapes each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing. Hear more from this location on Nick's website: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/dawn-on-haleakala
Learn about Quiet Parks International’s conservation work: https://www.quietparks.org
Follow Nick’s audio projects: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at:
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
8 min
February 13, 2025 Midday Reset: A 10-Minute Lunch Break Meditation for Anxiety Relief
Do you ever start your day with the best of intentions—only to find yourself overwhelmed by midday, rushing through lunch, and feeling completely drained?
Midday stress can quickly derail even the best-planned day, leaving you exhausted and disconnected from yourself. But what if just 5-10 minutes of mindfulness could reset your nervous system and bring you back to center? In this episode, Meryl Arnett shares a simple yet powerful lunchtime meditation to help you feel grounded, refreshed, and ready to take on the rest of your day.
Learn how to create a midday reset—even on your busiest days
Discover a breathing technique that calms the mind and body in minutes
Experience the power of nature-inspired soundscapes, blended with steady tones like singing bowls and chimes, to bring a sense of grounding and stability to your practice. Today's meditation music comes to us from a bamboo forest on the road to Hana - almost musical and definitely rhythmic.
Take a few minutes for yourself and experience this grounding meditation—press play and feel the shift instantly!
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and nature soundscapes each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing. Hear more from this location on Nick's website: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/dawn-on-haleakala
Learn about Quiet Parks International’s conservation work: https://www.quietparks.org
Follow Nick’s audio projects: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at:
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
15 min
February 10, 2025Wake Up with Gratitude: Morning Nature Meditation from Maui (Start Your Day Calm & Free from Anxiety)
What if you could start your day feeling grounded, grateful, and clear-minded—without the noise and distractions?
In this peaceful guided meditation, you’ll be immersed in the sounds of a Maui sunrise, setting the tone for a day filled with intention and gratitude. No chatter, no clutter—just a mindful practice designed to help you cultivate calm, connection, and resilience from the moment you wake up.

Awaken with a sense of gratitude and purpose
Feel deeply connected to nature’s rhythm and energy
Begin your day with clarity, focus, and inner peace
Press play now to experience a meditation that transforms your morning into a moment of stillness, gratitude, and renewal.
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:
https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
11 min
February 06, 2025Morning Meditation: From Cushion to Daily Life | Guided Practice & Tips
This week, we explore how to weave mindfulness through our entire day, starting with a gentle morning practice that sets our intentions and opens our hearts to daily gifts.
What We'll Share Together:
A gentle morning practice that helps us set our day's intention
Some thoughts about consistency (spoiler: it matters more than duration!)
A beautiful concept called the cycle of reciprocity that might just change how you see your day
Real, practical ways to stay connected to our practice, even when life gets busy
Our Practice Today:
A 20-minute guided meditation (but remember, even 3 minutes counts!)
Time to settle in and get comfortable
Space to notice the gifts already present in your day
A chance to set an intention that really means something to you
Plenty of room for whatever arises
Meditation Music:
The natural soundscape comes from a recording high on the slopes of Haleakalā, Maui. Many of the bird calls belong to local and endangered species, which Nick McMahan had the opportunity to capture while studying the region's sound ecology for Quiet Parks International.
Ideas We'll Explore:
Robin Wall Kimmerer's lovely cycle of reciprocity: attention, gifts, gratitude, and reciprocity
Why morning practice can be special (but it's totally okay if you're not a morning person!)
How to name specific intentions (because "good" isn't quite enough)
Ways to notice the gifts already present in our lives
A Story That Inspired Today's Practice:
I'll share a beautiful story about a climate journalist who found her way back to joy through really seeing the plants around her. It's from "The Light Eaters" and connects so beautifully with Robin Wall Kimmerer's ideas in "Braiding Sweetgrass."
This Practice Might Be Just Right If:
You're looking for ways to carry your practice beyond the cushion
You want to start your day with intention (at whatever time feels right)
You're curious about building a practice that really fits your life
You're ready to explore what consistency might look like for you
What's Coming Next:
We'll continue exploring how to weave mindfulness through our days together, looking at moments like lunch and dinner. I'm excited to share this journey with you!
21 min
January 30, 2025 The Call of the Woodpecker: A Nature-Inspired Meditation to Soften Anxiety and Find Connection
Welcome back to Our Mindful Nature! This week, we explore how the woodpecker's drumming can guide us in releasing emotional armor, including anxiety and overwhelm, and deepening our connection with the natural world.
What You'll Experience:
- A guided meditation synced with the woodpecker's natural drumming pattern
- Gentle body scanning and breath awareness practice
- An invitation to let nature's rhythms soften our emotional armor
Meditation Music Details:
- Morning bird chorus recorded in a California coniferous forest
- Featured sounds include woodpecker drums, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Warbling Vireo, Douglas' Squirrel, and Mountain Chickadee
- All nature sounds recorded and edited by Gordon Hempton
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at:
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Thank you to Gordon Hempton for the use of his nature recordings. You can find him at: https://soundtracker.com/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
instagram.com/merylarnett
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
7 min
January 23, 2025Ocean Meditation: Exploring Dreams, Oracle Cards & the Subconscious (Overwhelmed? Try This Calming Practice)
Exploring the Depths of Awareness
In this final episode of our heartfulness series, we’re diving below the surface of mindfulness into the rich, uncharted waters of the subconscious. While mindfulness often focuses on our conscious, waking mind, heartfulness invites us to explore the deeper layers of our being — the parts of us that dwell in dreams, intuition, and quiet knowing.
What We Discuss in This Episode:
How mindfulness works with the thinking mind, while heartfulness taps into the subconscious.
Why Albert Einstein’s wisdom—“You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it”—is a call to explore beyond conscious thought.
The subconscious as a vast glacier: what lies beneath the surface is so much more expansive than what we can see.
Practical ways to work with dreams to access your subconscious and deepen your self-awareness:
Setting a dream intention before sleep.
Dream work practices like journaling, drawing, or asemic writing.
Dream queries: engaging with symbols or characters from your dreams to uncover their teachings.
Dream associations: noticing and connecting elements of your dreams to waking life.
Oracle collage: using cards or imagery to weave meaning and insights from your subconscious.
What You’ll Experience:
A dreamy, ocean-inspired soundscape featuring dawn on the east side of Maui near the dormant volcano Haleakala as recorded by nature field recordist Nick McMahan.
A grounding ocean-based meditation to “sink beneath the iceberg,” expanding your awareness into the depths of your subconscious.
Tips for welcoming daydreams and staying awake to the dreams that emerge in your meditation practice.
Slip on your headphones, drift into the dreamy soundscape, and let’s explore the heartful depths together.
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:
https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
instagram.com/merylarnett
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
22 min
January 16, 2025Intention & Attention: Nature-based Meditation for Heartfulness
Welcome back to Our Mindful Nature! This week, we’re continuing our heartfulness series by stepping off the meditation cushion and into the great outdoors.
Last episode, we explored the softer, heart-led practice of meditation — a way of being curious, embodied, and a co-participant in the experience rather than its manager. But heartfulness isn’t just for meditation; it’s a lens for living. And one of the most powerful ways to nurture heartfulness is by connecting with nature.
What We Discuss in This Episode:
Did heartfulness shift your meditation practice this past week?
How spending intentional time in nature can open your heart and deepen your awareness.
Overcoming “green blindness” — seeing the familiar world around us with fresh curiosity and care.
Bringing committed intention and attention to every moment, whether it’s in nature, your relationships, or your work.
What You’ll Experience:
A grounding invitation to spend 10 minutes outdoors, truly seeing what’s around you.
Practical tips for practicing heartfulness in your daily life, even beyond nature.
Meditation Music
Today’s meditation is set to a beautiful new soundscape combining earth and elemental sounds and singing bowls, designed to help you connect to the present moment with intimacy and curiosity.
All nature sounds are recorded and edited by nature field recordist Nick McMahan.
Put on your headphones, step outside, and join us as we explore heartfulness in nature. Let’s see what this moment has to offer.
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:
https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
instagram.com/merylarnett
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
18 min
January 09, 2025New Year's Day Guided Nature Meditation: Heartfulness, A Softer Path in 2025
Happy New Year and welcome back to Our Mindful Nature, where we explore the intersection of meditation, nature, and mental health. Let’s start the year by diving into a fresh, gentler perspective on mindfulness — or should we say, heartfulness?
In this episode, I share a thought that’s been swirling in my mind: what if we reframed our practice? While in the West, meditation is often translated as “mindfulness,” the original Pali word aligns more closely with the concept of “heartfulness.” Imagine how this shift might change the way we experience meditation practice and life.
What We Discuss in This Episode:
Why mindfulness in the West focuses so much on the intellect and how this reflects our cultural values.
The richness of practicing from the heart: a softer, more embodied approach.
How heartfulness isn’t just about sitting on a cushion but about cultivating a way of being.
Simple, actionable steps to embrace heart-awareness in your practice.
A Guided Practice:
We’ll close the episode with a short nature-based meditation to explore heartfulness together. Feel the warmth of the season and settle into a sense of connection with your inner landscape.
Tune in to explore a gentler, more heartfelt way to nurture your mental health, connect with nature, and deepen your meditation practice.
Let’s Connect:
Enjoyed the episode? Let us know your thoughts! Share your reflections on social media and tag us at @merylarnett.
Ready to embrace heartfulness? Hit play and let’s journey inward together.
Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.
Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:
https://www.nickcmcmahan.com
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/
Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting
merylarnett.com
instagram.com/merylarnett
youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
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.
19 min
December 19, 2024Winter Solstice Guided Meditation; Live Retreat Recording (Anxiety Relief & Nature-Inspired Reflection)
Today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature - a live recording of my Winter Solstice meditation retreat - is the perfect practice to welcome in the winter season. A mini meditation retreat you can do at home!
The Winter Solstice is always a discussion of light and dark. Mythology abounds, as do rituals of celebration and reflection.
In this class, you will hear some of the mythology surrounding the Winter Solstice. We will explore what it means to ‘harvest the fire’ in this season; we will talk about caves, bees, fire and honey.
At the end, you will experience a longer, guided meditation that takes you through a reflection of the year and an inquiry into what is to come next in 2025. You can use this as a time to set intentions for the season or the new year.
So grab your tea, light your fire, and settle in as we welcome Winter.
In this episode, you hear:
The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper
Wintering by Sylvia Plath
Sounds of the natural world recorded by Nick McMahan
I hope you enjoy! This is the last episode of 2024. We will back in 2025 with all new episodes, guests and practices to share ❄️
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.
28 min