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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, welcome back to
your Daily Mindfulness.
In today's session, I want to talk
about the progression from being
unaware of thoughts to developing
a meditative awareness of thoughts.
So for many of us, when we're coming to
a meditation practice, we come to it from
a place of not actually being aware of
the thoughts moving through our minds.
The thoughts are just coming and going.
Many thousands throughout the day, and
they're influencing our emotions, what we
feel and subsequently how we're behaving.
And the majority of that is
happening on automatic pilot, which
is, is normal, especially if you
don't have much training in this.
And so the first transition that we go
to from that unconsciousness to awareness
is just a basic awareness that, oh, there
are thoughts moving through my mind and
I can notice them as they're arising.
This is a really key insight in meditation
practice that happens very early on.
In fact, for me, I remember it.
The first time I ever meditated,
it was really profound that I could
watch thoughts moving through my
mind without being caught up in them.
I could watch the tone of the thoughts.
I could watch what they were saying
to me and what I should be thinking
and what I should be feeling.
I was like, whoa, there is so
much going on here that I'm
never paying attention to.
And so it was really revelatory
for me just to be able to see that.
And it is for many people.
And so in this stage, you
go from unaware to aware.
And the way we can think of that
is I'm watching my thoughts.
The sense of you becomes awareness itself.
There's the I that is awareness
and there's the thoughts which is
something that you can observe.
And this can go on for very long periods
of time in the meditation and really
for much of our meditation career.
We can take this orientation.
But there is another maturing perspective
that happens that is more akin to a
deeper meditative awareness than this
sense of there's an I watching thoughts.
And this is the shift from I'm watching
thoughts to watching is happening.
Watching is happening.
So see if you can just
feel the distinction there.
I'm watching my thoughts
to watching is happening.
In the first one, awareness is
still kind of like a sense of self.
It's a sense of, I.
Just I'm more in the backdrop.
In the second one, the awareness is
almost something that we're watching.
It's like, oh, there are thoughts
happening, and then there's
awareness of the thoughts happening.
And it's all unfolding really without
much of a sense of me or an I doing
anything in relationship to it.
It's just arising moment
by moment by moment.
And the reason I say this is a maturing
meditative awareness is because what
is happening here is that your sense of
self is becoming more and more expansive.
In some sense, it's becoming smaller
and smaller because we're reducing that
the sense of like, oh, there's an I
who is doing the thinking and watching
the thinking and really dropping into
this much more spacious consciousness
that's just, oh, there's a thought.
Oh, there's awareness of thoughts.
There's thoughts and awareness of
thoughts is happening rather than
I have to be aware of thoughts.
The thoughts are there and the
awareness is just happening organically.
So it's a, it's a subtle distinction.
And Tara Brach says something
similar where she says, oh,
awareness is meditating.
Not I'm meditating, which is sort of
the perspective of I'm watching my
thoughts, but awareness is meditating.
So awareness is just doing the practice.
See how this lands for you.
It might be a perspective you
want to drop into your meditation.
It might not feel like the right
time and it might not land well and
that could be less about you and more
about how I'm explaining it to you.
But it is a subtle distinction and
it can be something can, can shift
how your meditation unfolds and
even some of the sense of doing
that can come up in meditation.
Like I have to do this, I
have to be aware of this.
I have to be good at this.
All of that can reinforce a
sense of ego, a sense of self.
And what we're aiming for is just more
and more of a sense of like, what is
the fundamental nature of experience.
There's thoughts, there's emotions,
there's sensations and there's
awareness of the whole thing.
And all of that can just unfold and we can
become the ultimate observer of it all.
And even the part of us that's
observing, we could stand behind
that and watch that happen as well.
So see if you can play around with
this in your meditation practice today.
Thank you for your practice and let's
settle in for today's meditation.
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Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
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Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
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