Browse
Top articles
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
00:00
00:00
Duration
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.
Today, I'm going to explore our
relationship to material things.
So if you've been practicing meditation
for a while, you most likely have already
had the experience of, you know, sitting
there in meditation and focusing on the
object of meditation, maybe your breath,
and then suddenly a thought or an image
arises of a material thing you saw,
maybe a couple of days ago or weeks ago.
Maybe you saw it in an
advertisement or shop window.
It might've been a nice item of
clothing, a gadget or something for
the house, some sporting equipment.
And you know, these thoughts
have a real allure to them.
It really generates some feelings
of craving and anticipation.
Maybe we start to think about, you
know, where we're going to get this
thing or how we're going to get it, or
what we're going to do once we have it.
We think about sort of how much
happier we'll be once we have it.
Now the funny thing is that even though
we tend to get really pulled in by these
kinds of thoughts, most of us have had
this kind of thought loop many times
before where we think about the desired
thing, we went and got it, and we got some
temporary pleasure from it, and then we
just sort of become a bit bored with it
and moved on and started thinking about
the next thing we wanted to acquire.
Now, of course, there's absolutely nothing
wrong with thinking about and acquiring
things that we can enjoy for a while.
But at the same time, it's also really
helpful to deeply recognize that
those things won't actually bring
us any lasting sense of fulfillment.
And that that is what we most long
for, a lasting sense of fulfillment.
And I think it's just worth noting,
that if we find ourselves spending quite
a lot of time, a really significant
amount of time, thinking about all
the things that we want, then we're
spending a lot of time caught in a
mind state of craving and desire.
And that can actually steer us away from
the genuine sense of lasting contentment
and fulfillment that we long for.
So there's an opportunity here when
we're sitting in meditation and, you
know, wanting thought arises, it's really
valuable actually to practice a new way
of relating with those wanting thoughts.
So instead of always getting carried
away by it, we practice just treating
this thought like all other thoughts.
We acknowledge it without following it.
We let it arise and pass.
Of course, we can really carry
this into everyday life too.
Right?
One simple practice to use in everyday
life is when we find the mind getting
caught up in a pattern of wanting a lot
of material things, visualizing them,
getting really excited about them.
We can practice letting go of those
thoughts and just bringing the
focus back to the present moment.
And you know, really just enjoying what's
already here, what we already have.
So you can just take a moment in that
case to just connect with what's pleasant
in your immediate present experience.
You know, perhaps the sound of
birds, feeling your breath or a
cool breeze or whatever it is.
Now, again, this practice
doesn't mean that you're giving
up having nice things in life.
It's more about how much time and mental
energy is spent in a state of craving and
dissatisfaction versus cultivating a state
of contentment, gratitude and wholeness.
So there's the invitation for
today, to temper your cravings
and train your contentment.
We're going to explore this
more in today's meditation.
So let's start to settle in for that.
And as always, thank
you for your practice.
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
Congratulations on taking the first step towards a more mindful life! As a token of our appreciation, we want to offer you an exclusive opportunity to upgrade to Mindfulness Plus+ for a price you won't find anywhere else.
Mindfulness Plus+ is our premium membership that includes everything you need to learn mindfulness and keep practicing throughout all stages of life.
Take this exclusive offer to further your mindfulness skills and experience deeper levels of well-being.
Annual membership
$0
Just a small sample of the life-changing 5-star reviews we get on a daily basis.
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.
- 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.
-
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.