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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, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about a two step approach to dealing with restlessness if it comes up in meditation. So, first of all, it's important to know that it's really quite common to feel restless from time to time in our practice. It really happens to all of us. Sometimes it can occur because we're going through a period of stress in our lives, and so the mind is quite agitated or it could be that we've had a really busy day or a really difficult day and so our body and mind are kind of revved up.
Sometimes it can happen because there's pain in the body or discomfort of some kind, so that can bring on restlessness. And some days you know, we just experience agitation, impatience, or an unsettledness in ourselves for really no good reason that we can understand. It just arises. But when it does, when restlessness is there, it's very tempting in those moments to just think, you know, okay, this practice is not working today, or I'm no good at meditation, and you just get up and walk away from the practice. Or maybe we sit there, but we kind of grit our teeth and try to just get through the meditation.
Or perhaps we start wandering off into constant distractions so that we don't have to feel so directly the uncomfortableness of what we're feeling. But from the perspective of mindfulness, these strategies are all different forms of trying to run away from that restless feeling. Whereas what we want to learn is to cultivate throughout practice this ability to stop running from our feelings so that we can bring awareness and compassion to them. So we transform our relationship with the restless. So you can deal with restlessness in two simple steps.
The step one is simply to allow it and relax with it. So in this step, you can start by mentally saying to yourself, okay, restlessness is here. This is a way of bringing acceptance to the feelings. So you're essentially saying, okay, I see you restlessness. You're welcome here.
And then you just kind of have a sense of making room for it in your experience. You don't have to like it or want it. You're just accepting that it's here. Now, if the restlessness is only mild, that might be enough. You don't need to give it any more attention that it really needs.
But if the restlessness is really pulling at your attention, then you go to step two. Now step two is to basically take your focus off the object of meditation, say the breath, for example, and actually bringing a curious, kindly and compassionate awareness right into wherever you feel the sensations of the restlessness the strongest in the body and explore them. I like to imagine that I'm breathing a kindly and soothing awareness right into and out from the sensations of restless. Now it might sound counter intuitive to move closer to the feeling, but if you can deliberately surround the agitation with a calm, accepting awareness, then you transform your relationship to the feeling and train your mind to stay steady in presence and peace, no matter what emotion is passing through it. We'll explore this a little more in today's meditation.
So let's now settle in for that. And as always, thank you for your practice.
Two Steps to Deal With Restlessness in Meditation
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about a two step approach to dealing with restlessness if it comes up in meditation. So, first of all, it's important to know that it's really quite common to feel restless from time to time in our practice. It really happens to all of us. Sometimes it can occur because we're going through a period of stress in our lives, and so the mind is quite agitated or it could be that we've had a really busy day or a really difficult day and so our body and mind are kind of revved up.
Sometimes it can happen because there's pain in the body or discomfort of some kind, so that can bring on restlessness. And some days you know, we just experience agitation, impatience, or an unsettledness in ourselves for really no good reason that we can understand. It just arises. But when it does, when restlessness is there, it's very tempting in those moments to just think, you know, okay, this practice is not working today, or I'm no good at meditation, and you just get up and walk away from the practice. Or maybe we sit there, but we kind of grit our teeth and try to just get through the meditation.
Or perhaps we start wandering off into constant distractions so that we don't have to feel so directly the uncomfortableness of what we're feeling. But from the perspective of mindfulness, these strategies are all different forms of trying to run away from that restless feeling. Whereas what we want to learn is to cultivate throughout practice this ability to stop running from our feelings so that we can bring awareness and compassion to them. So we transform our relationship with the restless. So you can deal with restlessness in two simple steps.
The step one is simply to allow it and relax with it. So in this step, you can start by mentally saying to yourself, okay, restlessness is here. This is a way of bringing acceptance to the feelings. So you're essentially saying, okay, I see you restlessness. You're welcome here.
And then you just kind of have a sense of making room for it in your experience. You don't have to like it or want it. You're just accepting that it's here. Now, if the restlessness is only mild, that might be enough. You don't need to give it any more attention that it really needs.
But if the restlessness is really pulling at your attention, then you go to step two. Now step two is to basically take your focus off the object of meditation, say the breath, for example, and actually bringing a curious, kindly and compassionate awareness right into wherever you feel the sensations of the restlessness the strongest in the body and explore them. I like to imagine that I'm breathing a kindly and soothing awareness right into and out from the sensations of restless. Now it might sound counter intuitive to move closer to the feeling, but if you can deliberately surround the agitation with a calm, accepting awareness, then you transform your relationship to the feeling and train your mind to stay steady in presence and peace, no matter what emotion is passing through it. We'll explore this a little more in today's meditation.
So let's now settle in for that. And as always, thank you for your practice.
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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
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You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
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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.
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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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