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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, we're going to talk
about why you may not be able to focus.
A lot of people come to a
meditation practice because they're
trying to improve their focus.
Maybe you've received a
diagnosis of ADD, ADHD.
I got that when I was younger.
And we see this as a practice,
actually train our attention to,
to focus more one pointed and in
a way that we can bring that into
our conversations and in our life.
And it's true.
Meditation practice
can develop that focus.
We see this through the
research consistently.
However, sometimes the reason we're
not able to focus isn't just because
we haven't trained our mind well,
but instead, because we're navigating
a lot of stuff beneath the surface.
Maybe we're going through
something difficult that is putting
our nervous system in a fight
flight freeze or fawn response.
This could be an isolated trauma or even
just the ecosystem that we're in that
is perpetuating a sense of needing to
be in survival mode or protective mode.
When you're in that state, the
last thing your mind is interested
in is focusing on your breath or
doing something like a body scan.
It wants its awareness to be
expansive to all the things around
you so that it can be assessing
what the next threat is and have it
scarred up in relationship to that.
Can you imagine how it would be
very difficult to focus on one
thing when you're in that state?
And yet many of us live
our lives in that state.
And it's one of the, one of the things
that I can sometimes get frustrated
with in relationship to teaching
meditation, where it's not necessarily
that a person just needs to, okay,
get better at focusing on the breath.
There's a more holistic
approach that can be needed.
Looking at your environment,
looking at the things that you're
going through, maybe changing a
toxic relationship that you're in.
All of those things are important
and sometimes get excluded from the
narrative of personal growth and
wellbeing through the lens of meditation.
So I want, at the very
least, to acknowledge that.
And if you are going through
something like that, it doesn't
mean that you can't meditate.
What I would suggest, though, is at
the beginning of your practice, just to
acknowledge that you might be experiencing
something difficult and your nervous
system may be in a more reactive state and
it could be hard to focus on the breath.
It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.
It's just a natural part of the experience
when the nervous system is like that.
So you can do some grounding things.
Remind yourself that in this
moment, explore what are
the ways that you are safe.
You might look at the ceiling above you,
the walls around you, something that you
might hold on to like a rock or even a
teddy bear that's comfortable, something
that's soothing for the nervous system.
And then instead of going directly
into a more concentrated practice,
like the breath, just give
yourself the space to do some deep
breathing, but in a spacious way.
Breathing.
And exhaling.
And allow your body to settle some
of that extra tension that you're
noticing in the nervous system,
give that the space just to soften.
And when you find yourself to start
to recollect into a more centered,
calm state, then you can move toward
more of those one pointed practices,
like focusing on the breath or doing
something in the body, like a body scan.
But first, often, we just need to
give ourselves the space to settle.
Let the nervous system be reminded
that in this moment it's safe.
It doesn't need to be on guard, and
then move into our meditation practice.
This is just a nuance that I think
is important as we're navigating our
meditation practice and is relevant
at different points in our life.
Thank you for your practice.
Let's settle in for today's meditation.
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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.
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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
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.
-
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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