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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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Gratitude can totally transform our relationship with food, our bodies, and even our lives. Experience the effect first-hand in today's practice.
Hi, and welcome back to Day Four
of the Mindful Eating course.
Today, we'll be exploring the practice
of gratitude and how it can totally
transform our relationship with
food, our bodies, and even our lives.
So we know from previous lessons that
mindful eating involves listening to our
bodies, slowing down and tuning into our
senses so we can savor and enjoy our food.
But to truly appreciate our food, we
need to widen our circle of awareness
of where our food comes from and
add a secret ingredient, gratitude.
Gratitude is a wholehearted
embrace of the present moment.
It sees fullness and
wholeness instead of lack.
It leans into and embraces what's already
here and now, instead of looking for
more or wanting to fix or change things.
We can have such a strong tendency to
overlook what we already have in search
of something different or something more.
Gratitude is an antidote to constant
striving, craving, and struggling.
It allows us to open up to our
moments and our lives with a sense of
lightness, ease and even reverence.
So by slowing down and bringing gratitude
into the way we eat, we begin to cultivate
an authentic love of life that can ripple
out into all corners of our daily living.
So let's give this practice a try now.
So inviting you to settle into
as comfortable a position as
possible for a short meditation.
Allowing the eyes to close,
if that feels okay for you.
And as a support to settling into the
present moment a little more fully,
taking three deep, slow, full breaths.
So breathing in.
And breathing out.
Two more breaths in the same way.
That's it.
And then after the next exhale, letting
go of any control of the breathing.
And just let the breath settle into
its own natural rhythm and pace.
But continuing to pay attention
to wherever you feel the breath
moving the most easily in the body.
Just feeling the sensations of the
breath as the body breathes in.
And as the body breathes out.
Just feeling the flow of each breath.
The breath is something that
we so easily take for granted.
But isn't it a miracle right
now that the body is breathing?
It would be incorrect in a way
to say that you are breathing.
Your body is breathing for you.
It's been breathing since
the day you were born.
And in this moment, knowing that
the heart is beating for you too.
Your body is digesting food.
Your ears are hearing these words.
And what a miracle it is to have a
body that's taking care of all its
complex and interconnected functions.
And I invite you to think about for
a moment, the last meal that you ate.
And consider what it took for
that food to get into your hands.
What were all the different ingredients?
And how did they grow?
Take a moment to consider everything
that went into their growth.
The sunshine, the rain, time,
fresh air, soil with nutrients in
it, people planting it and then
nurturing it and then harvesting it.
And then there was all the
processing, the storing, the shipping.
You might choose now to simply be aware of
a certain amount of gratitude for everyone
that was involved in the cultivation
and the preparation of the food.
You might choose to take a moment
to be grateful for your body.
And how amazing it is that we
are a part of the circle of life.
And if you were sharing your last
meal with other people, perhaps
even taking a moment to acknowledge
your gratitude for their company.
And your love and care for them.
Letting this sense of gratitude
fill your body and your mind.
And then dropping your awareness back
into the feeling of your breathing.
Each moment of our lives, just like
the breath and each meal we eat, is
unique, unrepeatable and fleeting.
It will only be lived once.
And gratitude is the practice of
living our precious moments fully.
Our practice of gratitude may
start at the table, but it will
inevitably ripple out into our lives.
So when you're ready now, you might
like to take a deep breath in again.
Steady breath out.
And if you care to, opening the eyes.
So the invitation is that the
next time you sit down to eat a
meal, seeing if you can take this
attitude of appreciation with you.
Take a moment to consider before you
eat the journey of the food, how all the
ingredients grew, perhaps from a seed.
All the sun, water and nutrients
in the soil that it took to grow.
The people who helped bring
it on its journey to you.
And also appreciating the preciousness
of the people who might be there
enjoying your food with you or the
preparation you or someone else did
to make their meal before you ate.
Take a moment to ponder all of this
and fill yourself with gratitude
before you take the first bite.
As always thank you for
your practice today.
And I look forward to being back
here with you again for Day Five,
where we'll be exploring the theme
of overcoming the inner critic and
befriending the body and why that leads
to better overall health and wellbeing.
Until then, take care.
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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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You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
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Highly recommend.
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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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