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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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Can you be relaxed in a chaotic world? Kelly shares two science-based insights.
Hi, it's Kelly Boys here.
I've been asked to answer the
question: How can I relax when
the world feels so chaotic?
Hearing this question makes
me feel the poignancy of this
moment we're in globally.
And I want you to know I've been
working with a question myself lately.
I'd love to share two pointers that have
helped me and I've also seen help others
regarding how to relax when the world
feels and actually is really chaotic.
These answers are based on a scientific
understanding of the body and brain.
The first pointer I'd like to offer is
to take your nervous system seriously.
It's easy to dismiss our body and brain's
stress response as we resonate with the
chaos around us, you know, in the world
and possibly also in our communities
and families, and even in ourselves.
We think we are overreacting, we can blame
ourselves and we wish we could just relax.
After all, nothing bad perhaps is
going on in our own personal lives.
But our primitive brain response is
designed to feel the stress around
us and to mirror it in ourselves.
It's an order to mobilize and take
action to survive and to thrive.
So just think of someone who is
relaxing at the side of a stream
and see someone having difficulty
swimming in front of them.
We are wired to activate mirror neurons
and to recognize what that person's
struggling to swim might be experiencing.
So we can mobilize to jump in
the water and help save them.
It would be weird, right?
If that person continued to just relax
and look at the trees, swing in the wind.
So we need to acknowledge the positive
functionality of our nervous system.
It's here to help us in our
world and to keep us safe.
So one way to take your nervous
system seriously is to notice
your level of activation.
Perhaps your whole body is tight
after watching the news, you know,
after talking to family or friends
that are experiencing hardship.
Acknowledge what is present
by naming it inwardly.
Oh, my belly is tight.
Acknowledge this is a natural response
to viewing the chaos around you globally.
Your body is actually right on track
with a mobilized stress response.
But here's where you can then step
in and harness the energy of your
nervous system in a positive way.
You take a moment, you
breathe into your belly.
You've named your experience,
and you've normalized it.
As you breathe into your belly,
you're bringing yourself back to
a sense of relaxation and calm.
So this is a tool that will help us
to have balance and relaxation in the
face of a world that is really chaotic.
And the thing is, many of us
are not facing an immediate
crisis right in front of us.
So the world and our communities
need us to be able to work with our
own nervous system response in order
to have enough calm and relaxation
to find the best action, instead of
moving from a stress response and fear.
So our systems are designed for that one
discreet moment when it's all or nothing.
We have to act now or we're
going to jump into the stream.
But yet the chronic stress we face
makes it absolutely imperative that
we harness the energy of our nervous
systems so we can bring all of ourselves
to the chaos that does surround us.
So the tip here is acknowledge your
nervous system is operating normally, take
it seriously, name your experience, and
then take an action, like a deep breath
or another moment of self-care and down
regulate, letting your body and mind
relax even in the midst of the chaos.
The next pointer that helps
me tremendously is to engage
a sense of play and humor.
So when you take a wider lens view,
you can see yourself within the
larger context of things, and you
can bring a lightness, even in the
midst of what is chaotic around you.
It's really essential that your
nervous system is able to feel
a sense of play and laughter.
For me, I recently had truly a
three month bout of what I think was
COVID and there weren't any tests
available in this state where I live.
So I don't know that it was, but
I was very sick for a time period.
And at different points in the process,
even though it was really challenging,
I would laugh and I would say, okay,
when are the murder hornets coming?
You know, it's something that had been in
the news about these large hornets that
were going to swarm the United States.
And after everything else that had
happened, it made me feel better to joke
about yet another thing beyond my control.
There's something interesting that can
occur in the presence of a lot of chaos.
We begin to let go of the
illusion of control and we
align more with life as it is.
So in that we begin to relax in the
midst of what is outside of our control.
It's like the cartoon where you see
a guy falling through space, yelling
and waving his arms in fright.
And then the next frame shows
him kicked back and relaxed and
it's entitled, two weeks later.
One teacher once to said, you know, the
bad news is that you're falling and the
good news is that there's no ground.
Hmm.
So in this way, you know, with the tools
of humor and play, we can learn a new way
to navigate the chaos that is around us.
It doesn't remove it, but it surely
gives us access to better choices
that aren't dependent only on our
nervous system's stress response.
Now I think in the midst of what's
happening in our world, there's this
invitation for us to actually move toward
a mindset of how can I help, instead of
just being focused on our own survival/
it's bringing us together in community.
Thank you for your practice.
And I wish you well, as you
work to relax amidst the chaos.
Remember today to be gentle, see
the beauty around you and most
importantly, be kind to yourself.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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