Short guided meditations to help you bring purpose to your day.
In this short episode you will learn my story and what helped me to digest and integrate the news.
A quick note behind the mission of this podcast. Tune weekly!
In this episode you will learn about and practice the tool which has been proven to boost creativity: capacity to generate ideas or focus on the idea at hand. This tool is accessible in your daily life, so once you understand it – you can do it anywhere and anytime.
This episode follows the steps of practice called RAIN, which is incredibly useful when we try to 'digest' or simply understand our emotional states. It requires us to pause and to face towards what is here, learning to see deeper and even stay with whats is uncomfortable in a kind and compassionate way.
As we practice mindfulness we cultivate awareness of the body, thoughts and emotions. Awareness of thoughts is a powerful skill which allows you to be familiar with your mental landscape and adjust it if necessary. The more you practice, the more familiar you become with annoying and useless thoughts which can prevent you from being content, attentive or simply at ease in the moment, here and now. Remember that thoughts should not be our masters. They are our servants. And sometimes we are so identified with our thoughts that we believe them 100%. I invite you to master your capacity to let go of thoughts we are useless in any given moment of time.
"Who is your enemy?" said the Buddha. "Mind is your enemy. No one can harm you more than a mind untrained. Who is your friend? Mind is your friend. No one can assist you and care for you better than your mind well-trained. Not even the most loving mother or father."
We spend too much time in our head – a mental control tower, obsessing over things we usually can't control. This practice is a tool to train our capacity to re-center yourself. Re-enter a state of being calm, focused and alert. Our body is always present. Our mind is a time traveller.
Some of us are training for marathons and triathlons. We are committed to our training in order to achieve the results that we want. Yet, some of the best coaches will confirm that training of the mind is as important as training of the body. And mindfulness can be very handy. In this meditation practice we will tap into training attention by paying attention to the breath. “It's only in the present moment that you can cultivate conscious flow in your life, achieve optimal levels of performance, and experience that exalted place called flow.”- George Mumford
Frank Zappa said: "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open". The most important skill we are training in mindfulness meditation is our ability to be present for our own life with an open, curious mind.
We continue to explore feelings and emotions – language of the body and heart. The number one step we learn is to simply notice what is here. What needs our attention. It can be a sense of feelings anxious, frustrated, sad, lonely or joyful, in love, excited!Then we allow whatever arises be present. We investigate, explore, watch what thoughts and body sensations assist the emotional state. We are not lost in this state but witness its presence. And finally we turn to it with kindness. You may whisper phrases like "this too belongs", "this too is part of being human". There is kindness directed inwards.
We don't always have control over how we feel. But we can hold ourselves accountable for how we deal with how we feel. Usually we are good at thinking about how we feel. In our mindfulness practice – we learn to experience emotion in our bodies. How does it FEEL when you are angry, anxious, sad, in love, excited? It takes mindfulness to notice, allow and learn from it. Welcome to the class!
As we explore mindfulness of thoughts, we are getting better at recognising that some thoughts are useless, others are repetitive. We learn to not associate ourselves with them. Thoughts are just thoughts – they come and go, and they don't have to effect us. We protect ourselves from negative and anxious thoughts, we are more likely to choose be present with what we are focusing on in the given moments. But first, we have to learn to notice them. There is no need in resisting them – only noticing is important for now. Welcome to the class!
One of the teachers told me: "if you want to understand your mind – sit down, and observe it." I find this a good summary of what we do in our mindfulness training. This week we will be exploring mindfulness of thoughts. We will literary be trying to observe our mind with its thoughts. Intention of our training at this point is not to stop thinking. Thoughts are not a problem. The problem may arise only when we are lost in our thoughts. And so many of us are so often lost in thoughts. Let's practice. Welcome to the class.
We continue practicing and train our capacity to be aware of our bodies. Listening and feeling, without trying to change anything. I also share three pillars of mindfulness practice. These are – attention, intention and attitude. All three are important in turning your training into a longer term routine.
We continue to train out attention. We also learn to be more aware of our body and breath. Trust me – this is the foundation. The body is always sending us some type of information. Yet we are so busy and lost in thoughts, that we miss the signs that our body is trying to tell us. What kind of signs? Well, it can tell us that it is uncomfortable, tense, stressed, hot, cold or even thirsty. Later – at the end of the day – we all of a sudden realise how exhausted we are.Learning to listen to the body is a powerful tool in preventing burnout. Time to practice. Welcome to the class.
This is your daily pause. Your workout for the the mind.Like in every body workout – we start with the main muscle. In mind training – we start with out attention. Attention is the most important muscle that we need to strengthen. It may not be easy at the beginning. Your mind will be distracted. You attention will be jumping around. This is absolutely natural. The key is to keep training it. Find a quiet space, comfortable seat and begin your class, now.
It's been a while since I recorded anything. And this time I am uploading a simple gratitude practice. It is so simple to be thankful, that most of us can't do it. And yet, it's a habit. A habit to look at the world though the prism of goodness and things that we already have. Gratitude practice has proven to increase a sense of well-being, and joy. See if it works for you. Name three things you are grateful for?
"One day teacher held up a beautiful Chinese cup and said "To me this cup is already broken. Because I know its fate, I can enjoy it fully here and now. And when it's gone, it's gone." When we understand the truth of uncertainty and relax – we may become free.We may lose our best piece of pottery in the fire, our start up business may go under, our children may develop problems beyond our control. If we focus only on the results we will be devastated. But if we know the cup is broken, we can give our best to the process, create what we can, and trust the larger process of life itself. We can plan, care for, tend and respond. But we cannot control. Instead we take a breath, and open to what is unfolding where we are."
Sometimes we reject our desires and call it discipline, will of power. Sometimes we act on all of the desires blindly, and call it addictions. In my opinion a more sustainable way of being is understanding your desires, learning to feel them come and go, learning to act on them only when we choose to. I call this wise wanting. It is not an easy task. The first step is to notice small wants and wishes in your meditation practice, right here, when you settled in and closed your eyes.
We can read all the books, and study with the best teachers, and yet our practice can be dull and shallow. The invitation is to read books and talk to teachers in order to create more energy and interest, but use your own investigation and consistent practice to cultivate wisdom and personal insight. Someone said – knowledge comes from studying. Wisdom come from living.
Some people meditate in order to achieve a certain altered state of mind, others – to have no thoughts. There are also those who just want to prove something. In mindfulness practice we train a skill of noticing and being. We learn to notice what is around us, and within us. Then we learn to be with all of these things patiently and compassionately. In essence, it is very simple. In this episode I share with you what we can notice in our practice. Thoughts is definitely one of the noticeable aspects. What else? Then I guide a short meditation practice. Enjoy.
We prefer some emotions, and we avoid others. In any case, we like to talk about how we feel, and we rarely fund time to simply feel. In this practice we will give it a try. What it feels like to feel without trying to change or improve anything? It can be scary. It may also be liberating. Give it a try.
When we begin practicing any type of meditation, it inevitably starts with one thing: training attention. Regardless weather you focus on your breath, body, sound, or mantra – first thing you need to do is to tame and train your attention. In this episode I will quickly share how we train attention. Then we will have a simple 3 minutes practice. Enjoy!
This is a 5 minute practice - pause to train your capacity to notice thoughts or emotions that are not useful right now.
The Guest HouseThis being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival.A joy, a depression, a meanness,some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor.Welcome and entertain them all!Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,who violently sweep your houseempty of its furniture,still, treat each guest honoraubly.He may be clearing you outfor some new delight.The dark thought, the shame, the malice.meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.Be grateful for whatever comes.because each has been sentas a guide from beyond.— Jellaludin Rumi.
Usually body scan practices are long. And this is good. Find time to do those as well. This 5 minute practice will allow you to tune in and feel your body as a whole, from toes to the crown of your head. They say that our mind is a time traveller. Our body –is always present ;)
This is a simple tool to slow down and shift gears. Be it at the end of your working day or between your meetings. A quick scan of mental, emotional and physical layers of being will inform your next choice – what to do next. Once you remember the script, you can do this practice any time, anywhere in 1 minute.
We tend to routinely rush forward toward the next good thing. We tend to focus too much on things that we believe are wrong. Finding time to notice current good things, letting them sink in, will strengthen your ability to notice more of them as the day goes on.
Emotions are inevitable. When we worry about future, we feel anxious. When we ruminate about the past – we may feel sad or angry. Emotions have right to exist. They make us human. Nevertheless, we believe that there are good and bad emotions. We don't like to feel sad, scared or angry. We prefer to feel joyful, in love and happy. The more we suppress certain 'bad' emotions, the more they persist, like demons, attacking and suffocating us. Yet. as we turn our face towards them eager to face what is there – the emotion tends to lessen, be tamed. When we locate the emotion in our body – it becomes something very tangible we can label and explore (burning, tensing, heating, squeezing). We become able to manage it or even befriend it.
Our exhale is meant to give us a sense of relaxation. Our heart slows down on exhale, our muscles relax, our belly softens. Knowing this we can enhance the power of exhalation, rest our mind, and let go of thoughts that are not useful right now. "We need to learn to exhale, then inhale will take care of itself."
I love this quote: “The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes - ah, that is where the art resides.” ― Artur SchnabelIsn't it exactly what we are trying to do when we find 5 min of silence, alone? I invite you to create and master these little pauses in our day in order to tune into the melody of the life you play.
Noticing simple things you have and being grateful for them can strengthen your sense of contentment and peace. Little effort – huge benefit. “The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see” – Robert Holden.
A simple guided meditation with a focus on showing compassion for yourself, your loved ones, and even those who are difficult. Take 5 minutes for yourself today. You deserve it."Anger and hatred are signs of weakness, while compassion is a sure sign of strength."-Dalai Lama
A simple guided meditation with a focus on finding your balance. What goes up must come down. Are you aware and present in these moments?Take 5 minutes for yourself today. You deserve it.'Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.'-Thich Nhat Hanh
A simple guided meditation with a focus on navigating life's difficulties. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn how to surf ;) Take 5 minutes for yourself today. You deserve it.“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” - Dalai Lama
A simple guided meditation with a focus on creating awareness of the moment, both pleasant and unpleasant. Appreciate the good ones. The bad ones... well, this too will pass.Take 5 minutes for yourself today. You deserve it.“There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen
A simple guided meditation with a focus on being your best self. Take 5 minutes for yourself today. You deserve it.“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy
A simple guided meditation for those who don't know where to start. Take 5 minutes for yourself today. You deserve it."Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you" - Anne Lamotte
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