Pretty Good Meditation

"There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen." —Rumi In this meditation, you are invited to practice listening to your inner voice. This is a chance to breathe deeply. Feel your body in stillness. Find your inner wisdom, and connect with the quiet truth that needs no words.

In this meditation, you will have a chance to breathe deeply. Let your mind settle. Feel the connection to everything around you. Embrace calm and joy with each breath. Then, you might carry this sense of peace into your day.

In this meditation, we focus on the theme of service, cultivating a sense of connection. We will gently scan the body, noticing areas of tension and relaxation, while breathing deeply and mindfully. Through this practice, we will explore how service feels within our body and heart, embracing both giving and receiving with openness and compassion.

In this meditation we focus on the theme of renewal. Take a break to breathe in new energy, release tension, and invite a sense of calm. Allow yourself to relax, explore, and rejuvenate. Feel the power of renewal in every breath and carry this refreshing sense with you throughout your day.

In this meditation, you will reflect on the inherent worth of every person, including yourself. Through mindful awareness and compassion, you will explore the shared humanity that connects us all, cultivating a deep sense of value and respect for everyone.

In this meditation, we explore transformation. Life changes, and we change with it. We'll breathe, gently noticing how we feel. Perhaps we let go of what doesn't serve us. We'll create space for strength and flexibility to grow with each breath. Change doesn't have to be hard. Come as you are, and you just might discover a new way to move through the world.

This brief meditation provides space to relax and reconnect. You settle into stillness, allowing your breath to guide you. Tension fades as you become aware of the ground beneath you and the calm around you. For a brief moment, you simply are, fully present.

In this meditation, we explore the ever-changing nature of life, from the impermanence of the breath to the transformations of the body, mind, and the world around us. As we reflect on the shifting nature of relationships, governments, and even the planet itself, we cultivate an awareness of the constant flow of change. By embracing the impermanence of all things, we learn to live more fully in the present, letting go of attachments and finding peace in the natural rhythms of life. Allow yourself to be present with the ebb and flow of existence, accepting that everything is in motion.

In this meditation, you will cultivate peace and kindness through the simple act of being present. As you scan your body, you will soften, allow compassion to grow, and let tension dissolve into ease. This practice invites you to release striving and rest in the stillness of the moment.

This meditation will guide your awareness through a body scan, noticing sensations in each part of your body. You'll gently release tension, soften, and cultivate a deeper connection to your physical self. This practice invites you to listen, relax, and nurture your body with mindfulness and compassion.

This mindfulness meditation explores the art of non-attachment. In this practice, you'll explore the freedom that comes from releasing what no longer serves you, both in your mind and body. Discover the peace of simply being, without clinging to expectations or possessions.

This calming meditation practice will guide you into deep relaxation and presence. You'll be invited to tune into the sensations of your body, release tension, and cultivate a sense of peace with every breath. Whether you're seeking to relax, ground yourself, or simply be present, this meditation will help you reconnect with the moment and embrace stillness within.

This meditation focuses on embracing impermanence and change. You'll explore the ebb and flow of life through guided breathing and reflective practices, fostering a sense of peace and awareness. Discover how accepting change can lead to personal growth and a lighter heart, allowing you navigate the challenges of life.

This rejuvenating meditation invites you to embrace both joy and suffering as part of the human experience. We'll explore concepts of compassion for ourselves and others, recognize the lessons hidden in our challenges, and cultivate a sense of gratitude. Take a moment to breathe, reflect, and connect with your inner self. It's a science-backed way to recharge and foster resilience.

This guided meditation focuses on embracing the grounding force of gravity to promote relaxation and stability. You are invited to connect with your bodies, letting go of tension and distractions while visualizing yourself as anchored and supported. The practice encourages a sense of calm, nurturing the awareness of being centered and present.

In this meditation, we explore the vital space between stimulus and response, encouraging mindfulness over autopilot. By reflecting on daily stimuli and our reactions to them, we cultivate calm and learn the importance of pausing to create awareness and intention. The practice emphasizes breathing, noticing sensations, and envisioning the potential within moments of stillness. Ultimately, it invites us to carry this awareness into our daily routines, enhancing our ability to respond thoughtfully to life's challenges.

At the start of a meeting, or whenever it feels right, I find it helpful to pause and take a moment to fully arrive. A few deep breaths can work wonders to reset the nervous system, helping us center ourselves and be present. This recording captures one of those moments at the start of a recent meeting, offering an invitation to pause, breathe, and reset.

This rejuvenating meditation is designed to foster inner peace and tranquility. It incorporates relaxation techniques, mindfulness practices, and loving-kindness meditation to help you ground yourself, alleviate stress, and cultivate a sense of calm. Take this time to prioritize mental and emotional well-being while enhancing resilience.

Yoga Nidra, also known as yogic sleep, is a guided meditation that induces a state of deep relaxation. It can be a wonderful practice for stress relief. In this practice, you will imagine a peaceful place where you feel completely safe and relaxed.

Connect to the present moment. Explore the depths of your consciousness. Discover the peace and clarity that arises from simply being in pure awareness. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/75.

In any moment, you have an opportunity to pause, reflect, and pay attention from the beginning to the end of one inhalation. Or one exhalation. You don't need to commit to any more. Yoga teaches us that there is nothing you need to grasp. This episode explores the benefits of one-breath meditation and offers suggestions for how to practice (hint: it's very easy!) and how to remember to pause.

Our society conditions us to be "human doings" rather than "human beings." But what might it be like to let go of our TODO lists, our goals, and our compulsion to always be "doing"? In this meditation we pause to feel the body and attune to our feelings in this moment. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/73. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Whether you call it loving-kindness meditation, metta meditation, well-wishing meditation, or something else, this kind of meditation has been shown to increase positive emotions, decrease negative emotions, increase empathy, and a whole lot more. In this practice we will cultivate feelings of kindness, goodwill, and warmth towards others. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/72. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Many of us get so wrapped up in ideas of trying to "become"" or to "get rid of" that we fail to notice the moments in our life. This meditation uses a quote by the wise sage, Dr. Seuss, to help us wake up to the present moment: "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you!" To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/71. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

This guided meditation uses imagery to relax the body. Your mind is represented as blue sky illuminated by rays of light. This practice is intended to bring about feelings of nourishment, protection, and relaxation. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/70. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Psychologists use the phrase "decentering" to denote the difference between our thoughts and reality. It's a practice the removes you from the center of your thinking. In this meditation we practice a variety of decentering techniques designed to help shift from a self-centered perspective to a nature-centered perspective. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/69. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this meditation, we examine the body as four elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element. This practice provides a method to go into the body based on material conditions. Not the stories the mind tells about the body. Not judgments. The reality of this moment. This practice can help us learn to let go of attachments and judgements about ourselves and other people To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/68. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Sometimes loving-kindness meditations focus on categories of people, starting with you, and then moving to someone who is easy to love, then family, friends, acquaintances, people that you do not like, people you've never met, etc. Other times, loving-kindness meditations take a more geographical approach, such as starting with you, the people you live with, neighbors, people that live in the same city, state, nation, or world, etc. In this meditation, we drop most of those categories and focus on the feeling of loving-kindness. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/67. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Most of the time, our minds are not satisfied, and instead are on the lookout for danger, scattered, or just board. In this meditation we use a mantra to help train the mind to appreciate the present moment: "This moment is perfect, whole, and complete." To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/66. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

We can't make much progress in meditation if we do not see the world for what it is. In this practice, we pay attention to how the mind draws us away from what is real. We pause, with the intention of letting go of those stories and seeing the world as it actually is. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/65. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

During meditation it is common to hear a sound or experience a feeling that sends the mind off, carried away and caught up in the future or the past. In this meditation we investigate the nature of the distractions, practice letting them go, and re-establish connection to the present. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0. Subscribe to my newsletter at matthewtift.com/newsletter.

In this meditation you will start by noticing how your body fits within the space of your own awareness. Using the physical sensations of the body and the flow of breath, this meditation allows you to practice centering your attention, stabilizing your awareness, and rest in the knowing. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/63. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Would you like a short break in your day? This brief centering practice provides a moment for you to give yourself the gift of a pause. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/62. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this meditation we begin by placing the body in a balanced, steady, and comfortable position. We allow a sense of relaxation to flow down through the body. We maintain a focus on the physical sensations in the body, training the mind to stay focused on the present moment. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/61. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

This episode begins with a breath meditation and then moves to a body scan to notice the effects of the breath meditation. Specifically, the goal of this practice is to notice feelings of inner peace, interrogate their characteristics, and observe their energy. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/60. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Sometimes desire can take over our lives. We start to believe that we really, really want something. But no thing can provide us with permanent happiness. In this meditation we explore desire and fulfilling our desire. We set the scene in an airport, at the moment when we are reunited with a dear friend or loved one. We bring to mind not just the happiness that arises from such moments, but also the limits to which those moments can satisfy.

In this meditation you will explore your inner desires and purpose. You will explore the feeling of desire in your body, imagine the your desire has been completely fulfilled, and then go a little bit deeper before considering the actual state of the present moment. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/58. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

This meditation begins with a body scan to help calm the mind and body. Then we open our awareness to all the senses, and rest in an awareness that reminds us of the ever-changing nature of life. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/57. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

The opposite of the stress response is the relaxation response. The relaxation response essentially turns off the fight-or-flight response. Meditation, breathing exercises, tai chi, and related practices can all be highly effective in calming the body. In this meditation you will focus on any single point that feels pleasurable. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/56. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0

Our bodies sense the world all day long, and yet it can be easy to ignore those signals as we move through daily life. In this meditation, pay attention to our senses, including sounds, smells, and touch and observe the effects. We notice if senses are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral without trying to change them. Learn more about me and subscribe to my newsletter at https://matthewtift.com. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this practice, you will count your breath in order to stay anchored in the present moment, aware of what is happening in your body and mind. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/54. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this meditation we explore the connections between our bodies, our breath, and the rest of the world. This calming practice can serve as a reminder that you are not alone and that your life is deeply dependent on the world around you. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/53. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Sometimes it can be nice to pause during the day, check-in with yourself, and send out some positive energy into the world. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/52. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this practice, you visualize your heart as a warm, glowing source of light. With each in-breath, the light begins to glow a bit more brightly, filling your body, your surroundings, and eventually the whole planet. This practices can help you sense your inter-connectedness with all beings on this earth. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/51. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this mindfulness exercises we will examine our bodies as the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind. These four elements represent the qualities of solidity, cohesion, temperature, and motion. This practice can help you quiet your mind and allow you to learn more about yourself. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/50. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this meditation, we start with focused attention to encourage feelings of calm and relaxation. They we observe the flowing nature of the present moment and allow space to cultivate a sense of non-grasping, or surrender. This practice allows you to develop your capacity to be in the here and now. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/49. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

One kind of meditation that has been show to be effective for reducing stress is a form of mindfulness meditation called body scan meditation, in which the practitioner focuses their attention on the various parts of their body. Body scan meditation is one of the techniques that the Buddha taught and it continues to be taught in many different present-day settings. Body scan meditation — which can be performed sitting, lying down, or in other positions — is frequently used in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs. More information about body scan meditations is available at https://matthewtift.com/managing-stress-body-scan-meditation. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/48. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Mental noting is a meditation technique in which we label experiences as they arise, often just using a single word to describe the experience in the current moment, such as "fear," "excitement," "joy," "feeling," or "thinking." The process of mental noting can help keep us grounded in the present moment and allow us to accept whatever is happening. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/47. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

In this meditation we bring attention to the points of contact with the body. We explore sensations, such as the feet touching the floor, hands on the lap, and clothing on the skin. These simple bodily sensations can help us to stay grounded in the present moment. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/46. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

This meditation includes a centering exercise, some simple breathing exercises (pranayama), and other practices to help promote relaxation. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/45. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Stanley Kubrick once said, "However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light." Given the current state of the world, it can feel like there is a lot of darkness. In this meditation you share your light with the world, visualizing the light emanating from your heart, shining out into the world. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/44. The background music is "Beautiful Relaxing Music for Stress Relief" by Relaxing Music and the theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes, both licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0.