The good of letting go

Today's practice is all about "letting go" of certain thoughts that we no longer need (the kind that may have been useful once, but their purpose has run its course). What does it mean to "let go" of thoughts? How do we do this? Is it ok if they come back? Can we meditate our thoughts away? More on that in the episode before the practice. Enjoy!
 
Listen to "Ep 520 - Letting Go + Sat Yam Meditation"
 

What’s in this episode of Everyday Meditation?

• Welcome + getting situated, with a few words on letting go of thoughts
• A little lead-in movement: Cat/cow
• Breathing practice: Alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana)
• Meditation technique (awareness kriya): Sat Yam (let go)
• A little re-grounding movement: Seated side fold

As always, I encourage you to make yourself at home in this practice: substitute, modify, do as you need to feel safe and present, including taking breaks!

Integration suggestion

After listening to the episode, perhaps check in: did you notice something that you want to carry with you? If yes, maybe jot it down in a notebook or record a voice memo to help you remember!

 
Be moving, be true, be you

 
 

photo credit sui yun, found on unsplash

We all need comforting

Spending time being comfortable --being in comfort, in our comfort zone-- is a necessary part of moving forward in life. (So is time spent being challenged, but that's a topic for another time.) And there are many ways to return to comfort when you need to -- doing things you love, spending time with people who make you feel good, and adopting practices that help your nervous system move towards your "happy place," such as meditation and yoga 😉 More on that in the episode!

You can also ignore all that and just practice in the way that suits you best! Enjoy!
 
Listen to "Ep 514 - Comforting Self + Humming Mantras Meditation" on Spreaker.
 

What’s in this episode of Everyday Meditation?

• Welcome + getting situated, with a few thoughts on comforting self/Self
• A little lead-in movement: Seated side stretch
• Breathing practice: Long exhale
• Meditation technique (awareness kriya): Humming Mantra
• A little re-grounding movement: Kneeling lunge

As always, I encourage you to make yourself at home in this practice: substitute, modify, do as you need to feel safe and present, including taking breaks!

Integration suggestion

After listening to the episode, perhaps check in: did you notice something that you want to carry with you? If yes, maybe jot it down in a notebook or record a voice memo to help you remember!

 
Be moving, be true, be you

 
 

photo credit peter de lucia, found on unsplash

When you want to give up on stillness

Quieting the mind might be the "goal" of meditation, but there's a whole lot of process between sitting down to practice and getting to quiet. And some days that process is a whole lot of chatter and no quiet at all. On the podcast, I talk about learning to be ok with that, with the process of trying not to engage with the chatter, even though there might be days when it's more frustrating than calming (in the moment anyway).
Enjoy!
 
Listen to "Ep 506 - Being Ok with Meditation + Sat Yam" on Spreaker.
 

What’s in this episode of Everyday Meditation?

• Welcome + getting situated, with a few thoughts on being ok with the process of meditation
• A little lead-in movement: Cat / child's
• Breathing practice: Alternate nostril breath (nadi shodhana)
• Meditation technique (awareness kriya): Sat Yam
• A little re-grounding movement: Reclining rest

As always, I encourage you to make yourself at home in this practice: substitute, modify, do as you need to feel safe and present, including taking breaks!

Integration suggestion

After listening to the episode, perhaps check in: did you notice something that you want to carry with you? If yes, maybe jot it down in a notebook or record a voice memo to help you remember!

You can give it a try when you're ready

Listen to "Ep 506 - Being Ok with Meditation + Sat Yam" on Spreaker.

 
Be moving, be true, be you

 
 

photo credit mihaly koles, found on unsplash

What's your reason for meditating?

Today, I meditated as a way to transition between one type of activity and another. I wouldn't say it was to clear my head, but to be present in being me --rather than in doing stuff. A sort of palate cleanser between doings, if you will.

Different days, different years have different reasons. Maybe ask yourself: Why do you meditate? Why are you choosing to practice today?
 
Listen to "Ep 500 - Your reason for meditating + Sat Yam" on Spreaker.

What’s in this episode of Everyday Meditation?

• Welcome + getting situated, with an invitation to consider "what's your reason for meditating?"
• A little lead-in movement: Seated Cat/Cow
• Breathing practice: Padadirsasana (hands under opposite armpits --I don't think it feels as weird as it might sound!)
• Meditation technique (awareness kriya): Sat Yam
• A little re-grounding movement: Seated forward fold

As always, I encourage you to make yourself at home in this practice: substitute, modify, do as you need to feel safe and present, including taking breaks!

Integration suggestion

After listening to the episode, perhaps check in: did you notice something that you want to carry with you? If yes, maybe jot it down in a notebook or record a voice memo to help you remember!

You can give it a try when you're ready

Listen to "Ep 500 - Your reason for meditating + Sat Yam" on Spreaker.

 
Be moving, be true, be you

 
 

photo credit eddie sundgren, found on unsplash

Where breathing sometimes overwhelms my practice of Hum Sa kriya, I find the opposite to be true with Sat Yam kriya: breathing always leads me in to the kriya technique in an effortless way. But that's just me! Your experience may be different, similar, or not really even in the same ballpark!
 

What’s in this episode?

Before teaching Sat Yam kriya, I share my experience with breathing and Sat Yam kriya (in the How To episode) -- and what I mean by "being led by breathing."

How can you use this practice?

You might try this practice to bring attention to how your breathing does or doesn't play a role in your meditation practice (and if you tuned in last week, perhaps compare with your experience in Hum Sa kriya).

I also love Sat Yam kriya for feeling connected to something bigger than me -- even just the literal space around me, wherever I am.

Give it a try when you're ready

Listen to "Ep 498 - Breathing into Sat Yam Kriya Meditation" on Spreaker.

 
Be moving, be true,

 
 

photo credit anthony rampersad on unsplash

The tagline for ISHTA, the style of meditation I teach, is "unbound potential" in reference to the unbound nature of our connection to the greater universe. Or perhaps the unbound nature of the universe (but whether it is really, we don't yet know). It's an apt expression for the experience we sometimes encounter in meditation -- of feeling like one with our surroundings (whether the room or the universe) or of losing a sense of our own boundaries.

What’s in this episode?

In this week's practice of sat yam kriya, I'm using the technique to encourage you to imagine or build awareness of both your center and the boundaries around it, physical or imagined, so that you can, if you want to, let your awareness move through those boundaries. Move through, across, or to dissolve them...

What do you notice after practicing?

I wouldn't ask you to look for any particular effect or "result" from your meditation practice, but perhaps after practicing, you might take a beat to acknowledge what you notice in yourself after practicing. There's no right or wrong thing to notice!
 

Give it a try when you're ready

 
Listen to "Ep 478 - Sat Yam Kriya Meditation" on Spreaker.

Be moving, be true,

photo credit andrew coelho on unsplash

EVERYDAY MEDITATION PODCAST: EPISODE #195

What’s this episode about?
Compassion meditations can boost your compassion and more. I talk about how that can be useful in your relationship not only with others, but also yourself.

Plus, the one reason I'm ready to add a compassion meditation to my regular practice!

What can I do with that?
I hope it inspires you to look a little deeper into where compassion comes into your life and the effects you feel or observe!

Go on and give it a listen, here:

Listen to "Ep 195 - Meditation, Compassionate Action, and Unconscious Bias" on Spreaker.

Ready to practice the meditation? Below is the week's "full practice" episode. Click here to listen to the "how to practice" instructions.

Listen to "Ep 192 - Full Self Awareness Meditation Practice" on Spreaker.

I'd love to hear about your experience -- and help out with any questions you have.

Practicing with you,

EVERYDAY MEDITATION PODCAST: EPISODE #160

What’s this episode about?
You've probably heard that meditation can reduce your stress.

And, yes! It can!

But in what way? And which kind of meditation? And how much do you need to do?

Can you tell me more now?
In today's podcast, I tackle the answers to these questions with the help of research reported and interpreted in the book Altered Traits by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson. (A book you should absolutely pick up --it's a great read with tons of sobering information about what we know and don't know about the effects of meditation. I loved it.).

What can I do with that?
I go into that in the episode! Today's break down should help put meditation practice into context, especially if you're using meditation to calm the frig down and get rid of stress.

I share which style of meditation may be the best for stress reduction, based on available research, and frame this week's ISHTA sat yam kriya practice in light of this stress reduction style.

I hope you’ll give it a listen:

Listen to "Ep 160 - How does meditation reduce stress?" on Spreaker.

Ready to practice the meditation? Here's the week's "full practice" episode with a mindfulness bent. Click here to listen to the "how to practice" walk through!

Listen to "Ep 160.5 - "Mindful" Sat Yam Release Kriya" on Spreaker.

I'd love to hear about your experience -- and help out with any questions you have. You can reach me via the comment box below!

Practicing with you,

EVERYDAY MEDITATION PODCAST: EPISODE 142

What’s this episode about?
The "sat yam" of sat yam kriya.

What’s sat yam kriya again?
A specific meditation practice. I describe the steps of the technique in the episode.

Can you tell me more now?
Okey dokey! Here’s one key bit:

The practice uses the mantra "sat yam".

And today, to help me process an emotional morning, I’m tapping into the meaning inside the Sanskrit words:
* sat = truth/fact
* yam = emotional reality

What can I do with that?
That is what you were gonna ask, right?! Cuz that’s what I cover in the episode 😉

I describe how to do the meditation practice PLUS suggest a short emotion observation practice you can do anywhere, anytime, just by choosing to.

I hope you’ll give it a listen!

Listen to "Ep. 142 - How to bring a little "sat yam" into your day!" on Spreaker.

 
Ready to practice the meditation? Here it is:

Listen to "Ep. 143 Sat Yam Kriya Meditation Practice" on Spreaker.

I'd love to hear about your experience and help out with any questions you have! Use the form below if you want to get in touch.