Our Mindful Nature {Formerly The Mindful Minute}
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Today’s episode is an invitation to settle into the deepest listening and to celebrate what we find when we move beyond the noise of humans. Today, we embark on a meditative listening experience crafted by nature field recordist Nick McMahan. Earlier this year, Nick spent several days seeking out the quietest spot in Oregon. Exploring nature’s whispers and finding serenity in the sagebrush are what inspired today’s guided audio experience - a recording of Nick’s exploration. Together, we will listen to the symphony that arises within Oregon’s quietest ecosystem. What does it mean to listen to such quiet? What can we learn in the absence of human-made noise? Grab your headphones, close your eyes, and join Nick on a journey through the Basque Hills of Oregon: High and dry. There is hardly anything here. No water, no trees, just a small two-track (dirt road where people have driven enough times to form a road, but the ground has never been graded), and a distant horizon. The terrain appears endlessly flat, but after some time walking, I cannot see my car anymore. No towns, people, highways, or aircraft. A strange silence seems to be suspended in the still air. I sit down in the sagebrush and the wind calms. Looking closer I see various small wildflowers growing in clumps, thoughtfully placed near roots and sage. I lay down. It doesn’t feel dirty here. The dusty soil is cool, almost soothing. Eyes close, it is not long before a whir of wings pass not far overhead. Quickly followed by another and a hushed chirp. Something imperceptible has shifted. There is another soft chirp. Another whir, over to the left. Then a trill. Gradually building, a mesmerizing chorus of Brewer’s sparrows and a steady drumbeat of a common poorwill in the distance weave the song of this quiet sage land. These sounds were recorded on the ancestral land of the Northern Paiute people. Today’s episode was written, recorded and edited by Nick McMahan. Nick is a nature sound recordist and photographer, seeking projects to promote a more conscious world. Learn more and check out his sound libraries by visiting: nickmcmahan.com http://nickmcmahan.com Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production, editing and social media support: instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro http://instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting http://merylarnett.com/ merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag
Soundscape Alchemy. Friends, what an episode I have for you today! Months ago, I took an impromptu trip to Canaveral National Seashore to visit acoustic artists Perri Lynch Howard and Gordon Hempton. Frequent collaborators on the podcast, I was ecstatic to spend a weekend practicing the art of listening with them both. We walked mangroves, explored shorelines, and discussed the interplay of human voice, aerospace traffic, and birdsong. The creative collaboration of Gordon and Perri resulted in a stunning piece of environmental art titled, “Hear Me Out.” Join me today for a discussion of what it means to listen with honesty, to weave ourselves into the natural world we inhabit, and to move “in close proximity to lifelong love.” In this episode, Perri and Gordon delve into their experiences during their artist residency at Canaveral National Seashore through the Soundscape Field Station Artist Residency Program. The conversation highlights their collaborative project 'Hear Me Out', which investigates the changing soundscapes and their artistic interpretations influenced by the environment. They share their journey of recording, the emotional challenges faced, and how Doris Leeper's legacy inspired their work. The discussion also touches on the significance of natural sound preservation and future projects related to soundscapes and environmental art. At the end, pop in your headphones, close your eyes, and listen to “Hear Me Out.” Gordon Hempton Acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton has circled the globe three times in pursuit of the Earth’s rarest sounds. His sound portraits which record quickly vanishing natural soundscapes have been featured in People magazine and a national PBS television documentary, Vanishing Dawn Chorus, which earned him an Emmy. Hempton provides professional audio services to media producers, including Microsoft, Smithsonian, National Geographic and Discovery Channel. Recipient of awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rolex Awards for Enterprise he is co-author of One Square Inch of Silence: One Man’s Quest to Preserve Quiet (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, 2010) and Founding Partner of Quiet Parks International. https://soundtracker.com/ Perri Lynch Howard Perri Lynch Howard is a multi-disciplinary artist working in painting, drawing, installation, and sound. Her visual work and sound installations convey the passage of light, sound, and signal through landscapes on the front lines of climate change - a phenomenology of place. Howard received her BA from The Evergreen State College, BFA from the University of Washington, and MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her art has a global reach through projects completed in Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Canada, the Arctic Circle, and in South India as a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar. https://www.perrilynchhoward.com/ Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s sound design and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at: nickmcmahan.com http://nickmcmahan.com instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro http://instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro Lastly, thank you to Atlantic Center for the Arts and the ACA Soundscape Field Station for making this collaboration possible. https://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/home/soundscape-field-station/ Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting http://merylarnett.com/ merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@ https://www.youtube.com/@ourmindfulnatureourmindfulnature https://www.youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
In this Monday night meditation class, we delve into the concept of listening and silence amidst the constant noise of modern life, especially during the election season. Today’s discussion touches on the various sources of human-made noise and their impact on inner peace, the varied definitions of silence, and the key to mindful listening. David G. Haskell wrote, “listening opens us to what is hidden or unappreciated,” and together we will explore this hidden, unappreciated terrain. Today’s guided meditation, featuring natural sounds from the quietest place in Oregon as recorded by Nick McMahan, encourages listeners to practice deep listening, find tranquility within themselves, and hear what was previously unheard. Let’s practice! The nature sounds you hear in today’s episode are from the ancestral lands of the Northern Paiute people. Now considered the edge of the Great Basin or the Basque Hills area of southeastern Oregon. Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at: nickmcmahan.com instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro http://instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting http://merylarnett.com/ merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@o https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oagurmindfulnature https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag
U.S. Poet Laureate and fellow meditator Ada Limón joins me today on Our Mindful Nature to chat about her Signature Project, 'You Are Here, Poetry in Parks.' Y’all this was a dream conversation for me - full of presence, hope and truth. Full of poetry and beauty even as we discuss climate crisis and environmental activism. Together, we delve into the origins of ‘You Are Here: Poetry in Parks’, its deep connections between nature and poetry, and its aim to foster mindfulness and presence. Ada shares thoughts on the power of small actions amid climate crises, the inclusivity of the project's installations in national parks, and the importance of everyday nature. We also talk about the power of realizing that You. Are. Here. “'You Are Here: Poetry in the Parks' aims to deepen our connection to nature through poetry,” said Limón. “I believe the way we respond to this crucial moment on our planet could define humanity forever. In conceiving of my signature project, I wanted something that could both praise our sacred and natural wonders and also speak the complex truths of this urgent time. Above all, this project is about rising to this moment with hope, the kind of hope that will echo outwards for years to come.” At the end, as a mini practice, Ada reads her stunning poem Sanctuary. Ada Limón is the twenty-fourth US Poet Laureate and the author of The Hurting Kind, as well as five other collections of poems. These include The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, and Bright Dead Things, which was named a finalist for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Award. Limón is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and her work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and American Poetry Review, among others. Born and raised in California, she now lives in Lexington, Kentucky. Learn more about You Are Here: Poetry in Parks: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/3-6-24-poetry-in-parks.htm Find Ada’s book You Are Here; Poetry in the Natural World here: https://milkweed.org/book/you-are-here The Methow people were the first people to hear the sounds of Methow Valley, Washington that are included in today’s episode. Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at: nickmcmahan.com http://nickmcmahan.com instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro http://instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting http://merylarnett.com/ merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@o https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oagurmindfulnature https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag
In this guided meditation, we explore an elemental balancing practice for anxiety management and nervous system regulation. Reflecting on personal experiences with balancing extreme temperatures and anxiety, I share a visualization and sound meditation that has been deeply supportive in my own practice. I hope it will be useful in your own practice as well! No discussion, no distraction - just the meditation for your daily practice. Enjoy! Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Thank you to Gordon Hempton for today’s nature field recordings, to Nick McMahan for sound design, and editing, and to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at: soundtracker.com /soundtracker.com nickmcmahan.com /nickmcmahan.com instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro /instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com /merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature /youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
In this guided meditation, we explore an elemental balancing practice for anxiety management and nervous system regulation. Reflecting on personal experiences with balancing extreme temperatures and anxiety, I share a visualization and sound meditation that has been deeply supportive in my own practice. I hope it will be useful in your own practice as well! Together, we will guide our energy to move from the root chakra to the third eye, integrated with breath work and visualizations to promote balance and cooling. The supportive soundscape in today’s episode is a recording of a summer night in Olympic National Park from acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. You will hear a summer breeze swirl through tall grasses while chattering birds and a distant coyote settle down for the night. In this episode: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:46 Balancing in Extreme Temperatures 01:25 Dealing with Anxiety and Imbalance 03:05 Elemental Balancing Practice 04:32 Combining Practices: Elemental Balancing and Still Lake of the Mind 07:58 Guided Meditation: Journey Through the Elements 27:56 Closing and Returning to the Present The sounds in today’s episode were recorded on the ancestral lands of eight tribes: Hoh, Jamestown S'Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Quileute, Quinault and Skokomish. Thank you to Gordon Hempton for today’s nature field recordings, to Nick McMahan for sound design, and editing, and to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at: soundtracker.com nickmcmahan.com instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
7 a.m. It’s a cool, blue morning, and we are seated alongside the Coosa River in Alabama. Our guided meditation practice begins with mindful breathing and sensory awareness. This is an opportunity for cosmic connection and deep relaxation. It is silent except for the birds’ morning chorus and a whisper of wind through the river grasses. Gradually, a family of geese make themselves known, and we are instantly reminded of Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese, which ends with the line - {...} the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things. Today’s poetic meditation is inspired by this invitation to remember our place in the family of things, to maintain a mindful awareness of our relationship with nature, to re-weave ourselves into the animate earth around us. Join me for this 6-minute, nature-inspired meditation. Creek Native Americans were the first people to hear the sounds of the Coosa River that are played in this meditation. Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at: instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro http://instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro If you enjoyed today’s episode, please Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week. Want to support this podcast? Consider sending this episode to a friend or leaving a review. It is free and it really helps this show to grow! merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@o https://www.youtube.com/@ourmindfulnatureurmindfulnature https://www.youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
Today’s episode is the meditation offered at this year's Summer Solstice inspired by the poem An Inn for the Coven by Gabrielle Calvocoressi. No discussion, no distraction - just the meditation for your daily practice. Enjoy! Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast
Today’s meditation is a live recording from this year’s Summer Solstice Meditation Retreat. Midsummer and the temps are hot… literally and figuratively. As a way to explore the feelings that come with rising temperatures, in today’s class I share two powerful poems: An Inn for the Coven by Gabrielle Calvocoressi The Guest House by Rumi These poems speak of a place where we are safe. The Inn feels lush, abundant, filled with love and the possibility of beauty. The Guest House feels sturdy, spacious enough for all our feelings to reside without conflict. We hear of our loves, our hurts, and our divinity in these poems; all different and all the same and all inside. And so, this midsummer meditation is an invitation to explore the inn. To travel the grounds finding all the hidden trails. To open all the doors. It is an invitation to create or discover an internal experience of deep, nourishing safety, a place to nurture our love and hope. A place to rest well and to feel fully. Join me for today’s discussion and guided meditation. Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings, sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Watch on YouTube, Make a donation, or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature https://www.youtube.com/@ourmindfulnature
Today, as the final installment in our Edges series, I am joined by writer, poet, memoirist, teacher, yogi, activist, and mother - Nadia Colburn. Nadia has recently released her newest book of poetry, I Say the Sky - and y’all know how much I love exploring the intersection of poetry and mindfulness. As a start, I want to share one of the review blurbs about Nadia’s newest book because I feel that it so perfectly sums up her work: "From the opening poem and on through this glorious book, Nadia Colburn strikes the difficult balance between celebrating the splendor of the world we inhabit and acknowledging the grief and devastation that none of us can escape. As much a book of love songs as a book of elegies, I Say the Sky is a heart opening and mind sharpening collection." ~Camille T. Dungy I couldn’t agree more. In our conversation today, Nadia,who feels like an old friend, and I discuss: __ __ We talk of generative, supportive action and of course we explore mindful writing practices to support ourselves in times of change. Grab your journal and join us! Learn more about Nadia Colburn here: https://nadiacolburn.com/ Lear more about Project Regeneration here: https://regeneration.org/ Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production support of this episode. https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Please sign up for my newsletter at merylarnett.substack.com http://merylarnett.substack.com to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast
As you have likely noticed in this month’s episodes, we have moved from the stars to the soil. We will spend the next several episodes exploring edges and ecotones - spaces rife with the very best type of tension. The tension that inspires growth, expansion and action. Today, I am talking with artist, edge-walker, and dear friend Perri Lynch Howard about her experiences in a variety of ecotonal landscapes. Perri is an artist dedicated to forging new narratives from the front lines of climate change. Working in the context of extreme environments is an essential aspect of Howard’s practice, driving her curiosity to seek a deeper sense of place, beyond the dichotomy of near and far. Her artwork resides within the emerging genre of New Polar Aesthetics, expressed through painting, drawing, sculpture and sound. In this episode, Perri shares three of her unique, ecotonal field recordings with us as a way to explore the edges both within and without. We will hear the sounds of Vashon Island, the Great Basin Desert, and Svalbard and throughout we discuss: __ __ At the end, there is a guided meditation experience of the Vashon Island soundscape as an opportunity for you to explore your own relationship with edges. Thank you to the residencies and agencies that provided the time, space, and resources for Perri to record these incredible landscapes - The Arctic Circle Residency http://thearcticcircle.org/, PLAYA Artist Residency http://www.playasummerlake.org/, Vashon Artist Residency http://www.vashonartistresidency.com/, The Puffin Foundation http://www.puffinfoundation.org/, Artist Trust http://www.artisttrust.org/, and Quiet Parks International http://www.quietparks.org/. Finally, deep gratitude to Nick McMahan for editing and the sound design of this episode, and to Brianna Nielsen for production support. Learn more about: Perri Lynch Howard: https://www.perrilynchhoward.com/ Nick McMahan: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/ Brianna Nielsen: https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Please sign up for my newsletter at merylarnett.substack.com http://merylarnett.substack.com to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast
Last week, we began a new meditation series devoted to exploring the edges - both in the natural world as well as our internal landscape - and today’s interview and meditation practice do exactly that. Marisela B. Gomez is a community activist, public health professional, and physician-scientist. She is a co-founder of Village of Love and Resistance in Baltimore Maryland, organizing for power, healing and the reclamation of land. And,she is a meditation and Buddhist teacher, and a student of the late Zen Master Thich Nhat Han. She recently co-authored a new book, Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy & Liberation. In today’s episode, Marisela and I talk about the edges and the intersections of contemplative practices, community care and social justice. We talk about __ __ At the end, Marisela guides a beautiful meditation inviting us to explore and soften around our internal edges. Join me! Learn more about Marisela and find her new book here: https://www.mariselabgomez.com/ Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl
Have you heard of an ecotone before? An ecotone is a transition area between two adjacent and different patches of landscape, such as forest and grassland. Ecotones do not simply represent a boundary or an edge; the concept of an ecotone assumes the existence of active interaction between two or more ecosystems with properties that do not exist in either of the adjacent ecosystems. An ecotone is a meeting place that creates something entirely distinct from either side of the boundary. In essence, 1 + 1 = 3. And this third space is what I want us to explore in this month’s meditation series. Edges, ecotones and third spaces are places of life, energy & growth; they are places of speciation - of creation and evolution. Third spaces are invitations into expansion - into knowing ourselves, our lands, and our actions in a way that wouldn’t be possible if we only resided on one side of the edge. Join me for today’s discussion of ecotones both within ourselves and in the outside world. Thank you to Gordon Hempton for the use of the incredible soundscape in today’s guided meditation. Recorded in North Carolina at Joyce Kilmer National Forest, the Cherokee were some of the first people to hear the sounds of this hardwood forest. Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl
*Today's episode is a replay of a fan-favorite episode, The Stagnation Layer part 3, from September 2022* We started this meditation series, Are You Stuck, with the connective idea that the human body is a microcosm of the universe; that we can view the universe as a mirror image of what goes on inside. And, we looked to the Voyager space expedition, in particular the experience of Voyager 1 in the Stagnation Layer of the cosmos, as a metaphor for how we might engage with moments of ‘stuckness’ or stagnation. Today, 45 years after its launch and 14.6 billion miles from Earth, Voyager 1 and 2 have now spent 10 years in interstellar space. Interestingly, Voyager 1 went through the Stagnation Layer, and Voyager 2 did not. Yet, 10 years later, these two spacecraft are in the same place, both doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and both wildly, improbably successful. I think there are 3 vital lessons for us within this statement - - Community is vitally important for our movement through Stagnation. - It is our engagement that makes these moments magical and rich rather than scary and confusing. - We don’t need to worry about what anyone else is doing or experiencing within their meditation practice. Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature as we explore these three lessons and how they enrich both our meditation practice and our lived experience. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl
*Today's episode is a replay of a fan-favorite episode, The Stagnation Layer {part 2}, from September 2022* Part 1 of this meditation series introduced The Stagnation Layer of the cosmos and the periods of stagnation we experience both as individuals and as naturally occurring phenomena. Part of the description NASA shares for the Stagnation Layer says - There is a doubling in the intensity of the magnetic field in the stagnation region. Like cars piling up at a clogged freeway off-ramp, the increased intensity of the magnetic field shows that inward pressure from interstellar space is compacting it. Higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space. As a personal experience, when we stagnate we likely feel an increased pressure to DO something, to figure it out, or to move. And, all our creative mojo feels like it is draining away. We find ourselves both anxious to move and possibly frozen in place. This is a tricky combination. Luckily, in these moments, there are ancient and wise teachings that can be so helpful. Even if we know or think we know, it is helpful to hear of the wisdom that has come before. Of course, what isn’t helpful is buying ALL the books. Or listening to ALL the teachers. This is overwhelming, and very likely frustrating. Instead, I encourage you to look for what I call ‘Threads of Truth’ - I came up with this term to describe the overarching themes within meditation that continue to appear across time, lineage, and geography. The words might differ, but the underlying wisdom is clearly the same. And, it is these threads of truth that serve as a compass when we are lost in the Stagnation Layer. Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature as we unravel the Threads of Truth and share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl
*Today's episode is a replay of a fan-favorite episode, The Stagnation Layer part 1, from September 2022* When you read poetry of the mystics, when you study ancient tantric & buddhist texts, not to mention so many indigenous cultures across the world, we learn of the universe as a metaphor for the internal experiences of consciousness. The macrocosm and the microcosm… As goes the outside, so goes the inside… And the more time I spend connecting my meditation practice with the natural world, the more I experience the wisdom of this truth, perhaps never more so than as I reflect on The Stagnation Layer. Devoted listeners won’t be surprised to hear me bring up the Voyager space expedition yet again - it is one of my favorite stories and something that continues to capture my fascination - In 1977 two spacecrafts were launched with the mission of leaving our solar system and exploring interstellar space. In 2012, Voyager 1 achieved this goal, but not before spending a year in the transitional realm of space deemed by scientists as “The Stagnation Layer”. Scientists write: “Data obtained from Voyager over the last year reveal this new region to be a kind of cosmic purgatory. In it, the wind of charged particles streaming out from our sun has calmed, our solar system's magnetic field is piled up, and higher-energy particles from inside our solar system appear to be leaking out into interstellar space.” A cosmic purgatory? Have you ever felt you were stuck in a cosmic purgatory? Are you in one right now? Sometimes I think this feels like a dark void, like you are stuck in a doorway and can’t step through, or perhaps like a dense fog that you are lost inside. Lucky for us, the universe itself is providing the answer for what we do in stagnation, if we only remember to listen. Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature as we discover the Stagnation Layer and explore how we might move through. As always, there is a brief talk followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl
Last week’s episode (We Are Made of Star Stuff; An Interview with Dr. Kimberly Arcand) is a personal favorite of mine, and this week, I’m highlighting the meditation from that episode to make sure you have a chance to listen. The sonification of stars, black holes, galaxies and more invite a new way of knowing the cosmos. It is one thing to see a static image of the night sky and an entirely different experience when we hear that same data in an embodied way. Meditation is exactly the same - we think we know ourselves, but then we get still and quiet and learn to listen, and suddenly a whole new field of insight and awareness is made available to us. This meditation is an experience of mapping the cosmos of the body alongside 3 sonifications from NASA’s Chandra Xray Observatory - Perseus Black Hole, Milky Way Galactic Center, and Chandra Deep Field South. You will also hear a thread of ocean waves throughout to keep us grounded and centered, even as we journey through the cosmos. Thank you to NASA for the sounds and images in today’s episode, to Nick McMahan for the ocean wave field recording as well as the sound design and production of today’s episode, and to Brianna Nielsen for production support. Find them here: https://nickmcmahan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Learn more about Dr. Arcand and NASA’s sonification project here: https://chandra.si.edu/sound/ https://plus.nasa.gov/video/listen-to-the-universe/ https://www.kimarcand.com https://www.kimarcand.com/about Lastly, be sure to Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
In 2020, experts at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Center began the first ongoing, sustained program to “sonify” astronomical data. The sonification project is led by my guest today, Dr. Kimberly Arcand (Chandra Visualization Scientist) along with her colleagues Dr. Matt Russo (astrophysicist/musician) and Andrew Santaguida (musician/sound engineer) at System Sounds. The sonification of stars, black holes, galaxies and more invite a new way of knowing the cosmos. It is one thing to see a static image of the night sky and an entirely different experience when we hear that same data in an embodied way. As we talk about the sonification of the cosmos, you will see that this is really another way of knowing or connecting to something that we think we know. Meditation is exactly the same - we think we know ourselves, but then we get still and quiet and learn to listen, and suddenly a whole new field of insight and awareness is made available to us. This interview was such a bucket list interview for me. Dr. Arcand - a fellow meditator - helps us to more fully grasp the words of Carl Sagan when he told us we were made of star stuff and the words of Kabir when he wrote that inside the body there are hundreds of millions of stars. Dr. Kimberly Arcand is the Visualization scientist & Emerging tech lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Arcand is an award-winning producer and director. She is a leading expert in studying the perception and comprehension of high-energy data visualization across the novice-expert spectrum. As a science data storyteller she combines her background in molecular biology and computer science with her current work in the fields of astronomy and physics. In this episode, Kim and I chat about: __ __ After our conversation, I guide a really unique meditation that uses 3 sonifications from Kim and her team to help us map the cosmos inside our bodies. Join me for an exploration of the cosmos - both within and without. Learn more about Dr. Arcand and NASA’s sonification project here: https://chandra.si.edu/sound/ https://plus.nasa.gov/video/listen-to-the-universe/ https://www.kimarcand.com https://www.kimarcand.com/about Thank you to NASA for the sounds and images in today’s episode, to Nick McMahan for the ocean wave field recording as well as the sound design and production of today’s episode, and to Brianna Nielsen for production support. Find them here: https://nickmcmahan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Lastly, be sure to Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to access these meditations as stand-alone audio files for your daily practice. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
Sometimes the simplest practices are the most helpful. When lost, overwhelmed, sad or scared, I often find myself simply walking outside, lying down, and staring up at the sky. There's nothing specific to do, nothing specific to feel. It's simply a moment to watch the movement of the clouds or stars, and to remember that the earth is nothing more than a pale blue dot rotating in a vast galaxy of stars, planets, moons, and more. This practice connects us to something larger than ourselves and this one moment in time. What we experience through the cosmos surrounding us tells us about ourselves. A little perspective is always a good thing. Join me for today’s 10-minute meditation; it is perfect for a reset, a brain break, or a moment of calm on a hectic day. Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett http://instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast http://youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature! “Back when humans lived in communal caves and tribal encampments, we told stories about the stars. When we started sailing, we used these same pinpricks of light to estimate our own location. When we began planting, we relied on the constellations and the Sun to plant and sustain crops. Yet today, most modern humans have lost this deep connection to the cosmos that was once central to our daily lives.” ~Sarah Scoles Today’s episode is a replay of a 2022 interview that is still one of my favorites and is a perfect fit for our astronomical focus this month. Enjoy it! I have devoted more episodes to the night sky and the cosmos surrounding us than any other singular topic, and today’s interview with science journalist and author Sarah Scoles perhaps best sums up why the skies above serve as such a powerful connection to our meditation practice and our deepest selves. Sarah, along with astronomy professor Chris De Pree, wrote a unique guidebook (and a perpetual guest on my nightstand) titled Astronomical Mindfulness. In today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature, Sarah and I talk about the power of the sun, moon, stars, and planets to offer engaging exercises that deepen your knowledge of the solar system, help you take necessary pauses every day, and foster a renewed sense of presence in the universe. The focus is on short, simple practices that immediately create a sense of connection and provide context for the hectic moments of our day-to-day lives. Whether you look up at the night sky or not, the skies above us are perhaps the most central, ubiquitous element of human storytelling and identity. Humanity has looked up for as long as we have ever found a record of. The earliest cave drawings and the earliest indentations carved into the earth were made in reference to the sky above. What we experience through the cosmos surrounding us tells us about ourselves. Join me for this exploration of the cosmos, mindfulness, and some new practices you can try tonight. At the end, I offer a 10-minute guided meditation inspired by this conversation. Sarah Scoles is a freelance journalist and contributing editor at WIRED. She is the author of Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers. Learn more about Sarah at: https://www.sarahscoles.com/ https://www.sarahscoles.com/%C2%A0 Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature! Today, we are kicking off a month of astronomical-inspired meditations and interviews in honor of next week’s total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the moon passes between the sun and Earth blocking the sun’s light. On April 8, 2024, 13 states will experience a total solar eclipse, for many others we will witness a partial solar eclipse. In honor of this, I am sharing a meditation I recorded a few years ago titled ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ (hehehe). While this meditation references a total lunar eclipse, the energy behind this meditation remains the same whether it is the sun or the moon having its light blocked. Do you feel this in your life sometimes? That something comes up creating a block in your energy, your attention or your ability to move forward? I think these might be the moments I am MOST grateful for my meditation practice. When we meditate, we develop an awareness of our habitual reactions to life and create the space for movement. We learn to pause just long enough to acknowledge what is blocking us, to let it move out of the way, and to once again feel illuminated. In this meditation, we listen to Rialto Beach at midnight. There are full, dynamic waves, and with each wave we feel the drifting pull of the ocean. The invitation to pause and then allow movement is clear here between the quiet of a wave landing on the beach and the crescendo of the wave retraction. Big thank you to sound artist and acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton for the use of today’s soundscape. I highly recommend headphones, if you have them available. The Quileute were some of the first people to hear the sounds of land shared in today’s meditation. Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag Thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find her at https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ Thank you to Gordon Hempton for the use of today’s soundscape. Learn more about Gordon here: https://soundtracker.com/ #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature! How many episodes can I devote to birds, you ask? Well, I haven’t found a limit yet…! Today on Our Mindful Nature, we are talking about two of my favorite things - Oracle cards and Birds! Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez is joining us to introduce a new somatic oracle deck titled Birdsong. Dr. Chanti is a Cuban-American artist-author, ritualist, and non-clinical depth psychologist. She believes that images speak a profound language; her life’s work is a translator of the unseen and an advocate for the imaginal. She holds two master's degrees in Engaged Humanities and Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. In 2023 she completed her doctoral dissertation Navegando Liminal: Rituals to Translate the Image of the Wound. Her work and teaching follows and welcomes imagination, creativity, dreaming, and deep rest. Within our conversation today, we explore: ‣ Divination ‣ Somatic wisdom ‣ What happens when we tune into the body rather than the guide books ‣ Trusting the wisdom of our bodies ‣ Translating the wisdom of the natural world ‣ Dreams & the creative process ‣ Migration, landlessness, and the meaning of home At the end of today’s interview, Dr. Chanti guides a beautiful bird-meditation. So take a seat outside, make sure you have a bit of room to move, grab your journal, and join us! You can learn more about Birdsong & Dr. Chanti here: https://www.yantrawisdom.com/birdsong-2024 And, you can listen to the first interview I did with Dr. Chanti on Dreams here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/26Jtx6aGnHoCmWYkLOE87T?si=7ORpTHYiRFeNhihI6oXM3A Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com instagram.com/merylarnett youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast Thank you to Brianna Nielsen https://www.instagram.com/brianna_podcastpro/ for production and editing support. #meditatewithmeryl
The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature! This is a special bonus episode of Our Mindful Nature. Last week, we kicked off the spring season with an exploration of migration, and the episode along with the guided meditation were filled with the sounds and images of migration as recorded by nature field recordist Nick McMahan. Today, I’m joined by Nick to give you a bit of our behind-the-scenes planning and brainstorming about the sounds of spring. Nick shares more about where each sound was recorded, why he selected these particular sounds, and what we hope you experience in this journey. At the end, we share an unguided listening experience devoted to the sounds of spring. Enjoy! Nick is a nature field recordist from Washington State. He has worked closely with acclaimed acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, Offspring Film, Audible Sleep Sound, and numerous independent collaborations. The Director of Quiet Trails for Quiet Parks International (QPI), Nick’s recording experience ranges internationally from extreme cold, tropical rainforests, mountains to deserts. Specializing in soundscape, ambiance, and unusual sound, leads Nick to become a better listener and observer of the world. Learn more about Nick here: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nickcmcmahan https://www.youtube.com/@nickmcmahan Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
The Mindful Minute has a NEW NAME and NEW LOOK! After 8 years, I have updated the name to more accurately reflect the content offered here. Welcome to Our Mindful Nature! One of the markers of spring is the migratory movement of so many species towards their breeding grounds - salmon, Monarch butterflies, and so many different species of birds. In this special Spring Equinox episode, I want to delve into 3 specific migrations as reflection points for our own contemplative journey this spring. Within these 3 examples of migration, we will explore: Time In daily, seasonal and generational movement Space From surface to depth, from under water to the high reaches of sky Awareness From inner to outer awareness, from individual to collective, from present moment understanding to ancestral knowing And what else? What are YOU experiencing in this migratory season? As spring awakens, as seeds are planted in the earth and in the heart, what journey or journeys are you aware of? What is stirring in your blood and calling you forward? Join me for today’s episode of Our Mindful Nature. You can expect a brief talk followed by a 10 minute guided meditation. Thank you to Nick McMahan for the incredible soundscapes and sound design in this episode, as well as the photography used in the YouTube version of this podcast. Learn more about Nick and his work at https://www.nickcmcmahan.com https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/. Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
Friends, you might have noticed something BIG today as you clicked ‘play’ on this episode… The Mindful Minute has a NEW name!!! After 8 years of sharing recordings of Monday night meditation class on this podcast; I felt it was time to shift, to level up, to adjust in response to the times we find ourselves in… As a meditation teacher, when I share what I do, I very often hear 1 of 2 comments: __ __ And so, this podcast was originally built on the premise of responding to those two statements. My goal was (and is) to offer accessible, enjoyable meditation practices with the reminder that you can meditate in 5 or 10 minutes just as effectively as you can in 20 - 30 minutes. But then, I started noticing a steady uptick in another response when I mention that I am a meditation teacher… This response goes something like - __ __ And, the truth is, my friends, me too. We are in times of massive change and upheaval, and that is going to require more than a 10-minute nervous system reset. It asks us to wake up. To be less afraid of the dark. To be more tender with ourselves and all beings in this universe. The work I hope to explore with you on this podcast moving forward is HOW? How do we do this? What makes us feel steady & well? What makes me feel resourced? I know without a shadow of doubt, from my own meditative experiences as well as through the teachings of many ancient wisdom holders, that embodying our connection to the natural world is perhaps the most important thing we can do for the wellbeing of humans, the planet and the more-than human that live here with us. Hence the new name of this podcast - Our Mindful Nature. It is a bit of a double entendre. Our Mindful Nature as in our inner nature, our own mindfulness, but also it references the wisdom of the natural world that surrounds and supports us. And so, most of our meditation practices moving forward will be nature-based. And, we will be curious about other mindful practices that support this sense of well-being. In the words of Shefa Gold - Can I open to trust the wilderness, the unknown, the Mystery that rises in response to my loving, curious longing? Join me for today’s talk and 10-minute guided meditation practice. Special thank you to Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez for the wisdom and insight regarding the vast spectrum of practices that make up our well-being. You can learn more about Dr. Chanti and her work here: https://www.yantrawisdom.com/ https://drchanti.substack.com/ Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
Why is a meditation podcast chatting with a cookbook author, you ask? It’s a great question. I have been paying a lot of attention to the practices in my day that support my well-being the most because I continue to hear from listeners (and experience myself) that we are doing our meditation practices and yet, we are still struggling. We still feel stress, anxiety or fear. And so, while this podcast will always honor meditation first and foremost, I want to also honor the other pieces that support our well-being. I was reminded recently that every culture: Eats Sings Dances Creates art Tells stories about the stars It is reconnecting with these inherent, innate pieces of us that create a sense of connection, belonging and well-being. So, we will start in the kitchen. Deborah Johnson is a home cook and author of the new cookbook, On Rising: Recipes and Rituals for Joyful Mornings. This gorgeous cookbook is an ode to mindful, joyful moments in the kitchen. It is an invitation to turn our daily meals into an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the everyday and to reconnect with the sacred. In this conversation, we talk about: 05:02 The Role of Cooking in Mindfulness and Wellbeing 08:19 The Art of Presence in the Kitchen 08:38 Deborah's Journey to Cookbook Authorship 10:42 The Power of Presence and Connection in Cooking 16:06 Reimagining the Kitchen as a Place of Joy 29:51 The Healing Power of Storytelling Through Cooking 54:25 A Mindful Eating Meditation And at the end, Deborah guides a mindful eating practice - so grab a snack, a cup of tea and join us at the table for today’s episode of The Mindful Minute. You can learn more about Deborah and check out her cookbook here: Website: www.deborahesjohnson.com http://www.deborahesjohnson.com/ Instagram: @deborahesjohnson Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgHXyshzEKdTroNShdTwDKw And, for my Georgia listeners, I promised to share a link to the CSA I reference in today’s episode. You can find it here: https://freshharvest.com/ Thank you to Ashleigh Amoroso for the use of her gorgeous photos from Deborah’s cookbook. Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
In today’s meditation practice, we listen to the sounds of melting snow. Now, I don’t know about you, but it never really occurred to me that melting snow makes a sound. It does. It produces a smooth, slow gurgle. No drips, just a near constant murmur that reminds us that change is happening in every moment. The daffodils are pushing up, the hyacinth will bloom soon. The literal and metaphorical arrival of spring is imminent. It is time to think about what will plant during this ripe time. Huge thank you to Gordon Hempton https://soundtracker.com/, sound artist and acoustic ecologist, for the use of this soundscapes. You can learn more about Gordon and his work at https://soundtracker.com/. This meditation was originally written and recorded for Roots meditation app. While not currently available, we are working to make this app available again in the near future. Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
This month, we have explored the season of winter as a way into our meditation practice. We have looked at winter in our external landscapes, as well as our internal landscapes. We've listened to the sounds of winter, we've talked about wolves and our animal nature, and today, we're going to dive a little bit more into the creativity of winter. I was deeply inspired by a recent essay written and illustrated by Candace Rardon titled, ‘Like A Garden in Winter https://dandelionseeds.substack.com/p/like-a-garden-in-the-winter’. Candace is an author, illustrator, visual storyteller, and creator of Dandelion Seeds (one of my favorite publications on Substack). She is also the creator of many of the sleep stories you might have listened to on Calm. Together, Candace and I chat about what it means to bloom in winter, the season of hibernation. We talk about finding inspiration and meditative moments in the world around us; the art of visual storytelling, what makes a good sleep story and so much more. This conversation was such a joy to record; I hope you find as much inspiration in it as I have. At the end of today’s interview, Candace offers us a mindful reflection and journaling prompt born of the beauty of Snowdrops. So grab your notebook, a cozy seat, and join us! In this episode: 01:10 Exploring the Creativity of Winter 03:12 The Art of Visual Storytelling 03:49 The Journey of Moving Continents 05:28 The Power of Collaboration in Creativity 14:44 The Evolution of 'Like a Garden in Winter' 23:42 Finding Strength in Winter: A Metaphor for Life 24:35 Journey into Mindfulness through Travel and Art 27:09 The Role of Creativity in Mindfulness 30:35 The Magic of Sleep Stories 41:05 Lessons from Winter Blooms 44:26 The Joy of Spring: A New Chapter Learn more about Candace Rardon and her work here: https://www.candaceroserardon.com/ https://dandelionseeds.substack.com/ Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com https://www.merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast #meditatewithmeryl
Today’s meditation practice is one that evokes the emotions of winter, wolves, and a deep connection to our wild selves. It is called Call of the Wolf… and it isn’t for the faint of heart. This practice is an invitation. It is an unearthing of your wild, instinctive nature. Not wild as in exuberant or loud; but wild as in the self that is born of and inextricably connected to the natural world . It is allowing us to fine-tune our inner listening and our relationship to our own wise intuition. Wolves are known for their keen senses, their playful spirits and their deep devotion and loyalty to their packs and their mates. When our own wildness, our natural state, is healthy, we too are relational creatures with a wise intuition, playful hearts and deep devotion to the health and wellness of our communities. As we settle into our practice, you will hear a pack of wolves howling at the moon, and in this episode, we talk about the importance of howling, of being in touch with our emotional selves, and freeing up what we so-often lock down. Huge thank you to Gordon Hempton https://soundtracker.com/, sound artist and acoustic ecologist, for the use of these soundscapes. The wolves were recorded at Wolf Haven https://wolfhaven.org/ in Washington. You can learn more about Gordon and his work at https://soundtracker.com/. This meditation was originally written and recorded for Roots meditation app. While not currently available, we are working to make this app available again in the near future. Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
Today’s episode is a special meditation-only episode, just for your practice! In this 10-minute meditation, we go on a journey through the winter woods. First, through a snowy pine forest with the wind washing over us, clearing away any lingering tension or worry. Then, we find ourselves atop a frozen lake. Don’t worry - it is steady and safe; so we sit in the middle of this frozen lake and we listen as it expands. Then the scene changes, dream-like, and we find ourselves settled in front of a campfire. The wind is faint; the campfire is warm, and again, we listen to the sounds of transformation and expansion. Perhaps you even ask yourself, “how am I transforming this season?” These soundscapes and images (if you are watching on YouTube) are from Nick McMahan. Nick is a nature field recordist from Washington State. He has worked closely with acclaimed acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton, Offspring Film, Audible Sleep Sound, and numerous independent collaborations. The Director of Quiet Trails for Quiet Parks International (QPI), Nick’s recording experience ranges internationally from extreme cold, tropical rainforests, mountains to deserts. Specializing in soundscape, ambiance, and unusual sound, leads Nick to become a better listener and observer of the world. You can find Nick and his work here: https://www.nickcmcmahan.com https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nickcmcmahan https://www.youtube.com/@nickmcmahan Sign up http://eepurl.com/dBYEUL for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more. Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.com http://merylarnett.com/ instagram.com/merylarnett https://www.instagram.com/merylarnett/ youtube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd7MdDhJBzXxvPRdSRH4Oag #meditatewithmeryl https://www.dropbox.com/?q=%23meditatewithmeryl
