Meditation Matters

Poetry Friday - Nayyirah Waheed

Today’s meditation will include poetry by Nayyirah Waheed, sometimes called one of the most famous poets on Instagram.

Embracing Extravagance

Today's podcast will focus on having the intention to be aware of the smallest corners of nature.

Praise Song for the Day

In celebration of Independence Day, today’s meditation will include the poem “Praise Song for the Day” by Elisabeth Alexander.

Poetry Friday: Brother David Steindl-Rast

Today's podcast includes a reading from Brother David Steindl-Rast's book 99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life. David is a 96 year-old Benedictine monk and author.

Replacing Fear with Trust

David Steindl-Rast once said "I pledge to overcome FEAR by seeing in what I might otherwise fear, the opportunity to cultivate courageous TRUST IN LIFE and so to lay the foundation for a peaceful future."

In today's meditation, we'll hear a few reflections from David Steindl-Rast. 

The Secret to Stress-Free Living

In some ways, stress is like a familiar friend, seemingly always with us. But stress is not a mandatory part of life. Stress doesn't come from what's going on in your life, but what's going on in your thoughts.

Today's meditation will focus on letting go of the thoughts that cause us stress.

Poetry Friday: Catherine Pierce

Catherine Pierce, a poet laureate from Mississippi, teaches poetry at Mississippi State University. Her poems are calming and introspective while bringing the present moment into vivid awareness.

Embracing Uncertainty

Uncertainty often leads to anxiety and fear, but it is also the foundation for all creativity and hope. When nothing is certain, everything is possible.

Poetry Friday - Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry is the author of over 50 books of poetry, fiction and essays. He poetry celebrates the holiness of life and everyday miracles, as well as the healing power of living in harmony with nature.

Today's meditation will focus on allowing the words to flow through you in any way you like. 

Ten Minutes of Silent Meditation

Silence is the great teacher. To learn it's lessons, you must simply pay attention.

Today's meditation will focus on silence. 

Inviting Peace Within

Welcoming inner peace always begins with choice. Among other benefits, welcoming inner peace helps us cope with uncertainty and the business of our world, especially in busy times.

Today's meditation will focus on inner peace and not allowing external events to control our emotions. 

Welcoming Miracles

Miracles occur when we increase our awareness of beauty, love, and compassion. None of these things can be measured in a laboratory, but yet not one of us would deny their existence.

Today's podcast will focus on increasing miracles in our lives.

Poetry Friday: Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Ukraine

Reb Nachman was the great grandson of the famous Rabi Baal Shem Tov , founder of Hasidic Judaism. He advocated for a spontaneous form of prayer, often in solitude, through which one could establish a personal relationship with the divine. 

Today's meditation will focus on managing your thoughts. 

True Success

Mohamad Ali said true success is reaching you potential without compromising your values. Helen Keller once said your success lies within you.

Today's podcast will focus on looking within ourselves and meditating on the meaning of true success. 

Expanding Gratitude

There is always something, even in times of pain and suffering, that we can be grateful for.

Today's meditation will focus on expanding gratitude and joy. 

Poetry Friday: William Stafford

Some of William Stafford's most poignant poetry was about the beauty of nature and being in the moment. 

Nonjudgmental Noticing

Noticing without judgment is about expanding your awareness of your own actions and feelings. It allows us to liberate ourselves from thinking too much or too little.

In today's podcast, we'll rest ourselves from the control of things that aren't serving us.

Expanding our Capacity for Resilience

We are resilient not because we lack challenges or burdens, but because we each have the capacity to continue on and thrive despite those challenges.

Today's podcast will focus on our ability to expand our capacity for resilience. 

The Healing Power of Love

Love is the key ingredient to all healing. When we feel love, we are connecting to our true self without flaws or imperfections. Through love, we connect to the infinite and true part of ourselves that is always in us.

Today's meditation will focus on bringing the awareness of pure love to ourselves and others.

Breathing-kindness

Breathing-kindness is the idea that sometimes the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the gift of breathing. This gift connects with the part of us that it always quiet and still. 

Loving-kindness

Loving-kindess without conditions may not be earned or deserved. It is your birthright.

Today is a simple meditation that can greatly expand the love in our lives if practiced regularly. 

Nurturing the Beginner’s Mind

Poetry Friday - Naomi Shihab Nye

Simple Relaxation

Being and Having Enough

Remember and embrace the fact that we all have enough of what we really need. We are enough and have enough. The desire for more is natural and can be healthy. Desire can lead to great creativity and many achievements, but the desire for more and the desire to be different can also be a cause of stress and worry.

Today's meditation focuses on releasing these desires.

Finding Our Center

It's been said that while being self-centered is the source of grief, being centered is the source of freedom. To be centered means to be aware of the calmness and quiet within you, and to experience timelessness. 

Today's meditation focuses on finding our center.

Practicing Non-Judgement

It's in our nature to judge others and ourselves. And while judging is often useful while making our way through the world, it can also become toxic and isolating. When we judge others too much, we separate ourselves and build obstacles towards deep connection.

Today's meditation focuses on cultivating acceptance and practicing non-judgment. 

Physical Well-Being

*A special extended episode in celebration of Well-Being Week in Law 2023: following the regular meditation, this episode includes a short discussion of how meditation is helpful in your life.*

Today's meditation focuses on physical well-being. We all know that daily meditation can reduce stress. Research also shows that meditation can help reduce the body's production of cortisol, a stress hormone. This is the fuel behind our fight or flight impulse, which is great if you are being chased by a hungry lion, but not as great if you are sitting behind a computer or just stressed out by modern life.

In this meditation, we use imagery to help reduce our cortisol levels and increase our physical well-being.

Expanding Joy

It may not always feel this way, but joy is a state of being that you can choose. Joy is infinite and within your very essence.

In today's meditation, let's focus on reawakening the infinite joy that exists naturally within us. 

Poetry Friday: William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth's poetry captures the healing powers and beauty of the natural world. As with meditation, remember there is nothing that is supposed to happen when reading poetry. Simply allow the words to flow through you in any way you like. 

In today's meditation, we'll reflect on William Wordsworth poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud".

Breathing from Consciousness to Calmness

No matter where you are or what's going on in your life, you always have your breath. With conscious breathing, we always have the ability to choose calmness.

In this meditation, let's focus on conscious breathing and know that we always have our breath to bring calmness into the moment.

Living By the Higher Light

Rabbi Johnathan Sacks once said, "Humility means living by the light of that which is greater than me."

In this meditation, let's focus on cultivating the light within and serving the lights that are outside of us. 

Poetry Friday: Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī taught love, including universal ideal love. When he passed away at the age of 66, his funeral was attended by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish admirers. 

In this meditation, let's give ourselves the gift of stillness and release ourselves from fear.

Releasing Fear

Fear doesn't actually exist anywhere in the world, only in our minds.

In this meditation, let's give ourselves the gift of stillness and release ourselves from fear.

 

 

Doing Less, Living More

At times it feels like fear is real and always present. But fear exists only in our minds. Today's podcast will focus on releasing ourselves from fear and letting go of anxiety.