Our Mindful Nature: Meditation Inspired by Nature to Soothe the Overwhelmed Mind and Ease Anxiety

Just the MeditationUsing the metaphor of spiral fractals and labyrinths found in nature, we dive deep into what it really means to “spiral inward” when our external world feels out of control.As you meditate, you will hear the sounds of a summer thunderstorm recorded by Nick McMahan in Eastern Washington at the Ponderay Wildlife Refuge. Sounds of Aspen, thunder and crickets guides you gently inwards.Whether you're new to meditation or returning to your practice, this episode offers permission to meet yourself exactly where you are. It’s an invitation to pause, listen, and breathe—even in the middle of it all.Press play now!Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

In this episode, we explore how the practice of meditation can gently guide us through moments of anxiety and overwhelm—especially when life feels chaotic and unpredictable. Using the metaphor of spiral fractals and labyrinths found in nature, we dive deep into what it really means to “spiral inward” when our external world feels out of control.Host Meryl shares personal insights and practical reflections on:- How meditation builds mental health resilience- Why patterns of anxiety often repeat—and how noticing them is the first step to healing- Letting go of the expectation that meditation always leads to calm- Embracing discomfort and distraction as part of the process- A powerful mindset shift: from “this too shall pass” to “this too shall last”- Nature-inspired ways to connect with the present moment and restore inner connectionWhether you're new to meditation or returning to your practice, this episode offers permission to meet yourself exactly where you are. It’s an invitation to pause, listen, and breathe—even in the middle of it all.Join us for a guided 10-minute meditation at the end of the episode.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Do you ever sit down to meditate... only to feel more overwhelmed or disconnected?If anxiety has made your usual grounding practices feel ineffective, this reflective Thunder Moon episode brings a fresh perspective. Meryl guides you through a nature-inspired Oracle card ritual that invites emotional clarity and self-compassion — perfect for listeners who are feeling mentally scattered or in need of deeper connection.In this short, powerful episode, you’ll discover:1. A unique meditation ritual using Oracle cards to support emotional resilience2. How the archetype of The Lover can reveal hidden blocks in your relationships with others and yourself3. A calming, breath-led practice to recenter your nervous system and reconnect to your bodyListen now to return to your center — and reimagine your relationship with anxiety.Referenced in this episode:The Witch's Shadow Work Oracleby Clare Gogerty, illustrated by Tijana Lukovichttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witchs-shadow-work-oracle-clare-gogerty/1144968776?ean=9781786788405Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

What if your next moment of clarity is already rumbling inside you—just waiting for stillness?This episode invites you to step into the quiet magic of July’s Thunder Full Moon, a time of year when nature is alive with messages of growth, change, and emotional expansion. If anxiety has been whispering or roaring lately, this moonlit meditation is here to help you realign.You’ll reconnect with your breath, body, and the natural world using the rhythmic wisdom of thunder, lightning, and stillness as your guide.In this moonlit episode, you’ll discover:- How tuning into natural cycles can calm anxious energy and sharpen inner clarity- A meditative practice to ground yourself in presence using the senses- A simple question to ask yourself that creates space for emotional breakthroughsSettle in and press play to hear what your heart - and the moon - are whispering to you tonight.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Just The MeditationA 15-minute guided Thunderstorm nature meditation moving you from total chaos to total calm.This episode explores how seemingly small stressors create deep emotional fractals—repeating patterns of response that pull us further into anxiety. Drawing insight from both parenting chaos and nature’s geometry, Meryl guides us to use meditation not just as an escape, but as pattern recognition and real-time course correction.You’ll discover:1. How to use simple breath awareness to interrupt overwhelming mental loops2. What nature’s fractals can teach us about emotional resilience and healing3. A subtle mindset shift to bring more compassion and calm to chaotic seasonsTune in now to transform anxiety into insight—and calm your nervous system from the inside out.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Is your anxiety trying to teach you something, but you’re too overwhelmed to hear it?This episode explores how seemingly small stressors create deep emotional fractals—repeating patterns of response that pull us further into anxiety. Drawing insight from both parenting chaos and nature’s geometry, Meryl guides us to use meditation not just as an escape, but as pattern recognition and real-time course correction.You’ll discover:1. How to use simple breath awareness to interrupt overwhelming mental loops2. What nature’s fractals can teach us about emotional resilience and healing3. A subtle mindset shift to bring more compassion and calm to chaotic seasonsTune in now to transform anxiety into insight—and calm your nervous system from the inside out.**In this episode, I reference images of fractals. You can view these fractals here: https://fractalfoundation.org/fractivities/WhatIsaFractal-1pager.pdfSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

What if your anxiety is trying to lead you somewhere meaningful?In this final episode of the Wayfinding Meditation Series, we turn inward with three nature-rooted journal prompts designed to bring clarity, calm, and inner steadiness during uncertain times. Whether you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just in need of stillness, these reflections are here to guide you.You'll walk away with:- A simple process to tune into your internal compass using meditation and journaling- Insight into how nature-based rituals can soothe anxiety and support emotional clarity- Practices to help you pause, reflect, and realign without forcing answersTake 10 mindful minutes today and let Nature and Meditation help you move through Anxiety with more grace—press play now.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Are you using meditation to manage anxiety, but still feel disconnected or overwhelmed?This conversation with artist and ritualist Day Schildkret explores how meditation alone may not be enough to meet the intensity of our mental health needs — especially during major life transitions. Learn how ritual, connection to nature, and intentional rest can support emotional resilience in ways meditation can’t always reach.You’ll discover:- Why ritual is often the missing link in a meditation practice that's failing to soothe anxiety.- How to create nature-inspired rituals that help you slow down and reconnect with your inner self.- The real reason we struggle with transitions and how to build meaningful containers for healing.Listen now to uncover a grounded, nature-connected approach to managing anxiety with more clarity, compassion, and resilience.Day Schildkret, the artist and author behind the international Morning Altars movement, believes that what we need is ritual. Rituals are our most trusted guide during times of change. They give us a sense of stability in the face of uncertainty and remind us that there's always something we can do, say, or make to conjure awe, courage and gratitude. Rituals offer us a tangible and time tested way to acknowledge that as life changes, we too must change.Learn more about Day here: https://www.morningaltars.com/Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Just the meditationThe Summer Solstice is a stillpoint - a moment that begs you to pause, to feel your feet on the earth, and restablish where you are going.When anxiety floods your mind and the pressure to “keep going” feels overwhelming, stillness might feel like the last thing you need—but it’s exactly what this nature-inspired meditation practice offers. In this reflective and grounding episode, Meryl guides you through a mossy metaphor that gently invites you to stop, listen, and reconnect with your body’s inner wisdom.Take a breath, settle onto a soft patch of moss (real or metaphorical), and listen now to reconnect with your calm center.The nature soundscape you hear in today's episode invites us to journey from ocean, to jungle, to forest. You will hear:Chimes and bowl recordings of Opal Hopkins Ocean Surf: MauiJungle Frogs: Borneo Indonesia (Kalimantan) - Iban TerritoryJungle bird at night (common pootoo): Amazon Basin Ecuador - Cofan TerritoryWind and creek: Pacific NorthwestSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Are you constantly searching for clarity in the middle of emotional chaos?When anxiety floods your mind and the pressure to “keep going” feels overwhelming, stillness might feel like the last thing you need—but it’s exactly what this nature-inspired meditation practice offers. In this reflective and grounding episode, Meryl guides you through a mossy metaphor that gently invites you to stop, listen, and reconnect with your body’s inner wisdom.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why pausing—rather than pushing—can be the most resilient choice when you feel lostHow nature offers powerful parallels for managing anxiety and reconnecting with selfA simple but profound meditation technique to ground yourself when overwhelmedTake a breath, find your moss, and listen now to reconnect with your calm center.Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/. 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.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsenThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.