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

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

Latest episodes

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Jun 16, 2025 • 5min

5 Minute Guided Meditation | Breathe Here: A Meditation for Living in a Broken World

Feel like the world is unraveling right now?There are moments when sitting down for a 20-minute meditation might not feel possible... When images from Gaza burn behind our eyes, when cruel immigration policies threaten dignity and humanity, when protest becomes our last resort—and even that feels like it's not enough. When our nervous system is too disregulated to be still.In this episode, we offer a lifeline.The SOS Calm meditation is one of the most immediate ways to return to yourself amidst the chaos. It’s not about tuning out the heartbreak, but about remembering how to breathe inside it. How to stay grounded so that we can keep showing up.This practice is brief, tangible, and here exactly for these kinds of moments. You’ll learn how to:- Regulate anxiety with a powerful exhale-focused breath technique.- Use physical sensation to reconnect with your body and reduce overwhelm.- Create a resilient, calm space—anywhere, anytime.May it offer a breath of safety, a thread of calm, and the reminder that you are not alone.Take five minutes for yourself—your mental health deserves it.Listen now and feel the shift.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.
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Jun 10, 2025 • 5min

A Strawberry Full Moon Meditation to Restore Calm & Connection When Anxiety Peaks

What if simply gazing at the moon could help you calm your anxiety?In this gentle yet grounding meditation aligned with June’s Strawberry Moon, you'll be guided to connect with the natural world around you and slow your breath—helping you release mental overwhelm and foster inner resilience.Through this full moon practice, you’ll discover:- How to create a calming ritual that supports your mental health- Techniques to release anxiety using breath, sound, and scent awareness- A powerful sense of connection—to yourself, to nature, and to human historyPress play and give yourself space to soften your edges, breathe with intention, and realign with peace.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.
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Jun 9, 2025 • 9min

Guided Nature Meditation: Wayfinding To Calm Anxiety

Just The Meditation!This episode offers a guided meditation inviting you to reconnect with nature’s rhythms — from moss lines to constellations — to ground your nervous system and deepen your meditation practice.Whether you’ve felt swallowed by the news cycle, emotionally flooded, or just spiritually adrift, you’ll discover how to locate your inner compass through timeless, tangible waypoints.You’ll learn:- A meditation technique inspired by ancient wayfinding and seasonal awareness.- How natural cues (like wind and stars) can quiet anxiety and restore presence.- Why trusting your inner compass starts with subtle, external observation.Today's wayfinding soundscape was created by nature field recordist Nick McMahan and includes a variety of locations including: - Ocean Surf: Maui- Jungle Frogs: Borneo Indonesia (Kalimantan) - Iban Territory- Jungle bird at night (common pootoo): Amazon Basin Ecuador - Cofan Territory- Wind and creek: Pacific NorthwestListen now to rediscover peace in the overwhelm — and your own power to navigate it.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.
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Jun 5, 2025 • 17min

The Nature-Based Meditation Practice That Reconnects You When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed

What if the solution to your overwhelm has been outside all along?When anxiety surges and modern tools fall short, your body and breath might not be the only things guiding you. This episode explores how reconnecting with nature’s rhythms — from moss lines to constellations — can ground your nervous system and deepen your meditation practice.Whether you’ve felt swallowed by the news cycle, emotionally flooded, or just spiritually adrift, you’ll discover how to locate your inner compass through timeless, tangible waypoints.You’ll learn:- A meditation technique inspired by ancient wayfinding and seasonal awareness.- How natural cues (like wind and stars) can quiet anxiety and restore presence.- Why trusting your inner compass starts with subtle, external observation.Today's wayfinding soundscape was created by nature field recordist Nick McMahan and includes a variety of locations including: - Ocean Surf: Maui- Jungle Frogs: Borneo Indonesia (Kalimantan) - Iban Territory- Jungle bird at night (common pootoo): Amazon Basin Ecuador - Cofan Territory- Wind and creek: Pacific NorthwestListen now to rediscover peace in the overwhelm — and your own power to navigate it.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.
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Jun 2, 2025 • 10min

15 Minute Guided Meditation: Connect to Spirit & Wild Earth

✨ Just The Meditation ✨Today's meditation practice is a call to deepen your relationship with meditation—not by escaping your overwhelmed state, but by connecting with the wild, chaotic earth, by connecting to Spirit as your source of grounding. Using a gentle yet powerful breathing mantra and a perspective rooted in ancient wisdom, this practice helps reframe what it means to feel instead of think your way through inner chaos.15 minute guided meditation -Let this episode help you ground your spirit and ease anxiety—press play now to reconnect with yourself and the world around you.This meditation features a rainy spring dawn in the Pacific Northwest as recorded by Nick McMahan. Snowmelt from the Cascade mountains and frequent cloud cover causes streams and rivulets to pop up along mountainside. This particular valley, like many in the western cascade range, has many small marshy areas surrounded by tall evergreen trees. In spring, the nights are filled with sounds of the Cascades Frog and a persistent white noise from nearby flowing water. A dawn chorus starts early and quiets down as a rain shower approaches. This region of Washington is the ancestral lands of the Stillaguamish People.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/briannanielsen_marketingThis 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.
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May 29, 2025 • 16min

Connect to Spirit - Wild Earth Meditation: Calm Anxiety Without Trying to “Fix” It

Feeling emotionally fried or frozen by anxiety?Modern life constantly pulls us between panic and paralysis—but what if your meditation practice could bridge that gap?This episode is a call to deepen your relationship with meditation—not by escaping your overwhelmed state, but by connecting with the wild, chaotic earth, by connecting to Spirit as your source of grounding. Using a gentle yet powerful breathing mantra and a perspective rooted in ancient wisdom, this practice helps reframe what it means to feel instead of think your way through inner chaos.Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:How to connect to Spirit using nature-based meditation to regulate overwhelm and emotional extremesWhy “So Hum” breathing restores calm when anxiety spikesA mindset shift to embrace chaos as connection—not something to escapeLet this episode help you ground your spirit and ease anxiety—press play now to reconnect with yourself and the world around you.This meditation features a rainy spring dawn in the Pacific Northwest as recorded by Nick McMahan. Snowmelt from the Cascade mountains and frequent cloud cover causes streams and rivulets to pop up along mountainside. This particular valley, like many in the western cascade range, has many small marshy areas surrounded by tall evergreen trees. In spring, the nights are filled with sounds of the Cascades Frog and a persistent white noise from nearby flowing water. A dawn chorus starts early and quiets down as a rain shower approaches. This region of Washington is the ancestral lands of the Stillaguamish People.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/briannanielsen_marketingThis 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.
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May 26, 2025 • 4min

5 Minute Guided Forest Bathing Meditation with Eve Payor

✨ Just the MeditationJoin Forest Therapy Guide Eve Payor for a 5 minute Forest Bathing Experience you can do anywhere. If you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected—despite your meditation practice - this practice is for you!Ready to ease anxiety and feel less overwhelmed? Grab your headphones and journal, and then press play to discover a healing form of meditation grounded in nature.Learn more about our upcoming Fall Forest Bathing & Meditation Retreat in North Georgia here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/X9HPR1qFvQCifO867toVjQSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.Check out Eve Payor and Singing Pines Forest Bathing here: https://www.singingpines.co/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 editing and nature soundscape; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen/This 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.
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May 22, 2025 • 17min

Should You Try Forest Bathing If You’re Meditating But Still Feel Overwhelmed By Anxiety?

Are you feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected—despite your meditation practice?This episode explores how forest bathing—a mindful, sensory connection to nature—offers a profound way to release anxiety and return to balance, especially when traditional meditation falls short.Discover why simply being with nature—not hiking, not exercising—can be a transformative antidote to overwhelm and mental fatigue.In this calming episode, forest therapy guide Eve Payor will share:Why your overwhelmed nervous system responds differently to nature than to indoor meditationHow forest aromas and sounds scientifically reduce anxiety and boost immunitySimple, grounding forest bathing invitations you can try—even if you aren't in the forest!Ready to ease anxiety and feel less overwhelmed? Press play and discover a healing form of meditation grounded in nature.Learn more about our upcoming Fall Forest Bathing & Meditation Retreat in North Georgia here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/X9HPR1qFvQCifO867toVjQSign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.Check out Eve Payor and Singing Pines Forest Bathing here: https://www.singingpines.co/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 editing and nature soundscapes; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen/This 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.
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May 19, 2025 • 11min

15 minute Guided Meditation: Chakra Meditation for Self-Connection and Energy Restoration

✨Just the Meditation Join us for a powerful guided chakra meditation designed to restore your connection to self and refill your cup. Perfect for anyone experiencing burnout, emotional exhaustion, or feeling disconnected despite regular self-care practices.This episode includes a full guided meditation that walks you through connecting with each energy center in your body. Today's meditation is paired with the sounds of Spring in the Pacific Northwest. Typically a damp rainy season, this soundscape is filled with flowing water, Cascades frog calls, and a dawn chorus quieted by the rain. Get comfy and 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 editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/briannanielsen_marketingThis 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.
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May 15, 2025 • 18min

Overcoming Anxiety & Burnout: Mindful Chakra Meditation for Self-Connection

In this episode, we explore why we often feel disconnected from ourselves despite regular self-care routines, and how mindfulness meditation can help us truly refill our energy cups. Join us for a powerful guided chakra meditation designed to restore your connection to self.What You'll Hear:The Self-Care ParadoxDiscover why traditional self-care activities sometimes fail to replenish your energy, and how even dedicated meditators experience moments of complete emotional exhaustion and depletion.The Multitasking TrapLearn how our habit of splitting awareness—checking notifications during coffee with friends, mentally making to-do lists while watching TV—transforms potentially restorative activities into energy drains.Energy Centers MeditationExperience a complete guided chakra meditation that moves through the body's energy centers—from earth element at your root to universal connection beyond your crown—to reestablish deep self-connection.Nature SoundscapeToday's meditation is paired with the sounds of Spring in the Pacific Northwest. Typically a damp rainy season, this soundscape is filled with flowing water, Cascades frog calls, and a dawn chorus quieted by the rain. This episode includes a full guided meditation that walks you through connecting with each energy center in your body. Perfect for anyone experiencing burnout, emotional exhaustion, or feeling disconnected despite regular self-care practices.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 editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:https://www.nickcmcmahan.comhttps://www.instagram.com/briannanielsen_marketingThis 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.

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