Our meditation practice is the practice of The Middle Way. Meaning the practice isn’t about perfection, a goal or an end-game. The practice IS the practice. A student once asked his teacher, “is there anything I can do to become enlightened more quickly?”And, the teacher responded, “as little as you can do to make the sun rise in the morning.”“Well, what good are these practices you prescribe?” asked the student.“To make sure you are awake when the sun starts to rise.” replied the teacher. Let’s make sure we are awake today. If you want to skip right to the meditation, start at 4:45.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This meditation series has asked some really big questions of us. Can we start to let go of binary thinking? Can we believe that two seemingly opposite things can both exist as true in the same moment? That right and wrong are not the only two choices?In a very small way, this reminds me of starting a meditation practice. Do you remember that feeling? The feeling of believing that a meditation practice would be a good thing, and yet when you sat down to practice it was hard, uncomfortable and definitely not magical? We had to do this dance between what we believed and what we experienced even though it didn’t quite line up. New futures are scary. The only thing we can do is commit to our vision, to build the rhythms and routines that support us, and to stay engaged and curious.This is true for a meditation practice AND this is true for building political resilience. We commit to our vision. We build the rhythms and routines that support us. And, we stay engaged. Join me for the final installment of our Building Political Resilience meditation series as we explore new futures and practice befriending ourselves and others through a guided meditation practice. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

This series is one of the more challenging undertakings I’ve shared on this podcast. Talking about democracy in a time of toxic polarization feels daunting and more than a little bit overwhelming.I’m not here to fix it, and I definitely don’t have the ‘answers’ but I believe deeply in naming the things that cause us pain and turning towards them rather than away. So here we are. Democracy is hard. In part 1 of this series, we explored the term ‘gaslighting’ and the implications that come when we start to ask ourselves “am I crazy?” after hearing the day’s political news.In part 2 of this series, we follow the natural train of thought, “if I’m not crazy, then I’m RIGHT!”. And here is where things get messy… because the answer isn’t quite so straightforward. Luckily, The Fetzer Institute is doing some profound research in the area of toxic polarity and heart-centered solutions, and they recently shared some amazing interventions for reducing polarity and re-engaging with democracy. {you can find a link to these interventions within my Awakened Heart Meditation Community}. One of these interventions highlights our Moral Differences. Similarly to how we all have six kinds of taste buds {salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savory}, but we all have different taste preferences; we also share 6 different moral values, but we prioritize them differently. In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we talk about moral differences, we perform a social science experiment that will blow your mind, and, of course, we share a guided meditation together. Grab your headphones and join me!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Not Left, Not Right, but Deep - The Fetzer Institute.With the midterm elections surrounding us, I’ve been reflecting on the challenges I feel when it comes to engaging with democracy in this country right now. Sometimes I am all moral outrage and calling my representatives and going to rallys. Sometimes, I am overwhelmed, exhausted and scared so I shut down completely. I ignore it all. In that extreme vasciliation, I find myself often thinking, “am I crazy???” And that, my friends, is the number one sign that you are being gaslit.The term originated from the 1938 play and subsequent film Gaslight, where the protagonist’s husband slowly manipulated her into believing she’s going mad. Throughout the film, the main character sees the gaslights dimming and brightening for no apparent reason. Her husband convinces her that it's all in her head, but in reality, he was switching the attic lights on and off to create the gaslight flickers. The turning point in the movie is when someone else says “hey, did you notice the gaslights are flickering?”Naming things has power. And naming a faulty, fractured, messy situation might not make it neater, easy or better, but it does allow us to reclaim a sense of sanity when we can, in community, acknowledge that indeed the gaslights are flickering. You aren’t crazy. Democracy is hard. Really hard.And, it is vital that we both pay attention and engage. In the book Burn Out, the authors write, “wellness is a state of action, not a state of being”.Similarly, Congressman John Lewis once stated, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”This correlation in states of action led me to reflect on the overlap in democratic engagement and in our self-care. Join me for this 3-part meditation series as we explore what’s needed to build Political Resilience. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Today, I am sharing a conversation with a friend, colleague and teacher - Shonali Banerjee.Many years ago, Shonali led a Mantra Circle that I was a part of, and in it, I learned so much about the power of sound and voice. To this day, one of my strongest memories is chanting the Gayatri mantra along the banks of the Ganges river on a trip to India. And even now, I warm up my voice and set my intention through mantra before teaching live classes.Shonali is a yoga teacher, singer, ritualist, death doula, and all around Wise Woman. Together we talk about mantra meditation and the power of reclaiming our voices, walking labyrinths, political resilience, the cycle of death and birth, and so much more.At the end, Shonali guides in a powerful practice of chant and reflection. She shares - "To The Surface"I adapted this version of the song from the original, written by an unknown author, honoring Pachamama, the Earth Goddess. The original has been sung by hundreds of women and men in Baja Mexico and is spreading around the globe. Gather Together and Sing!To the surface she rises. From the fearful ways, we see her faceTo the surface she rises. Let the women breathe, again todayToday we pray, in the honor of her way. Today we sing her name.Today we pray, in the honor of her way. Today we sing.Rise Up Women, Protect Women, Rise Up Women, Protect Women. You can watch Shonali perform this chant here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFAEMTM-ec8Learn more about Shonali and her work by visiting www.wisemawellness.comAnd, be sure to check out the  work of Threshold Choirs. Threshold Choirs sing at the bedside of the dying with and for all people. Threshold affirms the beauty, dignity, and wholeness of all people and believes that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness from their first to their last breath. https://thresholdchoir.org/Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

We started this meditation series, The Stagnation Layer, 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 expeditation, 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 The Mindful Minute as we explore these three lessons and how they enrich both our meditation practice and our lived experience. Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Part 1 of this meditation series introduced the Stagnation Layer of the cosmos and the periods of stagnation we experience as individuals both 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 spaceAs 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 The Mindful Minute as we unravel the Threads of Truth and share in a 20-minute guided meditation practice. PS. You can see the Awakened Heart Sutra that I reference in this class posted in my Awakened Heart Community or via my weekly newsletter!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Well friends, after 5 years of creating bi-weekly episodes of The Mindful Minute I am making a shift… As of today, all new mini meditation episodes can be found exclusively within awakenedheart.community.All of the existing mini meditations will continue to be here on the podcast, but I’m moving all future minis to my community for a number of reasons: I am able to provide you these meditations as downloadable files, so you can keep your favorites and access anytime! These files will be ad and commentary free to better support your meditation practice.After 2.5 years of teaching exclusively online, I am deeply invested in building reciprocal relationships and vibrant communities. Teaching to blank screens and empty closets is hard, y’all. I miss people. I miss faces, feedback, and engagement around these practices. My hope is that, if you enjoy meditating with me, you’ll join me in the Awakened Heart community. Even if it is just to download a new weekly practice, throw an emoji in the chat and be on your way. Better yet, pop in for a live class, comment on a question, or share some thoughts of your own. My Thursday full-length episodes will continue to air as they always do, and I am here for you. Drop me an email or join me within awakenedheart.community so we can have an ongoing conversation. I hope we get to practice together soon! And as always, thank you for listening and practicing with me!Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

When you read poetry of the mystics, when you study ancient tantric & buddhist texts, not to mention so many indigneous 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 The Mindful Minute 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.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl

Deborah Eden Tull guides through a short practice from her new book, Luminous Darkness. This practice is an opportunity to connect with the mystery, with the unknown, and to both offer and receive lovingkindness from this endarkened teacher. While doing this practice, I was immediately reminded of Rilke’s famous words - “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue…”You can learn more about Eden here: https://www.deborahedentull.com/And, you can find Luminous Darkness here: https://www.deborahedentull.com/luminous-darknessThese mini meditations are meant to support a daily home practice. Tune in every Monday to find your practice for the week! Full episodes are released every Thursday for a longer, deeper practice.Learn more about my Awakened Heart Meditation Community: https://www.merylarnett.com/awakened-heart-meditation-community If you enjoyed today’s episode, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to support the growth of this labor of love. Your monthly donation will aid in keeping this show sponsor-free, employing additional small businesses AND funding the ongoing creative growth I invest in. Donate here: https://www.merylarnett.com/support-the-mindful-minute Download freebies and learn more about my offerings, classes, and more by visiting merylarnett.com. #meditatewithmeryl