Meditation can be challenging, whether you are a total beginner or an experienced meditator. Dr. Matthew Tift draws on his experience teaching meditation and yoga to guide you towards peacefulness and clarity. Born from Midwestern sensibility, this meditation podcast does not take itself too seriously. Slow down, settle in, and experience the wholesome effects of guided meditation that is pretty good.
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Our society conditions us to be "human doings" rather than "human beings." But what might it be like to let go of our TODO lists, our goals, and our compulsion to always be "doing"? In this meditation we pause to feel the body and attune to our feelings in this moment.
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/73. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
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Whether you call it loving-kindness meditation, metta meditation, well-wishing meditation, or something else, this kind of meditation has been shown to increase positive emotions, decrease negative emotions, increase empathy, and a whole lot more. In this practice we will cultivate feelings of kindness, goodwill, and warmth towards others.
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/72. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
71. Youer than You
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Many of us get so wrapped up in ideas of trying to "become"" or to "get rid of" that we fail to notice the moments in our life. This meditation uses a quote by the wise sage, Dr. Seuss, to help us wake up to the present moment: "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you!"
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/71. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
70. Rays of Light
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This guided meditation uses imagery to relax the body. Your mind is represented as blue sky illuminated by rays of light. This practice is intended to bring about feelings of nourishment, protection, and relaxation.
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/70. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
69. Decentering
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Psychologists use the phrase "decentering" to denote the difference between our thoughts and reality. It's a practice the removes you from the center of your thinking. In this meditation we practice a variety of decentering techniques designed to help shift from a self-centered perspective to a nature-centered perspective.
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/69. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
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In this meditation, we examine the body as four elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element. This practice provides a method to go into the body based on material conditions. Not the stories the mind tells about the body. Not judgments. The reality of this moment. This practice can help us learn to let go of attachments and judgements about ourselves and other people
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/68. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
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Sometimes loving-kindness meditations focus on categories of people, starting with you, and then moving to someone who is easy to love, then family, friends, acquaintances, people that you do not like, people you've never met, etc. Other times, loving-kindness meditations take a more geographical approach, such as starting with you, the people you live with, neighbors, people that live in the same city, state, nation, or world, etc. In this meditation, we drop most of those categories and focus on the feeling of loving-kindness.
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/67. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
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Most of the time, our minds are not satisfied, and instead are on the lookout for danger, scattered, or just board. In this meditation we use a mantra to help train the mind to appreciate the present moment: "This moment is perfect, whole, and complete."
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/66. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
65. Seeing the Truth
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We can't make much progress in meditation if we do not see the world for what it is. In this practice, we pay attention to how the mind draws us away from what is real. We pause, with the intention of letting go of those stories and seeing the world as it actually is.
To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/65. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.
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During meditation it is common to hear a sound or experience a feeling that sends the mind off, carried away and caught up in the future or the past. In this meditation we investigate the nature of the distractions, practice letting them go, and re-establish connection to the present.
The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0. Subscribe to my newsletter at matthewtift.com/newsletter.