mindfulness

Just Being

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In this episode, we experiment. We practice clinging to nothing and just being. We don't grab on to sensations and we don't push anything away. This meditation is about resting in stillness and sitting with the experience of life.

In this episode, I accompanied myself on a harmonium. To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/31.

A Leisurely Pace

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This meditation provides a space to slow the mind and the body. Moving at a leisurely pace can allow us to notice habits that bring us out of the moment. We practice letting go of whatever tries to cart us away from the place where life actually happens as well as allow us to be more fully with other people.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/30. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

No Judgments

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Awareness of the present moment without judgment is a fundamental aspect of meditation and mindfulness. This approach helps us to separate judgment of experience from the experience itself. In this meditation, we will pay attention to the body, to sounds, and to your whole experience of life without opinion.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/29. To suggest a topic for a future episode or tell me more about yourself and why you are listening, visit matthewtift.com/contact. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Meditating with Music

November 29, 2021

Man wearing headphones meditating on a yoga

Most people who try meditation probably think of it as an activity done in silence. They might learn the common meditation technique where they observe sounds that happen to arise and notice the temporary nature of those sounds, but they probably would not expect those sounds to continue throughout their meditation. In other words, sound is understood to be a departure from the "real work" of sitting — or struggling to sit — peacefully in silence. Fortunately, there is more than one way to meditate and there isn't some rule that the only allowable "meditation music" is repetitions of John Cage's 4' 33".

Noticing Space

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Many of us get so wrapped up in the things around us that we rarely pay attention to the spaces between things. And yet space is always present. In this episode, we pay attention to the space between breaths, between our thoughts, in our physical world, and that surrounds sound. Developing a more spacious view of the world helps to open the mind, dissolve boundaries, and let go of the ego.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/28. To suggest a topic for a future episode or tell me more about yourself and why you are listening, visit matthewtift.com/contact. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Focus, Flow, and Let Go

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Some forms of yogic meditation explore three distinct stages of practice: dharana (concentration), dhyana (a blend of will and surrender), and samadhi (surrender). In this meditation, we will investigate these three phases, which we call focus, flow, and let go. This type of practice can induce a sense of calm or relaxation, and, in some cases, bring about deep states of absorption.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/27. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Learn How to Tame Your Wild Mind with Mindfulness Meditation

November 15, 2021

Curious about mindfulness meditation? Perhaps you have heard the hype or seen the long lists of benefits. Maybe you are wondering how mindfulness meditation can be such a powerful tool for becoming more present in daily life or how "just sitting" causes people to develop more compassion for both themselves and others. Or perhaps you would like to develop deeper insight into the nature of your mind and the world around you.

Breathe and Relax

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Learning to breathe and relax can deepen your capacity to stay present to the events of your life. This meditation can provide space for you to notice as feelings and thoughts arise, shift, and fade away. Rather than push away emotions, this practice allows you to tune in to those emotions and learn how to ride the waves of sensations that we each experience throughout our lives.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/26. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

Deepen Your Connection with Others

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The practice of metta, or loving-kindness, meditation provides an opportunity to develop your capacity to love and care for both yourself and others. Metta can create opportunities for you to re-examine your relationship with all beings in the world, and provide an opening for you to replace thoughts of anger and fear with feelings of kindness and compassion. The practice is highly adaptable and the phrases can be altered to reflect whatever is meaningful to you.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/25. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

The Four Elements

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Lots of meditation techniques break down our assumptions about the world and help us come to grips with reality. In this meditation practice we examine the body as four elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, and the air element. Each element represents the basic qualities of matter: the earth element represents solidity, the water element represents fluidity, the fire element represents temperature, and the air element represents motion. Understanding the body in this way allows us to let go of attachments to judgements about ourselves and other people. Rather than desirable or repulsive, too big or too small, we can train the main to understand the body simply as a being consisting of these four elements.

To leave a comment about this episode, visit matthewtift.com/prettygood/23. The theme music is "Maxixe" performed by Edson Lopes under CC BY 3.0.

mindfulness