The Essence of Meditation
With a little patience and regular practice, meditation can be a deeply satisfying thing to do. The more we use our concentration and willpower to stay focused on the present moment, the more we’ll improve and strengthen our ability to draw our consciousness away from the mind activity. This is the essence of meditation, enjoying the present moment and quieting the mind. Our breath is the easiest tool for staying in the present moment. When we focus on our breathing, observing the sensation of the in-breath and the out-breath, we will naturally find ease. The two go hand in hand. When we are fully focused on enjoying and extending our breath, our mind will naturally slow down. When our mind is fast, our breathing usually becomes more rapid, as well. Slow the breath to slow the mind, this is meditation.
Soon, anytime we bring our awareness back to our breathing, we’ll be able to enjoy a deeply fulfilling state of no-mind (non judgmental observation) where we are quite awake and alert, but not thinking or dwelling on anything other than the present moment.
Soon, anytime we bring our awareness back to our breathing, we’ll be able to enjoy a deeply fulfilling state of no-mind (non judgmental observation) where we are quite awake and alert, but not thinking or dwelling on anything other than the present moment.
Slow the breath to slow the mind.
This is meditation.
This is meditation.
- Recommended Meditation Content -
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5-4-3-2-1 Meditation for Mindfulness
Breathe In, Refreshment for Refreshing the Body Breathing Meditation for Patience for Waiting Gracefully Breathing Patterns for Energy Management Calming Earth Meditation for Nature-Inspired Peace Cue-Controlled Relaxation for Relaxing Bodily Tension Cultivating Kindness to Respond More Positively Cultivating Mental Clarity (Visualization Exercise) for Increasing Clarity of Mind Developing Intuition for Listening to Intuition Easy Mindful Morning Routine for Blissful Mornings Energizing Breathing Meditation for Refreshing Energy Energizing Meditation for Alertness Feeling Tone Meditation for Emotional Awareness Foot Awareness Meditation for Grounding Giving + Receiving Meditation for Self-Acceptance Hand on Heart Meditation for Self-Soothing "I Like" Meditation for Increasing Appreciation Improving Focus + Concentration for Strengthening Focus Ice Cube Meditation for Difficult Feelings Inner-Outer Meditation for Confidence Knee-Hug Meditation for Anxiety Looking Into Our Suffering for Insight for Transforming Suffering Metta Meditation for Loving Kindness Mindful Body Scan for Releasing Tension Mindful Breathing (Free) for Ease Mindful Breathing (Main) for Inner Peace Mindful Breathing for Cravings for Calming Desire |
Mindful Breathing to Increase Energy for Strength and Power
Mindful Eating for Nourishment Mindfully Drinking Water for Refreshing Awareness Mindfulness Balloon Meditation for Intrusive Thoughts Mindfulness Cues (Mindfulness Bells) for Mindfulness Reminders Mindfulness for One Minute for Increasing Awareness of Time Mindfulness of One Object for Improving Observation Skills Mindful Sitting for Stability Mindful Walking for Gratitude Morning Mindset Meditation for Clarity Not Doing for Being Present Paintbrush Meditation for Self-Love Present Moment, Clear-Minded Moment for Inner Peace Protection Meditation for Peaceful Inner Refuge (safe space) Quick Relaxation Meditation for Relaxation Sangha Connection Meditation for Connecting with Community Self-Care Meditation to Cultivate Kindness Self-Care Mantra for Relaxing the Body Spider Meditation for Strengthening Imagination Skills S.T.O.P. to Refresh Stopping + Looking Deeply for Resetting Taking a Day of Rest for Relief from Busyness Telephone Meditation for Composure Thought Diffusion for Intrusive Thoughts Tree in a Storm for Stress Resilience Using Our Eyes for Increasing Appreciation Weathering the Storm for Awareness of Difficult Emotions Words for Mindful Walking for Grounding |
Meditation Videos + Audio Content
For a few years I hosted a weekly group meditation for my Patrons, and while I’m not currently offering this mindfulness service as I work on my art, I’ve uploaded dozens of recordings from our previous Zoom sessions on my Patreon. These videos feature me guiding our group in mindfulness practice (meditation) and are a wonderful tool to increase wellbeing and decrease stress. Check out my Patreon page or my website page about Becoming a Patron for more details.
Establishing a Daily Meditation Routine
How Long Should I Meditate For?Meditate for at least 15 minutes per day. Unless you’re too busy. Then you should meditate for at least 1 hour. |
We don’t need to over-complicate our meditation practice, we just need to actually do it! I'm sure everyone would like to reduce their anxiety and depression, increase their positive and creative thinking, improve their focus and concentration, and reduce the intensity of stress and negative emotions; but we'll only unlock these benefits with regular practice. Mindfulness is a skill that needs to be repeated on a regular basis if we really want to refine and develop our understanding so our neural circuits can begin to rewire. When we sit down to practice every day, our understanding begins to build its own momentum. When we’re scheduling or considering a time for our mindful practice, and a great time to do so is first thing in the morning. This time of day is usually quiet and undisturbed, so we're more likely to actually get our meditation done. We can shake off our grogginess and energize ourselves with mindful breathing, and we set our whole day off on a positive note. Part of learning mindfulness is learning to remember to do it, which is why choosing a certain time of day to practice can be beneficial. We typically shower, brush our teeth, eat our meals, and do other self-care activities on a regular schedule, so it makes sense to incorporate our mindfulness practice within the flow of our other daily activities.
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Don't Get Discouraged
Meditation can feel overwhelming or disorienting at first, just like anything else when we first start learning a new skill. Sometimes when we meditate, all of our worries, anxieties, thoughts, and expectations seem to be instantly amplified as soon as we try to slow down and turn inward. This doesn’t mean we’re meditating incorrectly, but it does mean we’ll have to focus more intently and practice more diligently in order to stay present in the here and now. The more we practice focusing on our breath to stay present, cultivating awareness of our body and mind, the less distracting our thoughts and feelings will be.
Meditation doesn’t always mean having perfectly empty or quiet mind. Sometimes it’s just allowing thoughts and emotions to come and go, without dwelling in them or allowing them to stick around for too long.
Remember the breath. Our in-breath is an amazing tool for inviting in the peaceful, calm energy we desire, and our out-breath is a very powerful way to let go of any unwanted thoughts or energies.
Meditation doesn’t always mean having perfectly empty or quiet mind. Sometimes it’s just allowing thoughts and emotions to come and go, without dwelling in them or allowing them to stick around for too long.
Remember the breath. Our in-breath is an amazing tool for inviting in the peaceful, calm energy we desire, and our out-breath is a very powerful way to let go of any unwanted thoughts or energies.
Is Meditation an Escape From Reality?
Meditation is not an escape. It’s being serenely close to the present moment. It’s offering your genuine self to each moment, and presence like this often requires courage and takes plenty of patience. Meditation will relax, refresh, and re-inspire our mind and body: not because we’re checked out but because we’re connecting more deeply with each experience.
Breathe in, calm and ease. Breathe out, let go of attachments.
Breathe in slowness of body and mind, breathe out and relax into the present moment.
Breathe in slowness of body and mind, breathe out and relax into the present moment.
“Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better.
It’s about befriending who we are already.” --Pema Chödrön
Enjoying Each Day with Mindfulness
Formal meditation is a great technique to connect with the present moment, but it’s not entirely practical to spend all our time sitting in meditation. We can extend our meditative energy by inviting our mindfulness into our daily activities and tasks. By anchoring with our breathing, being fully engaged with our tasks, and noting what we observe within and around us throughout the day, we'll discover a rich experience of everyday activities that we may otherwise take for granted. The more we practice our mindful breathing, walking, grounding, and awareness of the present moment, the more effortlessly we can remain calmly connected to anchored presence in our everyday activities. Meditation and mindfulness are skills that takes application; but the more we practice, the more easily those skills will come.
 Breathing Mindfully
 Eating Mindfully
Doing Chores Mindfully
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 Sitting Mindfully
 Drinking Water Mindfully
Driving Mindfully
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 Walking Mindfully
Drinking Tea Mindfully
Telephone Mindfulness
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A Daily Meditation
Here is a soft-spoken reading of one of my favorite poems by Christopher Titmuss, A Daily Meditation.
May you find ease, comfort, and inspiration in these words.
May you find ease, comfort, and inspiration in these words.
Let us be still for a few moments,
without moving even our little finger
so that a hush descends upon us.
There would be no place to go,
nor to come from, for we would
have arrived in this extraordinary moment;
there would be a stillness and silence,
that would fill all our senses,
where all things would find their rest.
Everything would then be together in a deep connection,
putting an end to ‘us and them’, this in that;
we would not move in these brief moments,
for that would disturb this palpable presence;
there would be nothing to be said nor done,
for life would embrace us in this wondrous meeting,
and take us into its arms as a loving friend.
- Christopher Titmuss
without moving even our little finger
so that a hush descends upon us.
There would be no place to go,
nor to come from, for we would
have arrived in this extraordinary moment;
there would be a stillness and silence,
that would fill all our senses,
where all things would find their rest.
Everything would then be together in a deep connection,
putting an end to ‘us and them’, this in that;
we would not move in these brief moments,
for that would disturb this palpable presence;
there would be nothing to be said nor done,
for life would embrace us in this wondrous meeting,
and take us into its arms as a loving friend.
- Christopher Titmuss