Box Breathing For Anxiety Relief - Guided Meditation

/
Box Breathing For Anxiety Relief - Guided Meditation

This is a five-minute box (square) breathing guided meditation with Zachary Phillips.

Use this practice in response to stressful events, to calm down after exercise, as a lead into a meditation session, and as a sleep aid.

By slowing down and controlling the breath - breathing in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4.

The practice triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting anxiety relief, relaxation, and performance enhancement.

Click to listen!

Read More

Every Moment Is An Opportunity For Freedom - Wisdom Talk

/
Every Moment Is An Opportunity For Freedom - Wisdom Talk

Every moment is an opportunity for freedom.

Mindfulness meditation gives us the tools to, at any moment, detach and take a different course of action. All we need to do is take one mindful breath.

This talk will discuss the possibility of freedom in every moment and give you some ideas on how to attain that freedom throughout the day.

Click to listen!

Read More

Happiness Is Closer Than You Think - Wisdom Talk

/
Happiness Is Closer Than You Think - Wisdom Talk

In this talk, we discuss how the difference between expectation and reality is often the source of significant discontent.

Life trains us to search for ideals: the perfect partner, job, life, outcome. Unfortunately this almost never arises and even if it did, it would be fleeting. Thus there is a real potential for ongoing and almost contentious self-inflicted suffering.

Thankfully, happiness is closer than you think. By embracing mindfulness we can begin to see and address the impact of our expectations.

Click to listen!

Read More

Suffering Is The Difference Between Expectations & Reality - Wisdom Talk

/
Suffering Is The Difference Between Expectations & Reality - Wisdom Talk

The enlightened person stubs their toe once, the untrained person stubs it twice…the first time on the rock, then again when they ruminate about stubbing their toe.

When we apply our mindful attention to pain, we see that it is merely another sensation to observe.

Whether it is physical or emotional, 'pain' presents itself through a collection of sensations, each of which can be observed, and investigated.

If we observe the sensations and feelings that arise when our expectations are not met, we may find that our suffering reduces or is entirely eliminated.

Click to listen!

Read More

Why Acceptance Is The Key To Happiness - Wisdom Talk

/
Why Acceptance Is The Key To Happiness - Wisdom Talk

True happiness in life comes from acceptance; embracing reality for what it is, both the good and the bad.

This isn't to say we shouldn't take action to better ourselves, we should. But we should also learn to live with things as they are. This way we will be capable of appreciating the joys we have already attained.

Without acceptance, we cannot live in the present. Rather we ruminate on the past, or fret about the future; neither state is conducive to ongoing happiness.

Click to listen!

Read More

Meditating For Detachment & Wisdom - Guided Meditation

/
Meditating For Detachment & Wisdom - Guided Meditation

By practicing mindfulness we are growing our ability to detach.

We will be less likely to fall into the trap of thoughts, less likely to identify with them and be far less impacted by them.

In this session, I break down how we use our mindfulness practice to learn detachment. It ends with a three-minute silent practice.

Click to listen!

Read More

10 Slow & Relaxing Breaths - Guided Meditation

/
10 Slow & Relaxing Breaths - Guided Meditation

This short, guided session will give you immediate calm. The mind and body are interconnected.

Calm the body and the mind will follow.

Join me for 10 calm and relaxing breaths and give yourself the power to take on the rest of your day!

Click to listen!

Read More

The Fear Of Imperfection - Wisdom Talk

/
The Fear Of Imperfection - Wisdom Talk

We have a tendency to judge our worst moments against the highlight reels of others.

We see all of our flaws, hear all the doubts, and live through the darkness, yet we compare ourselves to the external projections of others.

We fear failure, yet this fear ironically causes our performance to drop.

This talk will show you that it's only through acceptance and action that we can hope to push through our fears and take the actions necessary for success.

Click to listen!

Read More

The Self Is Just A Concept, The Ship Of Theseus - Wisdom Talk

/
The Self Is Just A Concept, The Ship Of Theseus - Wisdom Talk

Consider the following: if you were to gradually replace all of the parts of your body until nothing ‘original' remained, can you still claim to be you?

This talk breaks down the philosophical thought experiment 'The Ship of Theseus' and relates its implications back to cell division and the nature of the mind over time.

Click to listen!

Read More

A Simple Meditation For Lucid Dreaming & Mindfulness - Guided Meditation

/
A Simple Meditation For Lucid Dreaming & Mindfulness - Guided Meditation

There is a direct correlation between mindfulness and lucid dreaming.

The more you practice meditation, the higher your chances of becoming lucid.

Try this: hold your hands out in front of you, take a mindful breath and say the following, 'Tonight when I am dreaming, I will notice my hands and realise I am dreaming'.

This is a simple reality check that can be used both as a mindfulness aid, as well as to improve your chances of lucid dreaming.

Click to listen!

Read More

Enjoy A Mindful Morning Coffee Together! - Guided Meditation

/
Enjoy A Mindful Morning Coffee Together! - Guided Meditation

Enjoy a mindful morning coffee together - Grab yourself a morning coffee, get comfortable, and let’s get mindful!

Today’s session will be using our coffee as the focus of our mindfulness session – anything can be the focus, so why not coffee?

The basic praise will be to focus your attention on your cup; the smell, the feel, the taste, savouring every last drop.

Click to listen!

Read More

All That Matters Is This One Moment - Wisdom Talk

/
All That Matters Is This One Moment - Wisdom Talk

The simple truth is that it doesn’t matter how much you meditate.

The prestige of your lineage and the books you have read do not matter.

The amount of time you sit, or don’t sit, is irrelevant.

Your philosophy, beliefs, traditions, and practices may have benefits, but in terms of mindfulness - unless those things allow you unfiltered access to the present moment, they are not serving their function and are likely a distraction.

All that matters is the present moment. This talk will ask the questions, ‘Are you present? Are you observing reality as it is, for what it is, right now?’

Click to listen!

Read More

A Simple Trick To Still A Troubled Mind - Wisdom Talk

/
A Simple Trick To Still A Troubled Mind - Wisdom Talk

For the rest of the day, when you notice an intense emotion, thought, mood, memory, or other mental phenomena, take one mindful breath.

That is a long, slow, deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Then recognise that you are, at any time, free to make a different decision should you choose to do so. Give it a try.

Click to listen!

Read More

Guided Stomach Breathing For Total Relaxation - Guided Meditation

/
Guided Stomach Breathing For Total Relaxation - Guided Meditation

The mind and body are deeply interconnected; impact one and the other will follow. The breath is a prime example of this connection.

When we slow down the breath and breathe deeply, we are activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This will subsequently result in physiological, then psychological, relaxation.

The practice in this meditation is as follows: slow deep breath to fill the belly, then quick exhale with mouth open like fogging a mirror.

This breathing technique is different to the traditional slow in and slow out breath techniques, and as such, it may produce a different result for you that you have experienced with those techniques.

Click to listen!

Read More

How To Lucid Dream - Wisdom Talk

/
How To Lucid Dream - Wisdom Talk

This talk covers the basics of how to enter, stabilise and enhance the lucid dreaming state.

Perfect for both beginners and advanced practitioners, this talk covers dream signs, reality checks, journaling, stabilising the dream, and asking the dream space for guidance. Happy lucid dreaming!

Click to listen!

Read More

Why You Should Stop Striving For Enlightenment

/
Why You Should Stop Striving For Enlightenment

Zen suggests that when sitting, you simply sit. If enlightenment comes it comes. But you should stop striving for it. There should be no expectations of growth, change, happiness, or insights. You should sit for sitting’s sake, or more specifically, you should just sit…

Read More

Clarifying Common Myths & Misconceptions of Mindfulness Meditation

/
Clarifying Common Myths & Misconceptions of Mindfulness Meditation

Before we progress into the advanced practice component of this book, it is important to address some common myths and misconceptions about mindfulness. Below you will find some of the questions, beliefs and concerns people have prior to starting a mindfulness practice, as well as some of the things they wished they knew earlier on….

Read More

Taking Meditation Into Your Day

/
Taking Meditation Into Your Day

‘‘‘To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.’ – Lao Tzu

One of the goals of our meditation practice is to bring the mindfulness state off the meditation mat and into our everyday lives. Just as we lift weights in the gym to be strong in daily life, we meditate formally so we can be mindful in daily life. But there need not be a distinction between the end of a formal session and the rest of our day. Indeed, with practice we will be increasingly able to become mindful at any time. First with small glimpses, and then over longer periods of time…

Read More

How To Know If You Are Meditating Correctly

/
How To Know If You Are Meditating Correctly

‘‘We have only now, only this single eternal moment opening and unfolding before us, day and night.’ – Jack Kornfield

Knowing if you are meditating correctly is uniquely challenging. Unlike most other pursuits, it is completely internal, and the results are entirely subjective. You could watch two people sitting, one in deep meditation and the other lost in a daydream, and not be able to tell who was doing what. In fact, the day dreamer may emerge from their sit appearing more refreshed and relaxed than when they began, whereas the meditator may appear exhausted….

Read More

Using Mindfulness To Manage Toxic Thoughts

/
Using Mindfulness To Manage Toxic Thoughts

Some days, meditation can seem like a chore. It can feel like you are totally out of focus for the entire session. That your mind is wandering out of control, and it is all you can do to stop yourself from getting off the mat and ending the session early. Perhaps you are plagued by embarrassing memories, find yourself bombarded by strong emotions, or are simply falling asleep. Whatever the reason, that meditation session just sucked. Please do not stress, this happens to everyone. It is not a sign of regression, or that you are meditating incorrectly. The truth is that you can only have the meditation you are having. Whatever happens, happens and that is okay.

Read More