BIG NEWS: Welcome to Our Mindful Nature – Meditation for Anxiety, Connection & Nature-Inspired Well-Being

Friends, you might have noticed something BIG today as you clicked ‘play’ on this episode…The Mindful Minute has a NEW name!!!After 8 years of sharing recordings of Monday night meditation class on this podcast; I felt it was time to shift, to level up, to adjust in response to the times we find ourselves in…As a meditation teacher, when I share what I do, I very often hear 1 of 2 comments:I want to meditate but I just don’t have enough timeI tried meditation once but I think too muchAnd so, this podcast was originally built on the premise of responding to those two statements. My goal was (and is) to offer accessible, enjoyable meditation practices with the reminder that you can meditate in 5 or 10 minutes just as effectively as you can in 20 - 30 minutes. But then, I started noticing a steady uptick in another response when I mention that I am a meditation teacher… This response goes something like - I DO meditate. I do my 10 minutes, and I am still struggling. I’m still anxious. Overwhelmed. Scared. Despairing. And, the truth is, my friends, me too. We are in times of massive change and upheaval, and that is going to require more than a 10-minute nervous system reset. It asks us to wake up. To be less afraid of the dark. To be more tender with ourselves and all beings in this universe. The work I hope to explore with you on this podcast moving forward is HOW? How do we do this? What makes us feel steady & well? What makes me feel resourced? I know without a shadow of doubt, from my own meditative experiences as well as through the teachings of many ancient wisdom holders, that embodying our connection to the natural world is perhaps the most important thing we can do for the wellbeing of humans, the planet and the more-than human that live here with us. Hence the new name of this podcast - Our Mindful Nature. It is a bit of a double entendre. Our Mindful Nature as in our inner nature, our own mindfulness, but also it references the wisdom of the natural world that surrounds and supports us. And so, most of our meditation practices moving forward will be nature-based. And, we will be curious about other mindful practices that support this sense of well-being.In the words of Shefa Gold - Can I open to trust the wilderness,the unknown, the Mystery that risesin response to my loving, curious longing?Join me for today’s talk and 10-minute guided meditation practice.Special thank you to Dr. Chanti Tacoronte-Perez for the wisdom and insight regarding the vast spectrum of practices that make up our well-being. You can learn more about Dr. Chanti and her work here:https://www.yantrawisdom.com/https://drchanti.substack.com/Sign up for my newsletter at https://merylarnett.substack.com/ to receive free mini meditations each week, creative musings, and more.Make a donation or learn more about my free offerings and live classes by visiting merylarnett.cominstagram.com/merylarnettyoutube.com/@themindfulminutepodcast#meditatewithmerylThis podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.