Ep. 122 What Is Meditation? How to Start a Meditation Practice (Even If You've Never Meditated)

What is meditation and how do you start? Charna shares a gentle, beginner friendly introduction to meditation, mindfulness, and practice. Have you ever wondered what meditation actually is... and whether you're doing it "right"? In this special introductory episode, I'm stepping away from interviews to talk directly about meditation: how I found it, why it became foundational to my healing journey, and how you can begin a meditation practice without pressure, perfection, or needing to clear your mind. Drawing from decades of experience in somatic work, mindfulness, embodiment practices, and my own personal healing, I explore different approaches to meditation and share practical ways to get started. Inside this episode: • What meditation is (and what it isn't) • Why meditation can feel difficult at first • Trauma informed considerations for meditation • Mindfulness, embodiment, breath, mantra, visualization, and heart centered practices • How meditation changed my relationship to stress and reactivity • Simple ways to start a sustainable practice If meditation has always felt intimidating, inaccessible, or confusing, this episode is your invitation to begin. While the podcast is on hiatus, I'll be releasing guided meditations here on the feed, many of which come from the free monthly meditation gatherings I offer through my Anarchist Medicine series, which you can watch on Youtube or do live with me the first Wednesday of the month at 9am PST. You can sign up to be notified here. Subscribe so you don't miss future meditation sessions and guided practices.