Today, I introduce a new series to the podcast called Meditation IRL, and it is simply stories.

Stories about how one meditates. What their practice is like. What they love and what they struggle with. How they learned and the tools they use.

It is simply stories; an inner glimpse of private meditation lives.

My hope is that we find threads of connection and ways to lean into even those that challenge us the most so that we can remember that we belong to each other.

And with that, I want to introduce the FIRST Meditation IRL guest: long-time student and friend, Dr. Ashanté M. Reese

his week’s mini meditation is a special offering from my meditation app, Shoreline.

In this meditation, The Call of the Lizard, you'll hear the sounds of Kalahari desert in South Africa in the evening. You can hear the winds blowing and the quiet call of the barking gecko. Within this meditation, we reflect on the energy of both the desert and the lizard. The lizard is known for its sensitivity to the subtle; its keen sensory awareness, and its ability to be perfectly still as it takes it all in. ⁠

This is one to repeat several times and journal afterwards each time. Notice how lizard energy shows up for you.

Now, I know y’all know that I am a deep lover of oracle cards, and the first episode I did on working with oracle cards is still one of my most popular episodes! So, today, I am THRILLED to share an interview with Tarot & Oracle card creator MJ Cullinane.

In this episode, MJ and I talk about the difference between oracle and tarot decks, her creative process, and her favorite way to work with her decks.

Who do you invite into your meditation practice and why do you do it? Today’s mini meditation is an opportunity to explore what support, connections or wisdom you might connect to within your meditation practice. 

This is a snippet of my personal meditation practice at this time and I am excited to share it with you. Let’s practice!

I mentioned in last week’s class that within my personal practice, I often start by honoring the ancestors of the place I live {the Muscogee/Creek Nation} as well as my own familial ancestors. Afterwards, a student mentioned that she struggles with inviting her ancestors into her meditation practice because she doesn’t think her ancestors were particularly good people.

Another friend mentioned that she struggles with inviting her ancestors into her meditations because she doesn’t know much about her family stories. 

These questions and struggles are so common so I thought it worthwhile to explore.

One of the many texts we can look to for ancient meditation teachings is The Yoga Sutra by Patanjali. Written 2200 years ago, the great sage Patanjali gathered the essence of yoga philosophy and practice and distilled it into 196 concise sentences - called sutras.

For many of us, one of the ultimate sutras is 3.34: 

“By meditating on the heart, one gains complete knowledge of one’s mind.” 

Today’s meditation practice is one of the guideposts that points us on our way to gaining complete knowledge of the mind. 

For many, one of the ultimate sutras is 3.34: 

“By meditating on the heart, one gains complete knowledge of one’s mind.” 

But how do we get there? HOW do we meditate on the heart? 

All of the other sutras lay out the path, The Way, for us. In this episode, I want to focus particularly on sutra 1.14 in which Pantanjali outlines 3 rules for mastering the mind. 

Perhaps you already intuitively know The Way and have been working with it for some time; perhaps there are some pieces here that you will recommit to knowing that combined with the words {your intention}, the will {your trust in the practice} and the way, this practice is nothing short of magic. 

This is a special, bonus episode of The Mindful Minute to introduce my 2021 Clear Mind, Awakened Heart Meditation Teacher Training.

I wanted to be able to talk to you about my hopes, thoughts and plans for this training; the ideas behind it; and why I am so beyond proud of this offering.

Meditation Teacher Trainings are few and far between. Those that exist tend to be large-scale with many assistants between you and the teacher.

THIS training is specifically designed to be an intimate, in-depth experience limited to a maximum of 20 students. A small class size ensures quality connection time, an opportunity for your questions to be answered, and your specific needs to be addressed.

Take 10 minutes to listen to today's bonus episode of The Mindful Minute to learn more about teacher training and why it might be a good fit for YOU.