You may have heard of "impermanence" as an important theme in meditation. In this guided practice, Toby Sola introduces us to the ease of flow state with two simple but profound techniques: exploring impermanence directly by noticing changes in our body sensations, and using labels to hone concentration.

Toby Sola is dedicated to helping you create a feedback loop between your meditation practice and your ability to make the world a better place. Toby has been teaching meditation for two decades and has refined his craft through years of monastic training and close collaboration with the world-renowned teacher Shinzen Young. He is an award-winning designer and founder of the Brightmind Meditation app.

Note that this meditation includes longer pauses of complete silence to give you time to spend in contemplation and practice the techniques introduced. If you want more time, feel free to pause the recording as you go.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online at Mindful.org next week.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Join our community by signing up for our free newsletter: mindful.org/signup

Show Notes

Find more from Toby Sola here.

Go Deeper

If you want to learn more about flow state, focus, and facing impermanence, here are more articles to explore:

• Flow State: How to Get in the Zone

• Find Your Focus: Own Your Attention in 12 Minutes a Day

• Not Just Marking Time: How Rituals Help Us Face Impermanence with Mindfulness and Gratitude

For more practice, here’s another meditation to try: A Guided Meditation to Rest in the Flow of Effortlessness.

And more from Mindful here:

More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

When difficult or painful emotions feel like they’re swirling all around you, it can be challenging to find a steady place to catch your breath. In this guided meditation, mindfulness teacher Scott Rogers uses the metaphor of a hurricane to help us recognize the qualities and the impermanence of even our stormiest emotions.

Scott Rogers is founder and director of the University of Miami School of Law’s Mindfulness in Law Program where he integrates mindfulness into the law school curriculum, and he is co-founder of the UMindfulness, the University’s Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. Scott collaborates on neuroscience research into the efficacy of mindfulness training programs in high stress professions and has written numerous articles and authored five books on mindfulness, including The Elements of Mindfulness. He has appeared on television and radio and been interviewed in newspapers and magazines across the world for his creative and accessible methods of sharing mindfulness with people of all ages and walks of life. Scott is principal advisor to Innergy Meditation in Miami, and lives with his family in Miami Beach, Florida.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online at Mindful.org next week.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Join our community by signing up for our free newsletter: mindful.org/signup

About Our Contributor

Find more from Scott Rogers here.

Go Deeper

If you want to learn about how mindfulness can help you make room for and move through all kinds of challenging emotions, check out these articles:

• A Mindful Guide to Navigating Difficult Emotions
• The Upside of Sadness
• Making Friends with Difficult Emotions

For more practice, here’s another meditation to try: A Guided Meditation for Navigating Difficult Emotions.

And more from Mindful here:

More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.

If you’ve been having trouble falling asleep lately, this body scan meditation with Diana Winston offers a gentle, soothing way to be with the tension in our minds and our bodies. Take a deep breath, let go, and ease into rest.

Diana Winston is the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center and author of several books including The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering your Natural Awareness.

A quick note: Since this is a sleep meditation, you won’t be hearing a closing bell or statement like usual, but instead just a drifting off into silence.

The transcription of this guided meditation will be online at Mindful.org next week.

Stay curious, stay inspired. Join our community by signing up for our free newsletter: mindful.org/signup

Show Notes

Find more from Diana Winston here.

Go Deeper

Reconnecting with our body and its signals is a key part of being able to drop into full relaxation and rest. Here are two more articles that can help you increase body awareness:

• How to Befriend Your Body
• The Science of Embodiment: Connect to Your Body’s Wisdom

For more practice, here’s another meditation to try: A 12-Minute Body Scan Meditation for Letting Go of Stress and Falling Asleep

And more from Mindful here:

More episodes of 12 Minute Meditation

Let us know what you thought of this episode of 12 Minute Meditation by leaving a review or by emailing yourwords@mindful.org.