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A Meditation for Working With Our Self-Judging Voice

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Collecting Art, take a look A guided meditation to get familiar with our self-judging voice and how we relate to our flaws, so that we can cultivate compassion and recognize our own worthiness. Mindfulness is about paying attention to our present moment experiences with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. Mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment with openness to things as they really are, as opposed to how we want them to be or how they could be, or wishing that they were different, which we do quite a bit. This includes our uncomfortable experiences—like being with our fear, grief, regret, and that self-judging voice that sometimes makes us feel so small. Self-compassion is the idea that even with all of our flaws, we can still care about ourselves. Self-Compassion vs. Self-Esteem I want to talk about the concept of self-compassion. There seems to be this epidemic of self-judgment in the world, where people are often self-critical and have...
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I Owe My Meditation Practice to My Strong WiFi Connection

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Collecting Art, take a look Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app. I ran back up the stairs after my morning walk, flung open the door to my studio apartment, and saw my boyfriend sitting at the table, already tapping away at his computer. In a second, my plans to meditate that morning disintegrated. Shouldn’t I be doing something productive, too? I pulled out my laptop, skipping my meditation practice for the day. It had been years since I’d begun reading about the wide-ranging benefits of meditation. As someone who has struggled with a lifelong penchant for getting lost in anxious ruminations and rigid self-expectations, my intermittent meditation habit was a way to practice momentarily releasing the desperate grip of control I usually maintained. After enough profound moments of tuning into the present moment, I knew on an intellectual level that a regular meditation practice would help me. But when it came time to ex...
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The 8 best weighted blankets of 2025, tested for comfort, relaxation and quality

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Collecting Art, take a look A good weighted blanket is a helpful aid for relaxation after a long day. Also known as a “wellbeing” or “anxiety blanket,” it works by applying gentle pressure to your body and can simulate the feel of a warm hug. Once seen as specialist therapy equipment to soothe adults suffering from stress and children with special educational needs such as autism or ADHD, weighted blankets are now a staple in many home shopping aisles. This is due to anecdotal evidence that they can help anyone calm their nerves. While there is limited data to prove their benefits, studies from the likes of the National Library of Medicine show that sensory touch can lessen physical responses to anxiety and put us at ease. Prices climb from around £20 to over £300, so there’s a range of styles, finishes and qualities to choose from. We tested 13 weighted blankets, with the best eight reviewed below to help you find the right fit. You’ll also find an FAQ section on how they work. Her...
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Mindfulness Practices to Get Back in Touch with Your Body

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Collecting Art, take a look Shift from a fix it mindset to more kindness and acceptance with these practices to get back in touch with your body. One thing I’ve noticed in my classes and retreats recently is people are struggling—not just with their minds during meditation, but their bodies. It’s a conflicted relationship. Mindfulness teaches us to keep coming back to the present moment as we experience it in the body, like the breath in the mindfulness of breathing meditation. It’s good to remember that the body is always in the present moment. In a recent yoga class I attended, the teacher, when she moved us through the poses, used the term “today’s body.” She didn’t’ say your body or even the body, but today’s body. I liked the unexpected playfulness of that expression. Immediately it made my body feel more acceptable, less personal, and at the same time more connected with the other people in the room—and their bodies. We all have a “today’s body.” So many of us struggle with o...
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This New Take on Moving Meditation Levels Up Your Daily Walk

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Collecting Art, take a look If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn about Outside Onlines affiliate link policy The integration of mindfulness and movement is not a new endeavor. In fact, one could argue that any type of movement becomes mindful when you’re striving for a certain level of awareness. But sometimes, getting intentional about how you’re moving can transform your chosen activity into something approximating meditation—as with the trend of “walking yoga.” Walking yoga is an approach to walking meditation that asks that you meet the moment—in this case, being aware of your steps—and focusing less on your thoughts and more on what you’re doing and the world around you. The practice has been gaining popularity in recent months, mentioned in movement programs there’s even a designated app and across social media. At its core, walking yoga is about aligning your breath with your ...
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A Meditation for When You Need a Break

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Collecting Art, take a look Mindfulness teacher and author Kimberly Brown offers a relaxing practice for whenever you need a break. Take this moment to pause and reconnect with yourself. Sometimes, when we need a break, the best gift we can give ourselves is just a moment set aside for quiet, breath, and reminding ourselves of who we really are. In this gentle guided practice, Kimberly Brown uses simple repeated phrases to ground attention and offer a place to rest and reset. A Meditation for When You Need a Break Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice. Turn inward. You can say to yourself, Hello, I’m here. Hello, my beautiful self, I am here for you. Whatever is arising in me is welcome. Note that this practice includes longer pauses of complete silence for reflection and presence. If you want more time, feel free to pause the recording as you go.,
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Meditation to Be At Peace With How Things Are

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Collecting Art, take a look In this week’s guided meditation, Dr. Mark Bertin offers a practice to help us be gently aware of sensations, feelings, and thoughts that come up in practice, building presence in the rest of life. This is a practice that is both concrete and compassionate. Dr. Bertin guides us to take note of our tendency to either deny or try and “fix” what’s going on in our lives, and then find a third way—one where we aim to see things as clearly as possible, so that our decisions are filled with awareness, skill, and care for everyone involved. A Meditation to Be At Peace With How Things Are Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice. Start with finding a comfortable posture that you’ll be able to sustain for these few minutes of practice. Bring a sense of kind and patient awareness to our body first. Make adjustments so that you feel awake and alert. Notice areas of tension, and see if you’re ...
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