New Year's Day Intention & Guided Meditation

Heartfulness, A Softer Path in 2025 + A Day Retreat

Happy New Year and welcome back to Our Mindful Nature, where we explore the intersection of meditation, nature, and mental health. Let’s start the year by diving into a fresh, gentler perspective on mindfulness — or perhaps we should say, heartfulness?

In this episode, I share a thought that’s been swirling in my mind: what if we reframed our practice? While in the West, meditation is often translated as “mindfulness,” the original Pali word aligns more closely with the concept of “heartfulness.” Imagine how this shift might change the way we experience meditation practice and life.

💡 What We Discuss in This Episode:

• Why mindfulness in the West focuses so much on the intellect and how this reflects our cultural values.

• The richness of practicing from the heart: a softer, more embodied approach.

• How heartfulness isn’t just about sitting on a cushion but about cultivating a way of being.

• Simple, actionable steps to embrace heart-awareness in your practice:

  • Ask for blessings or support at the start of your meditation.

  • Soften into your body and breathe from the heart.

  • Practice wakeful rest, becoming a co-participant in your experience rather than a manager of it.

🧘‍♀️ A Guided Practice:
We’ll close the episode with a short nature-based meditation to explore heartfulness together. Feel the warmth of the season and settle into a sense of connection with your inner landscape.

🎧 Tune in to explore a gentler, more heartfelt way to nurture your mental health, connect with nature, and deepen your meditation practice.

**Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s video, nature field recordings, video and sound design, and editing; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support of this episode.

Just The Meditation

Heartfulness by Meryl Arnett

Grab your journal, pop-in some headphones and let’s meditate.

Design Your Path: A Day Retreat in Decatur, GA

January 25, 2025

2025 Meditation Teacher Training

As a meditation practitioner, you already have a deep commitment to healing and growth. Many of you also have a commitment to supporting others on their journey - perhaps as a teacher, healer, caregiver, community organizer or mental health professional. You understand the power of mindfulness, compassion, and presence. But have you ever felt called to take your practice and your ability to serve others to a deeper level? Have you wondered how to bring the profound, transformative effects of meditation into your work or personal life in a more intentional and impactful way?

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Wondering what other meditation teachers have to say about this training?

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*all of the content shared in my podcasts, newsletters & meditations is written by me {Meryl Arnett}. If you catch a mistake or typo, I hope it makes you smile knowing a real person is behind every word published 💛