Please click on any of the following meditation podcasts to listen/stream, or visit our Youtube Channel, or download our weekly practices via any podcast service. Most of these meditation podcasts are recordings of the weekly, free public community meditation hosted by Calgary Mindfulness. For anyone interested in a workshop for your school or company, I invite you to listen to some of these recordings to get a sense of what the workshop will cover – several mindfulness anchors and some of the science backing the use of meditation as a mental self-care strategy. For podcasts of our weekly sessions on Sunday mornings, please see the News Posts.
Mindful Listening #1 – An introduction to sound as a meditation anchor. Short & sweet; suitable for children.
Mindful Listening #2– Part 2; also suitable for children. Mindful listening is the simplest anchor for children and busy-brained adults.
Journey to Inner Quiet – A longer practice, still family friendly.
Connecting to the Creator within – nurturing inner strength – An excerpt from the Mar 21, 2020 Mid-Sun class; our first virtual class recording!
Gratitude Meditation – Choosing Love Over Fear – gratitude practice is vital in honouring and acknowledging the truth of our constant stream of abundance!
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/03282020_Gratitude-Love-vs-Fear.mp3
Listening for Holy Spirit Within / Inner Wisdom – A traditional mindfulness meditation followed by an exploration of inner wisdom / Holy Spirit within.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Listening-to-the-Holy-Spirit.mp3
Mindfulness / Heartfulness/ Gratitude – A 15 minute mindfulness practice, followed by a short discussion, and then a 10 minute heartfulness / gratitude practice.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Mindfulness-Heartfulness-Gratitude.mp3
Mindfulness of Stress – 15 minute mindfulness practice, followed by a 13 minute mindfulness of stress practice, where we observe the mind chatter that distracts us from the peace of mind that comes from meditating. This can be done with a journal or without, to briefly jot down any thoughts that arise.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/04182020-mindfulness-of-stress.mp3
Greeting Resistance with an Open Heart
This practice was prompted by a class member’s desire to enquire within about the inner resistance we generate, and how to become aware of it, and start letting it go.
This humble, introspective practice requires us to compassionately face our “flaws”, and has a long history in all contemplative traditions, because we review how most of our suffering is self-inflicted by our attachment to how we think things should be, and our own fearfulness of losing this if we let go. We draw a line in the sand and are ready to defend it no matter what, even if it is we ourselves alone who suffer from this rigid stance!
For Christians, Jesus’ idea of turning the other cheek is exactly this idea! Turning the other cheek is not about being a doormat, but about understanding where we generate resistance and suffering. In letting go we better and easily align with the strengths God gives us here on earth–respect, compassion, peacefulness, ease, abundance, confidence and so on.
Releasing Negative Thoughts
Today we’ve received an intention regarding mindfulness and release of negative thoughts. Remember, there aren’t BAD thoughts…but mindfulness practice is one of many ways to take a deeper look at thought habits, and develop the ability to sit with and possibly address what doesn’t help us make decisions that line up with our goals & values.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Releasing-Negative-Thoughts-05022020.mp3
Mindfulness of Stress – Internal Resistance
Today’s intention was regarding mindfulness of stress, and how we generate internal resistance that makes our stressors out of control and further gets the mind and body out of balance. In today’s practice, we explored paying attention to thoughts and emotions that signify we are creating internal resistance to block ease, problem solving and flow.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Mindfulness-of-Stress-05092020.mp3
Relaxtion Meditation
A 10 minute mindfulness practice with extra attention on the mindful body and relaxation of the body.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/mindfulness-meditation-May-16th-2020.mp3
Gratitude & Heartfulness Meditation
This practice gives us a chance to reconnect to the strength and ease we feel in counting our blessings instead of our gripes and the giving and receiving of love and forgiveness. (26 minutes, one single practice).
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gratitude-meditation-May-23rd-2020.mp3
Finding quiet & strength within
This traditional mindfulness practice is focused on awareness of the present moment, and aligning with our inner strength (Holy Spirit) that empowers us to make choices for highest & best, for self and community.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/May-30-mindfulness.mp3
Self-Forgivenness
This meditation was based on the intention of a student in our class, to address self-critical thoughts & feelings. A traditional mindfulness meditation followed by a guided loving-kindness practice, where we direct loving kindness toward our selves. (27 mins)
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/June-7-Self-Forgiveness.mp3
Mindfulness of the Emotional Body & Gratitude Practice (19 mins)
As part of our body scan, we directed awareness to the emotional pain that collects in the body – shame and fear in the belly; perhaps hopelessness and loneliness in the heart. Followed by a gratitude practice, to show how blissful and quickly we can turn the glass to half-full! This is a podcast from the June 14, 2020 class.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Gratitude-Meditation.mp3
This podcast is our final session of June 2020, celebrating Father’s Day, the first day of summer, and the solstice, in observing how our connection with beauty of our Creator’s gift of nature can inspire strength, peace and ease in our hearts:
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/solstice-meditation.mp3
Review of Mindfulness Basics part 1 Here is an introduction to mindfulness meditation covering the anchors of the mindful body, listening, breathing and a body tension scan, recorded at our class on September 13, 2020.
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation part 2 a relaxing mindfulness meditation reviewing the anchors of body, listening, breath and the body scan. https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/09202020_Meditation_Rosanna.mp3
Abundance Meditation in honour of Thanksgiving. Counting our blessings is an excellent way to lift our spirits by acknowledging how much abundance truly exists in our lives!
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/10112020-Gratitude-Meditation-Thanksgiving.mp3
Stress Reduction More frequently, I’m receiving requests for how to manage our sense of increasing day to day stress in the Covid age… here are a few meditations focusing on mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques:
Reframing Worry With Inner Strength
In this practice, we direct loving-kindness inward, and then compassionately allow problems and worries to enter this compassionate field of love and strength, reframing our problems from a position of more power. Enjoy!
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Reframing-Worry-Inner-Strength.mp3
Visualizing Strong Self
In practice, it is an opportunity to counteract our frequent stewing in negative thoughts. In this practice, we visualize our strongest selves, highest and best, and hold space for facing our problems from this empowered position.
https://calgarymindfulness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/visualize-strong-self.mp3
Channeling Divine Loving Kindness into Our World
In this practice, we leave the secular terrain of traditional mindfulness practice, visualizing our receiving loving kindness from God/ spirit/divine/universe (however you phrase that which is beyond our matter), and sharing it easily with our loved ones, colleagues and strangers.
Acceptance
Struggling to accept what’s going on right now in our stressful world? Acceptance doesn’t mean being resigned and powerless. During our practice today, we explore small ways that our inner critic attacks, and how we can respond mindfully.
Intentions for the Future
In this practice, we lay intentions for future thought, word, actions, and goals so support realizing our highest and best for self and others. Being the best we can be starts inside-out!
Monitoring Self-Criticism
In this practice, with a short lecture from my peer group retreat, we explore monitoring our need to “fix something wrong” with ourselves…
Mindful Seeing
This is our first practice using the anchor of sight for meditation. In recent years I have been impressed with the importance of colour as a marvellous trigger of endorphins and pleasure. If you’re one of those people who is overjoyed with the beauty of nature or a sunset/sunrise, then this is for you! Beauty in nature via the expression of color is a reminder of abundance in our own lives, and how important and helpful it is to appreciate these little treasures. (I had an internet outage during this class; so apologies for any cut-outs!)
Multi-Anchor Mindfulness Practice
No special theme today; just a multi-anchor practice where we go through the body, breath, sounds, thoughts, and emotions and return compassionately to the breath. Less lecture, more practice 🙂
Reconnecting to Wonder
Do you remember what it was like to feel unconditional wonder and interest in the world around you? What about the world within you? What about the miracle of our minds, bodies & souls? We are so used to being on track, ambitious, and self-critical to get there that we often can’t luxuriate in the openness and gratitude of wonder for ourselves and environment. In this practice, we reconnect to our old childlike sense of wonder.
First Spring Meditation – Planting the seeds of intentions
It’s our first meditation of spring! We are on topic today: our theme today is understanding our role in the cycle of free will, intention and meaningful & right thought/action. Can we ask ourselves put aside chronic busy-ness to ask and listen: what really matters to me? What seeds do I want to plant to realize the highest and best for myself and community? Which thoughts and feelings of resistance arise, that interfere with my empowered free will? Shame, blame, fear. What am I willing to do to nourish and garden my seeds to fruition? Let’s do our best to get off the wheel and choose thoughts and actions that line up with our biggest goals.
Second Spring Meditation – Nurturing the Seeds We Want to Grow – Being Choosy!
In this practice, we further explore nurturing thoughts that support what we want to bring about in our lives. Paying attention to thoughts that don’t serve our higher purpose, of giving the best of ourselves to ourselves and our community. Acknowledging them but giving water, nutrients and sunlight via the breath and attention to thoughts of hope, empowerment, and potential.
Loving Kindness – The Heart’s “Electromagnetic Field”
My son recently told me that the electromagnetic field we emit with strong emotions can be measured, and that while angry and hostile emotions are powerful, the loving emotions have a bigger field. What a comfort, to know that we can truly “send” out loving kindness and it actually makes a difference! We know this intuitively: we’ve all met people who brighten or darken the room with their unspoken, invisible mood. This practice is an opportunity to be focus our loving kindness in the world. Of particular note is the feelings we have when sharing our secret superpower: empowerment, abundance, contribution, compassion. We nurture these powerful spiritual qualities in deliberate loving kindness practice. Enjoy!
Mindfulness of Action – Getting out of the Rat Race!
Today’s class based on a participant intention: how to get out of the cycle of rushing around from task to task. Now, all these tasks might be important, but when we’re constantly in a hurry, we don’t ever shut off our stress responses of flight/fight. The outcome is that we usually don’t actually save much or any time; at least not enough time to bother sitting in stress all day. And also, we don’t really enjoy any of the activities that we must do. This week, challenge yourself to choose a mundane activity which you normally rush through and pay attention to your thoughts and movements, to bring more of your highest and best intention to all your actions. Notice how you feel when you stop rushing around! It doesn’t mean you can dilly dally getting the basics done, or that you’re not trying your hardest; it’s quite the opposite–you’ll be putting heart & soul into all your actions, which brings confidence, clarity and meaning to our lives.
Mindfulness of Thoughts & Emotions
In this traditional mindfulness meditation, we root in body & breath & senses, before inviting in thoughts and emotions to the event, observing in particular any thoughts and emotions related to Covid stress. Looking for healthy, productive ways to manage our subconscious response to fear in the news, fear in people around us and frustration.
Finding Peace Within
Response to an intention submitted from a class member, regarding increasing conflict in Middle East. From a meditator’s perspective, peace is an inside-out job. So, our role in private meditation is to explore and understand where we maintain conflict within ourselves purposefully or unconsciously. This mindfulness of our thoughts and emotions best positions us to make skillful decisions that align with highest and best for self and community.
Clearing Space in Our Heads to Listen to Inner Wisdom
In this practice, we still the body and mind so that we are available to listen to highest & best guidance.
Visualization for Skillful Conflict Management & Breath Intention
In this practice, we focus on the inhalation as a renewal of inner strength, the exhalation as a releasing of thoughts and emotions that distract us from highest & best, and then take on a visualization of skillful conflict management.
Happy Father’s Day & Solstice Meditation
Today we honor how beautiful the world is at this time of year, and also the fathers, father figures, mentors and guides. in our lives.
Open-Eyed Self-Compassion Meditation
In this eyes-open seeing practice, we ground in compassion, gratitude, and wonder.
Loving Kindness to those in Crisis
In this practice, we send heartfulness (loving kindness) to those in our circle who are sick and suffering.
Connecting Mind/Body/Spirit – Breathing in “The Mountain”
In this practice recorded from our weekly Sunday sit, we review the concept of the mindful body, allowing both our meditation posture and breath to remind us of the great inner strength we can manifest when we recognize our connection to spirit and other.
Essential Mindfulness Basics Plus Gratitude Focus
In this short Sunday practice, we review traditional simple mindfulness anchors of body and breath, connecting each to simple gratitude, so that we can reach a place of stillness quickly, using simple body functions of breath and posture, and connect to a profound and invigorating sense of wonder and joy at the small things in life. Enjoy!
Building Resilience in our Communities: Looking Within First!
Extending Awareness & Visualizing Conflict Management
In today’s practice (time change Sunday! Spring forward) we extend awareness outside of the body, noticing the stillness it creates, and also visualize conflict situations with this stillness.
Balancing Inner & Outer Awarness – Breath Management
In today’s Sunday meditation, we use the breath as an anchor to connect to the spiritual strengths of clarity, wisdom, respectfulness, peacefulness, loving-kindness, generosity, and ease, and to release those attributes which interfere (shame, fear, worry, anxiety, comparisons etc). We direct this awareness inward and outward to our community of friends, family and strangers. It is a tightrope we balance, to ground within deeply in strength, and send this loving awareness out to our community. Premise here is that it is not enough to look within to become aware of dysfunction within; this overly self-centred focus can also be dysfunctional. We want to balance out our awareness and concern with self & community, always with the goal of offering our highest and best to self and community.
Happy Easter! Crucifixion & Resurrection
In this practice, we explore thoughts of victimization and betrayal, and how to release these, with the reminder of God’s Easter promise that love and forgiveness overcome the worst evil humans can dish out to one another, even death.
Using Mindfulness Anchors to Expand Our Awareness of Others
Well despite some technical and feline trouble starting off today, we managed to engage the anchor of sound and breath to expand our awareness out of our own personal body’s “I/my/me” toward the awareness of others. This is one important way we can connect ourselves to others in gratitude and have quick access to our power of loving kindness!
Visualization – Conflict Management
Today’s practice was inspired by some unpleasant online interchange I had with strangers this week in the course of selling my son’s shoes. It made me ask why we are comfortable approaching and interacting with strangers giving them our absolute worst, rather than treating others as we wish to be treated…if we think we won’t be caught or observed. I do it too, and then feel lousy for days afterward. How can we train ourselves to not be responsive with rage, anger and frustration in the moment, and more compassionate and respectful to others by default? It’s all about the practice! Join us in this short Sunday meditation to get serious about your training!
Visualization of Conflict Management
Body Image Meditation –
North American pop culture idolizes a “perfect body” which is a mental trap of great suffering. A short meditation to help unwind cultural programming…enjoy!
Spring is Here!
Here is a meditation that connects our inner awareness to the outer world as spring arises in the northern hemisphere. Sometimes we can feel stuck in our minds and bodies, and tapping into the marvelous change all around us can help renew flow, connection, ease.
Happy Mother’s Day
In today’s Mother’s Day meditation, we explore the complexity of motherhood, with both attention to compassion and forgiveness. Our positive and negative experiences of mothering are considered, both what we’ve received and given.
Stressed Out with June Crazyness? Portable Relaxation Practice…
Getting many requests from people overwhelmed with how much post-covid stuff there is to fit in the calendar in June! Here is a portable practice to decompress!
Meditation upon Perfectionism
How is it possible that the end of covid restrictions, and the return to “normal” can be causing extra anxiety and stress in the lives of many of my practitioners? Check out this Sunday’s practice to explore the inward workings of this paradox!
Father’s Day Meditation 2023
In today’s Sunday practice, we honor our fathers and father figures with a gratitude meditation.
Autumn 2023 meditations & forward…
Please visit our YouTube playlist or download on your favorite podcast service – search for Calgary Mindfulness.