Podcast Summary
Accessible wisdom for daily life through mindfulness talks: The 10% Happier app's new talks section offers accessible mindfulness lessons and practical tools for incorporating mindfulness into daily life, available to Wondery Plus subscribers.
The 10% Happier app's new talks section offers accessible wisdom and practical tools for incorporating mindfulness and meditation into daily life. These talks, available to Wondery Plus subscribers, cover a range of topics and can be listened to on-the-go. Diana Winston, a featured speaker, emphasizes the importance of remembering to apply mindfulness lessons in everyday life, making these portable talks an effective solution. The app aims to provide a repository of inspiring personal stories and practical wisdom to help listeners infuse their lives with greater sanity and happiness.
Rediscovering our natural awareness: Through various means like nature, creativity, and relaxation, we can reconnect with our innate capacity for deep relaxation, peace, and love towards all beings.
Our ability to connect with a sense of deep relaxation, peace, and love, often experienced in childhood or in connection with nature, is a fundamental aspect of being human. This capacity, which I refer to as natural awareness, is always available to us and can bring feelings of joy, serenity, and even love towards all beings, including those we may have previously held negative feelings towards. This experience can be triggered through various means, such as spending time in nature, engaging in creative activities, or even during moments of deep relaxation. It's important to remember that this capacity can be easily obscured by the busyness and stresses of daily life, but it's always there, waiting to be rediscovered.
Experience natural awareness in daily life: Focus on present moment and describe it as 'just this' to access natural awareness, cultivate mindfulness and increase well-being
Natural awareness, or the awareness of being aware, is a powerful and accessible state of consciousness. It's a relaxed, effortless, and spacious experience that can bring about feelings of peace, joy, love, and contentment. While everyone experiences natural awareness differently, it can be recognized experientially and can be cultivated through meditation. It's not something you need to actively do, but rather a state of being without agenda or attachment. You can access natural awareness in your daily life by simply focusing on the present moment and describing it as "just this," without judgment or attachment. This practice can help you become more mindful and present, leading to a greater sense of ease and well-being.
Embrace a more effortless meditation practice with natural awareness: Natural awareness in meditation offers a spacious, compassionate, and joyful practice. Let go of focusing efforts and judgment for a more enjoyable and impactful meditation experience.
Natural awareness in meditation can offer a more effortless and spacious practice compared to traditional, deliberate mindfulness. This approach allows individuals to let go of the struggle to focus and be present, instead embracing a sense of compassion, kindness, interconnection, joy, and radiance. If you find yourself putting excessive effort into focusing on your breath or judging yourself during meditation, natural awareness can serve as a counterbalance. This shift in perspective can lead to a more enjoyable and impactful practice, benefiting not only yourself but also those around you.
The Swan: A Reality Show Gone Wrong: The Swan, a 2000s reality TV show, promised women a chance to transform and compete in a beauty pageant, but the contestants faced isolation, criticism, and extensive surgeries, leaving audiences uncomfortable.
The Last City podcast by Wondery explores the intriguing topic of failed reality TV shows. The discussion on The Big Flop episode focused on the controversial series, The Swan. In the early 2000s, reality TV was a breeding ground for questionable concepts, with shows like Kid Nation and The Swan pushing boundaries. The Swan promised a dream opportunity for women to undergo physical transformations and compete in a beauty pageant. However, the reality turned out to be a nightmare. Contestants were isolated, berated, and underwent extensive surgeries. The outcome was a viewing experience that left audiences cringing. The Big Flop podcast, hosted by Misha Brown, invites comedians to dissect these pop culture fails and ponder the question of who thought these ideas were good in the first place. Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.
