Ever find the hunt for your next guided meditation so exhausting and frustrating that you settle on the same random link you found in the dark corners of YouTube?
Well, now you won't have to.
I am in loveeee with my meditation practice. It’s truly the thing that I crave and feel sort of angsty about if I’ve skipped a day. If you’re into meditation, you probably have tried an app or two, maybe Headspace, or Calm’s trial but searching for a meditation that is free, relevant and high quality is a task of its own.
Cutting into my meditation time by scrolling through the app is NOT how I want to spend the precious in the morning or when I’m winding down for the night (hello, blue light).
It’s challenging and frustrating to find the nuggets in the sea of free options and I truly believe that access to quality meditation should be free and accessible.
So here enters the chat: our newest series where we highlight meditations that are not only FREE but they handpicked to be are highly rated, highly SPECIFIC and turn-key for you when you are facing the big feelings of life.
This post features meditations that will support you when you are dying to know the outcome. This feeling is not lost on me. I have suffered from anxiety and have worked myself up in a tizzy when I haven’t gotten a timely reply from my boss about my pending PTO request, or when I was trying to find the wedding outfits of my dreams (so petty and lame, btw) – BUT, it does get the best of us. Good news is that you have the option to help yourself.
Grab a cozy throw, light up your crackling candle and settle into one of these tracks to simmer your emotions and get back on track and living in the present moment. Here are my picks:
01. Trust The Process by Lalah Delia
02. Learning to Surrender by Sarah Blondin
Sarah Blondin’s is a POET. Her voice, her prose, her tempo is SO GOOD - soothing, romantic, compassionate -- *chefs kiss* especially if you need a young fairy god-mother figure. She uses poetic language and whether or not you listen carefully to the words, the intonation and rasp of her voice just melts you into serenity.
She also calls you “dear one” in the meditation and it feels like the most loving energetic hug you could receive. Similar to Lalah, all her meditations are excellent but this one is particularly good because its short and sweet and empowers you with the exact language and analogies you didn’t know you needed to support blissful surrender to the universe.
03. Acceptance by David Gandelman
If you are in the mood for some realness, this is for you. In this track, you pick one specific challenge and work through that with David. This meditation helps you comb through the aspects you are having trouble accepting or facing.
If you are dying to know the outcome of something, you may be trying to control what you must simply accept. David’s words help guide you to the realize that your egoic desire to know is likely a reflection of something deeper that is going on in your internal world. Get deep with this mediation because understanding the underpinnings of WHY you are dying to know the outcome will help distance you from the feeling.
04. Releasing Attachment & Awakening Acceptance by Patty Hlava, Ph.D.
If you have the time to do a longer meditation, do yourself a favor and listen to this one! Patty has over 25 years of experience and clearly is a nuanced instructor who can seamlessly incorporate many techniques such as body scans, curious observation and breathwork without you feeling like you are jumping from activity to activity.
I highly recommend you listening to this with a candle lit as she asks you to focus your attention on various sounds in the space to tap into your environment. Patty Hlava has a real gift in giving you the warmth and comfort you need to accept the life you have in front of you.
05. Trust Your Journey by Lou Redmond
Duration: ~20 minutes
This meditation is a beautiful, guided visualization that will immediately put your mind at ease. If you are really caught up in the cycle of emotions, visualization is a powerful tool that will help you temporarily distract your mind from the anxious thoughts.
It will support you to compartmentalize your worries and think about what the universe is conspiring in your favor instead. I think visualization exercises are low-hanging fruit in the meditation space and even 1 sitting can really alter your mood from anxious to accepting.
I found this particular track many years ago and continue to be drawn to it when I’m feeling like no meditation can cure this feeling. It will, just try it!Quit the Grip
“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”― Lao Tzu
Listen to Lao Tzu – dying to know the outcome is futile. It’s a waste of your energy and your life and you 1000% can halt these anxious cycles.You must get PRESENT in your breath, in your work, in your room, in your mind. Stay in your lane and just know that all you can do is stick the course. Don’t waste your life trying to understand what may or may not even happen. Instead, try embracing your present space so you can be focused and fulfilled.
These meditations are some of the best I’ve come across to aide in acceptance. By exploring the five meditations we've shared, you've taken the first step towards embracing the unknown with grace.
Don’t waste any precious energy digging through a gazillion options to find the perfect meditation. We've done the legwork for you. Bookmark this list, revisit it whenever you need, and share it with others who could benefit!
REMEMBER: The only thing you can control is pressing “play” on the meditation and getting into the present moment. So do that, and don’t worry about anything else.
If you liked these meditations, sign up for State of Play below!
You will get access to a VETTED, FREE & FRESH meditation in each release that will support you to finding more moments of ease.
