Hi Jeff, I am a lifetime member of calm. This is where I found you. And I follow you around from app to app because I find you to be so incredibly real. Many times after a Calm meditation I wish there was some way to comment but there isn’t. So I am commenting here. Thank you for being who you are. You are truly unique.
Ditto what Shelly said. My meditation practice has stuck because of the happy coincidence of giving Calm "one last try" after many failed attempts, and someone recommending the 10% happier book to me when I was halfway through your 30 days of mindfulness course on that app. Those events and their surrounding causes and conditions have made me a better person, and enable me to continue doing the work that I do (in social change space) without burning myself out. Thank you 🙏
Thank you Jeff. It’s liberating to consider a passing thought merely as a mind state — letting go of the Cartesian ‘I think, therefore… ’ and being more open to ‘I am’.
Of course, my mind was busy thinking as I listened, but after a while my attention shifted and I noticed the warmth of the sun streaming into the room and the brilliant colors I experienced behind closed eyes. It suggests that the words we use to label experiences profoundly shape what we experience: Mind state vs. just a mind state.
I’m always grateful for what you offer this community. 🙏
Thanks Jeff. The balance you spoke of at the end between acknowledging the transience of a mind state but also honouring it as real thing is a very apt issue for me right now. My wife passed away three weeks ago and the feeling of loss and all the other mental and emotional storms going on in my head are obviously painfully real, and yet I do know that I have to, with gentleness, try to not excessively identify with them. I know that all is unfolding, all is impermanent. My key word all day long is patience. But given all the calls, Zooms, emails, etc., I tell the same story over and over... and so can slip into too much identification. It's really hard, but your thoughts today are good reminders and can maybe point me in a helpful direction.
“Thank you, mind state!” You’re like a flower that bloomed through my head, and then curled back into the ground of awareness, and then bloomed again. How delightful to watch you bloom and compost, bloom and compost. Even this flower, which smells like a durian fruit and keeps belching sticky resin into my face.
“Thank you, mind state. You are an inevitable part of what I walk around inside. I will try to notice and appreciate your particular hue, and try not to have an agenda about the timing and duration of your visit.”
A little long for a post-it note, but may try just “Thank you, mind state” to capture the attitude.
I ve just found a kind of sanctuary from my at home loopy mind in a local coffee shop. The energy of others involving 0 commitment or obligation , a decent cookie with coffee, and your , yet again, your unique , smart, and kind , meditation offering relief- a horizon widening perspective - a loosening of the grip and at the same time honoring that “ grip”. Thank you - from my grateful heart/ mind state 😊🌿
Brilliant framing here. That "coffee into a cathedral" line really captures it becuase I've noticed mind states have this weird property where the act of naming them immediately creates some breathing room. I started labelling mine during morning commutes and it's wild how a thought that felt like bedrock certainty 30 seconds ago can just disolve when u step back. The political belief systems part is spot on too, dunno why we're all so eager to defend stories that mostly just make us stressed.
This one was a little difficult for me today. I came into it with my mind swirling with ideas and thoughts relative to the hustle and bustle of the holidays and travel and everything that goes with it. I found it difficult to really settle in this time.
Thank you Jeff I'm really struggling to meditate but reading this meditation really helped me settle I woke up in physical pain currently seeing a wonderful chiropractic clinic realigning a seriously damaged spine and nervous system I'm particularly sensitive so going through it woke at 4am to a gorgeous sky filled with stars and a beautiful moon I meditated for an hour before the sunrise and then listened to my favourite Spotify playlist and then your meditation thank you for always making me reflect before I start my day love to you and your family at Christmas looking forward to meditating with you in 2026 my friend xxxLea ❣️ aka MANIC Daze aka Aussie Lea 🦘🦘🦘
Ah. Mindstates. I have a few that are swirling around right now. Demanding attention. Sounding super convincing. Repeating over and over and over. I even had to adjust the meditation, and instead of saying, “just a mind state,” I said “it’s a mind state” so as not to diminish them. That’s what they needed. Truth—these particular mind states are in response to some pretty significant turmoil happening in my life right now. And based on other work I’m doing—to listen to myself, and appreciate my needs instead of constantly overmeriting someone else’s—I need to acknowledge them and not undermine them. So, the adjustment. They’re still mind states. And as you noted, still part of who we are. So, I’m paying attention to them but working on not following them across the block or down the drain. Thank you for the practice. It is timely.
As I've gotten older, I've noticed that "mind states," otherwise known as thoughts, disappear pretty fast. It's kind of alarming at first since you think it's the first sign of Alzheimer's and you frantically try to recover these little lost nuggets that might be wisdom, or just information. I sometimes kind of panic when I can't remember the name of somebody who wrote a story that I liked in The New Yorker! That's how ridiculous it is.
But maybe it's not cognitive decline. Maybe it's taking out the trash (not that great writers are trash, but why do you need to always remember their name? The internet is there for you.). Maybe as you get older your hard drive fills up so to speak. You have to delete something! Or maybe it's nature's way of teaching you to be less attached to your amazing thoughts. Anyway, over time I've been panicking less about losing information and thoughts rather quickly.
You younger folk have this to look forward to: if you have trouble not identifying with your thoughts, don't worry, pretty soon they will just abandon YOU.
Thanks as always Big J .. some clever soul taught me about ‘Mind Space’ getting stuff out of your head and onto paper etc … to free up capacity and it works a treat add ‘Mind State’ to this and there is a wonderful consciousness to a lot of what we do .. thanks Buddy may the Weekend bring you pleasant states and much space my friend! 🙏🏼💚
Hi Jeff, I am a lifetime member of calm. This is where I found you. And I follow you around from app to app because I find you to be so incredibly real. Many times after a Calm meditation I wish there was some way to comment but there isn’t. So I am commenting here. Thank you for being who you are. You are truly unique.
Ditto what Shelly said. My meditation practice has stuck because of the happy coincidence of giving Calm "one last try" after many failed attempts, and someone recommending the 10% happier book to me when I was halfway through your 30 days of mindfulness course on that app. Those events and their surrounding causes and conditions have made me a better person, and enable me to continue doing the work that I do (in social change space) without burning myself out. Thank you 🙏
Thank you Jeff. It’s liberating to consider a passing thought merely as a mind state — letting go of the Cartesian ‘I think, therefore… ’ and being more open to ‘I am’.
Of course, my mind was busy thinking as I listened, but after a while my attention shifted and I noticed the warmth of the sun streaming into the room and the brilliant colors I experienced behind closed eyes. It suggests that the words we use to label experiences profoundly shape what we experience: Mind state vs. just a mind state.
I’m always grateful for what you offer this community. 🙏
Man thanks @Jeff Warren
Thanks Jeff. The balance you spoke of at the end between acknowledging the transience of a mind state but also honouring it as real thing is a very apt issue for me right now. My wife passed away three weeks ago and the feeling of loss and all the other mental and emotional storms going on in my head are obviously painfully real, and yet I do know that I have to, with gentleness, try to not excessively identify with them. I know that all is unfolding, all is impermanent. My key word all day long is patience. But given all the calls, Zooms, emails, etc., I tell the same story over and over... and so can slip into too much identification. It's really hard, but your thoughts today are good reminders and can maybe point me in a helpful direction.
Thoughts and support, Eric.
Eric, thinking of you with tenderness at this difficult time in your life.
This is a beautiful offering 🙏:
“Thank you, mind state!” You’re like a flower that bloomed through my head, and then curled back into the ground of awareness, and then bloomed again. How delightful to watch you bloom and compost, bloom and compost. Even this flower, which smells like a durian fruit and keeps belching sticky resin into my face.
“Thank you, mind state. You are an inevitable part of what I walk around inside. I will try to notice and appreciate your particular hue, and try not to have an agenda about the timing and duration of your visit.”
A little long for a post-it note, but may try just “Thank you, mind state” to capture the attitude.
And love the durian reference 🤣
I ve just found a kind of sanctuary from my at home loopy mind in a local coffee shop. The energy of others involving 0 commitment or obligation , a decent cookie with coffee, and your , yet again, your unique , smart, and kind , meditation offering relief- a horizon widening perspective - a loosening of the grip and at the same time honoring that “ grip”. Thank you - from my grateful heart/ mind state 😊🌿
Brilliant framing here. That "coffee into a cathedral" line really captures it becuase I've noticed mind states have this weird property where the act of naming them immediately creates some breathing room. I started labelling mine during morning commutes and it's wild how a thought that felt like bedrock certainty 30 seconds ago can just disolve when u step back. The political belief systems part is spot on too, dunno why we're all so eager to defend stories that mostly just make us stressed.
This one was a little difficult for me today. I came into it with my mind swirling with ideas and thoughts relative to the hustle and bustle of the holidays and travel and everything that goes with it. I found it difficult to really settle in this time.
Love it or maybe that’s just a mind state. Ha! I added it to my toolbox. From one neurodivergent to another. 🙏
Damn. This was amazing. Thanks so much Jeff!
Thank you Jeff I'm really struggling to meditate but reading this meditation really helped me settle I woke up in physical pain currently seeing a wonderful chiropractic clinic realigning a seriously damaged spine and nervous system I'm particularly sensitive so going through it woke at 4am to a gorgeous sky filled with stars and a beautiful moon I meditated for an hour before the sunrise and then listened to my favourite Spotify playlist and then your meditation thank you for always making me reflect before I start my day love to you and your family at Christmas looking forward to meditating with you in 2026 my friend xxxLea ❣️ aka MANIC Daze aka Aussie Lea 🦘🦘🦘
Ah. Mindstates. I have a few that are swirling around right now. Demanding attention. Sounding super convincing. Repeating over and over and over. I even had to adjust the meditation, and instead of saying, “just a mind state,” I said “it’s a mind state” so as not to diminish them. That’s what they needed. Truth—these particular mind states are in response to some pretty significant turmoil happening in my life right now. And based on other work I’m doing—to listen to myself, and appreciate my needs instead of constantly overmeriting someone else’s—I need to acknowledge them and not undermine them. So, the adjustment. They’re still mind states. And as you noted, still part of who we are. So, I’m paying attention to them but working on not following them across the block or down the drain. Thank you for the practice. It is timely.
As I've gotten older, I've noticed that "mind states," otherwise known as thoughts, disappear pretty fast. It's kind of alarming at first since you think it's the first sign of Alzheimer's and you frantically try to recover these little lost nuggets that might be wisdom, or just information. I sometimes kind of panic when I can't remember the name of somebody who wrote a story that I liked in The New Yorker! That's how ridiculous it is.
But maybe it's not cognitive decline. Maybe it's taking out the trash (not that great writers are trash, but why do you need to always remember their name? The internet is there for you.). Maybe as you get older your hard drive fills up so to speak. You have to delete something! Or maybe it's nature's way of teaching you to be less attached to your amazing thoughts. Anyway, over time I've been panicking less about losing information and thoughts rather quickly.
You younger folk have this to look forward to: if you have trouble not identifying with your thoughts, don't worry, pretty soon they will just abandon YOU.
This was a great meditation for me today. Thank you. Also, love the library voice.
Thanks as always Big J .. some clever soul taught me about ‘Mind Space’ getting stuff out of your head and onto paper etc … to free up capacity and it works a treat add ‘Mind State’ to this and there is a wonderful consciousness to a lot of what we do .. thanks Buddy may the Weekend bring you pleasant states and much space my friend! 🙏🏼💚