What lives beneath the surface of your winter mind? In this gentle guided meditation, host and meditation teacher Meryl Arnett invites you into the quiet wisdom of winter's stillness. Inspired by the children's book "Over and Under the Snow," this practice explores what rests beneath the metaphorical snow of our busy lives - the feelings, needs, and truths that are warming, waiting to be revealed in their own time.

Perfect for anyone seeking deeper self-awareness during winter months or when something feels "fine" but you sense there's more underneath.

About the soundscape you hear throughout the episode:

The winter sounds in this meditation were recorded by acoustic ecologist Nick McMahan in the Sinlahekin Valley of Washington State, on the lands of Indigenous peoples known today as the Colville Confederated Tribes. Deep in winter, this remote valley feels more wild and isolated than any other time of year. The soundscape captures the stunning quiet beauty of steep snow-covered slopes, small frozen ponds, and the sense of exaggeration each environmental sound holds during winter's cold, dark days.

The photos you see throughout this meditation are also from Nick McMahan.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

In 2026, Our Mindful Nature will release seasonal series rather than weekly episodes, allowing for richer, more in-depth explorations of meditation and mental health topics.

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

How do you welcome a new year when your heart is still holding grief?

Host Meryl Arnett sits down with beloved poet James Crews to explore the essential practice of turning toward grief rather than away from it. In this conversation, James shares insights from his latest poetry collection "Turning Toward Grief" and offers gentle guidance on holding both sorrow and beauty as we enter 2026.

What You'll Discover

Why poetry becomes essential during grief and how it helps us process emotions that feel too big for ordinary words

How to comfort someone who is grieving through James' beautiful poem with practical wisdom about presence versus fixing

How to hold personal grief alongside global uncertainty without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down

Perfect For

People processing recent losses or grief who want gentle, practical guidance

Meditation practitioners experiencing difficult emotions during practice

Caregivers and healing professionals dealing with secondary grief and overwhelm

Anyone feeling the weight of global events and personal challenges

Featured Guest

James Crews is a celebrated poet whose work focuses on turning toward life's most difficult emotions with tenderness and wisdom. Author of multiple poetry collections including "Love Is All Is for All of Us" and "Turning Toward Grief," James creates accessible, healing-centered poetry that helps readers navigate loss, love, and the complexities of being human.

Learn more about James at https://www.jamescrews.net/

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

In 2026, Our Mindful Nature will release seasonal series rather than weekly episodes, allowing for richer, more in-depth explorations of meditation and mental health topics.

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.

Just the Meditation: This 10-minute guided meditation invites you deep underground to listen for the "message of the heart." Using progressive body softening and breath awareness, you'll descend into your inner underland to discover what wisdom awaits in the shadows.

This meditation is excerpted from our Underland Part 3 episode. Listen to Monday's full episode for context and teachings on journaling your meditation insights and sheltering inner wisdom.

Set against calming nature sounds of the Amazon rainforest, this underground meditation guides you through a unique practice of softening and listening. Rather than rushing through your practice, you'll learn to linger in the depths of consciousness, allowing whatever wants to emerge — whether worries, memories, phrases, images, or daydreams — to surface naturally.

What You'll Experience:

• Guided descent into underground consciousness
• Progressive body softening from face to belly
• Extended silent meditation for deep inner listening
• Practice of witnessing thoughts, stories, and heart messages
• Gentle return with breath awareness and movement
• High-quality nature soundscape from the Amazon Rainforest for immersion

Post-Practice Suggestion: Have a journal nearby to capture any insights, images, or messages that emerged during your practice — even if they seem nonsensical at first.

Podcast Break Notice

Our Mindful Nature will be taking a brief hiatus for the holiday season. We'll return in the new year with fresh nature-inspired practices to support your meditation journey. Thank you for being part of our mindful community — may your practice continue to flourish during this restful pause.

Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/jjPrV2 to receive free mini meditations and soundscapes each week, along with creative musings and more.

New episodes every Monday (just the meditation) and Thursday (a full meditation class).

Learn more or contact me at https://www.merylarnett.com/.

Thank you to Nick McMahan for today’s nature field recordings; and thank you to Brianna Nielsen for production and editing support. Find them at:

https://www.nickcmcmahan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/itsbriannanielsen

This podcast explores meditation, mental health and the power of connection, offering guidance for caregivers, healers, and therapists facing compassion fatigue, burnout, and other mental health struggles through self-care, self-compassion, and resilience. With a focus on anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, each episode provides tools like meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding to cultivate clarity and reduce stress. Listeners can also experience nature-inspired guided meditations, designed to bring peace and balance in times of distress.