Our Mindful Nature: Meditation Inspired by Nature to Soothe the Overwhelmed Mind and Ease Anxiety Chasing the Ephemeral Part 3: Salamander Meditation & Finding Balance Between Water and Earth
What does tender self-care look like when the world feels overwhelming? In this final episode of the "Chasing the Ephemeral" spring series, meditation teacher Meryl Arnett turns to the salamander, quiet guardian of vernal pools, for wisdom about gentle transformation and emotional balance. Through a deeply personal dream about tending to what's been neglected, this meditation explores how to practice radical self-care during times of moral injury and societal upheaval.
Set against the continuing spring rain soundscape, this salamander-inspired practice teaches us to balance emotional energy (water) with earthly stability (land), finding our way between overwhelmed withdrawal and constant activism.
What You'll Experience
A guided meditation inspired by salamander wisdom that balances emotional energy with grounded stability
Discussion of moral injury - the anguish from witnessing harm that violates our deepest values when we feel powerless to stop it
Practical self-care guidance that goes beyond social media wellness to include simple, tender acts of care
The three pillars of healing: getting present, feeling what you feel in your body, and reconnecting with yourself and others
Salamander symbolism exploring their dual life in water and on land as teachers of balance and transformation
About the Soundscape Conclusion
This meditation completes the spring rain journey recorded by acoustic ecologist Nick McMahon in Washington's Cascade Mountains on Stillaguamish ancestral lands. The full three-part series has followed water from gathering storm to vernal pool creation, mirroring our own cycles of emergence and transformation.
Recording credit: Nick McMahon, Acoustic Ecologist
The photos you see throughout this meditation are also from Nick McMahan.
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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.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.