Walking meditation is a beautiful practice and sometimes easier than sitting meditation or trying to be still. Normally we walk to get from point A to point B; there is a purpose, a destination. Throughout our day we may even be walking towards something way off in the future. This takes our mind to the future. […]
It used to be that when we asked someone “how are you?” the typical response was “fine.” Now, the typical response is “busy,” accompanied by a slightly crazed look which could be either anxiety or excitement. It’s often hard to tell. Either way, the crazed look and feeling is coming from stress hormones that accompany […]
Our world is in need of peaceful action. We are wounded and scared. Whether you have watched 1 hour or 20 hours of news in the last few weeks does not matter. The heaviness is pervasive. Like sponges, we absorb the fear and anxiety of so many. It can be hard to know how to […]
We live in a culture obsessed with time. We’re either trying to make time go by faster by distracting ourselves or slow it down by trying to cram too much into every second of the day. How often do you find yourself either wishing for more time – “if only I had an extra hour […]
We usually think of mindfulness as a how-to practice to get us to success. Mindfulness supports making positive changes like dieting or quitting smoking. A mindfulness practice can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression and improve creativity, concentration and memory. But, what about when we reach that moment of feeling successful? Why would mindfulness be a good practice once the hard […]
As temperatures rise this week use your breath to cool down. When we practice mindfulness the body naturally begins to cool down. Bringing attention to one thing, without judgment engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is like putting the brakes on internally. When we’re hot physically or even emotionally hot and bothered, mindfulness can […]
Whether the day has been challenging or easy, it will come to an end. When we practice mindfulness, we are aware that each moment is impermanent or fleeting. The default state of the human mind is to be either thinking about the past moment or looking ahead to the next moment. Yet, the moment we […]
“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” Albert Camus Our everyday lives encourage habits. We like to be efficient and it often feels that there is little time to spare. So we develop our routines, our schedules and our habits. Each day seems to involve some ritual […]
Of all the principles of a mindfulness practice, non-attachment or “letting go” is typically the most challenging. We usually need to “let go” most when the stakes feel really high. Whatever it is we are trying to “let go” of tends to feel very sticky. We try to breathe it in and out and it seems […]
Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” [It] is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering (1). It goes beyond sympathy or empathy and has major implications for our physical and emotional well-being. When we practice compassion, we communicate better, make better decisions […]
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