Practicing awareness of emotions with mindfulness practice serves as the foundation for our emotional wellbeing. We can begin this practice simply by setting aside a few moments at certain intervals in our day to engage in the following mindful inquiry: “What am I feeling?” If we aren’t accustomed to being in touch with our feelings, […]
When we are mindfully caring for the body, we create the foundation and set the tone for all that we do in the world. Mindfully caring for the body means eating well, getting adequate sleep and exercise, resting when we are tired, and making time for being in addition to all of the doing. The […]
Eating well with mindful eating, we practice caring for our bodies lovingly. When we eat mindfully, it means maintaining adequate water intake, choosing healthy, non-toxic, and nutritious foods, eating until we feel satisfied, and forgiving ourselves when we do this imperfectly. Applying mindfulness practice to feeding ourselves is a skillful practice that can assist us […]
Living mindfully allows us to be more fully present to our lives with a greater sense of peace, ease, and happiness. When we’re living mindfully, we become willing to turn toward our experience as it unfolds with an attitude of acceptance, interest, and compassion. When we approach our lives with mindfulness, we move through our […]
A fresh perspective can help us to see ourselves and our lives more clearly. It’s easy to become stuck in a rut of routine, but sometimes introducing something a bit more colorful into our days can shake things up and help us to see things differently. Our mind’s tendency is to develop habitual patterns—to hold […]
Finding refuge in silence and stillness offers fertile ground of personal and spiritual growth for those who are courageous enough to traverse the terrain. Many are busy filling time with the “noisy company and pandemonium” of busy activity or numbing substances to chase away the fear. Fear seeks noisy company and pandemonium to scare away […]
Dealing with anger mindfully takes effort and practice. Anger is a complex emotion that can serve to protect us from harm or motivate us to set appropriate limits, create healthy boundaries, or create change in our lives. However, if we hold onto anger without expressing it and releasing it, it can negatively affect our health. […]
Seeking joy nurtures positive emotional and mental states and nurtures health and wellbeing. Our true nature is to feel happy and at peace. At times we become so entangled with the details and struggles that life presents that we do not pause to experience joy. Mindfulness practice enables us to practice seeking joy, noticing it, […]
Stop trying to be perfect. In moments we become attached to wanting things to be other than they are instead of accepting what is. A part of this wanting is the craving for perfection. We create unattainably high standards for ourselves and others, and the result is that we stay stuck in fear and inaction. […]
Trust yourself. Our inner knowing reveals itself in feelings of ease or unease in the body and opening or closing of the heart. When we’re sure of something, if we listen inside, we can detect a quiet whisper of, “yes.” And when we begin to feel doubt, our minds engage in the chatter of uncertainty. […]