In managing irritability with mindfulness, we bring awareness to the mood and treat it with kindness and compassion. We all get irritable, especially when we’re under stress. And if that stress is chronic, our irritability threshold is shorter, meaning that we’re quicker to feel irritable and quicker to react or act out the irritability. Acting […]
Practicing being, we slow down and let go of the constant need to be doing something. Breathe. Let go. In the midst of the busyness and doing of our daily lives, we can create a sense of stillness and peace simply by being present with whatever is happening in this moment and the next. This […]
A wild mind can feel like a runaway train — filled with racing thoughts, ruminating thoughts, or anxious thoughts. Mindfulness is about learning to notice when we have left presence and then training the mind to return to the present moment over and over again. When left to its own accord, the mind typically engages […]
How can we find hope during difficult times? My heart goes out to people who are living with their own sense of tragedy or loss. In the midst of fear, disconnection, and loss, how can we remain connected with a sense of hope? By turning toward what sustains us, what provides genuine comfort, and what […]
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 […]