Life is about finding the balance between stillness and an active engagement in our everyday lives. Mindfulness and meditation practice allows us to both enter the space of stillness and turn more deeply toward our daily experience. When we mindfully enter the space of stillness in meditation, we can see our habitual patterns of thoughts, […]
Healing invisible wounds is an inside job. Often our wounds, whether physical, emotional, mental, moral or spiritual, remain hidden from view. Many of us decide not to talk about them for fear of being misunderstood, judged or treated differently. We may go to a lot of effort to try to hide them, which often only serves […]
How can we live well and die a good death? I’ve been blogging about mindfulness since 2009 and have received some deeply touching comments and emails in response from people all over the world through years. I received an email in 2014 from a man in a Hospice program asking for words to help him […]
Mindfulness for creativity practices have been shown increase feelings of peace and happiness. Practicing mindful photography and mindful writing are two of the avenues through which I regularly expand my mindfulness practice into my everyday life. When I take my camera out, I meditate in order to prepare myself to open to a felt sense […]
Mindfulness is awareness of the present moment without clinging to it, without turning away or trying to escape it, and without wanting it to be other than it is. Living mindfully allows you to stay in the present moment without becoming entangled in worry about the future or regret about the past. Practicing mindfulness can […]
Mindful self-compassion is a radical act of self-care that increases peace and happiness. Mindfulness is awareness of the present moment, without clinging to it, without pushing it away or trying to escape it and without wanting it to be otherwise. It involves meeting whatever arises with acceptance and with an attitude of interest, curiosity, and […]
When we embrace the reality of impermanence, understanding that everything is impermanent, we open to a refuge of deep inner peace. 10,000 joys, 10,000 sorrows –Chuang Tzu The tendency of the mind is to cling to the idea that a moment of joy or a moment of suffering will last forever, and this causes us […]
Best Practices for Yoga With Veterans is a must read for all yoga teachers. It offers a skillful and comprehensive approach to teaching veterans yoga. Before you stop and think to yourself, “This doesn’t apply to me, because I don’t teach any veterans,” I invite you to reconsider. In 2014, the VA indicated that there […]
Practicing self-compassion can result in increased peace and happiness and a more loving relationship with yourself and others. One of the best kept secrets about being human is that most of our suffering is not personal. Even though much of the time we compare our insides to other people’s outsides and often conclude that everyone […]
These days it’s challenging to know how to stay calm in the chaos. These are uncertain and chaotic times in the U.S. and globally. The creation of chaos is an age-old tactic used for distraction. While you’re busy reacting to the chaos, you may miss what comes next. Become intent on letting the chaos be your […]