Browse my blog for musings and writings on mindfulness, dharma, and the many trials and tribulations of human life. Whenever I used to struggle with something, I was convinced I was so alone. Now with a little more wisdom, I know my struggles are your struggles, that being human is messy, and that, above all, we are all in this together.
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The Life-Changing Magic of Meditation
How paying attention to the present moment can be the key to emotional well-being.
Inner Critic, Meet Your Newest Teacher, the Tree
Many of us struggle with an inner critic, a judgmental mind. This judgmental mind typically has no boundaries. Criticizing self and others both tend to be fair game. There are many ways to work with this mind state, some of which I have discussed in past blogs. This morning on my walk I was reminded of one method of working with this difficult mind-heart state that is quite pleasant to engage in-the practice of tree contemplation. That might sound a bit new age to you, but stay with me.
"I Can Not Tell a Lie"
No one likes to admit that they lie. If you admit to lying it seems to make you some sort of horrible person. After all, don’t we all have etched in our brains George Washington’s supposedly famous statement “ I can not tell a lie” as he confessed his horrible act of cutting down the cherry tree! At least with that story we just learn it is better to tell the truth. But what about the story of the boy that cried wolf? Here we learn that to lie is mean and naughty. Anyway, lying is what others do, not us, not me.
Working with the Body in Mindfulness: Moving from why to what
We have a body… That sounds so obvious, but for most of us in understanding where we are, and what we need in any given moment, that task is left primarily up to the mind. Mindfulness as a practice encourages us to reconnect with our body and reestablish the important relationship between mind and body.
Loosening Our Attachment to Preferences: Difficult mind states
I don’t know about you, but sometimes trying to understand the human mind can leave my head spinning. This morning I found myself contemplating some of the various aspects of the human mind, especially two powerful preferential mind states… like and dislike, pleasant and unpleasant.
Am I Really There for Others?
This morning I fell... and it hurt! But, as it goes, everything is a teacher and this moment was no exception.
Choosing New Language is the Beginning of Healing "Chronic Pain"
"Chronic pain" has become a term that is used and supported throughout our society, including most physician's offices. The definition of chronic is "long-lasting and difficult to eradicate" (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2016). In the vast majority of people's minds this is translated as "I will never get better." Through our study of neuroscience and mindfulness, we have discovered how our stories, narratives, and beliefs become our neural networks and therefore our lived experience. Or as we once termed it...a self fulfilling prophecy.
Is Mindfulness just Buddhism in Disguise?
In the October 2015 issue of Mindful, Barry Boyce explores 5 myths about Mindfulness. If you are curious or new to Mindfulness this is a great article!
Mindfulness Meditation Apps Can Be Helpful
Learning to live in the present moment without judgment is actually pretty challenging for most of us. In fact, that's a bit of what makes us human. Most of us could use a little help getting started!
An Obstacle or Simply a Part of Life's Journey?
How we view challenges has great meaning for how we live our lives.
Just Breathe: A video clip for kids and adults
This short film was created to help kids deal with their emotions. But it's great for adults too!
Life is Precious
"Life is precious"...I heard my mother and my grandmother say this from the time I could understand language. Most of us, if asked, would reply that indeed we believe life to be precious. But how many of us actually live our lives this way?
Who am I: Individuality, Social Comparison, and Self Acceptance
“In many cases, we try and avoid our individuality and instead emulate someone else. That is a big problem. Individuality sometimes comes out of ego, like wanting to be an emperor, a king, or a millionaire. But individuality can also come from personal aspiration. It depends on the level of one’s journey, on how far you have been able to shed your ego. We all have our own particular nature. We can’t avoid it. The enlightened expression of yourself is in accord with your inherent nature (Chogyam Trungpa quoted in Mukpo, D. J., 2008).”
Shifting from Multitasking to Singletasking
Most of us feel some stress in everyday life with "so much to do" to "get ready"....enter MULTITASKING. Some of us take pride in being able to multitask, some of us really believe we are effective and efficient when we multitask. I'm not disputing that we may feel quite productive as we get many things done in a short amount of time, but what I do want to gently challenge is just how present any of us are while doing these many things at once.
On Curiosity, Courage, and Vulnerability
Happy 2019 to everyone. As this new year comes into being, I am reminded of how grateful I am to do what I do for a living. As an aspect of this gratitude, I am consistently reminded of just how much my clients teach me each day. Yes, I know, people seek out therapists for guidance, knowledge, assistance, support, and even sometimes wisdom. However, this does not contradict the fact that every day I am also the witness to so much courage and so much wisdom coming from my own couch.
The Neuroscience of Why Gratitude Makes Us Happier
Below is a post from The Huffington Post by author Ocean Robbins. If you did not see it in its original post, please take a moment to read it. My posting of this is neither meant to diminish the pain nor the struggle that you may be experiencing right now. Quite the opposite; my intention is to support you in your efforts to expand your capacity to experience the complexity of any given moment. Indeed at any given time we may be experiencing pain and gratitude. Alternatively, some of you might be trying to enhance your experience of life and looking for ways to do so. This is an amazingly simple but profound way to begin to create new neural connections and ultimately add a little more happiness in your day. Try it:-)
Mindfulness : A description
Mindfulness is a concept that is getting a lot of attention lately. It is a concept that is most helpful lived as opposed to intellectually understood. It truly is about living and being in the present moment, not ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness is about being open to every part of the present...the sights, the sounds, the smells, our surroundings and our inner experience. In America, in 2011, this is no small feat. We have so many distractions and in these tough economic times, many of us have lots of worries. And yet worrying has never proven to create much positive change or inner peace of mind. Below is a passage from Bhante Henepola Gunaratana that provides us with a place to begin our contemplation of mindfulness awareness.