As you practice, and when you’ve watched your mind long enough, you are aware of its movement. Not just how one thought turns into the next, seemingly with no thread of sanity or sense, but with time, you actually experience [...]
Begin at the beginning, end at the end refers to a very practical and straight foward practice that I recommend to everyone. (excerpt by Norman Fischer, Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings of the Practice of Lojong, Shambhala Publications Inc., 2013)
What would it be like to receive whatever was given and not reject, close down or desire more? I’ve been imagining how to be more like this by imagining myself as a bowl. Either simply by picturing myself as [...]
Summertime greetings! Over the past few months I've met so many of you in Europe, London, and the U.S., - so many incredible heart/minds gathering to learn, practice and step into seeing things as they are, discover deeper meaning, unplug [...]
Just like a garden bed, seeds can be planted in our mind to either flourish or be prevented from taking root. This all depends on the how receptive and fertile the garden bed (of the mind) is at any given [...]
Whether we need support over the holidays, post election, or just plain in general – learning how to titrate is one of the most powerful and skillful ways to self regulate, re-find balance and stay in the present moment when [...]
In contemplative traditions there has always been an emphasis on non – harming. In the Buddhist and yogic traditions it is referred to as Ahimsa, which means to refrain from harming, or taking the life of any living being. It is one of the 5 precepts that lay people take as gifts that bring freedom and guidelines to intentionally living an ethical and thoughtful life.
When was the last time you went without checking your phone for more than just the time that you were asleep? Can you remember the last time you spent an entire day without your computer? Maybe not! It's interesting to reflect on this for a moment.
Listening sometimes means hearing a lot of noise. New practitioners of meditation can attest to this. Sit down, turn your attention inwardly and the sound of a million disparate voices, songs and static fill your awareness.
What happens when we are not fully rooted in our bodies, but free floating in our thinking minds? It can be an uncomfortable scenario that I'll illustrate with metaphors to share what I mean. Imagine your thinking mind is just like a balloon - then, imagine the balloon being blown around in a sky full of thunderstorms - not that great of a picture! Imagine the thinking mind as a balloon getting caught in a hurricane, or frozen in a snowstorm either way, it's not easy to stay afloat, or not be damaged, nor is it easy to have any kind of ground to land on. It's completely unsafe and harrowing to be a like a (thinking mind) balloon in these situations, imagine the stress and fatigue!