Standing still is anathema to so many these days. Our lives are about movement, about doing, about getting someplace. We so rarely are where we are. Instead, we’re into the next thing, place, thought, or action, before we even get there. And then when we do get there, we hardly take the time to be [...]
As the year draws to a close I look forward to spending time with family and celebrating New Year’s Eve in meditation with friends. On this last occasion of the year we will all write vows for the next year: what practices and activities we want to start or deepen, and what we might like [...]
Sending blessings and good wishes to all for a safe, peaceful and delicious Thanksgiving.
Situating Yourself: Busy Mind ...continued from Becoming Aware 1:1 - What is Our Purpose? Throughout this process we will be studying our mind. We will see how it controls us and learn to what extent we have control over it. Being human, most of us have very active minds. Generally, we just accept this as [...]
How many of us know how to really listen? Do we know how to listen to our own mind as it careens out of control and races off on some tangent or other, into the past or the future? Or to others—our coworkers, loved ones, or strangers—as they attempt to communicate something to us? To [...]
I’ve always been drawn to the simplicity, elegance and beauty of Asian ink painting. There is a calmness and serenity that seems to radiate from the delicate nature of each work of art. Earlier this year, with absolutely no training, and just for fun, I began to play with a brush and some sumi-e ink. [...]
At the recent day of mindfulness on September 28, I gave a dharma talk about opening our hearts to another, to ourselves, to love... and how terrifying that can be. I thought about it for days before. Then I spent Friday and Saturday preparing for the day, searching through notes, books, and my heart to [...]
Situating Yourself: What is Our Purpose Here? Like everyone else, you probably are searching for something in this life to satisfy a dream, a longing, or something that you can’t even name. As you begin to read this book you may even have an agenda for yourself. Perhaps you’re looking for answers to the gnawing [...]
We can be moving at a furious pace even when we’re not in motion. This activity is usually our mind working overtime, which can cause stress, distress, anxiety, and health problems. The solution then is simple: Slow down the movement of our mind. But when our mind continues to move, even after our body is [...]
This will be my last blog until September. Gulp. And I’ll not be posting on FB or Twitter either. Another gulp. Unless the spirit moves me, and even then it’ll be just for fun. As a self-employed writer and teacher it’s not easy to stop paying attention to work. My work is my life and [...]
