This is another truly delightful mindfulness practice. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, meals are ritualized and taken in silence. Chants that invite mindfulness and gratitude are recited, and no one begins eating until everyone is served. Only as much as can be eaten is taken. No one goes hungry. No one overeats. During the meal, [...]
Deep in the process of writing my next book, all those who have come before me, all my writing teachers, inspire me daily to keep putting words on the page. Here are a few gems that I hope will inspire you, whatever your art is. We all have some endeavor that calls forth our creative [...]
As you search for your quiet corner, your world will begin to expand and you’ll notice things that have been around all along. The empty lot on the corner teeming with wildflowers or the morning church bells may enter your consciousness for the first time. River Sunset What is your most receptive sense? [...]
Morning Early morning is the perfect time to begin looking for your quiet corner meditation. Getting up fifteen minutes to a half hour earlier than usual will give you plenty of time to spend on this new journey. And being awake before the rest of your world will add a new and peaceful dimension to [...]
I finally finished unpacking and shelving all my books after our move to the country. In doing so I rediscovered so many jewels that were sitting unseen on my bookshelves and I now have a new pile to read and reread, which is very exciting. This week I want to share a few passages from [...]
With spring on its way, the ground thawing, and perennial green matter ready to reveal itself again, a few of my favorite poetries rise to the surface of my mind. Crocuses by Toinette Lippe An enlightened being should develop a mind that alights on nothing whatsoever. The Diamond Sutra Moonlight penetrates To the [...]
…continued from Becoming Aware 1:3 - Mind Noise Situating Yourself: Clean Sweep Your Mind As you become aware of your busy mind, one exercise might help before you look closer and deal with what’s actually there. You can do this exercise to give yourself a break from the din and to create some space so [...]
I first read May Sarton's journal in the early 80s. I recently reread it and being now closer to the age she was when she wrote it, I had a deeper and richer experience this time. As with all great works of art, they stand the test of time and this is most definitely in [...]
February can be a challenging month, especially for those of us who are lucky to live in an area with four distinct seasons. Sometimes when it’s frigid, icy, windy weather—which we’ve had a lot of this year—I don’t feel so lucky. But it definitely reminds me of the impermanence of all things, including whatever mood [...]
As our society has become so enthralled with narcissism, many of us have come to believe that self-love is bad and selfish. We have done ourselves wrong here. There is nothing wrong with loving ourselves. In fact, this is necessary before we can truly love another. Let’s try to put aside the old myths and [...]
