What Are You Watering in Your Garden Today?
One of Zen master Thich Nhất Hạnh's most enduring teachings uses the image of…
What Are You Willing to Pay For? Anxiety, Avoidance, and Acceptance
As many practitioners of mindfulness know, you can't…
Just Say Yes, And: Mindfulness, Psychological Flexibility, and the Art of Improvisation — Part II
There is a moment in jazz that musicians speak of…
From Suffering to Emotional Freedom: Pausing, Sensing, and Allowing
Suffering, stress, and dissatisfaction can become…
Slow is a Fast Route to Health and Wellbeing
It was a warm sunny day in the Blue Ridge Mountain town of…
Just Say Yes, And: Mindfulness, Psychological Flexibility, and the Art of Improvisation — Part I
Mindfulness is often defined as…
See the World with Openness, Curiosity, and Appreciation: Eight Benefits of Mindful Travel
A few years ago, after leading a retreat in…
The Value of Play: Four Steps to Integrating More Play Into Your Life
Many years ago, I heard the late family therapist/psychiatrist Dr. Carl Whitaker extol the virtues of…
Meditation for Political Times: Dedicated to All Sides
Breathe in divisiveness; breathe out…
The Word for Today is “Temporocentrism”
The word for today is "temporocentrism", which can be translated as…
A Ritual Blessing: From Doubt to Joy
Several nights ago while entertaining friends at home here in Northern Portugal, Linda and I received an unexpected doorbell ring. When we approached the entrance gate of our home, we encountered…
Who are You?: The Paradoxical Nature of Ego Identity
The ego does not exist as an objective entity. It functions as a…
Nourish the Seeds of Intention with Lovingkindness
Lovingkindness or loving-friendliness can be described as the aspiration to offer happiness to self and others. This is an expression of love. Love in this context is about…
Fear is Not the Enemy: Five Steps Toward Healing and Wellbeing
FEAR is not the enemy. The emotion of fear has served an evolutionary purpose for the survival of the human species. When fear becomes the enemy, we’re less likely to see it within ourselves and more likely to project it onto other people and external situations or encounter it within our dreams.
An extreme persistent fear can be associated with…
Releasing Emotional Pain: A Mindful Non-Solution
I was standing in a hotel elevator talking to a couple of friends about a workshop on the topic of death and dying when a stranger interrupted with, “Why would anybody want to go to a workshop like that?” I explained how being…
Defining Mindfulness: Ancient and Contemporary Perspectives
Several decades ago, when I first encountered the term "mindfulness", I quickly learned that different teachers used varying definitions of the term. It's important for teachers and practitioners of mindfulness to…
