I often wonder how many others are like me -- those who are attempting to meditate, who really want to achieve that level of being that can only be found in meditation, but feel there is a seemingly unsurmountable wall that keeps you from doing it...
I sat outside on a lovely early summer morning. The sun played hide-and-seek with the clouds, which in turn were playing chase with the breezes. The garden had turned a rich green from the recent rains, and the strawberry flowers whispered of treats...
“What would be most helpful for you to put down in order to be here wholeheartedly?” asked Christina Feldman in the opening talk. Our group of a hundred meditators had a week of practice ahead of us.
All beings tremble before violence.
All fear death.
All love life.
See yourself in others.
Then whom can you hurt?
What harm can you do?
-The Dhammapada
When I heard about the mass murder in Charleston, SC this morning, my first reaction was an awful feeling of sadness, quickly followed by outrage, then blame. I thought to myself, "It's the fault of the NRA, ineffectual politicians,...
My Buddhist teacher shared this photo of a T-shirt she saw someone wearing at the airport, commenting that it seems like a good message.
Practice like a champion.
Since my teacher suggested it, I have to think about it. That's the deal.
What does it...
Pain is tough, of course, but the thoughts and feelings of shame which pain can stir up are the real nightmare. In my own history and my private practice teaching adults with pain, feelings of shame are never far behind a chronic pain condition. In...
Buddhism is often seen these days as a supremely rational philosophical system or belief system, depending on your stance. Investigate everything, the Buddha said. Do not believe anything just because I tell you it is so -- look into it for...
An article in today's Guardian reports that Thai brand strategist Sirikul Laukaikul is offering corporate clients "karma marketing" tools; a way to promote their produc
You’ve heard of eight-minute abs, but have you heard of an eight-minute body scan?
This short embodiment practice is for when you’re lost in worry, feeling a bit frantic, or out of touch with your body. In this audio, I’ll guide you to include the...
I've been writing for the IDP blog on a regular basis for almost five years -- not because I think I have great insights to share but because it needs to be done. I've worked on daily newspapers for all of my adult life (except for six horrible...
Excerpted from Free Yourself by Carolyn Hobbs.
I lie on the living room couch exhausted, two weeks before Christmas. Luckily, after years of coming back into the present, I know how to switch channels. I shift focus—away from racing thoughts about...
Excerpted from Toni Bernhard's How to Be Sick. In this book, Bernhard shares ways to make “being sick” the heart of a spiritual practice — and through truly learning how to be sick, learn how to live a life of equanimity, compassion, and joy. In...
One of the reasons for meditating -- sitting still and focusing on an object, such as the breath -- is to train in tapping into the calm space in your awareness so that you can find that space in the midst of chaos.
Like on stage during the National...
It's been a few weeks since the Nepalese earthquake struck, devastating the country, killing over 8,000 people and injuring ~20,000. Today another powerful quake hit, bringing even more destruction and chaos. As a result of these...
It is hardly necessary, or even necessarily recommended, to follow up Shambhala Level One with Shambhala Level Two: The Birth of the Warrior as quickly as I did.
The charge of "depraved heart murder" was filed against one of the Baltimore police officers accused in connection with the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. That's an odd term for most of us: "Depraved heart."
“What are you working with right now?” he asked me.
(This is something Buddhists sometimes ask each other.)
“Kindness,” I responded. “I find that I can always be a little kinder to myself.”
“Oh, that’s a great place to start.”
I smiled inwardly. I...
