The tricky part of relaxation is that we can’t really learn how to relax. We have to allow it. When we meditate, the first step is to breathe, but the second is to relax. Ideally, these two things happen together. They belong together, naturally. When we…
When we meditate regularly, strong emotions often come swirling in like a vortex, or a hurricane. What can meditation teach us about experiencing our emotions? Pema Chodron’s book, How to Meditate, has a wonderful section on this. She writes, “You have to get dirty with your…
Your staunch enemy is inattentiveness. -the Shinobi Hiden Scroll The Shinobi Hiden scroll is a 17th century ninja manual passed down and preserved by the legendary family of Hattori Hanzo. In the quote above, its brevity speaks volumes. Inattentiveness is the enemy. And it’s not…
Right now you have a good boat, fully equipped and available–hard to find. To free yourself and others from the sea of samsara, Day and night, constantly, Study, reflect and meditate–this is the practice of a bodhisattva. The verses above come from a 14th century Tibetan…
Meditation is not for you; it’s for others. It’s for everyone else who benefits from your awakened mind and calm state. Meditation is for the world, and for the benefit of the world. Yesterday I was speaking with my meditation teacher. I confessed that, of all…
In the 8th century Japan, the Shinto often used a phrase called “naka-ima.” It means “the middle of now.” Naka-ima describes not just the point in time you find yourself in, but the very center of that point in time. Not just now, but the middle of…
What if your meditation practice this week was to be mindful about just one thing? It’s customary during a Zen Buddhist retreat for the students to choose one small, daily task and focus on bringing mindfulness to it. It could be brushing your teeth, walking your…
In Tibetan tradition, there are four kinds of mindfulness that compose the practice of meditation: First, average mindfulness is the kind that happens naturally when we’re curious or interested in something. We don’t make a conscious choice to turn our attention toward something; it’s more like…
Happy New Year! It seems so fitting that practicing the fifth paramita, meditation, is happening in January. January brings the feeling of new things, of fresh starts. It is the perfect time to begin a meditation practice, if you don’t have one already. Or, to just…
There are many aspects to heroic perseverance, but the size of the goal isn’t a primary one. (What a relief!) Despite all the parallels to heroic quests and epic adventures, let’s not get trapped into thinking that’s all heroic perseverance means. We don’t have to undertake…
