Practical Mindfulness

The Paradox of Acceptance

It would seem that very few good things in life come from our accepting the present moment as it is. To become educated, we must be motivated to learn. To master a sport requires that we continually improve our performance and overcome our resistance to physical exertion. To be a

The Best Wisdom

The 11th century Buddhist monk Atisha wrote the following: The best scholar is one who has realized the meaning of no self. The best monk is one who has tamed his own mind. The best quality is a great desire to benefit others. The best instruction is always to watch

This Is All Happening On Its Own

Even when things are going well and we’re relatively happy, we spend most of our time looking forward to the future or thinking about the past—even when our minds seem to have arrived in the general vicinity of the present moment. Perhaps we’re having a dinner with

Evaporating Emotions

The next time you feel a negative emotion like anxiety or fear or anger, notice what happens next. How long do you stay in the grip of that contracted state of mind? How long is it useful to feel this emotion when responding to whatever challenge has appeared in your

This Moment Is Enough

The business of ordinary life is never ending. Consider how everyone rushes around trying to make the most of this precarious situation. Of course, there are many things that each of us need to do each day to ensure that we remain clothed and fed and healthy. But even the

Stay At The Beginning

In spiritual practice, there really is no such thing as failure. Because you are at the beginning. We are always at the beginning. To recognize this fact and to once again enjoy this fresh instant of existence is the very core of spiritual life How can you fail if whatever

Paying Attention To What Matters

A large part of our thinking and perception of the world and ourselves is harmful, as it often originates from feelings of worry, jealousy, self-criticism, or other negative emotional states. And this, in turn, reinforces the same mental states. Practicing mindfulness lets you live in the present moment, not preoccupied

This Too Will Pass

One of the core teachings of the Buddha is that everything that has the nature to arise will also pass away. Everything. Every good thing and every bad thing. Every experience, every mental state, every situation, every stable seeming thing. If something appears at any point in time, it will,

The Anger You Felt Yesterday Is Not Here Anymore

When we’re lost in thought, we tend not to notice certain things about the nature of our minds. For instance, every thought or feeling you’ve ever had, good or bad, has arisen... and then passed away. The anger or anxiety you felt yesterday... isn’t here anymore. And

You Are Wiser Than You Think You Are

Most of us are far wiser than we may appear to be. We know how to keep our relationships in order and to use our time well and to improve our health and to learn valuable skills and to solve many other riddles of existence. But following even the straight

On Being Happy

The traditional goal of meditation is to arrive at a state of wellbeing that is imperturbable. The French monk Matthieu Ricard described such happiness as a deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind. The purpose of meditation is to recognize that you already have such a

What Has It Been Like To Be You?

Take a moment to reflect on how you've been feeling over the last few minutes. How entangled have you been with thoughts about the past or the future? What has it been like to be you? And if you're with other people, what has it been

Equanimity Amid The Flux

The Buddha taught mindfulness as the appropriate response to the truth of Duḥkha, usually translated from the Pali, somewhat misleadingly, as "the truth of suffering." A better translation would be unsatisfactoriness. Suffering may not be inherent in life, but unsatisfactoriness is. We crave lasting happiness in the midst

You Can Pass The Gatekeeper

Before The Law is a parable written by Franz Kafka and is a profound reminder of the "gatekeeper" to the present moment. In this parable, a man spends his entire life trying to enter the open door to the "law", which could be interpreted as an

Break The Unseen Trance

Note: This is post 7 of 7 in this week's publishing goal. Thank you for joining me on this short yet rewarding journey to publish without regard for anything other than the freedom to create every day this week. Take a moment to look around you. Right now

Your Life is Your Practice

Note: This is post 6 of 7 in this week's publishing goal. It's a common misconception that meditation practice only takes place during the time that we set aside to formally meditate. Even if you practice formally for 2 hours a day, most of your life

Love With No Strings Attached

Note: This is post 5 of 7 in this week's publishing goal. We all have experienced the tug of wanting something from others, whether it be attention, affection, or validation. We may even have felt a twinge of disappointment or annoyance when someone declines our help or fails

The Art of Living Without Regret

Note: This is post 4 of 7 in this week's publishing goal. In a world where distractions are the norm, it's easy to find ourselves riddled with regrets. We often make hasty decisions or statements, overlook the consequences, and dwell on our past mistakes. But what

The Meaning of Life

Note: This is post 3 of 7 in this week's publishing goal. I often find myself grappling with the concept of meaning. I seek solace in the narratives I weave to make sense of my experiences, and when I observe others, I find these stories provide a framework

Why Not Give Your Full Attention?

Note: This is post 2 of 7 in this week's publishing goal. In our fast-paced world, it's easy to lose sight of the significance of the moments we share with our loved ones. Inspired by an analogy from Buddhist teachings, we can think of our time

No Matter Your Circumstances You Are A Warrior

Note: After missing last week's publishing goal in the midst of Match Week, I will aim to publish one or more articles per day without worrying about perceived quality of writing or topic this week. The goal is just to publish consistently. In feudal Japan, the samurai warriors

Looking Into The Mirror

Have you ever taken a moment to truly look at yourself in the mirror?     In this article, I provide a how-to based on my experience with an exercise I did during an in-app retreat of the Waking Up meditation app that required looking into the mirror or the selfie view

Love is the Gift of Attention

Few things are more simple, yet more widely misunderstood, than love. Love is not a craving for attention, nor is it a set of demands we place upon those we profess to love. Rather, love is the gift of attention—the act of offering ourselves to another person, not out

The Open Sky of Your Mind

Most people appear to regard emotion, particularly negative emotion, as something that happens to them. Often, the culprit is another person or an external event. We might believe he said something that irritated me, or that I'm upset because my car has a flat tire. However, try to

Mindfulness Unlocks Tools

Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University, has been sharing his incredible insights and knowledge on various topics related to sleep, energy, focus, and well-being through his podcasts. I’ve listened to his first 5 podcasts which are focused on sleep mastery and he emphasizes the use of