For years, nutritionists advised dieters to slow down and savour their food. Biology tells us that it takes the body a certain amount of time to register that it feels full. But could mindful eating change not only your physical health, but also your underlying attitudes surrounding food? In...
Donovan couldn’t recall how long he’d been walking through the hot summer heat of southern Appalachia. All he knew was that he’d transversed roughly 300 miles (about 483 kilometres) of rugged terrain, starting in what had once been the city of Roanoke, Virginia and ending in the mountainous...
Buddha Taught Everything is in flux: our body heat, the flow of blood circulating through the arteries, even the thoughts in our heads, and the sounds bouncing off objects all around— the fluctuating vocal cords and the atmospheric pressure, too. Read the full article
Have you ever wished for a magic wand that could make all your stress and worries disappear with a single swish? You’re not alone—we've all been there! Failure or disappointment brings gloomy clouds along with it, and before you know it, you can forget what it feels like to be happy. But...
Mysterious TAO Everything in nature is fleeting Leaves turn colour and fall away Trees grow old and some decay Caterpillars undergo a glorious metamorphosis Into butterflies…. While the mountain winds And ocean tides They come and go Read the full article
Mindfulness has become the new buzzword. From doctors to mental health practitioners, from teachers to corporate workshops and from research papers to Instagram hashtags, mindfulness is being portrayed as an ultimate solution for all human stress. The misconception arises when the real deal is...
The use of social media has increased tenfold with the growth of smart technology and the ease of access to the internet. Without a doubt, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter have all made it easy for people to interact effortlessly and seamlessly without being restricted by regional...
The face of kindness is something that's easily recognized when we see it in action, but children learn by doing and having a role. The positive effect of kindness reinforces more kindness, and over time, children discover that when you're kind, people want to play with you, invite you to come...
I’ve recently been on a path of faith renewal. I suppose it’s been growing stronger—this nagging need to return to some kind of faith—since I started my Master’s degree. Or, at least, reaffirm what was already there, just somewhat dormant. I grew up in the Catholic faith—both my parents were...
Dealing with depression from a young age has left me with a lot of baggage to unpack and a lot of knots inside my head to unwind. The thing that pops up, time and time again, is me not liking myself. The way I have dealt with this recurring theme differs each time. I have tried to fight...
If people ask me how I define myself, I say I’m Jewish. Orthodox Jewish. This means observing the holidays, the Sabbath, the dietary laws and rules far too numerous to mention here. People also assume that it means blind acceptance of what I’ve learned and that I adhere to the strict...
In Need of Flow I stroll home along the banks of the white river, my hair set afire by sunset. My mind is shared with the stream, its swift current, the banking, blithering debris. Air encourages the trees to speak but their words come to nothing. Read the full article
For many years, I would go to bed around the same time every night. In the micro-moments between leaving behind sleep and fully waking up, my overactive mind was already buzzing. I could sense its agitation. I was thinking of all the things I had to do, all the tasks to check off the to-do...
I have a love-hate relationship with my sewing machine that brings out the best and worst in me. I am not one to swear, but if my mother heard me while sewing, she would want to wash my mouth out with soap. I am not one to give up or throw in the towel easily, but sewing makes me wonder why I...
If you live in a bustling city, it's easy to get caught up in the frenetic pace. You may feel like you need to hustle constantly just to keep up, and this can lead to serious burnout quickly. You may often ask yourself, "How can I slow down and get back in touch with nature?" Doing so can be...
Locked in Thought My Dear, All I want is your happiness, I want to see you smile. I’ve watched for years behind these bars, and I’ve waited patiently for you. You’ve visited on occasion and you’ve written many times, I know in time, you’ll find a way to free me from this cell. Read the...
One morning, Saint Issa, a 13-year-old Jewish mystic boy, made the fateful decision to leave home and set off by foot along the ancient silk trade route to India. His goal was to explore the eternal truths arrived at by the holy men of the far East. Along his nearly one-year journey across...
I filled my watering can with holy water And used it to water my lawn So the grass would finally be greener On the side that I was on I got a priest to bless the sea before I jumped in Hoping that if holy water consumed me I would feel whole again Read the full article
I was a wife, daughter, sister, mother and grandparent. Now, a decade later, these identities have been reduced to Mom and grandparent, with subscriptions to my other roles cancelled by multiple losses. The two most important men in my life, my Dad and husband, died in the same year,...
My earliest memories of talking about faith and God are from when I started first grade at Immaculate Conception School. Anyone who has attended Catholic school has studied the Baltimore Catechism, which attempted to answer the big questions like “Who is God?” with simplistic answers like “God is...
Society must give teachers of young children, especially childcare workers, the chance to transform other sectors. In our communities, we have some of the most extensive training and practical methods of social equity at our disposal, but are often dismissed as 'babysitters.' Though, who...
Where Deer Sleep My three-year-old son asked me where deer sleep. So I took him there. Stepping into a space that is not meant for fathers and sons, we found a ritual that has nothing to do with us. An original grace. Read the full article
There is a poem by Taylor Mali called "How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog," which is an excellent read for all four-legged-friend lovers in a committed relationship. It describes how dogs, like relationships, require never-ending love, attention and hard work, despite the messes they may...
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE DINOSAURS: A New History of a Lost World Steve Brusatte Kids love dinosaurs, especially the Tyrannosaurus rex, or T. rex to its friends. Its sheer lethality—embodied by those massive teeth, those overly muscled jaws and its overall transcendent badness—was...
Be love and be free Beyond this veil of separation is an eternal truth that we’re all one. For all the ‘isms’ that divide are nothing more than illusions that blind our souls from the infinite web of being. If you doubt that we’re all one, take a stroll through majestic green forests or...
For 13 years, a great monk prayed, meditated and fasted in the mountains in order to see more clearly into the nature of things. One morning, this wise man decided to climb a high peak, where it was believed that great spiritual power dwelled. The monk filled his canteen full of water and...
All the Places I Haven't Found God A lady at AA says she found God under a bridge Just below the freeway. I wait for hours, but He never comes. I met a couple who live under the bridge They swear to me that God sleeps next to them every night. I stay until sunrise inside their tent,...
Love Tranfusion Sometimes I live in the grey, unable to decide if everything’s alright. My mind knows what the past looks like, I can’t look back, I know inside. I feel called to the great ocean, I feel small when my fear’s forgiven. I don’t know how, but somehow I’m living. In every word, I...
If you're an active individual, the last thing you may want to think about is what you'll do if you find yourself suddenly sidelined by an injury. Broken bones, torn tendons and damaged muscles could all keep you from doing what you love for an extended period of time. Instead of wallowing...
“Just a small piece...” “A little taste won’t hurt...” That’s all it takes. The door has opened. Gooey cake hits lips. The next bite is anticipated before the first bite is swallowed. Seconds later, we’re licking chocolate remnants from tin and fingertips, too enraptured to have...
An eagle, a lion, a wolf, a deer and a bear sat around the campfire for their weekly respite from work. This week, their conversation focused on the foils of humanity. As the embodiment of freedom and the first messenger of the Creator, the Eagle was the first to speak: “My brothers and...
As children, we take what people say and what happens within our environment very personally. Our sense of attachment and security depends on our reading of what is going on around us. So often our interpretations of what is going on around us are not an accurate depiction of the situation...
The day I turned 30, I caught a wild case of baby fever that no Advil or Tylenol could resolve. According to Google, I was quickly approaching my 'expiry date.' Before even starting to conceive, I began worrying if I would ever be able to have children, or how much money and time we would...
Step 1: Resting in open awareness Sit comfortably to meditate, with your back upright. Have your eyes open and slightly downcast. Let go of thoughts of the past, present, and future. When thoughts arise again, let go of them, again and again. Join your attention with your breath....
For years now, I have wanted to go to the Toronto Pride Parade. My only hesitation was that I did not think I would be able to deal with the protesters. People’s words used to have more of an impact on me, and I was not sure I would feel OK with all the hate. This year, I feel a bit different. I...
Within this philosophical inquiry, which includes guided meditation periods and an interactive question-and-answer session, facilitator Stan Lipkin and the participants contemplate the question, "What is suffering?" The subtopics explored include: What is the difference between pain and...
Before there was the internet, there was the spoken word, and then its offspring, the written word, which brought forth letters and petitions. We rarely come across people accosting us outside shopping malls these days, clipboard or endless scrolled paper in hand, not letting us go about our...
People all over the world have practiced meditation for centuries. It's nothing like a get-rich-quick scheme, and it's not going away anytime soon. It's a mental and sometimes spiritual practice that centres people who are looking for clarity. Scientists have already proven that meditation helps...
I scroll through an old high school classmate’s Instagram feed and feel slightly jealous. Jealous because I’ve never had the courage to be more open like she is, to grab life by the horns and just live it. To be uninhibited and carefree, with people who are as beautiful and accomplished as she...
After spending all our money on Wacky Packs and Slurpees at the 7-Eleven, my brother Danny and I decide to take the shortcut home. We veer off from the sidewalk and cut down a steep, weedy embankment. At the bottom, three stacked logs hold the base of the hill in place. I step out onto the...
When I was first diagnosed with depression, it took a lot of self-acceptance and external support for me to grasp what I had been going through for many years as something tangible and medically 'real.' For many who suffer from depression and mental health issues, there is a lot of scrutiny...
What You Don't Get in Church It has nothing to do with the thoughts that bring results we want. Pulling at our seatbelts. A chronic feeling that sees. If you feel your ears, you have an organ that is sick. You are not in your own way. Optic nerves in the back of our skulls, like the awareness...
Everyone experiences and interprets the world differently. Two people can experience the same event and have two diametrically opposite experiences of that event. The reality of their different experiences needs to be appreciated as being equally valid. In truth, they are equally valid. The...
To the disappointment of many activist-minded folk, it is becoming resoundingly clear that little change in the way of peace will ever occur through politics. As many people worldwide are beginning to realize, our global political system is thoroughly corrupted to its core. In their quests...
To the disappointment of many activist-minded folk, it is becoming resoundingly clear that little change in the way of peace will ever occur through politics. As many people worldwide are beginning to realize, our global political system is thoroughly corrupted to its core. In their quests...
Cuba is a confusing country with a complicated history and an uncertain future. That future has recently become even more uncertain, with President Trump’s announcement that he plans to issue new sanctions and travel restrictions for the small island nation. It is also confusing because of...
Two seekers of wisdom spent all day climbing a formidable mountain. After many hours of walking, the duo finally arrived at the summit, where they were greeted by an old mountain goat. The two startled humans stared uneasily at the mighty being before them, and nervously shuffled backward....
Goddess Energy she is secure. balanced in her sense of self. confidence adorns her in its delicate veil of poise. she is charming. captivating all who cross her path. distanced from the false perceptions of naive minds. Read the full article
When I first got sober, I was overwhelmed by the incessant talk of living a spirituality-based life. I had never been a spiritual person; I had a very science-oriented brain. The thought of believing in a power greater than myself and surrendering my life to a power that I couldn’t see, touch or...
In a few days, I will be celebrating my sixth month of not smoking. I have tried to quit in the past, but this is the first time it has stuck. Today, it feels like I haven’t smoked in years, but some days, the cravings are so strong it is as if I only stopped a few days ago. The best part is...
Growing up, I was always the slowest—running, finishing tests, doing homework and so on. I’ve been criticized about it. I've been told that I took too much time to finish a simple task, that I’m lazy, that I’m indecisive, all the names in the book. After years of consistent noise in my ears, I...
The attraction stage of a relationship can be truly magical and can serve as an important bonding experience between the couple. When two people find themselves attracted to one another, their focus becomes centred on one another. There is a magical quality about being together. They long to...
“Where are you from?” In a simple world, I would answer that I’m from Canada. If I gave that answer, I would look like a fool, though, because I know what the other person is really asking. They are asking for your ethnicity or culture. The expected answer from me would be, “I am Indian, but I...
In the 1990s, near the end of his life, I became friends with a neighbour of mine in Los Angeles, Herbert Zipper. He died at the age of 93, in 1997. Herbert was a composer and conductor from Vienna. In his childhood, he was dandled on the knees of Sigmund Freud and was part of the fertile...
When you enter my apartment, you will not see a framed photograph of me, beaming, standing next to the pope. People who've been in my apartment for a few hours have asked me if I'm Jewish—I get that a lot. No doubt, these folks missed the Catholic church calendar in the kitchen, and the plastic...
TOUCHED WITH FIRE: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament Kay Redfield Jamison If you read one book covering the link—or even the association—between the manic-depressive and the white heat of creative inspiration, make it this book. It was written in 1993, but it remains the...
Butterfly You are the butterfly That fluttered through my dreams So many nights ago Hovering near me for only a second Before you decided I was not worthy of your grace You did not want me But I wanted you Read the full article
It is 6:00 a.m. in Konstanz, Germany. It’s March and spring has arrived a bit too early for everyone. The weather is a little unpredictable; windy, cold and rainy days are squeezed between some sunny days. I am getting ready for another adventure with researchers from the Max Planck...
We're all conditioned by and subject to a host of impressions from our culture, family and society, as well as from the vast tapestry of our personal experience. Such influences inevitably affect the ways we see the world and one another. Mindfulness practice teaches us to see more clearly...
An island girl living in Canada, what could possibly go wrong? Well, let’s talk about the elephant in all Canadian rooms from the start—the weather. The Canadian winter is unreasonably cold, and for someone who is used to +30 degrees Celsius, it doesn’t get easier. During the winter months,...
The rainy days of April have subsided, and with the summer sun lurking around the corner, people have one thing in mind: It is time to get their 'summer body.' The reason for this mentality is clear: Summer means heat, and heat means fewer clothes and more skin. Every year, people feel...
The Mindful Word's own Kiva Bottero has published a book of stories derived from his #travels through four different countries in Southeast Asia, including #India and Sri Lanka. These short stories delve into both the #spiritual and secular aspects of this fascinating area of the world. Read...
Being newly sober is both exciting and terrifying. We have finally escaped the grips of addiction and now we have a brand-new life to build and begin living. Things can get overwhelming, though, as there is so much baggage sitting right in front of us that has to be dealt with. Where do we...
As another Mother’s Day passes, I am once again left reflecting on the things that make my mother unique, the things that make me want to be just like her. I am getting to the age where people ask me if I plan to have children. As of now, the answer is no, but if I ever did, I know who I would...
Thakgil: journey The road winding through jagged lava streams of shimmering silver green peaks bathed in golden light. Read the full article
Bringing meditation into a school or building is a delicate and lengthy process. It requires the navigation of a number of constituents and interests. And if it's not done well initially, it can have a huge consequence for the long-term viability or success of a program. In my experience,...
As the summer months approach, the weather is finally becoming nicer and it seems like summer might actually come. I feel it in the air, I feel it when I look outside and I feel it inside myself. The warmer weather has always been difficult for me. I love the season but hate what comes along...
The online reviews for this motel and the part of the city it’s in are downright scary. But it’s the only low-priced room available in all of Phoenix, Arizona tonight. We get the key card for our room. The door swings open and we stare into the darkness, half expecting someone to jump...
Inside The Tent Inside the tent, before the siren of seagulls and crows, the world loses a little bit of its sovereignty. If only for a minute or two, rolled like a napkin in a French bistro and zoned out to the blithe, unconditioned air, measuring time by the breaths of a caving fly and...
Some of you may already be familiar with marriage and family therapist James (AKA Jim) Farwell, as he's written a number of pieces for The Mindful Word. We're happy to announce that we've had the opportunity to publish his self-help book, Compassionate Commitment. More info about the book is...
According to trauma therapist and researcher Bessel van der Kolk, secure kids “learn to trust both what they feel and how they understand the world.” On the other hand, insecure children find the world disorganized and distressing. “If the distress is overwhelming, or when the caregivers...
YOUR FITTEST FUTURE SELF: Making Choices Today for a Happier, Healthier, Fitter Future You Kathleen Trotter Your Fittest Future Self: Making Choices Today for a Happier, Healthier, Fitter Future You, by Kathleen Trotter, is a self-help book geared towards helping people find an approach to...
I remember those days when I fell in love with bugs and insects. I do not know if it was because of my father, or whether I was destined to live my life discovering the amazing world of insects: ants, ladybugs, mantises, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and many more. Read the full article
Today, while cleaning out my room, I found my old file folder. Inside, I stored all of my important papers over the years. As I looked through, I found a suicide note I had written several years ago. This was not the first time I had stumbled upon one, but it was the most impactful. Reading...
Marie Kondo is the author of the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, and the star of the Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. She has become an international guru for cleaning up and finding joy while doing it. She preaches expressing...
I have a certain admiration for insects, arachnids and the like. I marvel at the iridescence of a beetle’s shell, the intricacy of a spider’s web, the whimsy of a ladybug. Even worms capture my attention—the way their bodies ripple as they move, how they disappear into the ground. It’s all really...
The Name of God Is Not a Word The name of God is not a word. The Incas knew that God is a shape. In the beginning, was Logos. The origin of all form. Read the full article
The first time I’d ever heard the term mindfulness, I was participating in a trial group at a local hospital. The hospital was just beginning to introduce a DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) group for patients with mental illness, in which mindfulness is a key component. I remember being...
In those early years of self-discovery, between the time a social worker recommended drug and alcohol treatment for Jonathon and the summer of 2006 when I completed my degree in counselling psychology, our family was immersed in the therapeutic world. We attended group family sessions,...
How easy it is to be negative. We experience a little stress and Chicken Little wreaks havoc in our minds. I was experiencing quite a bit of stress just prior to a trip I was planning last year. I wanted to go to Arizona to get some relief from a northern Minnesota winter, and as I made...
I felt like an impostor. I was introduced to Tibetan Buddhism at the age of 27 by the love of my life, whom I married shortly thereafter. When I heard the message of love and compassion towards all, which is the heart of Buddhism, I thought, “Where has this been all my life? Why am I only...
There is a photo of my older brother on the shelf behind my desk. It has been taken in a hospital. There is a handle hanging by the side of his head so that he can pull himself up. My brother is standing (or is he sitting on the bed?). He is smiling because he is holding his newborn daughter in...
I am a simple farmer in a remote part of Bhutan. I live in Bumthang Valley, right in the heart of the country. The valley is famous for its scenic views and vast green forests. One could sit for hours by the river and admire the beauty of the mountains, the rivers, the birds and the endless spark...
Temptation in his hands with the long fingers dwells the source of my discontent; and while I’m transfixed with the stars above, plotting to steal secrets from the ether, Read the full article
Koh Phangan is an essential stop on the conscious community circuit. It’s the kind of place travellers go expecting to stay two weeks, but they end up sticking around for six months … or never leaving. This is a travel guide to the conscious community on the island. Koh Phangan is...
That moment of completion, when it has all come to an end, is here. I set my pen down, take a deep breath and let the weight of the occasion sink in. Sixteen years of reading what others tell me to read, writing about what they want me to write and filling my brain with information I can then...
I signed up for Sand Syme's “Journey Home” class at Anchor Meditation—then a pop-up meditation space housed in a design studio in Nob Hill—not knowing what to expect. I'd simply been drawn to the title of the class, and the notion of what it might ultimately mean and feel like to ‘journey...
It’s just a car. Metal, plastic and rubber painted charcoal grey, my Volkswagen Jetta. My Dad stuck a cherry-red bow on top and stood smiling proudly beside it on my 16th birthday. At the time, Volkswagen offered three Jetta models: the basic GL model, the swanky GLS and mine in between, the...
THE HIDDEN WORLDS: A novel on environmental stewardship for teens Sandra Ingerman & Katherine Wood The Hidden Worlds is a teen fiction novel that explores the negative impact that companies focused only on profit can have on the environment, and how some youngsters bravely set out to...
Exquisite historic homes, all immaculately landscaped, absorbed Mr. Jones’s and my attention as we explored—with Dog—this high-end neighbourhood in a coastal Florida city. It was filled with near-castles, some displaying majestic water fountains on their front lawns while others boasted...
Self-trust is the internal belief that even if you have a health wobble—consume a cookie, skip a workout or for me, have a Fudgsicle—you'll learn from the decision and course correct as quickly as possible. When you have trust in yourself, a mistake or a choice to indulge doesn’t trigger...
I call it Timbuktu Syndrome. You have the desire to travel to some far-off destination you have never been to before and know little about. The assumption behind this desire is that you will taste the exotic. Well, of course, there is some truth to this. Distance can get you some novelty....
It was dark out and we’d been in the thick highway traffic for a couple of hours. Mr. Jones was driving, and I as the supportive wife was in charge of entertainment—finding radio stations, coming up with conversation topics and supplying the occasional snack. The road was mostly straight and...
The Big 5 Love Commitments (Love yourself, do what makes you happy, trust your intuition, follow your yes and be with your truth) I make these loving commitments With all my heart I commit to wholeheartedly loving myself first, And from that place of self-love With a ‘me first’...
As a photographer’s wife, I’m used to having to entertain myself and the 85-pound (or 39-kilogram) dog we travel with while Mr. Jones searches for the perfect angle, pines for just the right lighting or waits for that bird to hurry up already and face him. This day was no different. Read...
The sharing economy is growing rapidly, as it provides a way for people to monetize their assets while others save money on things they need. It’s a great model that allows us all to benefit, and when you’re travelling, it can be especially useful. Read the full article
Earthquake Some poems cannot be written for fun. You do it because you can't be quiet about it. All you can do is grab on to something stable before getting crushed by the missed opportunity. Read the full article
Mornings are important for many apparent reasons, but those reasons can quickly fall by the wayside when each morning actually arrives. Maybe you're one to oversleep and barely make it out of the house on time. Or you have kids who refuse to get up for school, and you have to flag down the bus as...
Connecting to your pain is the first and perhaps most important teaching of the historical Buddha more than 2,500 years ago. It's the first truth of what are called the Four Noble Truths. The first truth states the unavoidable, obvious facts of the world: Discomfort, sickness, old age and...
A Rush dogs chasing that car down & children grabbing at birds as they fly by— & even more chasing & trapping inside themselves— what do they expect to have when they’re done? a mouthful of wheel? a handful of feathers? a faceless figure of authority telling them maybe next time?...
Are you really just like your father or mother? Just as we receive physical genetic markers from our birth parents, such as hair colour or height, we also inherit their energetic characteristics. These genetic beliefs are the things we’ve learned from our parents and ancestors, through spoken...
When I was a kid, my parents took me to a lot of museums. They hoped I’d develop a lifelong love for the profoundness of art, as they had. They’d stop at every painting, sculpture and artifact to soak in its meaning and explain to me its significance and relevance to history and culture. I’d...
Why do we let people treat us badly? Why do we make excuses for them? Why do we spend time with people who make us feel like crap? Why would we make plans with anyone who leaves us feeling depleted and deflated? It makes no sense. Yet, we do it all the time. Read the full article
From the Beginning There is a hush from the beginning of time, where you can hear yourself blink. There is a hush, where a minute ago we were two million miles closer to this cluster than we are now. Read the full article
I guess I’d call it a guilty pleasure of the travelling life: Spending a few weeks in an area feels like we’re standing on our tiptoes, leaning over the windowsill of a private residence and peeking through the curtains to get a glimpse of what really goes on inside. Read the full article
SILENCE: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise Thich Nhat Hanh Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise by Thich Nhat Hanh is about quieting our minds by avoiding nonstop thinking and allowing deep listening, in order to cultivate peace, healing and freedom within our...
Medications such as suboxone and methadone are becoming increasingly popular among treatment facilities for people suffering from opioid addiction. However, using these medications for an extended period of time is simply replacing one opioid with another, which further prolongs the...
THE SOLO TRAVELER'S HANDBOOK: For those who love and those who long to go solo Janice Leith Waugh For my last book review, I enjoyed reading the travel memoirs and advice from Janet Rouss in Courage Freedom Happiness: Life Hacks from a Digital Nomad. This book gives readers a...
THE SOLO TRAVELER'S HANDBOOK: For those who love and those who long to go solo Janice Leith Waugh For my last book review, I enjoyed reading the travel memoirs and advice from Janet Rouss in Courage Freedom Happiness: Life Hacks from a Digital Nomad. This book gives readers a...
We had a dream that many people have since told us they also have, and a year ago, we were fortunate enough to be able to embark on it. That’s when my husband and I decided to cash in our chips. We sold our house, gave away our stuff and set out on a long-term adventure travelling through North...
I don’t have any advice. But know that you’re alive, And alive is not dead. This is what being alive is like. Life—an always-changing present moment, Right here, right now. It will get better. I promise. Read the full article
There are four basic stages to meditation practice—like the four movements in a beautiful symphony, they flow together in a great concert of higher awareness. Within these four general stages, Patanjali’s eight limbs provide specific practices. Read the full article
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
We’re social beings, and our web of relationships is important to our happiness. Supportive relationships help us survive life’s storms and celebrate its successes. Stressful and dissatisfying relationships—ones that leave us feeling angry, hurt or disappointed—contribute to our feelings of...
As we approach the anniversary of the Persian Gulf War’s Operation Desert Storm (January 15, 1991), I cannot help but remember men and women of my generation who deployed to the Middle East to stop Saddam Hussein. A Persian Gulf War veteran and prophetic writer, Anthony Swofford, has...
“I don’t think that unless a greater effort is made by the government to win popular support that the war can be won out there. In the final analysis, it is their war. They are the ones who have to win it or lose it. We can help them, we can give them equipment, we can send our men out there as...
COURAGE FREEDOM HAPPINESS: Life Hacks from a Digital Nomad Janet Rouss Courage Freedom Happiness: Life Hacks from a Digital Nomad is a book about a digital nomad’s 12-month journey across 22 countries, as a member of the Remote Year group travel/work program. The program provides...
The holidays inspired me to reflect more deeply. I did not just think about being nice to people. I did not only focus on images inside stores relating to memories of toys I did not get, or the toys I did get: The first Atari video game. And no, I did not head off to a Cistercian monastery...
Screen reader version: A character we can all assume is Gollum from The Lord of the Rings plays with his smartphone, saying "My Pre-ccc-iousss..... ." Meanwhile, "the Ring" gleams (and lets out a curse word!) while resting on the flat rock beside him. Read the full article
Screen reader version: A car that appears to be a Volkswagen Beetle drives down a one-lane road labelled "Road To Perdition." "Are we there yet?" chorus three separate voices from inside the car. Read the full article
Every season, millions of sea salmon swim from the Pacific Ocean upstream, thousands of kilometres back to the mountain streams of their birth. They do this to lay their eggs. These tenacious salmon leap over waterfalls and swim through barriers of hundreds of grizzly bears. Along the way,...
Haruki Murakami is not the typical Japanese writer. His works have long been criticized for not being Japanese enough, and for the blended way in which he mixes high and low culture with Western and Asian influences. His works are also Kafka-esque, being nightmarish, dystopic and surreal. He is,...
Since ancient times, many wise men have called our world 'the waking dream' or 'the matrix.' A matrix is a network of distinct particles that are all connected through an indivisible field. This is the nature of our existence today. We have identified with being the particle through ego...
After decades of work pioneered by great minds like Daniel Levitin (This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession), Oliver Sacks (Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain) and the researchers at The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, music has become widely accepted as...
The tradition of a New Year’s resolution does not stem from some party scene in Times Square. The tradition of making a meaningful resolution to usher in a new year is tied to an ancient place. It is a place I experienced as a troop. Read the full article
It’s about 4:30 p.m. and I am waiting at the coordinates given to me by Lara, one of my colleagues. She is an upcoming Ph.D. student at Max Planck Institute of Ornithology, and she has invited me to join them for the monitoring of bat boxes. Read the full article
Once upon a time … this is how the best of fairy tales and bedtime stories begin. And this is probably the best of the best. Why? Because it’s real. And it contains a magic that Gandalf himself couldn’t have conjured and perhaps would harrumph at. Although he would definitely approve of the...
Last Saturday, as I was heading out to the grocery store, I noticed, out of the blue, a vague prickly feeling, accompanied by a side of shame. Read the full article
Presence Be here now. Pay attention. Do one thing at a time. Do everything in a sacred manner. Your purpose is to awaken and to remain awake. Let present-moment awareness be your spiritual practice. Read the full article
The New York Times is calling the present plans of withdrawal of troops from Syria a ‘Strategy of Retreat’ in today's paper. Sadly, the use of retreat cannot be seen as a possible blessing by the media. Retreat Hell! This can be a great holiday gift for many this time of year. And let us consider...
On October 4, 2018, I went out with Javi (Dr. Javier Lázaro Tapia) to catch some hedgehogs. He is a postdoc in Dechmann Lab at the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology. I work at this Institute where everyone is passionate about wildlife and many are keen to share their knowledge with others. ...
"My head hurts," I thought to myself as the morning light streamed through the blinds. I yawned and rolled over to find my wife sleeping with her back to me. It suddenly occurred to me that we weren't at home. We were in our motorhome in the middle of the Mojave Desert. We were on a camping trip....
"Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human beings too." - Heinrich Heine, Almansor (1821) Once there were only books and people on wooden crates, shouting different opinions so that other people would hear and follow in their footsteps. These were thoughts and beliefs. These...
“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” - Maya Angelou We create our reality from moment-to-moment. We are like walking radio stations: we broadcast our intentions, thoughts and feelings every day, and release them into the Universe. These thoughts, intentions and emotions...
By now, everyone's experienced a wicked flame war on social media over political or ideological matters. Whether you've joined in the fray or just grabbed popcorn, you may have noticed that neither party ended up changing their minds. In fact, they may have instead ended their friendship! Read...
Many are donating to veteran organizations via a TV commercial or a magazine ad. 'Tis the season! Many veterans complain about society's lack of an accurate depiction of vets. I admit it, I complain about our society’s misuse of constructed images of veterans. Televised major sports...
CRYSTALS: A Guide to Using the Crystal Compass for Energy, Healing, and Reclaiming Your Power Aisha Amarfio When I used to live in the Plateau in Montreal—the coolest, most stylish, hippest place in the city—I’d often pass by a New Age store on the way to the metro. It was...
Say What You Mean: A Nonviolent Approach to Mindful Communication is an informative book offering guidance as to how to use a mindful approach to nonviolent communication—with the goal of listening and being heard—in order to create a true sense of connection and understanding, even while having...
I remember the moment I gave up hope. It was 1994 and I was pursuing a degree in biology. The year before, I had decided to shift my focus from pre-medicine to environmental science. I had just begun my junior year and I was assisting with the facilitation of a freshman symposium on the topic of...
As I write this piece, I reflect on who in society misses an uncomfortable truth: There are fewer and fewer members of society who serve in the military, and the human cost of veteran readjustment related to post-military service is something that's overlooked, ignored and even overtly...
These are times that really provoke reflection about what is going on in our world, particularly our political world. It has been my experience that the tone of our political leadership impacts my sense of well-being, as well as my sense of discomfort in life. Read the full article
Nothing Scares Me More Immortality is a ruthless harvester of data. Just moments crumbling, into half-hidden traces of prehistoric bones. Read the full article
At least that's what I adamantly told my peers who insisted otherwise. We were approaching that age … the age where childhood begins to fade away, giving birth to the painful, practical reality of adulthood. Still, as I tore open the envelope that had arrived in our mailbox, directly—it...
As I come across recent TV shows and movies that try to capture the essence of war trauma therapy or veteran readjustment counselling, I cannot help but doubt this post-war depiction. The intense scenes of men and women who wore the uniform, pouring their guts out, are gripping and will cause...
Not Like This Take me, Back when it was easy, Water and wind. You and me. Lead me, When doors were open, Hearts were heard, Words were spoken. Love me, When that's all you knew, And not like this, When I regret I love you. Read the full article
What do I know of my last day on Earth? I do remember the surgeon with the very large scalpel. He stood over me, used that blade to reflect light and blind my eyes. He was there to cut me open, but a doctor must be allowed to play. I'm sure I have a lot of fun toys inside me....
Screen reader version: A fairly young man dressed in a 'hipster' style examines his parents' will with a lawyer. Unfortunately, the lawyer says, "I'm sorry, but not only did your parents leave you nothing in their will, they've issued you a bill for damages." Read the full article
Screen reader version: Two men sit side by side on a bench, each smoking a joint of marijuana. One says to the other, "Is it just me, or do you get less high from smoking weed now that it's legal and we don't have to do it stealthily?" His companion ponders the question. Read the full...
In the past, Thanksgiving was a really cool time of the year. As a kid and young man, Thanksgiving was a time for me to chill. My parents stopped yelling at me about my studies. I would make the rounds and get invited over by the Bowen and Hawasly family. I would see my other pals Karim and Pat. ...
The depth and multilayers of mindfulness transcend the notion of just being present. Anyone can pay attention in the present moment, but the level of awareness varies from person to person. There’s no way of knowing how present someone is by just observing them, although you can certainly tell...
Are you familiar with the Law of Observation? Very simply, it states that what I see you as is what you become while you're around me. Quantum physicists found that they could take an electron from one atom and place it in Mexico, and take an electron from another atom and place it in...
Everyone knows how to lose weight: eat less, eat healthy and be more active. Everyone would love to be a normal weight. So why are so many of us fat? And why don't we just stop overeating? Read the full article
You won’t hear any ringing alarms in Heinrichstraße 11, Apartment 4, because neither of its two residents has any obligations to attend to this morning. So when an incessant buzzing, like a swarm of bees, prods me from my sleep, it takes a couple of seconds for me to realize it’s my phone, and...
The wait is over—it's time to retire. And while you've always imagined retirement as being a carefree, stress-free end to your career, it might not feel that way once you're in it. You'll still have to keep your finances in check, manage your time well and take care of your health, among other...
My seven-year-old daughter and I were watching an episode of Long Island Medium during one lazy after-school afternoon in the kitchen. She turned to me and said, "Mommy, when a woman prays, she shouldn't say 'Amen,' she should say ‘Awoman!’" Read the full article
Some time ago, I set an intention to hug myself every morning. It was probably based on the suggestion of Dr. Kristin Neff, a mindful self-compassion expert. Did I end up doing it? Not every morning—not even close to every morning. But what’s interesting is that the intention is now there in...
Veterans Day is not just a day to have fun and show off my rare vintage headgear given to me by Catholic War Veterans of America. It’s a day on which to reflect! On what? Well, not so much about losses in the field. That is Memorial Day. Instead, Veterans Day presents us with reflecting on the...
“Go to your room. NOW!” Mom shouted. I had just talked back to her, an out-of-character act for me. But my seventh birthday was around the corner, and it was my new way of dealing with getting uprooted from my childhood home so that Mom could care for Grandpa. He had just had his second stroke,...
THE GOLDEN SEQUENCE: A Manual for Reclaiming Our Humanity Jonni Pollard The Golden Sequence: A Manual for Reclaiming Our Humanity is a guide that’ll help us reconnect with our natural intuition to cultivate our truths, in order to live a life of fulfillment. As a society, we’re...
HOW TO APPLY GENERAL SEMANTICS: Using the technology of the self on the Veteran Readjustment Journey
After Iraq, I returned to New York City life with post-war stressors on my mind. It seems that ‘veteran readjustment’ has many interpretations, coming from external sources like mass media, academia and publishing houses. Read the full article
Death Is Taking Off a Tight Shoe Watching old YouTube videos, I once heard Ram Dass say —over coffee in a Prague cafe— that death is like taking off a tight shoe. Read the full article
Two and a half days left to go in La Plata! The only thing on my schedule was Carlos’ jazz band rehearsal. However, I wasn’t too worried about filling the time. There was an art museum, if I could ever find it, as well as numerous unexplored pathways in this city of almost a million people. But...
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 115 people in the United States die every day from opioid overdoses. Nearly 40 percent of these overdoses occur as a result of prescription painkiller abuse and dependency, with many patients initially using their prescribed pain...
The French philosopher Gilles Deleuze once said: “There is no need to fear or hope, but only to look for new weapons.” 'Weapons' may give us the wrong associations, but what he refers to are concepts that, like a brick, can be used to destroy what is hindering the growth of our lives, and at...
La Plata: A new city to discover The streets looked a bit rough, I observed as the bus pulled into La Plata, Argentina, around 50 miles (56 km.) south of Buenos Aires. I did have friends here, though. There were likely some sweet times in store, regardless. Not finding anyone I knew at the...
In the minute it takes to read the first few lines of this article, 20 people from across the planet will be newly displaced from their homes as a result of human rights violations, conflict or violence. In fact, we are experiencing the highest levels of displacement on record, where 1 out of...
I just flew in to Chicago to see my Mom. She turned 80 on Friday. Five years ago, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was given five years to live. Now my Dad is telling me, “I hope you have a suit and tie back in New York. You’re gonna have to come back wearing it pretty soon.” From her...
The life of a creative can be plagued by uncertainty and fear. These feelings permeate all stages of the creative process, including that time when you first see the final product. My first blog article was published a week ago. It was almost an out-of-body experience to see such an intimate...
The door finally shut. I walked away, my throat numb and eyes firmly to the ground. It was that time again. My role of ‘Daddy’ had come to an abrupt end. Against the wish to scream and shout, I turned my ignition towards the other life. Noticing my mind wandering into gloom, I gently escorted...
Judging others is part and parcel of what it means to be a human being. We all do it. Most often, we do it subconsciously. But, as all human behaviour has a reason and a function, what is the function of judging others? Why do we judge people, things and situations, and why should we overcome...
Next week, on October 27, the annual General Semantics Symposium will unfold at the Princeton Club of New York City. General semantics (GS) has been used in the military, corporations and the academic world. GS has been tied to notable personalities such as Abraham Maslow, Alfred Hitchcock,...
The Way of Zen is to climb the flattest place on earth. To become a geologic paradox. To crack into the Earth, like a creative carving of erosion. The way of Zen is when fire meets ice, like a thundering waterfall made quiet by the sacred nature of rocks. Read the full article
Screen reader version: While wandering, a pair of hikers with backpacks come across some old ruins, some of which are covered in hieroglyphics... but the largest piece of rock also has what appears to be a Halloween pumpkin's face on top! One hiker says to the other, "Now, there's a real...
Screen reader version: This cartoon features a diagram showing four consecutive lives of the same being, as karma guides their transformation through those different forms. This particular being starts off as a nude, angelic woman floating on a cloud, and goes through two more transitions...
One of several Borges poems displayed, with illustrative photos, in the window of Borges Cultural Center. See a translation of this poem. Jorge Luis Borges has long been one of my favorite authors. His metaphysical short stories thrilled me in college. I was looking forward to visiting some...
Trigger and language warning: This piece overtly discusses concepts such as suicide, mental illness, depression, anxiety, triggers and a number of other potentially triggering concepts. It also occasionally uses coarse language. Please read cautiously. We live in a fast-paced, results-driven...
Co-dependency can play such a large part in most modern relationships. Couples settle down, get cozy and fulfill the assigned gender roles their parents played out during their upbringing. Monotony invariably sets in, and somewhere along the way, passion is lost. The idea of relating becomes less...
My best friend and I are swimming in my pool. She’s in my second-grade class and happens to live next door. I pull myself out of the water and up onto the edge to take a break. My friend swims over and bobs next to me, watching me breathe heavily after a vigorous swim. “Why do you have five rolls...
Did he really do it? Did he ignore Kathryn Mayorga, who several times said “no” and “stop” while he penetrated her from behind? Yes, he did. ‘He’ being the Portuguese football (soccer) player Cristiano Ronaldo—one of the world’s most prominent athletes and, for the last three years, the world’s...
As I was flirting with my college-bound next-door neighbour’s daughter, I found a copy of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. By the way, I was 11 years old. Back then, besides my next-door neighbour’s daughter, I was intrigued by Miller’s play. I read parts of it so that I could inspire a...
Her Name Is Astrid Sunshine— the yellow curtains in the studio the entryway to clear our minds, we practice Yoga in the hidden space leave through the same curtains present, time fades away like a raindrop drying on the pavement, refreshed with tranquility and at ease Read the full article
I found Buenos Aires like nothing so much as New York City. OK, the buildings aren’t as tall. However, the pace, the presence of subway entrances everywhere downtown, the sense of “a city that doesn’t sleep,” the tacky tourist shops and the sight of homeless people sleeping in the doorways of...
Why is acceptance so slippery and tricky? Why do we lose it, and then when we find it again, why can’t we keep it? Where does it all go wrong? How does that happen? Acceptance is noticing how it is and understanding that “what is” has already been allowed, because it’s happening right now, in...
Dwight Yoakum played on the radio as we headed west on Interstate 40. It was hot … even by Mojave Desert standards. The thermometer on my dashboard read 120 degrees Fahrenheit (about 49 degrees Celsius). “Thank God for air conditioning,” I thought. We were headed home after a weekend on the...
Do you remember being curled up under the covers of your childhood bed, eyeballs darting back and forth, praying that the monsters wouldn't drag you into their dark lair—AKA your closet? We laugh at how unrealistic those fears were, but as adults, our mindset is largely the same. Our monsters...
A 40-year anniversary tribute to M. Scott Peck’s timeless self-help book The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth . Read Part 1 here» Ironically, this book was on The New York Times' bestseller list for more than 10 years. Peck's message is not...
NO TIME TO LOSE: A timely guide to the way of the Bodhisattva Pema Chödrön What do you read after finishing the Dhammapada? That’s a question every neophyte to Buddhism experiences. Reread the Dhammapada? Sure, but it gets a bit repetitive. Read the full article
In spiritual and personal development circles, we are all very familiar with the concepts of the higher self and the inner child, and the need for a positive, introspective, grounded and effective personality. Most self-help and metaphysical works of literature address only one of these...
I take my 90-plus-year-old mother shopping for lingerie at a department store. The store has moved things around, and there’s too much walking, and not enough chairs or benches for resting in between treks through athletic gear and housewares to get to the destination. Finally there, the...
Although one purpose of my Latin America journey was to visit friends, I didn’t know anyone in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. I’d booked a hotel there for one night because: All the flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina seemed to have layovers of eight hours or more, often in more than one...
After I had my son a year and a half ago, I drowned myself in spiritual teachings. Coming from a culture and society in which depression among mothers is particularly common, my pregnancy was clouded by fears about postpartum depression. It is only natural, I thought. I am 35, with a colourful...
A 40-year anniversary tribute to M. Scott Peck’s timeless self-help book The Road Less Traveled. The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck, M.D., was published 40 years ago. Many would say Dr. Peck's book is the summa of...
As a farmer, I am very aware of the cycles of life. Every spring, I await the emergence of my blueberry buds. I welcome the honeybees who pollinate them, and over the next two months, watch the buds transform into ripe blueberries. The season is over now, and as I graze on some of the last ripe...
FORGIVENESS MADE EASY: The Revolutionary Guide to Moving Beyond Your Past and Truly Letting Go Barbara J. Hunt Forgiveness Made Easy: The Revolutionary Guide to Moving Beyond Your Past and Truly Letting Go is a how-to guide for the practice of forgiveness, which provides mental,...
I am a behaviour therapist for children who have autism. This is how I introduce my job title when people ask me what I do for a living, and the description usually elicits one of two responses: Good for you! Sounds very rewarding! What does that mean? Read the full article
The idea that we’re the main characters in our own stories is important. Our lives are unique. We also occupy a different role in everyone else’s story. To some, you’re a one-dimensional footnote. To others, you might be the antagonist, or for someone else, you might even be one of the main...
My coffee-loving friend Gerald told me, over a coffee, that there’s a guy working in the coffee shop who doesn’t listen. This frustrates the hell out of him, as he often has to repeat his order, and even then, sometimes the guy gets the order wrong. My friend complained to me, “He should...
What it is about seeing a loving act on the part of one person, towards another, that moves us to tears? Or, when we hear about someone acting in a heroic way to help or save others from injury or death, why it is that we become choked up? How many of us are moved when we view or hear about...
My definition of veteran spirituality is that it's a journey both in and out of uniform, during which the veteran is looking 'within' to understand the meaning of the soul as it's related to military service—before, during and after service. I know of one person who truly understands veteran...
Sunday morning in Mexico City I went out to explore Mexico City some more after an early breakfast on a Sunday morning. I only had another day and a half there, and wanted to see as much as I could! I made a beeline for Alameda Park, the large green space that adjoins the Palacio de Bellas...
There's an old Chinese curse that states, "May you live in interesting times." It was said to one’s enemies when hoping their lives would be full of social and political turmoil. If the times we presently live in are any indication, it looks as though this curse still holds some sway! Like many...
Screen reader version: A young woman sits at the wheel of a car, looking nervous. A middle-aged man (presumably the woman's father, or some other male relative) puts his arm around her and says, "Honey, here's how to handle a stop sign. Slow down and approach the sign. Look carefully to...
Screen reader version: A pet dog lies on its back on the carpet and says, "I love my Master!" The pet cat that's sitting on an ottoman just to the right of the dog comments, "Fool. It's Stockholm Syndrome." Read the full article
In the knowledge economy, email is one of the largest distractions we face every day—it’s usually the largest pain point for the people I speak to and coach (with meetings being a close second). One of the best strategies to tame email is to limit how many email notifications you receive,...
A long time ago now, in 2004, I experienced a kind of “spiritual” awakening that lasted for about nine months before it seemed to abruptly stop. Then, a momentum of desire with some internal struggle began, as I tried to find what I’d lost. This is the story of my efforts and failure. Read...
It was the 1980s and the Soviet Union was still a powerful might. The world was divided into two sides: free and communist. Terrorism was making a stir around the world through various groups—the IRA, the ETA and other nationalist groups. Back then, there were a few rogue countries like Libya...
In today’s world, filled with popular misconceptions and stereotypes regarding the young population, it's a constant struggle for those of the Millennial generation to define and maintain their identity. With an ever-changing culture of social media, technology and worldwide uncertainty, this...
Mexico City appeared, suddenly and dramatically, as my plane from San Francisco descended beneath the cloud cover. It was vast, stretching to lush green mountains far, far in the distance. It emerged like a visual burst of energy, and looked more prosperous than I’d anticipated. Many of the...
"Do you have any regrets?" "I have none," answered my Dad to the chaplain who was visiting him at home while he was being cared for by the Hospice nurse. My Dad couldn’t get out of bed at this point, and the road to recovery was no longer an option. I stood near the doorway, his little girl,...
I was in my twenties the first time I saw someone keep score at a baseball game. Two seats away from me, my friend Carl was using a strange set of hieroglyphics to mark each play on a scorecard in front of him. Dots, backward Ks, number-dash combinations—he wrote it all down and waited for it...
There was a time when I didn’t know about being in the moment, being present. I didn’t know about awareness or acceptance and had never heard of spiritual awakening. I believed in the standard concept of time and a thought-based identity. I liked what I liked and didn’t like what I didn’t like. ...
I recently read an interview about Jane Olivier, a human rights activist and poet, and the interview was informative about her approaches to the joys and the ‘how-to’ craft of writing poetry. I truly enjoyed the experience of reading this interview that brought me into a transcendent learning...
A different kind of pilgrimage I decided several years ago that I would devote part of each summer to seeing more of God’s world. I wanted to absorb the rhythms and colours, tastes and smells of countries and cultures that fascinated me. I would combine my explorations with pilgrimage,...
This philosophical inquiry, facilitated by meditation teacher Stan Lipkin, delves deep into an age-old question, "What is the meaning of life?" Many people think that attributes like their name, gender, age and personal preferences give their life meaning, but if we use tools such as Yoga and...
So many of us crave meaning and joy in our lives. We look for something larger than ourselves—something outside of our everyday existence that will deliver us to a higher consciousness, filled with happiness. But we don’t have to look outside ourselves. To find our own sense of peace and a...
Labour Day in the U.S. will let us give up summer. Labour Day will help us think about rest. But will Labour Day help us better understand the work troops are doing as we enjoy the last days of summer? There are many troops serving abroad and most are living out their lives under the hazardous...
Search Goes On I imagine you in the maidenhair, the gentle whorls of bipinnate fronds, vibrant stalks with layers of leaves, along their scalloped edges. Read the full article
We experience some form of it every day, but how many of us stop to consider what reality actually is? If you ever have—for even a second—you may enjoy listening to this satsang, in which meditation teacher Stan Lipkin explores the essential nature of reality. The satsang deals with the two...
She led me out of the dining hall, where 70 or so people sat, silently cooling down tea and rotating around the fireside. Keeping my eyes lowered in obedience of the week’s regimen, I felt a wave of panic as we moved privately into the common room, and then a sense of ease while catching the...
My unbridled words about war aren't bloused in name-brand books. My war writing is tied to my former calling as a friar monk. I will repeat myself 1,000 times: I ended up leaving my beloved robe for a rifle. My war writing is tied to my soul and this God-given soul ran away with the mistress...
CROWDED OUT: The Story of Overtourism Narrated by Justin Francis Crowded Out: The Story of Overtourism is a documentary about the growing concern over the negative impact the increasing number of tourists is having on the culture and infrastructure of vacation hotspots. Although this...
The first Yoga centre I noticed was perched above a bicycle shop, a fire station and a food co-op in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I was new to New York City then, an unemployed liberal arts graduate with nothing to do but read and wander the infinite, mesmeric sidewalks. This was the summer of 2000,...
Screen reader version: Two ladybugs, one with regular black spots on its back (on the left) and the other with emojis on its back (on the right) meet to talk while each rests on its own leaf. The ladybug on the right says to the other, in reference to its emoji-spots, "It's the latest thing...
Screen reader version: A women's toilet (labelled "Women's Toilet") with a dish of flowers resting on the back is pictured on the left, while a men's urinal (labelled "Men's Urinal") that's been designed to look like a putting green for golf—with just one hole—is pictured on the right. ...
I lost it at the dentist's office the other day. I was there with my mother and had been flipping through copies of Good Housekeeping while waiting for her for hours. I was hungry and impatient by the time she emerged, and then the receptionist presented us with an itemized and very detailed list...
Who knows where or when? After Iraq, and giving up on the idea of returning to religious life, I found myself dating women. I dated women who expressed that they liked the “Soldier Boy” in me. I inspired them to find that '60s calming Shirelles song in my new being. I was that soldier boy...
The Journey Spirit Body, Hand-drawn digitally coloured image, Archival ink limited edition print, dimensions variable. ©2018 Robert Asha Not everything Happens at once You are an Idea Which has unfolded Like the petals Of a flower Chasing the wheeling sun Why should you be...
For the person seeking recovery from addiction or alcoholism, the term “spiritual awakening” can be unpalatable and enthralling at the same time. Consequently, the spiritual life grabbed me by the throat the same way addiction did—with a lighter touch, of course. Read the full article
Redeeming a warrior’s heart After Iraq, and giving up on the idea of returning to religious life, I found myself dating women. Surprisingly, my penis miraculously reappeared. My penis returned, PTL: Praise the Lord! It was a miracle! With my new miracle better than water turned to wine, I...
I was an angry young man, though I didn’t see myself as such at the time. I was a loner, had no ambition and lived without hope. Life had no purpose; thus, I had no purpose. For me, God didn’t exist. Given the horrors of life that are all too common in our world, how could there be a purpose?...
Chronic pain can be very isolating. You may have very few people to talk to who understand what it's like to live in constant pain. There may be no welcoming place to speak openly about your fears and difficulties with those who are meeting similar challenges and who will not feel sorry for you...
Are you more of a tea drinker or coffee drinker? I’m one of those people who has a dual love for both. However, there’s something to be said for the art of making tea. In the last year or so, I’ve been introduced to some interesting teas, including matcha, maté, rooibos and pu’er (or pu-erh)....
Losing love: The price of war After a war, many troops still carry war with them. Each troop has had his or her own experience. I found myself hiding from my war after my return from Iraq. Who needed to know about my deployment? Who really cared? What did I have when I returned? I had no...
Have you ever noticed that you'd been thinking about something and it suddenly came true? Have you been seeing repetitions of specific numbers and patterns, like 111, 333, 911, 777 and so on? This happens to most of us at some point in our lives, yet we can't come up with a possible explanation...
Do you know someone who seems to get lost in music? Put on some beats and their world dissolves around them. Eyes closed, mind adrift, they feel an almost transcendental connection with music. For most of my friends, I’m that person. Read the full article
Screen reader version: Heading: New Species Blooms in California Desert Subheading: Genus: Mullanyus Species: Californias Plasticus Bagus Bushus Read the full article
Screen reader version: A middle-aged man, partially balding, reads a newspaper at his kitchen table with coffee and a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him: "Is it deja vu when this morning reminds me of thousands of other identical mornings?" Read the full article
LIFE LESSONS FROM A BROKEN HEART: We have the power to change ourselves Selina Meade When someone thinks of a “broken heart,” they usually think of romantic heartbreak. It’s an experience that nearly everyone has had and to which nearly anyone can relate. Selina Meade’s Life Lessons...
A friend and I sat on the boardwalk one evening, enjoying the warmth and sunset as joggers ran past and dogs sniffed at tufts of grass near our feet. Eventually, a small family of four with two young kids migrated to the area just in front of us. Read the full article
CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES?: Landscaping your life to get back on track Alison Smith Can’t See the Wood for the Trees?; Landscaping your life to get back on track is a book about how we can use common metaphors to help us get unstuck from our present real-life problems; in essence,...
Everyone needs a healthy amount of self-confidence. It’s important for us to have confidence in our relationships, our abilities and our careers. Your level of self-assurance can make a difference in landing a job, earning a promotion or even trying something new. Read the full article
The darkness of night greeted me as I stepped off the train and onto the railway platform. The station was dark, except for a flickering sign overhead that bore the name of the town Sarria. This was to be the starting point for my trek along the Camino de Santiago. Read the full article
Have you ever come across people who can't make it through the day without downing their favourite drink? Well, here’s a confession: I’m one of those people. I don’t know what drink you're in love with, but on my side, coffee was my darling and we were in a very serious relationship. Without...
“I think, therefore I am,” is one well-known quote from Rene Descartes, a 17th-century French philosopher. This famous phrase is from the Discourse on Method, and Descartes wrote it following a self-inquiry into his own existence. After much thought, he realized that he was the one doing the...
Brain structures implicated in PTSD Figure 2.1. Side view of the brain; Image courtesy of the National Institute on Aging/ National Institutes of Health Amygdala The amygdala is comprised of a pair of almond-shaped structures—the amygdalae—located on each side of the brain (see figure...
Sijo is a form of poetry from Korea that fits with my journey. For me, Sijo is a soulful play on words that summons both essence and existence. Sijo is a poetics of completeness in the untamed reality of life, and it joins deep reflection with action: meaning and action unfold as one. Read...
In kindergarten, they teach you that you have five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. But to solve the problem of mind-body dualism for you, existential philosophy would have it that your mind is subservient to your body and is a background projection of it. Your brain has a...
It's been said that the people who irritate us the most are our best teachers, and that reacting to to them diminishes our level of consciousness. I was thinking about this on a global scale this morning. I thought about extraordinary people like Martin Luther King Jr., who led a civil rights...
Adult: So what is it that grown-ups do to make children feel bad? Child: Smack them, shout at them, and make them sit on the naughty step, or make them do something else that they don’t like. Anything else? Oh yes, and tell them that they’re naughty, over and over again. Read the...
Screen reader version: A pink bottle of pills with a white label, along with a handful of round pink pills on their own, is displayed. The bottle reads, RUNNER'S HIGH 100 mg. Read the full article
Screen reader version: "...trending...flat abs...sale...sugar...Like...selfie...hourly celebrity updates...spend...cute puppy video...buy car..." These words float in a speech bubble above a female alien with a large chest and lips who's holding a cell phone. She also has blonde hair,...
I'm in Bangkok, Thailand—during the time of so much human turmoil around the world. Natural disasters and man-made disasters and mass hysteria—floods in Japan, children in cages, Syria, volcanoes, plane crashes. And there’s the craziness with real emotion—joy, tears, despair, hatred,...
Did you ever keep a diary as a child? If so, you can probably recall how freeing it was to share your thoughts about your day, write about your dream jobs and make lists of things you loved. Turns out, journalling is therapeutic. It’s also a mindful activity you can fit into a busy schedule. ...
These days, there's lots of talk about healthy living. We're no longer in the era of the TV series Mad Men, when people chain-smoked three or four packs of cigarettes a day. Now it's all about daily exercise and a healthy diet. This is a hopeful shift in the thought process of those who wish to...
If you're on a spiritual search for "Freedom-Awakening," join us for an inquiry into "What Is Freedom?" This satsang with meditation teacher Stan Lipkin starts off with a guided mindfulness meditation that encourages participants to create calmness, openness and spaciousness within themselves. ...
The contemplative ‘only one with God’ friar monk, with tattoos and a sharpened cold steel U.S. Marine Corps Ka-Bar fighting knife in his cloister cell, was waiting to speak with his Superior. The young friar had already put in some hard time while contemplating his existence as a member of a...
Minimalism is all about simplifying your life. It’s not only about having or spending less money, but also about spending more time on experiences instead of technology and social media, as well as realigning your priorities and getting outside more. Getting outside often enough can be a...
Child: We have to have rules and laws and the police and judges to stop grow-ups from being naughty, don’t we? Adult: When someone breaks the rules or the law, do they need help or punishment? I think both. Read the full article
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
BEING PRESENT: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice Darren Cockburn Being Present: Cultivate a Peaceful Mind through Spiritual Practice is a thoughtful book about how we can use various practices to eliminate suffering that's caused by our egos, and achieve a quiet and...
With this guided mindfulness meditation we explore "who" we think we are and discover "what" we really are! During this Satsang with meditation teacher Stan Lipkin, which focuses on the question, "Who am I?" Lipkin encourages his listeners to let go of the traditional notions we use to define...
I’ve been symptomatic all my life, but didn’t always know it. Of what, you ask? Bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by periods of depression alternating with at least one period of mania or hypomania. It comes in three forms: Bipolar I, Bipolar II and...
My birth name is Jean-Marc, and I was born and raised in the South of France. Jean-Marc never fit me, though, quite possibly because this name that was bestowed upon me at birth was never in tune with my destiny. My spiritual name, Taj Simrit Singh, was given to me by the 3HO organization and...
The earliest archeological evidence for early dance has been found in two places: India and Egypt. In ancient Egypt, dance was a part of life, played an important role in the lives of all social classes and was performed both publicly and privately as a way to express, through music and movement,...
Screen reader version: A brown Earth-dog sits in front of its doghouse with a bowl of food, as an alien that closely resembles a dog approaches from a flying saucer and says, "Take me to your feeder." Read the full article
Screen reader version: In Heaven, God and an angel with a clipboard sit on some clouds, looking down at the Earth. The angel suggests, "Instead of ending all humanity with an apocalypse, why not reduce, reuse, and recycle?" God ponders the idea. Read the full article
THE 5 LOVE LANGUAGES: The Secret to Love that Lasts Gary Chapman A while back, a co-worker told me about the book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman, Ph.D. Although the book is aimed at couples, she told me it had helped her with her other interpersonal...
Adult: What do you think happens to naughty children who become naughty grown-ups? Child: The bad people go to prison, don’t they? Prisons are full of people whom, when they were children, were told they were naughty and were punished over and over again. Read the full article
POWER PLACES AND THE MASTER BUILDERS OF ANTIQUITY: Unexplained Mysteries of the Past Frank Joseph I grew up fascinated with the supernatural and the unexplained. In elementary school, my classmates and I avidly watched Unsolved Mysteries, read Goosebumps and Christopher Pike books, and...
A few months ago, I joined an experiment called 99 Days of Freedom. This online study came about as a response to the controversial mood experiment conducted by Facebook that involved 689,000 users who hadn't consented to the experiment. Facebook filtered the content in users’ News Feeds to see...
Adult: We don’t call grown-ups naughty, do we? Child: We say they’re bad people who do bad things to people, such as burglars and people who hurt children or kill people. Grown-ups who do those things need to be stopped, but are they bad people? Read the full article
Screen reader version: A baby reaches for a musical mobile that's hanging over its crib with bills and coins attached, while its adoring parents look on. The entire image is labelled, "banker in training." Read the full article
Screen reader version: A young boy sits on the sidewalk, crying, with a Band-Aid on his face and two on one hand. His sweatshirt and jeans each contain a few rips, and he has one black eye. Sitting beside him, his father says, "Don't just cry, son. Start marketing yourself." Read the full...
My father passed away just before noon on October 30, 2017. He'd been diagnosed with cancer 18 months earlier. I drove to the hospital that morning, surrounded by Halloween decorations on neighbours' lawns. I remember wishing that people would take them down out of respect for my Dad. It seemed...
As a former night owl, I always thought evenings were the most peaceful and productive time of the day. However, since I’ve discovered the potential of quiet mornings, I’ve changed my mind. Evenings can certainly be productive, but if you get wrapped up in a project, a TV show or some other...
He’s a fascinating guy, this Eckhart Tolle. At the age of 29, having spent most of his adult life plagued by depression, he awoke one night, his feelings of sadness “almost unbearable.” For many sufferers of depression, a night such as that turns out to be their last night. Alone and utterly...
Did you choose to read this? Ridiculous question... of course you did. Perhaps "you" didn't! If this statement is intriguing then join us for an exploration of "who chooses." Read the full article
EVERYTHING IS HERE TO HELP YOU: A Loving Guide to Your Soul's Evolution Matt Kahn Everything is Here to Help You is an inspirational and helpful book that guides the reader through the process of shifting out of the Ego’s perspective and into the Soul’s point of view. The author, Matt...
Adult: Why do you think grown-ups tell children they’re naughty and punish them? Child: So they won’t do something that they did again. They think the child will change, but it’s the other way around. Read the full article
Minimalism is a lifestyle that more and more people seem to be embracing around the world. You see it in Ikea design and Danish hygge. You read about it in books like Mari Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. And you see it in videos from...
Child: There once was a little boy named Joe. He was three years old—nearly four, actually—so he thought he wasn’t a little boy anymore. In fact, he thought he was a big boy. Joe had an older sister, Hannah, who was very old. She was seven. One day, it was Hannah’s birthday party, and lots of...
When you stop and think about it, it’s pretty alarming just how ingrained bad driving habits are becoming. With the rise of texting and driving, alongside other common struggles that stem from the anonymity of driving, it can be very easy to lose your wits while behind the wheel. Bad driving...
Teaching Emergency Awareness The smaller the room the better. A medium-sized cardboard box will do. Hand the equipment in to me through a flap pulled down open. It's quite roomy, really. Oxygen tanks in the corner, examination table centre front. Read the full article
It started with two smiles. Backpacks zipped with metal clasps glistening in the crisp winter air; frosted fragrance on hard studded tires. With roadmaps in hand, their eyes were aimed at peaks of ivory, stretching in glimmering pride above the snowy pines. A western birdsong hummed promises of...
When I first started meditating, I was skeptical. Will this work? Will I be able to focus? Will I even be able to sit still for five minutes? I'd approached it with doubt before I’d even started. But so many people talked about the advantages of meditation, and I was curious to try it. ...
Tell me anything you like about children who are naughty. Well, when Lucy is naughty, her Mummy never smacks or spanks her. She only shouts at her and puts her on the naughty step. Lucy doesn’t like her Mummy shouting at her or crying, and she doesn’t like going on the naughty step. Read...
My childhood was a particularly troubled time. Instead of being outside with friends, trading sports cards, I'd taken a different road. I started drinking alcohol at the age of nine, smoking marijuana at 13 and using hard drugs shortly after that. Read the full article
Screen reader version: A grey-haired mother wearing glasses sits at her dining room table, holding onto a cell phone, with a mug of coffee and an ashtray holding a cigarette on either side of her: "For Mother's Day, my kids got me an app that does all my nagging for me." Read the full...
Screen reader version: Two middle-aged women stand in front of a movie ticket counter with a sign that reads, SENIORS OVER 65 - $5 DISCOUNT. One woman says to the other, "Well, this is one time when I'm pleased to be carded." Read the full article
Once upon a cigarette, I sat doing homework outside my favourite downtown Denver coffee shop, across from a boy I was trying hard to love. It was freezing that night, but all the seats inside were taken. “At least we can smoke,” he reasoned as he led the way to the section of seating off the...
Consistent and sufficient parental nurturing in infancy and childhood plays a major role not only in the normal development of the structure of the brain regions and circuits, but in the brain’s chemical communication systems as well. Read the full article
Many of us can be quite critical of ourselves. I’ve met so many people who work incredibly hard, yet they still worry about their perceived shortcomings or wrongs. These people always want to do better. When they fall short of their own expectations, they obsess over those misses. Read the...
When I was nine, my parents took me to Prince Edward Island for the first time. It’s a place known for its lush farm fields, its sprawling beaches, its pioneer-era historical sites, an abundance of seafood and the golf courses on practically every block. You can travel the length of the island in...
Adult: Tell me, what happens when you’re naughty? Child: When I’m naughty, my Mum becomes very cross. Sometimes Mummy shouts and sometimes she smacks, and sometimes she cries. Sometimes she shuts me in her room where there are no toys to play with. Read the full article
A trip to Nagaland in Northeast India was what I'd dreamed about for quite a long time, and it happened last December. But the pleasant addition to my trip was Meghalaya, “the abode of rains and clouds." Oh, how I enjoyed this wonderful land! There isn't a bit of exaggeration when I say that...
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership James Comey In my twenties, I asked a spiritual companion who’d just become a lawyer why he’d made that career choice. “I find the concept of Justice beautiful,” he said. America’s former FBI Director James Comey has a similar sense of the...
When I started my minimalist journey, I first came across the art of decluttering, followed by mindfulness and meditation. And then, I discovered a different kind of mindfulness. Read the full article
BREAKING UP WITH BUSY: Real-Life Solutions for Overscheduled Women Yvonne Tally When women said they could do it all, all is exactly what they got, but this has become a double-edged sword. Juggling a career, a family and community commitments can result in a very hectic lifestyle, often...
Screen reader version: Stem Cell Research Gone Wild!!! Advanced scientific research has revealed that stem cells can morph into... ...just about anything!! An endless supply of replacement socks* Artisan Q-Tips* Hack-proof passwords* Extra brain lobes with 500 gigabytes memory* ...
Screen reader version: While sitting in a comfortable chair across from her psychiatrist, a fashionably clothed and accessorized young woman asks, "Doctor, is there a cure for perkiness?" Read the full article
View from the front of San Francisco's Roxie Theater The amazing thing, said many of the people interviewed in the documentary movie Voice of the Eagle: The Enigma of Robbie Basho, which played to an enthusiastic San Francisco audience at the Roxie Theater in the city’s Mission District, on...
I'm about two weeks into my first solo-travel trip when I finally drum up the courage to rent a motorbike. Engine roaring, I head up into the hills of Cat Ba island, off the coast of northern Vietnam. Thick and humid air rushes by. The machine vibrates beneath me as I twist through narrow,...
Adult: Did you know that there’s no such thing as naughty? Child: Well, that’s just not true. Everyone knows about naughty. Not quite everyone. There’s a little girl and a little boy living somewhere in the world who don’t know about naughty. Why don’t they know? Read the full article
TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES: One Man's Journey from the Boardroom to Bali and Back Ben Feder Choosing a high-stress career can swallow you whole, putting both your physical and mental health at risk. It’s too easy, especially in a large city constantly on the move—where competition is fierce—to...
When someone says the words “a hopeless place," what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe it’s a dark room with no one to love or hold onto. Maybe it’s in one of the many war-torn parts of the world. Either way, it’s a depressing place. Read the full article
Unhappiness isn't about having more downs than ups. It's about going through life forever desiring something else. It’s a state of lasting discontentment, for different reasons at different times. The degree of unhappiness may vary from person to person, and the prevalence of some of the...
At this point, I think most of us have begun to understand what inner peace is. It certainly sounds like a beautiful idea and a great state of mind to be in while navigating through life’s difficulties. To be untouched by your external environment without letting anxiety infiltrate your life...
AWAKENING LOVING-KINDNESS Pema Chödrön Awakening Loving-Kindness was published in September 2017 and is a transcript of talks the author shared with participants during a month-long practice period—known as a dathun—that took place in 1989 at the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia,...
Everything in our physical Universe is made of energy, and it exists in various forms. Each of us radiates our own energy. For example, when you come into contact with someone who is angry or negative, you can sense her repellent energy. The same is true of someone who is positive and happy....
A foundling As usual, coming home from work at 6:30 p.m. a few days ago, I parked in the sunken lot below our building and walked up the concrete steps to the walkway that leads to our unit. On the hillside a few feet beyond that sidewalk, I saw a couple of grey-white blobs that looked like...
I had an interesting experience recently, to say the least. After running some errands, I decided to sit on a bench in a quiet, secluded park to relax and reflect. I was surrounded by nature—birds chirping, squirrels scurrying—with the warm sun on my face. And yet, I felt alone. Suddenly, I...
Screen reader version: Five women of various ages gather for a meeting of "chore- anon." Woman #1: "I'm Alexa. I changed the oil on our car while my husband watched American Idol. Am I an enabler? I want some answers here." Woman #2: "I'm Sylvie. I'm tired. So, so tired. Really tired....
Screen reader version: On the left, an illustration of a man sitting on a chair with one leg crossed over the other is displayed. Next to this illustration, on the right-hand side, is a similar illustration—but this one shows all the vibrations in the man's environment that may be affecting...
If you struggle with addiction issues, you’re far from alone. Most people recovering from addiction need some help along the way. Wholistic methods are some of the best ways to feel better about yourself and fight addiction, as well as the feelings of depression and anxiety that sometimes...
Once, when I was young, I was helping run a summer camp with other young adults, and someone asked if any of us had ever thought about killing ourselves. More than half the people there raised their hands, and I wondered if the hands-down crowd also had experienced those thoughts, but weren’t...
We all desire to be happy. However, in the race of life, we’re all so busy competing for a position or making a name for ourselves that we miss out on the things that make us happy. No matter what you achieve, your life won’t be satisfying until you’re truly happy. Many things can keep you...
Recently, I was working with someone who’s deep into their spiritual journey; a highly intuitive, empathic individual and an amazing person. And yet, he still said to me, "I don't know what it is, but I just can’t open my heart. It feels tight, closed and armoured. I want to love again." Read...
I remember my early experiences in therapy—I sat in the client chair while I uncovered a core belief that helped me untangle a confusing aspect of my self-identity. This was in the days before I questioned the whole concept of self-identity. This was a time when I believed in a solid me, a...
Screen reader version: Male turns to female, who's planning an Easter event with him, and says "...and for the Adult Easter entertainment, we'll send them on a 'Nest Egg Hunt'. Of course, to make it realistic in this economy, we won't put any actual eggs out there." Read the full article
Screen reader version: A middle-aged woman has presented an employee at a Computer Repair shop with her hair dryer and toaster, and she waits at the counter, frowning. The middle-aged male employee says, "Mrs. Peabody, it's highly unlikely that your hair dryer and toaster are infected with a...
With Trump, It's Come to This When the President's mind is a maelstrom, an abyss, a sinkhole into which he seems to be drawing the whole world, what do you do? Read the full article
As you first engage with angelic conscious awareness and presence, you may witness their first flash of personality, and think, “Ah—here’s the spirit that I actually want to meet.” Imagine that first revelation of self-ness, suspending itself in an eternal moment free of Time and Space, and you...
SOUL HEALING WITH OUR ANIMAL COMPANIONS: The Hidden Keys to a Deeper Animal-Human Connection Tammy Billups Misty was a small, dirty blonde ball of fur with a shaggy face entirely tear-stained in a dark red colour. She was lying down on the floor of her cage, quiet and completely...
She called at night. I took the phone as if I was expecting the call. She told me that her husband had been unfaithful. Again? “When, how, why?” I asked. I knew about the first time, a year or two ago. Now she told me that when she was pregnant, he took her to a swingers’ club. She didn’t like...
DREAMS THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE: Early Warning Signs of Cancer and Other Diseases Larry Burk, MD, CEHP and Kathleen O’Keefe-Kanavos Dreams That Can Save Your Life: Early Warning Signs of Cancer and Other Diseases was written by radiologist Larry Burk and dreamwork expert Kathleen...
SERMON SERIES STEPHANIE HARPER Anyone who’s ever sat in a church pew should read this collection. Or, for that matter, anyone who’s ever sat on a Yoga mat or lain prone, gazing into the wispy clouds from the cradle of a pristine meadow on a balmy day. Like the poems in this collection,...
I'm somewhere high among white clouds between Copenhagen and Barcelona, on my way back home to the latter. Suspended at this altitude, I'm struck by a sentimental notion. A short time ago, I said goodbye to my parents in front of the airport. They stood quietly, waving, while I disappeared...
Volunteers and donors are the support and lifeblood of organizations that rescue, rehabilitate and repatriate trafficked women, children and men … yes, men … but they're also the cause of ulcers, sleepless nights and unfinished work, which means lives are at stake. The dedicated staff of...
Screen reader version: A group of men and women from the IRS sit around a meeting table, and the man at the head says, "Sure, it's an event. But the question is: Is it a TAXABLE event?" Meanwhile, the "event" that he's referring to—alien saucer-shaped spaceships and human fighter jets...
Screen reader version: A man says to his (female) significant other, as he sits and she stands, while both look at his laptop's screen: "I don't know where this is headed... I just got a "Friend" request from the IRS." «RELATED READ» COMPUTER GEEK MARRIAGE: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett»...
Everybody knows we’re supposed to have the ‘serenity to accept the things we cannot change’—but it’s one thing to tell yourself this in moments of quiet meditation, and quite another to make that gesture when something you care about depends on your continuing courage and engagement. It could...
Based on Atwater’s findings, Francis Benedict and James Harris developed the Harris-Benedict equation in 1919, making it possible to determine one’s basal metabolic rate or how many calories the human body requires at rest. An unexplainable amount of energy This theory stood unchallenged...
We're not here to be perfect enlightened beings, we're here to experience. Fear, grief, pain, joy, love—the ebbs and flows of emotions we witness day-to-day, as spiritual beings having this human experience, can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are tools in our spiritual toolkits that can...
THE STREETS OF PARIS: A Guide to the City of Light Following in the Footsteps of Famous Parisians Throughout History Susan Cahill Countless people have walked the streets of Paris, experiencing the City of Light in their own way. As a city so rich with history, arts and culture,...
Once Again once again i broke free of the chains of the wicked traps of this world once again by your youthful love i was saved from this fraud-filled wizard we call life Read the full article
ALWAYS NEW BEGINNINGS Helena Ana Young Born in the late 1930s, Helena Ana Young was raised in rural Minnesota, in a family of Swedish descent. Blessed with a beautiful singing voice, she had the opportunity to study for the opera in New York, but a calling to God led her down a...
On February 20, 2018, JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) published the results of a long, extensive and expensive study on weight loss conducted by a team of researchers at Stanford University. On the same day, an article in The New York Times entitled, “The Key to Weight...
Having only an intellectual understanding of our Divinity and true eternal nature, versus actually knowing and living through it in every moment of every day—and calling on our greatest Superpowers to make magic happen in our lives—are two different things. In shamanism and other ancient...
No need for panic Little one, why are you anxious? Why do you worry and fret? I’m with you always, and I intend you great good. Still your frantic imaginings. Feel my calm. There’s no need for panic. You’re led carefully and well. There’s always a choice: fear or faith. With faith comes...
Screen reader version: About a couple of dozen blue recycling bins sit side by side on the ground and on a shelf above. Each is labelled for a different type of recycling, such as "Paper," "Plastic" or "Glass." The entire image is titled, "Recycling Program for Perfectionists." ...
Screen reader version: A company called Acme Glass Manufacturing Co. produces "Glass Ceilings," "Half-Full Glasses," "Half-Empty Glasses," "Rose-Colored Glasses," and "Glass Jaws" via an assembly line. One employee says to another, "Business has been booming since we hired that new Marketing...
A 1950 Chevy A 1950 Chevy, similar to the one owned by the author's family The family's early '50s apartment building in the central city. Across the alley, long gone, was the Burger Bar mentioned. I remember our 1950 Chevrolet: how the leather seats smelled, and how our skin...
We hold many false perceptions in our mind. These false perceptions are purposeful blocks to our peace of mind. Paradoxical though it may seem, we hold on to mistaken ways of seeing because they make us unhappy. We’re all addicted, to some degree, to being afraid and miserable. But we’re not...
PROPHETS IN OUR MIDST: Jung, Tolkien, Gebser, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother David T. Johnston With a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, David T. Johnston is a practicing psychologist in Victoria, B.C. Also an artist, Dr. Johnston spent some time in India, where he was introduced to the teachings...
Genuine smiles remind us of our true nature, on the deepest level possible. Just like laughter that comes straight from the belly, they remind us what it feels like to be an authentic human being. Where do smiles come from? Who can really say where smiles come from? The bubbling well...
It’s no coincidence that two-thirds of the human body is composed of water, just as two-thirds of Earth is covered with water. In fact, the key to finding life in other parts of the universe is water, because it’s essential for life. The fact that Mars might have water is quite promising for the...
A life of thriving requires us to choose between the illusion of safety and the ultimate safety. Let me tell you a story about walking in the direction that seemed more immediately uncomfortable. It wasn’t an easy choice. But I’m a logical girl, and choosing life is always a smart call. ...
Ever since I can remember, I was told what I “should” be doing with my life. I should do well in school so that I can get a good job that pays the bills for a house and car. I should also focus on being in a relationship and raising a family. These are all other people’s takes on what should...
Screen reader version: On the left, a woman smells an open bottle of lavender essential oil with a smile. On the right, an oil factory on an island emits smog as birds fly by. «RELATED READ» WATER CONSERVATION: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Read the full article
Screen reader version: At the top, a headline reads, "MY CAR SERVICE RECORD," and beneath that are dozens of gravestones for old car parts. Beside the gravestones, on either side, various car repair tools and accessories are scattered. «RELATED READ» A MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT BY 30: A...
Every Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday in America (except for the state of Arizona), I try to read or listen to something that’ll amplify my appreciation of Dr. King’s mighty contribution to our nation and world. This year, I happened to be getting into my car just as the popular...
SPIRIT LAND: The Peyote Diaries of Charles Langley Charles Langley A journalist by trade, Charles Langley left his career in Britain behind to move to New Mexico after a road trip led him to an unexpected fascination with Native American mysticism. Through chance, he became an apprentice to a...
Charisma is a word often used to describe remarkable people. The word comes from the Greek “khárisma” and means "gift of grace." There are many charismatic people, yet they all weren’t born great. Gandhi was a mediocre Indian lawyer, and if you listen to one of Bill Clinton’s speeches back...
Coffee and me Oddly, I don’t remember my first cup of coffee. After watching Dad drink the stuff all through my upbringing, and hearing, “It’s not for children!” you’d think he’d have taken me out for a sacramental first cup when I turned 18. Maybe he did, but I have no memory of it....
Screen reader version: An adult female hides under her table with her cell phone, after calling 911, from a spider that's dangling from her ceiling above the table. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," a well-known quote by Lord Acton, is displayed in a thought bubble connected to the...
Screen reader version: As a goat sinks into the earth surrounding them, one cactus says to another, "Millions of years of evolution taught the cactus water conservation." The other cactus replies, "True, but the Californians don't have that much time." «RELATED READ» A FISH IN...
The mind's idea of an unconditional loving self Within the mind, the idea of an unconditionally loving self is an ideal self: a perfectly formed, living and breathing person who’s completely accepting of what is, of himself, of others and of the world; full of unconditional love,...
Here’s the first thing you need to know about stress: it’s not just a mental or emotional dynamic in our lives. Controversial, but true. While the mental or emotional aspect of stress is certainly a substantial factor, many people are unaware of or ignore the fact that there are also...
Retirement today is a far different reality than what it was decades ago. In the era of the company man, it was the edge of the cliff. You were heading there, like it or not. On the way out, you got a party and a gold watch (if you were lucky). And then you went home—and pretty much did nothing....
I don't like January. It’s a time of starting new diets and reassessing why we failed to lose the 10 pounds we've been trying to lose since last January. It’s a time for implementing new workout plans to replace the ones we gave up on last January—or, if we were really resolute, the ones that...
Screen reader version: Two plants growing side by side, which both happen to have human DNA, converse. The one on the left says to the one on the right, "My roots are deeper than your roots." «RELATED READ» THE BRAIN DAMAGE IS IRREVERSIBLE: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Read...
Screen reader version: A fish 'evolves' from swimming in the water to proudly walking on the sand in pink stiletto heels. Throughout the last three (of seven) steps of 'evolution', the high heels appear and gradually get larger. They're worn on the feet that came into being during the third...
You know the jitters I'm talking about? The tightness in your chest just as you're falling asleep, the vague worries about things not completed during the past week, the thought of once again having to look at your belligerent boss, the "ugh" about the never-ending gossip that creates such...
There are four keys to effective listening: Listen attentively, without interruptions Lean forward and face the other person directly. Be an active listener: Nod, smile, and agree while the other person is speaking, and make no attempt whatsoever to interrupt or to comment on what he or...
In India, Saturn is a dreaded planet, for it's capable of bringing obstacles and misery. They fear the arrival of the Saturn cycle in the horoscope. I don’t fear it. I embrace it. Misery is important It's painful. It's difficult. But it teaches you and evolves you, makes you a...
The funny thing about wake-up calls is that they keep calling until we answer. Each call gets louder and louder. If we wait too long, sometimes we get a wake-up call that can’t be ignored. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2006. This was the wake-up call I couldn’t ignore....
According to an article in the September 1, 2017 issue of the Daily Herald, statistics show that one in three people are impacted by the opioid crisis and 52,000 people die each year from drug overdoses. I was and am one of those statistics. For more than five years, I went through an...
Choose a moment in your day. It can be as small as when a clerk smiled at you, when you noticed a child’s laughter or when you smelled a lovely flower. Now, savour that moment in writing. Use all your senses as you describe the experience and how it felt in detail. Practicing this daily will...
Mindful and soulful practices make a difference There are moments when I catch myself watching the belief structures of my past dissolve into gentle waters of equanimity. These moments are rare. They’re precious gifts of insight that signal to me that yes, mindful and soulful practices...
Screen reader version: While they sit on a couch with a small dog between them, and books in their laps, a man tells a woman: "I'm reading a novel that's based on a true story that's based on a novel." «RELATED READ» DESCARTES 2016: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Read the full...
Screen reader version: An older woman talks on the phone, with fitness equipment, a mini-trampoline and a hole in the ceiling beside her: "Yeah, of course I warned him. But noooo....he just had to go try one of those super energy drinks." «RELATED READ» THE BRAIN DAMAGE IS...
Yoga changed me inside and out and it wasn’t easy or slow. Within a week or two of my first class, I started taking private sessions at 5 a.m. a few times a week. I wanted to develop a practice I could take anywhere. That decision has served me again and again over the years. When Yoga studios...
The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas Anand Giridharadas I saw Anand Giridharadas on a CNN panel one evening several months ago. I marvelled at how articulate he was! I was between books at the time, and when a sign flashed on the screen saying that he was the author of a book called...
The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas Anand Giridharadas I saw Anand Giridharadas on a CNN panel one evening several months ago. I marvelled at how articulate he was! I was between books at the time, and when a sign flashed on the screen saying that he was the author of a book called...
The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas Anand Giridharadas I saw Anand Giridharadas on a CNN panel one evening several months ago. I marvelled at how articulate he was! I was between books at the time, and when a sign flashed on the screen saying that he was the author of a book called...
I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. - Charles Dickens A good conscience is a continual Christmas. - Benjamin Franklin Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling. - Edna Ferber Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder has...
While meditation is known to make you feel relaxed and at peace with the world, did you know that your quiet time on the mat is actually physically changing your brain? This explains why meditation is such a transformative experience for so many people. As we're controlling our own thoughts...
A flower in a field full of flowers will blossom, and regardless of how beautiful the flowers around it are, it'll grow to be as beautiful as it can be. We too are designed to grow into our full selves. We learn with time and experience how important it is not to focus on pleasing others, but to...
Interplay among mindfulness, art and nature Mindfulness is a state of gentle awareness. It's observation, attentiveness and tuning inward. It's the interplay between the inner and the outer world. The same definition can also be applied to painting. Mindfulness and art-making are...
Interplay among mindfulness, art and nature Mindfulness is a state of gentle awareness. It's observation, attentiveness and tuning inward. It's the interplay between the inner and the outer world. The same definition can also be applied to painting. Mindfulness and art-making are...
Interplay among mindfulness, art and nature Mindfulness is a state of gentle awareness. It's observation, attentiveness and tuning inward. It's the interplay between the inner and the outer world. The same definition can also be applied to painting. Mindfulness and art-making are...
Relationships are amazing opportunities to meet Spirit face-to-face, and to refine ourselves even more than we're able to on our own. Our beloveds hold up mirrors for us, sometimes reflecting back beauty and other times showing us our deepest fears, wounds and insecurities. Whatever the mirror...
There are a number of books and articles about identifying the myth or story that you’re currently living through. I like the concept, but often find that the only way I can identify my current story is by the fact that it’s the one I can’t finish writing or telling. In recent years, I’ve...
For about 20 years, I’ve been involved in assessing and diagnosing hundreds of children and adults with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, which are both ‘disorders’ within the autistic spectrum. To diagnose, the task is to understand a person’s developmental history and look for a collection of...
Obstacles are exciting How do most romantic couples find and show love and affection, as portrayed in film, television programs, literature (romance novels in particular) and music? Most find love by overcoming what seem to be insurmountable obstacles—he’s rich and she’s poor, or the...
Screen reader version: Adult seagull addresses three baby seagulls, as they stand on a sandy beach next to a body of water: "Look, I don't care about 'Jaws' and all those Facebook videos you've been watching about sharks biting unsuspecting swimmers. We're going in the water NOW!!" ...
Screen reader version: A man relaxes on a lawn chair (chaise lounge), reading a book with a drink beside him, while flames surround him and Satan stands immediately to his right. Satan says, "These climate change deniers are SO incredibly annoying." «RELATED READ» THAT'S SOME GREAT...
Love vs. the drive for power The loving mind recognizes the value and beauty in every living thing. It seeks to preserve and protect the world around us, including our environment. A loving person is incapable of committing acts of violence, betrayal, theft or other social or ethical...
Anyone with half a heart likely feels that the news of the past year has been excruciating. So many people around the world have been torn from their homes by war and wind, fire and earthquakes, politics, starvation. The Earth and her people are undergoing a rough shaking of epic proportions....
“Can you feel the support of the chair?” My Rosen Method therapist asked. “Hmm … no.” Seated across from my therapist in her office, I replied hesitantly after scanning my body for a sense of support. “Try to feel some sense of support or connection,” she urged. At that moment, I didn't...
Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len About 10 years ago, I came across the story of Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, a psychologist who took a job in a facility in Hawaii for 30 prisoners with mental health problems. The story goes that he never saw any of his patients face to face, but each day he read their...
Screen reader version: A doctor who is actually a carrot, along with three vegetable visitors, stand over the bed of a patient who's also a vegetable. The doctor says, "I'm sorry, the brain damage is irreversible. He'll probably be a human for the rest of his life." «RELATED READ»...
Screen reader version: A person sits in front of the TV, watching the Powerball lottery numbers come up, all the while surrounded by waste such as litter and a bright lamp that probably isn't needed: "How come people with really good karma—such as myself—never seem to win the lotto?" ...
Sydney Harbour Bridge, also known as the Coathanger, with the Opera House on the right, as seen from the Manly Beach ferry Sometimes a guy needs a break I sort of limped across the finish line of this past school year in my teaching job, feeling I really needed the two-month summer...
Since 2008, I’ve lived in Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. My wife is from Barcelona. She's both Catalan and Spanish, and so are our three children, who are also Danish. Still, to be honest, all of these national markers say nothing. Rather, they serve as a means of control. After all, we're all...
In 1991, Michael J. Fox starred in the charming movie Doc Hollywood. The story tells of Benjamin Stone, M.D. (played by Fox), a young hotshot surgeon who's driving across the country in his 1956 Porsche 356 Speedster. He plans on travelling from Washington, D.C. to Beverly Hills, where he'll...
“To get over the past, you first have to accept that the past is over. No matter how many times you revisit it, analyze it, regret it, or sweat it, it’s over. It can hurt you no more.” - Mandy Hale In the summer of 2011, my Granddad underwent memory tests and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s...
Images are excerpted from The Way of the Bear: A Family Coloring Storybook Buy the book» To download images right click and select “Save image as…” Click to Post
For 30 years of my life, I called El Salvador my home. It's a beautiful country with beautiful people, and I felt at home there. Unfortunately, corruption and violence were the norm, and year by year, this continued to creep into the everyday lives of so many who lived there, including mine. ...
Since 2008, I’ve lived in Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. My wife is from Barcelona. She's both Catalan and Spanish, and so are our three children, who are also Danish. Still, to be honest, all of these national markers say nothing. Rather, they serve as a means of control. After all, we're all...
Not always in the mood to party Female partner, as male (introvert) sits quietly in chair: "Sorry, Sue. John's tired and wants to stay in tonight. Says he needs to recharge. Some kind of "introvert" thing. What? You'll bring the party HERE?! GREAT!! Introvert Inclusion Sometimes we...
Jungle-like lot behind the Victoria Palms hotel in Suva A surprise destination I visited the Republic of Fiji basically because I’m not as spry as I once was. I didn’t relish the prospect of flying all the way from San Francisco to Melbourne, Australia, the first of several places in...
Like certain timeless wisdom, there’s a sutra right at the very beginning of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali—that wonderful collection of wisdom from Hindu philosophy—that defines my ongoing mental struggles so simply, I can actually find it a little aggravating. Maybe that’s just me thinking...
Screen reader version: Two bridled work horses walk side by side, and one turns slightly towards the other to say: "Don't knock it, Ed. At least we've got steady work and health care." «RELATED READ» GUILT-FREE CONSUMER AND POLITICAL SHEEP: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
Screen reader version: Two men lie on beds in a prison cell, and one says to the other: "At the time, being a Free Range Human seemed like a great idea." «RELATED READ» A MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT BY 30: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
I’m a big fan of happiness. Shocking, I know. That’s like proclaiming, “I’m a big fan of peace, or love, or chocolate.” Obvious much? We all want to be happy, as often as possible. Although happiness is a common objective, it’s never a given. Being alive doesn’t automatically equal being...
Salad bones Dough 1/2 cup (64 g) of mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, celery, broccoli) 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup (118 mL) water 2 Tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil 2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour Topping 1 egg white 1 Tbsp (14 g) dried parsley 1 Tbsp (14 g) dried...
Before I started graduate school, I took a temporary job at a call centre to hold me over until it was time to move away for the next phase of my life. While working there, I was surprised to meet someone who was also on a spiritual path like I was, and we became friends. On the outside, we were...
In his Indian accent, still quite prominent even after more than 40 years in the United States, Deepak calmly instructs us to close our eyes and simply breathe and focus on silently repeating our personal mantra. Within a minute or so, my body feels less rigid and my breathing is slower. I...
Citiness No longer do I enter a city. I enter citiness. Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Barcelona, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Roma, New Orleans, New York, Cincinnati... Each time, the drama: the city centre . Nucleus appearing in the distance ...
There's a positively charged electrical field surrounding the Earth. The Earth itself carries a negative charge. While not taken seriously in their time, past scientists such as Nikola Tesla studied the frequency of the Earth. In the 1950s, the German physicist W.O. Schumann and his students...
The director Akira Kurosawa talked often of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which devastated Tokyo, killing almost 150,000 people. In its aftermath, his older brother took Kurosawa, then in middle school, to see the carnage. When Kurosawa tried to look away from the corpses strewn in the...
Screen reader version: A dog owner turns to his smiling dog and says, "Look, I know you mean well. But could you please stop barking? And stop slobbering on the furniture. And no more chewing my shoes. And stop begging for food. In summary, could you just stop acting like a dog?" ...
Screen reader version: A male and a female dog owner, each with one dog, walk and talk. The male turns to the female and says, "Sure, I have to clean up his poop, but I've never had to nurse him through an existential crisis." «RELATED READ» DEER ON XANAX: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» ...
Citiness No longer do I enter a city. I enter citiness. Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Barcelona, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Roma, New Orleans, New York, Cincinnati... Each time there is the drama: The nucleus, the city centre, appearing in...
Screen reader version: Two women sit at a cafe with glasses of wine, and one says to her companion, "It's pretty relaxing being a Stepford Wife. I'm a guilt-free consumer and political sheep. And the neat thing is, no one even notices." «RELATED READ» A MILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT BY 30:...
Screen reader version: Three women approach a man wearing robes and standing at a podium emblazoned with the word "Hollywood," at Heaven's pearly gates. The man says, "Thank you for auditioning for Heaven. Got it that you had an honest, virtuous, and giving life. But the question is: were you...
If you'd told me a year ago that I'd spend a week at a Buddhist retreat in Ireland, I would've laughed and asked, “Are there even Buddhists in Ireland?” But the end of a grey Irish April found me in the city of Cork, in a crowded hostel room above a loud bar, prepared to leave for Dzogchen Beara...
A funny thing happens when your eyes track a moving object. The bad thoughts, beaming inside your mind at that moment, lose their lustre. In his first novel, Une vie, published in 1883, Guy de Maupassant wrote about a young woman returning to her bedroom in a state of mental anguish when she...
If you'd told me a year ago that I'd spend a week at a Buddhist retreat in Ireland, I would've laughed and asked, “Are there even Buddhists in Ireland?” But the end of a grey Irish April found me in the city of Cork, in a crowded hostel room above a loud bar, prepared to leave for Dzogchen Beara...
No need for panic Little one, why are you anxious? Why do you worry and fret? I’m with you always, and I intend you great good. Still your frantic imaginings. Feel my calm. There’s no need for panic. You’re led carefully and well. There’s always a choice: fear or faith. With faith comes...
From Visually. Screen reader version: Ujjayi breathing technique: A Pranayama exercise for beginners Ujjayi breathing technique is one of the simplest Pranayama exercises and therefore ideal for beginners. While practicing Ujjayi, the lungs are expanded and chest puffed out like that...
Real flowers can be used to flavour food, but you're more likely to get a distinct aromatic taste if you use distilled culinary waters and essences. These are generally available in the baking areas of large supermarkets and also in Middle Eastern stores, where rosewater and orange blossom...
felt my father’s heartbeat and his shallow, calm breathing as I lay on the Mexican tile floor beside him, cradling his head and protecting him. Moments before, we were conversing at the end of supper, enjoying the leftover lamb from the previous day’s Easter celebration. Then, something was...
Images are excerpted from The Animal Syndrome: A Melange of 50 Animal Graphics for Adults to Color Buy the book» To download images right click and select “Save image as…” Click to Post
ot telling the truth and the creation of false narratives is the current state of affairs in 2017's political world. We hear a narrative about how the Democrats have lost their way and the misdirection of their message to voters was the cause of Trump winning the presidential election in 2016....
o be labeled a conspiracy theorist in the Western world today is equivalent to being accused of having a delusional disorder or being overly paranoid and unable to rationally and logically assess reality. According to Sunstein and Vermeule, a conspiracy theory "can generally be counted as such...
Hal, no t has to be the same every year. The same dried food. The same backpacks and tent and groundcloth and water filter. Of course, the same canoe and paddles and boat jackets. But of course, every year, something is off. I swear Cassie can smell these things. Like the paddle. After...
Screen reader version: A doctor dances happily in front of a nurse (standing) and a patient (sitting on an examination table): "As part of our Patient Empathy Program, the doctor will now do the 'happy dance' whenever a test comes up clean." «RELATED READ» SPOILER ALERT!: A cartoon by...
Screen reader version: An old man with a long beard meditates on a mat, shirtless: "...the Zen question isn't how to stop war...and it isn't how to tame the combative nature of man. The Zen question is... how to make PEACETIME lucrative for the military-industrial complex so they will have...
A gay child in an atheist family s a little kid in Croatia, I wasn’t good at running, jumping, physical things. I'd always much rather be with older people. When I was nine months old my parents had a very serious car crash. I was separated from my mother for a time; I don’t know...
e’ve all been through the phase of internet/smartphone addiction, which isn’t going anywhere, even though we know that it invades our privacy. Recently, the news of the Roomba vacuum cleaner collecting data to sell surfaced, and I’ve had sleepless nights ever since. Other negative aspects of...
recently watched a debate during which a panel discussed whether the human race would be better off without religious belief. I wondered how an argument supporting the idea that the world is better off without religion and spirituality could even be put forth in an intellectually honest manner....
CONFRONTING REALITY: Do the media, scientists and politicians misrepresent facts for financial gain?
t's been asserted that psychologists, psychiatrists and some therapists are … weird. I can't deny the kernel of truth within this statement. In fact, just this past week, my 18-year-old son Ryan brought his girlfriend over to the house to have dinner and watch a movie. As I came into the...
QUESTION 've been in a relationship with a guy I've known since December. We've been dating since January. He tells me things and claims to love me. However, he's still talking to his ex, who's also named Jessica. He tells her how I'm just an addict and he's pissy about having to buy me...
t had been two years since I'd made the accidental discovery. My false hope of reconciliation was like a wino with a lottery ticket. It was my second marriage. I refused its death, despised just the thought of divorce and stayed for our two girls. I found Buddhism in the bookstore, as I...
’m excited because I get to finally work my all-time favourite movie into one of my articles. I'm of course speaking about the 1998 Coen brothers classic, The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. The Dude Jeff Bridges plays The Dude, a middle-aged hippie...
malevolent union has taken place within the last two generations. This union, literally born in fire, has the greatest potential to deceive and cause immense pain and suffering. This union is one of power and authority. Together, they proclaim what's truth and reality. I'm of course talking about...
s the American people watch their “land of liberty” get mangled into a version more fitting for a sci-fi film than real life, what we the people can best do is try to understand what’s going on so we can reason with them and try to come to a compromise. America is still a representative...
PRINTABLE COLORING PAGES FOR ADULTS: 7 Asian traditional art adult coloring book pages from Asiatika
Images are excerpted from Asiatika: Asian Art Adult Coloring Book Buy the book» To download images right click and select “Save image as…” Click to Post
The reality of the scientific process No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong. - Albert Einstein he scientific process is supposed to be the golden standard for the pursuit of knowledge and truth. When asked to think of a scientist,...
Life is unconditional acceptance n alignment with the present moment allows us to feel the neutrality of stillness, the peace within and the possibility of being in a place of complete acceptance of what is. Yet, in fact, we already have acceptance of what is. It’s already here. It...
recently watched a debate during which a panel discussed whether the human race would be better off without religious belief. I wondered how an argument supporting the idea that the world is better off without religion and spirituality could even be put forth in an intellectually honest manner....
recently watched a debate during which a panel discussed whether the human race would be better off without religious belief. I wondered how an argument supporting the idea that the world is better off without religion and spirituality could even be put forth in an intellectually honest manner....
recently watched a debate during which a panel discussed whether the human race would be better off without religious belief. I wondered how an argument supporting the idea that the world is better off without religion and spirituality could even be put forth in an intellectually honest manner....
QUESTION ear Sir, Often, I feel something entering into my body. At this time, someone will come into my mind and I feel that it's his energy. Sometimes it feels very hard and sometimes it feels pleasant. I think I'm feeling someone's aura. But the thing is, I want to be in my own aura....
read a story years ago that opened my eyes. Or maybe it closed them. You see, this is a story about dreaming. A dream city As many stories do, this one starts with a young boy facing a problem. The boy is a vivid dreamer and every night he suffers from violent nightmares that leave him...
Screen reader version: A caveman drawing on his cave's walls also includes his Twitter hashtag and website address, as two other cavepeople look on: "He insists those will make it easier for archaeologists to find him." «RELATED READ» DESCARTES 2016: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» ...
Screen reader version: Female fortune teller with crystal ball addresses her male client, who's anxiously awaiting her response: "First, let me give you a spoiler alert." «RELATED READ» DATING IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
his year, I left Barcelona looking for alternative ways of getting closer to experiencing life as a cowboy. Or perhaps it was just to experience truly being alive, more connected with life. By this, I mean being consciously aware of what takes place while it takes place—here and now, without...
he best photographs tell a story rather than merely recording the scene. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how do you tell a good story, photographically? It’s not that easy to do, and many images fail to ignite the interest of the viewer because they lack a strong point of view, are poorly...
speak on behalf of young girls and women as I write these words about what I see happening in the world today. Every cell in my being objects to the conditioning by poor role models who represent what it supposedly means to be female and who resist the natural process of aging. True, on a...
“What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create.” - commonly attributed to the Buddha A resounding YES is a mighty, magical thing. Commitment to a decision shoots positive vibrations throughout the body and buzzes in the heart. This wild energy of YES...
he ability to stay positive is one of the first things to go when we're going through tough times. Most of us get overwhelmed with the negativity of the situation and find ourselves in a "drama" that takes over our lives, leaving us drained, depleted and feeling hopeless about life and its...
Be still!—and KNOW,—I AM,—GOD. If you’ve learned to “Be Still,” if you’ve studied and meditated upon this “I” as God within you, if you’re able to distinguish it from the personal I, and are conscious at times of being able to step outside, as it were, of your personality and view your...
Many of us desire to be spiritual nowadays, so we read the books that other self-proclaimed teachers and prophets set up for us, in order to follow their guidelines, doctrines and belief systems. We accept and repeat what we read, like a parrot reproduces a word without knowing its meaning. If it...
In our Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of your...
Elderberry syrup We make this syrup a lot starting in September, when “back to school” means that the sunscreen and bug spray on our shelf are quickly replaced by immune boosters and tissues. Elderberries contain high levels of vitamins A, B and C, and can stimulate the immune system. Combined...
Screen reader version: A man aims his cell phone at his open fridge: Nathan uses his new "Refrigerator GPS" to locate last week's lasagna. «RELATED READ» DATING IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
Screen reader version: A young man stands at a table covered in paper bills for rent, auto insurance, his student loans and a variety of other things: "At this rate, I'll owe my first million by the time I'm thirty!" «RELATED READ» QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» ...
One thing marking the modern age from previous historical periods is the rise of science and technology. Indeed, through science and technology, many things are possible now that would've been viewed as miracles just a few generations ago. But so worshipful of science has society become these...
Travelling within different cultures can be rewarding as well as emotionally draining, particularly when you're the focus of much unasked-for attention. Those who've travelled in Asia know the feeling all too well—stepping out of a train station or into a busy market and feeling the immediate...
Today, we're viewing before our very eyes an attempt to normalize the impulsive, ignorant, delusional, narcissistic and hostile behaviour of the President of the United States. We're being forced to observe the President’s Twitter attacks against individuals, attacks that are justified by his...
Too much abundance? On the Fourth of July, I helped with food distribution at White Pony Express (WPE), the food-rescue-and-delivery organization that I volunteer with in Contra Costa County, California, across the bay from San Francisco. Because we had a lot of leftover bread, I filled my own...
My parents had a secret love affair—with trains. Having travelled thousands of miles by rail together, as well as individually, they loved to talk about their rail journeys. In retrospect, their fascination with train travel wasn't surprising. Railroads reigned supreme in my parents' day....
As a person who's been part of several dysfunctional relationships in the past, I've had to do a lot of work to filter out the bad habits I acquired through them. It took some time to reconcile the part of me that wanted my needs met and the part of me that felt too needy and would rather keep...
1. The point in a circle is the universal symbol for the nature of human consciousness. 2. The point represents the inside world (the mind), while the circle stands for the outside world (matter). 3. In fact, both are one, since the point is inside the circle. 4. The point (the mind) is...
Nobody wants to think about death, especially not the death of a loved one. But in the past year, it's been on my mind a lot. Fighting cancer My father was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2016. Rather than being told how long he had left, he was told, "It's treatable but not curable." Still,...
Screen reader version: A man and woman stare glumly at each other during dinner: "Now that we've read each other's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr updates for the day, what's left to talk about?" «RELATED READ» DATING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: Attraction depends on more...
Screen reader version Woman addresses man over dinner and drinks: "Sure, we can take this relationship to the next level. Get me a clean HIV and herpes test, and your credit rating and bank statement. And proof that your apartment doesn't have bedbugs." «RELATED READ» QUANTUM...
We all know how it goes—Mom gets frustrated because it's too warm for the hike, or Grandpa doesn’t want to go to the beach because he doesn’t like the burning-hot sand. When people get frustrated, regardless of whether they're old or young, it inhibits their ability to have fun and enjoy...
I close my eyes and take a deep breath in. The smell of the fresh, thick parchment and the texture of the leather binding in my hand carry me away from my well-lit bedroom. I find myself in a dark room with a small, wooden writing desk and nothing but a kerosene lamp for light. The faint scratch...
Reality mirrors our conscious thoughts and feelings As an observer, you only witness the world through your own eyes. This is the case from the moment you’re born until your death. Not only are you conscious of what happens around you, you’re also a witness of all the impressions that come at...
All seven chakras, including the root chakra at the bottom, with names Reclaiming the power of the pelvis The pelvis, the area in the very bottom of your torso, is a source of tremendous power, physically as well as emotionally. The Eastern Vedic traditions speak extensively about the root...
"Union," painted in early June. The words below, about the process of its creation, were written to contain the excitement that followed the work's completion. A Process of Birth Our house is filling up with paintings! Where do they come from? From inside me, of course. I'm one of those...
THE FORTUNATE SON: Casualties of war and my initial introduction to hate crimes and racial injustice
The "Assembly" centres In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had issued Executive Order 9066, ordering the relocation of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast who were then considered a security risk. By late March 1942, General John L. DeWitt began issuing...
Being and thinking are two separate entities In deep meditation, we find the true nature of our consciousness. Words are redundant in this quest, since Being and Thinking are two separate entities. Therefore, it's not "I think that I am," it's rather, "I am that I am." Being includes all that...
Colouring inside the lines As we make our way through elementary school and then high school, then university, and then enter the workforce, we spend the majority of our first 25 years of life learning how to obey: how to colour within the lines, how to follow deadlines; how to sit down, keep...
"I ask for a moment's indulgence to sit by thy side. The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards." - Rabindranath Tagore, A Moment’s Indulgence Learning the hard way In his beautiful poem, A Moment’s Indulgence, Rabindranath Tagore takes a moment from his “endless” work to sit...
Just three more, two; ahh, my calves are burning; only one more step, finally! A sense of excitement and relief fills me as I take the final step to the top of the 15th incline I’ve come across within the last two kilometres. It's just a few more metres until I reach the climax of my hike, the...
Screen reader version: Beside a garbage can, while standing on concrete littered with garbage and paper bills, one man is approached by two other men who point their smartphones at him in the style of pointing a gun. He puts his hands up, but says, "But, how do I know for SURE that those...
Screen reader version: Two deer calmly eat grass as a lion roars at them from from behind a tree, just about a metre away: "Thank goodness we're on Xanax now, so there's no need to panic and run for our lives like we did before." «RELATED READ» DON'T EAT THE HUMANS: A cartoon by Shelli...
When it comes to our own happiness, we often find it difficult to carve out time for activities we consider frivolous or selfish. But when life gets busy, the first thing we should do is take time for ourselves, and this is perfectly OK. If we don’t take responsibility for keeping ourselves...
As parents and even parents-to-be, we become trained to watch and wait for important milestones with our children. From the time a baby enters the world (and even before), we're bombarded with books, websites, apps, experts and relatives all starting to watch and wait for those big achievements...
Evening falls on the glow of late afternoon. The wind outside the nursing home winnows through the trees, reflecting the current of memory, sifting remembrance from forgetfulness. I sit in a chair next to my mother, who turned 94 last December. She doesn’t know me—or anyone—now. A family created...
A lifelong love of intensity I think I've always loved intensity. I've always searched for people, places and things that warrant a release of adrenaline. It's why I get bored so easily. When the adrenaline wears off, my mind starts to look for it elsewhere. It makes all that's current feel...
If you could copy and paste someone else's memories into your mind, which ones would you pick? Happy memories? Sad memories? Memories that would imbue you with new and exciting skills? Each would have its benefits, yet each would also have its drawbacks. Could acquiring new memories change...
When I got to Costco for warm-up this morning, I seemed off my game, and never dreamed it would be a “touchdown” day! Maybe it was because I only needed three items today, and didn't have a cart to ground me. I walked to the back of the store to get the bag of broccoli florets, the bag of...
In spiritual affairs, it’s key to understand the true relationship between the "I" and the visible world. Many seek the answer in the outer realm, yet few understand that the one and only key to liberation and illumination is simply to go within. It's just a matter of taking the big leap and...
A middle-aged man stands with his back to the crowded room, seemingly unaware of the social setting surrounding him. His figure, distorted by the shadow the lamp in the corner casts over his features, looks awkward and unsettlingly still. The hostess watches from across the room as the man...
"The car's on top of him!" One rainy night, as my family and I were driving home, we heard a horrible car wreck happen directly to the left of us. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and knew it had to be bad. We pulled over in a nearby gas station parking lot so we could assist with the...
A malevolent union has taken place within the last two generations. This union, literally born in fire, has the greatest potential to deceive and cause immense pain and suffering. This union is one of power and authority. Together, they proclaim what's truth and reality. I'm of course talking...
My Vietnamese grandmother (Bà ngoai) passed away a couple of weeks ago, on May 20th, to be exact. She was 96 years old. I didn't feel anything until one week later. On that sacred seventh day, I suddenly cried. I wasn't touched by sadness, but by a powerful surge of love that my Bà ngoai...
Screen reader version: Philosopher René Descartes sitting in front of a laptop, along with a notebook and a quill pen, in 2016: "I have a website — therefore, I am." «RELATED READ» LIVING IN THE MATRIX: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
Screen reader version: Two sharks converse about whether to eat a scuba diver swimming slightly above them: "We've been advised not to eat them due to mercury content." «RELATED READ» QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
I have you here with me in my mind And I’m loving every thought about you. I see your picture in my mind and feel An open heart where love flows. And I want you to know That this love for you runs deep. And I want you to see That I’m complete. And when I see your smile, I smile. And...
It was bad and I knew it. It was so bad that I'd gone from binge-watching Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey to repeat-watching Hallmark romance movies, crying over and over again at the same sad scenes and happy endings. I was stuck and I had no idea how this had happened. I'd lost my mojo for my...
Nonsense and mysticism are commonly connected Nonsense appears in a variety of contexts, including mystical and spiritual traditions in which gibberish is associated with opening doors to new dimensions. We find the use of linguistic nonsense in chanting, spells and incantations, for example. ...
Do you ever find yourself in a state of perpetual busy-ness? How about that feeling of constant doing without getting much done? Or maybe you take on so many tasks and responsibilities that each day starts to feel like the same never-ending string of "things." And when someone asks how you’ve...
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is the commonly used phrase that helps elevate a picture from a mere image to a complex depiction of a moment in time. The notion that a single photograph can not only help an individual keep a specific moment alive, but consists of multiple layers which...
A doll-like childhood Seven pounds, 11 ounces. Twenty-one inches long. She is born. Strangers comment on her beauty as she grows. She's told to smile, to say "thank you." She finds this strange. Her grandmother loves to take her shopping, to dress her up like a little doll, complete with...
The challenge of compelling fiction My wife, Barbara, works from home, and because I'm out in the world, I procure library books for her to read. Mostly, she likes novels. She often reads late at night. A few days after she's started a new book, I'll ask her how it's going. "It's killing me!"...
When I decided to go to Southeast Asia, one thing I wanted to do was join a monastery and learn about Buddhism. Some people advised me that I wouldn’t find monasteries to join in Vietnam, my first stop. I visited pagodas all over the country, but always just as a tourist. It wasn’t until I...
In my work with cancer and hospital patients, I found that certain qualities surface in successful writing about an illness or injury. This kind of writing does the following four things: It accepts our story and makes sense of it Kenzaburo Oe wrote to unravel his confusion and despair after...
“Do not go gentle into that good night.” I thought this line, from poet Dylan Thomas, "at" a friend. She’d posted this on Facebook: At least a hundred replies arrived within 15 minutes. Friends sent love, reported dialing 911, asked for her phone number. It was the end of the workday. I...
Chögyam Trungpa taught that part of embodying the path of the Shambhala Warrior, of mindful living in action and in thought, is learning how to sit and hold your gaze. No matter what images, sensations, thoughts or memories arise in our bodies and minds, we sit. Holding our gaze breath after...
Screen reader version: Female Buddhist monk speaks to two other monks (male), in front of sacred vase with brain sitting closely beside it: "Live. Die. Repeat." «RELATED READ» Buddhist Reunion: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
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We all have a story. Sometimes it's the story of being knocked to the ground—perhaps because of a serious car wreck, a cancer diagnosis or the death of a loved one. And if we aren’t careful, a story like this can get buried within us. We can deny that it ever happened, and this might lead to...
I saw an article on getting in touch with my inner Trump and I recalled a time when I was facing something within myself but didn't really know how to deal with it. I felt rage—rage at the world—well, mainly the West, because I grew up in Africa knowing that the West was destroying us. I was...
“The artist is a seer, a becomer,” wrote the philosopher Gilles Deleuze and the psychiatrist Félix Guattari in their 1996 book, What Is Philosophy? I thought of this quote the other day, when a student of mine asked me, “What are you: a meditator or a philosopher?” I'm not sure whether...
Downie's diagnosis and the latest album April 2016. Whether or not The Tragically Hip had been informed of Gord Downie’s diagnosis isn't certain. What's certain is that the band’s label sensed, as with previous recent releases, that Man Machine Poem would be a challenging record to market. The...
As written in his book Walden, Henry David Thoreau observed that “Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.” The same is still true more than 160 years later. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the workplace, where different generations often struggle to...
Striving to do it all, to look like we've always got it together, and to be uber-successful comes with a price. The price is burnout. Burnout affects you adversely on all levels of your being—physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Burnout is currently showing up in Baby Boomers more...
What is kundalini awakening? In the Indian spiritual traditions of Yoga and Tantra, sudden energetic awakenings are depicted as kundalini awakening. Kundalini—derived from the Sanskrit word kunda, meaning “to coil” or “to spiral”—is an intense and explosive form of energy that lies dormant in...
In our bi-weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
Musical beginnings When I was a boy, my idea of great music and literature was South Pacific and the other Broadway shows of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Later, as a college English major, I learned that these dramas were regarded as "sentimental." It was the late '60s by then, and I began to...
Screen reader version: Buddhist monk shaking second monk's hand: "Great to see you again, Harold. Hasn't it been, like, about 1500 years?" «RELATED READ» QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
Screen reader version Bohemian man to grouchy, well-dressed lady (on bus): "Hey, lady...don't forget about quantum entanglement and the Interconnectedness Of All Things." «RELATED READ» THE 2560th BUDDHIST REUNION: A cartoon by Shelli Pruett» Click to Post
Why are there so many buttons? How many ways are there to hold this? Is this even pointing the right way? These were but a few of the questions that crossed my mind as I pulled the trigger on my nephew’s Nerf gun in an attempt to fend off the stream of foam bullets headed my way. Toys used to be...
Morning glory muffins Many years ago, while we were visiting friends over Christmas, our host made these for breakfast. They remain one of my favourite muffins to this day, and I like that they have a little bit of everything. There are a million different versions of the morning glory—I’ve even...
I’m excited because I get to finally work my all-time favourite movie into one of my articles. I'm of course speaking about the 1998 Coen brothers classic, The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. The Dude Jeff Bridges plays The Dude, a middle-aged hippie left...
A memorable birthday card On my 25th birthday, my closest friend gave me a card that said, “Being an artist is like being yourself for a living." I kept it, as I do with all cards I receive, and hung it on my fridge. At the time, it was an uplifting, lighthearted reminder that my career as a...
LISTENING TO AYAHUASCA: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety Rachel Harris Over the past decade, the psychoactive “plant medicine” Ayahuasca has continued to attract more and more attention worldwide. This interest has inspired several important books on the subject that...
America’s Constitution and potential for “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” living in the “land of the free and the home of the brave,” has been a work in progress for more than 240 years. Throughout our history, we've fallen far short of these ideals. Not all have experienced a life...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
The following has been excerpted from The Reducetarian Solution: How the Surprisingly Simple Act of Reducing the Amount of Meat in Your Diet Can Transform Your Health and The Planet, a collection of more than 70 essays on reducing our meat intake, edited by Brian Kateman. This selection is by...
All ideas are mind-made concepts All our thoughts and ideas about mindfulness are mind-made concepts and ideas that have nothing whatsoever to do with mindful awareness. All ideas are mind-made concepts. A thought turns into an idea, which turns into a belief. Whatever you think about...
This play was written for and performed as part of the Vedanta 10 Minute Play Festival at the King Street Theatre in Sydney, Australia on June 8, 2014. (A man stands just outside the light) Man: Hello. Hello. Is there anybody there? Hello? Voice: Step into the light, please. Who are you? ...
The Earth is what we all have in common. - Wendell Berry There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. - Marshall McLuhan Every day is Earth Day. - Unknown The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for. - Ernest Hemingway On Earth Day, we celebrate all the gifts the...
"Flunking" out of daycare Marilyn Goldstein wasn’t off to a great start in her academic career. She managed to repeatedly flunk out of daycare. No one liked her. She didn’t play well with the other children. She was withdrawn. Although the term “antisocial” hadn’t yet been coined, Marilyn...
As a child, one of my greatest secrets was my post-bedtime routine. I'd strain my ears listening for the click of the television that was followed by silence, which indicated my mother had gone to bed. I'd then sneak out of my room to find my father in his den, and together we would sit for hours...
The following is one of the first articles from therapist Jack Surguy's new series, "Confronting Reality," in which he'll aim to debunk psychological, scientific, political and social theories that are commonly endorsed within the Western cultural milieu. The reality of the scientific process ...
Breaking up patterns that no longer serve us Cultivating the attitude of newness is a simple but extremely effective way to break up patterns that no longer serve us—and perhaps never have. It frees us from seeing life through the lens of our past experiences, enabling us to perceive what's...
These days, everyone has an opinion about how we should be eating. There are thousands of guides for dieting, cleansing and eating “right,” and no one can really say which is best. That’s because there isn’t one way of eating that works for each individual body and lifestyle. You have to take...
Hindu Goddess Kali Horrors at the end of our newspaper spoon I'm horrified by what I woke up to this morning, or, more accurately, parts of it. I came downstairs to the beginnings of sunrise, with birdsong accompaniment, in the spring-green scene outside the terrace door. Then, I opened my...
It's been asserted that psychologists, psychiatrists and some therapists are … weird. I can't deny the kernel of truth within this statement. In fact, just this past week, my 18-year-old son Ryan brought his girlfriend over to the house to have dinner and watch a movie. As I came into the...
We're both nothing and everything in the "here and now" Whatever you’re experiencing right now is neither right nor wrong, and it doesn’t particularly need to stay as it is, no more than it needs to change. It is what it is. You are human, an emotional, reflective, individual human being,...
I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE for you to use as you read. The topic is a rather controversial issue right now. While reading the information, try to be aware of your response to it. If you find some of it difficult to believe, ask yourself why that is. If you find yourself getting...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
The following has been excerpted from Eternal Dharma: How to Find Spiritual Evolution Through Surrender and Embrace Your Life's True Purpose, in which monk Vishnu Swami aims to help readers apply Eastern Vedic knowledge to their lives in order to lead themselves towards fulfillment. While...
For many people, hospitals can be a scary place. Maybe your experience with hospitals has involved visiting a sick family member, or something happier, like seeing a friend who just had a baby. Or maybe your experience has been more personal—going to the hospital for yourself. Was it just one...
As we move through life, one of the things we can all count on is the experience of pain. Whether a small disappointment or a long, drawn-out catastrophe, each negative experience has a hand in shaping our perspectives on life. For many of us, the ability to let go of past painful experiences...
“The world is a temple, whose walls are covered with emblems, pictures, and commandments of the Deity.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson 1. After meditating awhile on the dream, I came to realize that its theme has had many antecedents in my life. As a young man, I happened to hear a poem by...
The following has been excerpted from Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing: A Creative Path to Awareness, in which artist Wendy Greenhalgh advises that anyone can draw, anyone can be mindful and anyone can integrate these two naturally complementary practices. Waking to the body I think my...
I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE for you to use as you read. The topic is a rather controversial issue right now. While reading the information, try to be aware of your response to it. If you find some of it difficult to believe, ask yourself why that is. If you find yourself getting...
There’s a saying that goes something like this: The days are long but the years are short. When it comes to parenting, truer words were never spoken. As children grow and life becomes faster and more complicated, it’s easy to let the minutes spent in quality, engaging time with them turn into...
Have you ever had to continually repeat yourself to an elderly person? These situations can not only be frustrating, but also stressful and emotional. This is especially true if the elderly person is your parent or loved one. Anyone who has ever cared for or spent time with the elderly knows...
I used to think that everything happened for a reason—that fate was life's definitive pilot. I believed there was a blueprint for my life and that I merely moved through it as planned. I think I was the way a lot of people are nowadays: here, sensing, thinking and doing, but not actually being. ...
"It's official. I found out today. I have Celiac Disease." This was me, two years ago, coming out to my family about the "Big C." Many of you out there have probably never even heard of this disease. To say that in 2017, with all the app use, live streaming, YouTube-ing, Tweeting,...
One last evening on the pier On the last beautiful evening of what has been an almost flawless grandchild visit, we make our way down the beach. The children are like puppies, dashing in and out of the water. Our granddaughter turns serial cartwheels, commanding after each, "Watch, Grandma. Tell...
How this letter came to be "Never throw anyone out of your being," someone wise once said. I'm still trying not to throw the U.S. President out of mine, even as I attempt to resist and support resistance against much of what he's trying to do. Besides the communications in my earlier piece,...
Life is all about being with "what is" Your present-moment experience is all there is. It’s all you have; it’s everything. Therefore, life is all about being with “what is” without pushing away what’s here. However, being with “what is” doesn’t make everything all right and doesn't...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
Being normally a rather easygoing and reserved person, it’s hard for me now to imagine how, as part of my youthful rebellion against the institutional church, I stood up in the midst of a worship service in front of several hundred people and shouted down the minister just after he'd concluded...
Every day, we make decisions that affect our bodies, communities and planet. Where we shop, what we eat, how it's packaged and how we dispose of it impacts more than just our immediate environment. Regardless of where we're from or where we live, when we make the decision to travel to exotic...
Much-needed peace and quiet I’ve always felt the most content when outdoors and in the wilderness. Growing up in a house with four younger siblings meant that if I wanted peace and quiet, I had to leave the house to find it! Luckily, we lived in the country. We were surrounded by fields and...
The artistic value of "making stuff up" I’ve long been wary of memoirs, autobiographies and anything else plastered with the sticker that reads, “based on a true story.” I’ve often stated, when it comes to writing, the art is in making stuff up—not strictly adhering to fact or fiction but...
A "difficult" patient Recently, I had an encounter with a patient who wasn’t like me in several ways. He’d had chronic pain for years, and lately had been misusing and lying about narcotic medications that I’d prescribed. He'd nearly killed himself and was now demanding more medication. I was...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
An undisciplined child typically develops destructive behaviour patterns that can hurt them as well as others. On the other hand, a disciplined child will learn constructive methods that'll assist them in their interactions with the world. But the most important part of discipline is that...
I recently read an article suggesting that Donald Trump represents the Jungian Shadow, the buried unruly, unmannerly part of people like me with liberal, progressive personae, who were the losers of the 2016 American presidential election. I believe there’s at least some merit to this article....
I’ve struggled, for a long time, with what compassion truly means. I can easily read the definition in the dictionary, “Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortune of others.” My real questions have been about how I can authentically prevail in this task, within myself, on a...
“I remember, when I was in my early twenties, a girlfriend saying she was on the fence about getting married.” Katherine* peers over her left shoulder, scanning the café to make sure no one's listening. She continues, “At the time, I was horrified. It should be perfect, I thought there should...
Everyone on Earth uses words in some way In some capacity, we all know words. Whether it's by sound, look, feel or gesture, we somehow associate what's going on within and around us with a word or a collection of effectively strung-together words. Everyone, everywhere on Earth, uses words. We...
The "mind problem" We’re so attached to thought that we believe in, "I think, therefore I am," a statement originally made by René Descartes. We believe in thought-identity, but deep down, we know that’s not all we are. Yet, the mind struggles with understanding that we’re more than thought,...
Memo to young and/or aspiring writers: It doesn’t get any easier. As a matter of fact, the more time and effort you devote to your craft, the more you sweat and bleed in service to the printed word, the harder it becomes to sit down and confront that blank page (or screen). This might seem...
“I’m not much interested in ethics or morals. I’m interested in how we experience the world.” - Arne Næss. As a student of philosophy, I read the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss’s books. He wrote in an engaging and clear style that demonstrated deep philosophical breadth and he invited the...
A spontaneously formed poem Last summer—in fact, I remember it was the first day of my summer vacation from my job as a preschool teacher—I walked for more than an hour on a bike-and-hike path near home. I loved finally having more time to directly pursue my spiritual interests. Working with...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
What's the point of getting up early? Ring, ring, ring. I roll over and glance groggily at the clock … 6:30 a.m. In my semi-conscious state, this seems absurdly early, so I press snooze. Ten minutes later I do the same, persisting in a state of semi-consciousness until 10 a.m., when I...
Way too often, people come to Yoga with a certain set of expectations. They may force their bodies into postures that are uncomfortable or unfairly compare themselves to others in the classroom. In the end, they may leave the class feeling “not enough." This is not Yoga! Yes, Yoga encourages you...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
Good health is something all people want, but few can easily attain. Healthy living involves many factors, including diet, exercise, oral hygiene, emotional health and the control of chronic health issues. These various factors make it almost impossible for some individuals to follow through...
In our new weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
An encounter with a high school friend Very recently, I had an encounter with a dear high school friend that was unexpected and that deeply touched my soul. This fellow, with whom I and other friends used to carouse in hilarious and sometimes slightly "antisocial" ways during middle and high...
A vacation from distractions I recently decided to spend the holidays away from my life. I packed my things and drove three and a half hours to Esalen to join Noah Levine and Vinny Ferraro on one of their seven-day mindfulness retreats. We all ate and slept there without leaving the property and...
In our new weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
In our new weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
"This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theatre where the dreamer is at once scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic." - Carl Jung "The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens to...
In our new weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
Surrounded by others yet alone We live in a very busy world. Too often, I find myself caught up in the day-to-day shuffle called "living." I tend to get so preoccupied with the 101 things I have to get done that I find I've lost touch with those around me. Being constantly surrounded by hundreds...
In our new weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
Mindful awareness has nothing to do with thinking Mindfulness is available to all. The experience of mindful awareness doesn’t have anything at all to do with thinking. One person isn’t better at it compared to another, nor can another person, however enlightened, experience something that you...
In our weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas of...
Kathy Roberts is the author of two juvenile fiction/family coloring books, The Way of the Bear and We All Have Wings, illustrated by Dawn Collins and published by The Mindful Word. Here, she offers us her thoughts on the importance of teaching kids to respect the environment, a topic which she...
The challenges of eating on a different continent Having spent the holidays in Europe with my two young adult children and their father, our family returned home jet-lagged and plumper. Well, at least three of us did. My oldest daughter lost a pound or two from her already lean 5-foot 11-inch...
In our new weekly Psychological & Spiritual Therapy column, therapist Jack Surguy is offering professional advice to The Mindful Word readers for all those questions and problems you have wanted to discuss with someone qualified and caring. If you would like Jack to assist you in any areas...
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This statement made by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount may very well describe the work of the emerging spiritual body on earth. We're interested in seeing God in ourselves and in others, but as long as the heart (which refers to the...
Mindfulness for everyone Last April, I spent an evening with Jon Kabat-Zinn, the biologist and mindfulness teacher who gave a public speech at the Facultad de Medicina de la UCM in Madrid, Spain. Or rather, as he called it, he performed a dance with the almost-simultaneous translator—a very...
So what is meditation, really? People always ask me, “What exactly is meditation?” It’s not rocket science. It’s not something weird and totally out of your reach. Meditation is very simple. It’s focusing on one thing so that you think of nothing else. The point of this is to rest your...
QUESTION Hi Jack, I avoid using elevators. I've been trapped in elevators a few times in my life and since I live in developing countries, the technology isn't so reliable so I tend to think avoiding them is a good thing. But sometimes I find myself lugging 40 kg up six flights of stairs in...
The following has been excerpted from Watch My Rising, an anthology that contains inspirational stories and poems, written by various individuals, about recovering from alcoholism and/or drug addiction. A now-or-never situation “Shit or get off the pot!” I knew that my daughter was right....
We're bound to have many failures on our way to success, and the ability to overcome them is what makes the difference between those who eventually achieve their goals and those who don't. Here are five tips that'll help you out when failure seems to be your only achievement. Rise without regret...
Making sense of our existence When I read about the water protectors in North Dakota, along with my basic sympathy come disparate thoughts such as, “Are they asking for us to go back to a way of life without cross-country pipelines—a local life, one of small tribal villages?” Just what is the...
QUESTION Hi Jack, My problem is that I think too much. Practicing mindfulness helps me deal with the thoughts (being non-reactive to the thoughts, that is), but when I'm under stress (and I'm under stress a lot) it's harder to be mindful. Plus, it's not really possible to be mindful all the...
It’s a clear winter morning. As I look at the blue sky and the leafless branches quivering in the wind, I enjoy a relaxing, deep breath. This is one of the best effects that has come from doing Yoga. Not only does my body feel lighter, well-stretched and more active, but I find myself...
Metacognition and the mind Metacognition is a term used by psychologists that refers to thinking about thinking: thinking about our own thoughts and thinking about the perspective of another. These human abilities are connected to imagination and intellect. The more a child’s imaginative...
QUESTION Dear Jack, Recently, I reconnected through social media with a person who led a personal development workshop I attended 15 years ago. At the time, I got a lot of value out of this weekend workshop. I since found out that she left the organization she worked for several years...
QUESTION Dear Jack, I’m hoping you can give me some advice on how to deal with things that are going on in society today. This whole transgender "thing" has me confused about how I'm supposed to respond to people. I don’t want to offend other people, but I also feel like I'm supposed...
I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. - Charles Dickens A good conscience is a continual Christmas. - Benjamin Franklin Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling. - Edna Ferber Christmas renews our youth by stirring our wonder. The capacity for wonder...
It's not the "beginning of the end" Hospice is a hard reality for many people to accept and they cringe just thinking about it. They become consumed with misguided thoughts that hospice is a place where you go to die, and it’s the "beginning of the end" with nothing left to look forward to. ...
In Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich, the main character’s mind tends to wander in both time and space. “In court he found his mind wandering; he would be miles away, wondering whether to have plain or moulded cornices with his curtains.” Mind-wandering: Negative or positive? In the...
QUESTION Dear Jack. I'd like to know the reason why I'm always bored or get bored quickly. This started from my childhood. My relationships bore me quickly. When I'm attending a function or just a gathering, after an hour I want to leave. When I'm visiting my family, on the second day, I...
QUESTION Hello Jack, I'm concerned, actually more surprised, with something that happened the other day. First, let me tell you, I'm a complete "peacenik" and pacifist. I only confront if there's no other way to handle things. I am never aggressive—never. I don't get angry, because to me...
The following article has been excerpted from The Artist's Way: 25th Anniversary Edition, in which author Julia Cameron helps inspire people to put aside any excuses, connect with their inner selves, and get their creative careers off the ground. The Artist's Way questions and answers ...
According to the Yoga Alliance’s 2016 report on yoga in America, “36.7 million Americans or 15% of US adults practice yoga in the US.” Of course, yoga is great for you. It promotes well-being through strength, flexibility, breathing and meditation. But is yoga good for everyone? ...
"When Separation Reaches Its Height, Union Follows" Max Reif is the author of Toward an Interior Sun, recently published by The Mindful Word. Below are his in-depth answers to eight questions we asked him about the creative arts, his love for Meher Baba, and the spiritual journey. ...
Do you suffer from continuous cold symptoms, such as a runny nose or cough? Or struggle to get a good night's sleep but aren't sure why? If you own a dog, these symptoms may be caused by an allergy. In this article, I'll take you through three effective techniques for relieving symptoms that...
QUESTION Hi Jack, Thank you for starting this column. I need someone to talk to. How do I navigate in the craziness that is going on around the world since the U.S. election? I watch the social media and have friends on both "sides," I have friends who are being hurt—or perceive the...
Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier (24)” streams at 29 percent volume while I write this. My go-to writing music, Baroque, floats wave-like above and below my consciousness, simultaneously soothing and awakening. It’s not, however, my meditation music with softer acoustics, like pan flute and piano. ...
Many of us are well acquainted with our “Inner Critic.” It’s the voice that makes us second-guess our every step by saying “not enough,” “not good enough,” or sometimes “too much.” At times, the Inner Critic can be so strong that it feels invincible, but best-selling author and renowned...
The following article has been excerpted from Start Where You Are, a guidebook to overcoming procrastination, perfectionism and other common mental hang-ups by creativity/productivity counsellor Sam Bennett. 10 Ways to Cultivate Your Intuition We don’t get much education in developing or...
The human body operates in harmony with the energy system of the universe. It's a latticework of energies, vibrating at different frequencies, encompassing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. It has been perfectly created to function optimally, provided we observe the...
QUESTION Dear Jack, The other day I had a feeling come over me that I have only had a few times in my life. It's the deepest longing and I have sometimes said it aloud—"I want to go home." There are some instances I clearly remember. The first time, I was about six years old and I...
Change is measured not by the passing of time but through the evolution of thought. Time is a relative measurement that changes from one dimension to another and from one area of the universe to another. Time and space arise from causation, which is the "I am" consciousness. In the third...
DREAM Hi Aneta, I was about my daily activities at work (I'm a postman). I got to a portion of my day where a number of packages needed to be delivered to many homes on my route. As I approached each house, a UPS driver delivering their packages arrived at the same time as me pulling up...
It's all about noticing Mindfulness is noticing. When we “do” mindfulness, we’re trying to obtain something, to change something, to make it better. But when we simply notice our experiences in the moment, we’re truly practicing mindfulness. When we notice ourselves trying to change how...
DREAM Hi Aneta, Happening less now than a year ago, but I still am very curious as to why I was having a recurring theme of stairs in my dreams. So many of my dreams involved stairways. They're at the heart of the dreams. Typical scenario: I'm stuck, cannot climb them, reach the top or...