basic mindfulness skills
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Working with the Gaps
Our practice of mindfulness, especially our formal meditation practice leads us to eventually work with two gaps. The first is the gap between stimulus and response and the second is the gap between our beliefs and our actions. Committing to a formal mindfulness meditation practice and practicing moments of mindfulness as we go through our Continue reading
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Non-Striving
The practice of mindfulness meditation places us firmly in a paradoxical situation. Engaging in the practice requires setting an intention, as all activity requires intention. And yet, sustaining the practice works when we release that intention. This paradox describes an attitude or state that students of mindfulness meditation are encouraged to adopt – an attitude Continue reading
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Formal and Informal Meditation
Many students talk about not really “sitting” for meditation practice, but rather checking in throughout the day to become mindful or take a breath awareness pause. Many students say, “I am mindful during my day, and I don’t sit for practice.” These students are describing informal mediation practices. Many types of informal practices range from Continue reading
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How Can I Keep My Meditation Going?
I like to think in terms of supporting my practice. There are so many ways we can build a structure around our mediation practices to hold and support the building of the habit. Eventually we would like our practices to become second nature, a lot like brushing our teeth or getting dressed in the morning Continue reading
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Impatience
Impatience is a way of life in our culture. Looking for a quick fix is the default method of approaching most challenges we face. We are always looking for an immediate solution to make the discomfort go away, to get the thing we most desire, or to correct a health issue. Making discomfort disappear is Continue reading
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Beginning again. Starting over. Returning.
There are so many things in our lives that we start, leave and return to again and again. Meditation is like that as well. Take dieting – one most of us can relate to – we start a diet with super good intentions and a plan. A few days or weeks in, we forget and abandon it, Continue reading
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What is an “anchor” in meditation?
An anchor serves as a home for us during our meditations and acts as a steadying mindful home as we move through our days. Just as we seek out the same comfy chair each evening for relaxing and decompressing, we also seek a comfortable place to cultivate our attention and concentration during meditation. Cultivating an Continue reading
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Why is it important to work with basic mindfulness practices?
With any skill we want to master it is important to lay a strong foundation for that skill. The same holds true with the practice of mindful meditation. To become an excellent basketball player, we must practice the basics of running, catching and throwing the ball, guarding our opponents, etc. Becoming a good cook or Continue reading
Being Present 