May 25
When the daily chaos of life gets to be too much, sometimes you just need a quick fix to give you peace of mind. These tasty tips will help you find peace of mind in the most overwhelming of situations.
Check them out here.
“Housework is a chance to approach your life with integrity. Washing soiled laundry and cleaning out cupboards are not duties given to you as acts of penance. Each forms a vital part of your well-being. Each activity you perform is an opportunity to observe the ways mind and body can work together and how they can sometimes conflict. The mind can spend hours worrying about a simple task that will take the body only minutes to perform. Although the music may be long, the dance itself is short.”
The Zen approach to life beyond the cushion and some practical tips on how to approach various housekeeping tasks with mindfulness, adapted from Gary Thorp’s book, Sweeping Changes: Discovering the Joy of Zen in Everyday Tasks.
Read more here.
Feb 17
Why do we need compassion? Because life is tough. Cultivating compassion for oneself and others helps us to deal with life’s challenges.
Again mindfulness plays a key role in assisting us to break out of our psychological loops and helps with the development of compassion.
Read this article for more detail on the importance of compassion and how to cultivate this key skill.
This article reviews Daniel Goleman’s new book – Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence. It interestingly covers the importance of mindfulness and the dangers of too much online time.
Mindfulness is about being present. It’s about being aware of every moment. It’s the key to living a full and satisfying life.
This is a great article that very clearly explains mindfulness, offers some easy opportunities to practice mindfulness, and shows us what it is and isn’t.
How aware are you about why you are using social media?
I felt compelled to do a post on Joseph Goldstein today. He is an excellent teacher who clearly and succinctly explains the Buddha’s teachings. Joseph is easy to listen to, and he often uses personal experiences to explain how he reached his understandings.
I have been regularly listening to Joseph’s teachings since my retreat in Myanmar where I first discovered him. At the moment I am particularly interested in the Satipatthana Sutta – The Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness. By listening to Josephs’ talks on this Sutta, and in particular on the five aggregates, my understanding has improved. This clarity has allowed me see different ways to practice which has been extremely helpful.
Focus: Mindfulness and Wisdom.
I’ll never forget the Sayadaw’s constant reminders that a yogi’s job is:
Sayadaw repeated these roles frequently, I can still hear his voice stressing these points.
Inspired Journeys 