Several nights ago while entertaining friends at home here in Northern Portugal, Linda and I received an unexpected doorbell ring. When we approached the entrance gate of our home, we encountered…

The ego does not exist as an objective entity. It functions as a…

Lovingkindness or loving-friendliness can be described as the aspiration to offer happiness to self and others. This is an expression of love. Love in this context is about…

FEAR is not the enemy. The emotion of fear has served an evolutionary purpose for the survival of the human species. When fear becomes the enemy, we’re less likely to see it within ourselves and more likely to project it onto other people and external situations or encounter it within our dreams.

An extreme persistent fear can be associated with…

I was standing in a hotel elevator talking to a couple of friends about a workshop on the topic of death and dying when a stranger interrupted with, “Why would anybody want to go to a workshop like that?” I explained how being…

Several decades ago, when I first encountered the term "mindfulness", I quickly learned that different teachers used varying definitions of the term. It's important for teachers and practitioners of mindfulness to…

A wise meditation teacher once said…

As I was making my way through a jungle of thoughts while running on a treadmill at the gym, I mused about a metaphor that’s often applied to the human mind. In meditation circles, the constant chatter of a restless mind is…

Self-criticism and self-praise are two sides of the same egoic coin that creates identity. What happens when you remove the “self” from the process? The feelings associated with criticism and praise eventually move on without a trace, like passing clouds across a clear sky. Whatever you’re thinking, feeling, or sensing is impermanent. It’s easy to forget that when you’re feeling buoyant and joyful. The trick is to remember…

As I was taking in the beauty and tranquility of Drake Bay in Costa Rica—an idyllic place that rivals the biodiversity of the Amazon Jungle, I overheard a tourist making…

The barista at the 3 Poisons Café says to a new customer, “I serve just 3 beverages—greed, hatred, and ignorance. Their effects are…

Acceptance and present-centered awareness are two key elements of mindfulness practice. Acceptance, however, is not the same as liking something, nor is it passive resignation or mere tolerance. Acceptance receives reality as it is, and not how you would like it to be. A lack of acceptance can contribute to suffering when you resist a painful experience. I’m reminded of an old story about…

The other day, as my wife Linda was giving me a haircut, she said, “It’s important for couples to groom one another; it’s a form of connection and sensuality.” She also expressed appreciation for how…

Somewhere on the path of being a clinical psychologist who is also a Tai Chi instructor, these two seemingly disconnected roles intersected. I began to see the limitations of…

For healing to occur, the conditions for healing need to be present. What are these conditions for healing? The teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh tell us that healing requires…

In the field of perceptual psychology, there is a concept called "habituation", which refers to the process of becoming less sensitive and responsive when being repetitively exposed to a constant stimulus. A simple example of this phenomenon is seen when we…

During a recent mindfulness meditation retreat, many participants found much humor and encouragement in the following quote, which keenly reflects upon what is often discovered in the process of sitting still and observing the mind…

You walk into a crowded party. There are people laughing, dancing, and carrying on—swept away by the spirit of their interactions. A quiet man sits alone at a table, silently judging a very loud and boisterous party participant. All of a sudden…

Beware of self-help formulas—such as the many well-intentioned memes on social media—that reinforce conditional thinking, including any semblance of a formula conveyed by this brief article! For example…