There is No Better Place: Three Keys to Creating Freedom From Judgments
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 Three Poisons Café
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, Pain, Suffering, and Healing
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 Benefits of Nitpicking in a Relationship
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…
Mindful Movement for Self-Regulation, Health, and Wellbeing
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…
Stopping, Calming, Resting, and Healing
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…
Forget the Vacation: Now is the Time to...
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…
Transforming your Mind: From Garbage to Flowers
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…
Meditation Can Be Like This
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…
Don’t Meditate to Get Better
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…