While names like Mother Theresa and Marie Curie may be familiar, throughout history, women have contributed deep spiritual practice, scientific research, poetry, art, and social work to the world. This post highlights a few lesser-known women to celebrate International Women’s History Month, with the wish that learning a bit more about women in history may inspire us to bring our own strengths forward today.
Generosity is a universal practice with deep roots across spiritual and secular traditions. In both the Buddha’s teachings and modern Mindfulness-Based Approaches (MBSR, MBCT, etc.), generosity is recognized as a transformative practice that benefits not only the recipient but also the giver, the community, and society as a whole
Working with the Comparing Mind in Meditation and Relationships Hate and its close cousins—anger, envy, irritation, resentment, bitterness, and contempt, to name a few—often arise when we compare ourselves to others or feel a sense of inadequacy. These emotions can...
In a world filled with rapid-fire exchanges and sudden ups and downs, deep communication can feel elusive, yet it is essential for building meaningful relationships, navigating conflicts, and fostering understanding across differences. It has perhaps never been more...
Why Retreats Matter: Simplicity, Space & Time for Practice When I first attended a weekend retreat back in 1998, it was an unusual thing to do. Perhaps due to the ever faster pace of the world since then, interest in retreats has grown a lot. They are now more...
Healing from Loneliness through Mindfulness and Compassion Loneliness, a widespread yet deeply personal experience, can weigh heavily on our hearts and minds. It often feels like an insurmountable barrier between us and the vibrant world around us. With mindfulness...
Insights from Buddhism, Science & Yoga As context for the below ways of practicing non-violence, it may help to understand that many wisdom traditions see non-violence, or ahiṃsā in Sanskrit, as a cornerstone of both ethical living and personal happiness. Rooted...
What is Equanimity? Have you ever experienced a moment when you were happily surprised at your capacity to stay present and clear in a challenging situation? If so, that was equanimity. This amazing human capacity for mental balance also helps us be present with...
Unraveling the Why Behind Human Meanness Lately, I find myself deeply pondering the phenomena of harshness and unkindness, both between humans and within my own mind (toward myself). I notice wondering why all this cruelty exists and questioning how we, indeed, how I,...
A Challenge of Contemporary Times The graphic above is a sketch of how I work with someone who asks me for private instruction. Recently such a person, who has been using apps only to practice both meditation and yoga, approached me. They were seeking clarification,...