By Charles A. Francis “Life is available only in the present moment.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh I’ve had people tell me that they’re not interested in becoming a guru: they just want to learn how to be happy. While this sentiment may sound humble, and noble, it is not practical. Read more…
By Amira Posner “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” Shunryu Suzuki The other day I went to get gelato. The café was jam packed, and the woman working the counter was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Read more…
By Matt Abbasfard My journey in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse has been by no means a straight line. This is my third attempt to get clean, and there were times in my life when I never thought that recovery was possible. I’ve been to individual therapy, residential heroin Read more…
By Ben Knights The demands of modern society can leave us stuck in a routine that feels alien to our life’s purpose. Whilst working 9 to 5 and running errands are a necessity in order to get by, it’s inevitable there will come a time when you will ask yourself; Read more…
By Charles A. Francis We all have difficult people in our lives—some almost impossible to get along with. It seems like almost every time we engage them, we end up getting caught in a power struggle, which can often escalate into volatile situations. Though it is indeed a challenge to Read more…
By Mary Sovran The average woman today is so busy taking care of everyone else in her family, that she doesn’t have much time to pursue her own interests. At the end of the day, she is exhausted. Fitting in meditation would seem like an impossible task. If a woman Read more…
By Charles A. Francis We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. Some of us have even done things we’re downright ashamed of. The feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse can be major obstacles to our spiritual development. The good news is that through the practice of mindfulness meditation, we Read more…
By Charles A. Francis In last week’s post, we talked about some of the difficulties many of us have in loving ourselves. As one commenter noted, our actions often revolve around other people’s expectations. That is, we try to meet those expectations in order to gain their approval. This doesn’t Read more…
By Charles A. Francis Last night at our sangha (meditation group), the facilitator brought up the topic of loving ourselves. Sometimes, the topic doesn’t generate very much discussion, but this one sure did. Several people shared about the difficulties they’ve had loving themselves, and why. Most of the comments revolved Read more…