how terrible that relationship was, and that person betrayed me,” and so suddenly you’re now overlaying a memory onto something? It’s not necessarily bubbling up from within your body. JF: Yes. It’s a challenging process, but oftentimes I think what people find with some training is they realize, “Oh, I’m completely in a story right now.” Then the invitation, again, is to come back to that felt sense. But again oftentimes, when people practice meditation, when they practice an active inquiry process like this, into what’s between them and feeling free—as you start to un-peel the onion, there could be very painful memories in the... posted on Aug 1 2022 (4,270 reads)

practice as a theme for the first season of our new podcast Creating Our Own Lives. The 10 voices in this hour were originally drawn out by her. We’ll end with Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills. We begin with Christina Torres. MS. TORRES: My name is Christina Torres, and I’m originally from southern California, but I now live in Honolulu, Hawaii. MS. TIPPETT: Christina is many things — a teacher, a writer, a Mexipina. She calls running her “moving meditation.” MS. TORRES: Pretty much towards the end of college and the beginning of my teaching career, I had actually never run more than a mile. I hated running. I was always really b... posted on Aug 30 2016 (10,721 reads)

I rest there again. If I can manage it, I rest there again. And so that dropping in for me is a returning. People get weirded out by the term “self” and they go, “Wait a minute. Is there a self?” I’m not getting into that. I’m just talking about in this physiological being that there is a point of returning to myself that I find clarifies the external goings on including the external goings on of my mind. TS: Rev. angel, you’re a gorgeous meditation teacher and I wonder if, as part of this, you could actually guide us, guide our listeners right now in that practice that you just described related to resting in our belly. And part of it... posted on Jan 18 2022 (3,945 reads)

following is an excerpt from Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise, May 2022, Harper Wave Publishers Navigating Noise Over the past fifty years, mindfulness meditation has taken a remarkable journey from remote monasteries of Burma and Thailand to the pinnacles of mainstream power—places like Apple, Google, GE, and the Pentagon. While some of this rise is attributable to increasing openness to new mindsets and worldviews since the revolutions of the 1960's, we believe the biggest reason for its newfound popularity is straightforward: There is a deep yearning for silence in a world of more and more noise. Whether we consciously realize it or not, we sense that p... posted on Oct 4 2022 (3,171 reads)

Nine Gateways to Presence. So what’s the connection between personality, whatever our personality type might be, and presence, the personality type being a gateway to presence? Russ Hudson: Yes. Well, I think when we look at where the Enneagram comes from—the origin summit, the original sensibility—it was part of a series of tools or orientations, that were used by people in contemplative life, let’s say. They were people involved in ongoing prayer and meditation and so, the underlying basis of these personality patterns were originally seen as habitual distractions or vexations. What sort of screws up your practice when you’re trying to get c... posted on Apr 7 2023 (6,199 reads)

When Google allowed engineers to spend 20% of their time pursuing their passion, Meng decided to spend his time on a cause dear to his heart: Launching a conspiracy to bring about world peace. The conspirators could well be called the compassionati.  Meng believes that world peace can be achieved -- but only if people cultivate the conditions for inner peace within themselves. Inner peace, in turn, comes from nurturing emotional intelligence through the practice of mindfulness and meditation. Working with Zen masters, meditation teachers, psychologists and even a CEO, Meng created a seven-week personal growth program named -- what else -- Search Inside Yourself (SIY). Launched ... posted on Jul 11 2012 (21,415 reads)

value, including bringing the idea of surrender to social and environmental activism. Tami Simon (TS): You're listening to Insights at the Edge. Today, my guest is Michael Singer. Michael Singer is the author of the number one New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment. In 1971, while pursuing his doctoral work in economics, Michael experienced a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation. In 1975, he founded the Temple of the Universe, a yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, ... posted on Dec 22 2017 (47,040 reads)

True, one of the largest publishers of spiritual wisdom, especially of original audio programs and online classes. You publish many of the leading teachers in spirituality and mindfulness. I’m interested in how the company came into being and also in the way you conduct Sounds True as a spiritual and conscious business. Tami Simon (TS): Sounds True began in 1985. I was 22 at the time, had dropped out of Swarthmore College at the end of my sophomore year, and spent a year studying meditation in Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal. I connected deeply to the practices and wanted to introduce them to others so they too could have access to these powerful practices through personal, direct... posted on Nov 24 2018 (6,247 reads)

the most feared lobbyist. In talking about St. John’s, you used the term monastery a few times. Like a monastery for learning. Was it in this point of time intellectual, but contemplation is a bit deeper than that. Was there spirituality starting to infuse at any point? Lee: There was. There definitely was. You know I come out of the 60s and this stuff was all starting to get mixed together. I was starting to read Eastern things. Back in the 70s, I got involved with transcendental meditation. I had friends who were doing that. And even the intellectual part when I was at St. John’s. We read a lot of religious thinkers and I started to think about what this all means in a ... posted on Dec 28 2019 (6,833 reads)

in nature, just canoeing and ice skating and sports too. Yeah, I just felt mystical all the time. Now when I was 12 years old, I got polio and they couldn't tell me if I'd ever walk again. But when I did get my legs back after, I don't know, a year or so, I remember saying to the universe, I'll never take my legs for granted again. And to me, that's a very mystical statement, even though I was 12 or 13 years old. And that is not to take for granted. So, that's what meditation is about isn't it? When you meditate on breath, when you pay attention to your breath, you're no longer taking it for granted. And breath is pretty primal. And if you're pres... posted on Sep 8 2022 (3,067 reads)

biggest admission. I’m on a low-electron diet. Ask me the headlines. Or even for a weather forecast. Save for maybe once or twice a month, I can’t answer you. I can’t tell you the names of any pop stars, I have no understanding of what Twitter is, I’ve never held a “hand-held device,” and I can’t find my Facebook page without using the search function.   A Little Meditation Goes A Long Way A new study offers the strongest evidence to date that meditation can change the structure of your brain.   My computer is turned off every morning, once my work day is complete, usually around 9am. At that point, I tune out the rest of the world a... posted on Jul 26 2011 (10,161 reads)

reducing anxiety, depression, phobia, and stress with cognitive-behavioral therapy or interpersonal psychotherapy. By learning different strategies to recognize negative thoughts and emotions and practice alternative responses over time, neural pathways in the brain are physically altered. Science has only recently recognized the value of investing in research on behaviors that promote well-being, including compassion and happiness. By comparing the brains of experts and novices in compassion meditation, neuroscientists illustrated changes in the brain region responsible for empathy during and after meditation. Researchers are just beginning to examine the effect of training novices in ski... posted on Apr 23 2012 (140,503 reads)

he says—“how we deal with people, how we deal with ourselves.” ART OF PEACE Introduced to the United States via Hawaii 60 years ago this spring, aikido can trace its origins to early 20th-century Japan, where it was developed by Morihei Ueshiba, first as a modified form of jujitsu, then as its own art. The techniques evolved further under Ueshiba’s top instructor, Koichi Tohei, who had also studied Zen and who had developed an interest in breathing and meditation practice while serving as a soldier in Manchuria during World War II. After his master’s death, Tohei went on to form his own branch of aikido, with a greater emphasis on meditation a... posted on Apr 1 2013 (16,362 reads)

their largess. This suggests to the researchers that their happiness didn’t result from feeling like they were strengthening social connections or improving their reputation but from a deeply ingrained human instinct. In fact, they argue, the nearly universal emotional benefits of altruism suggest it is a product of evolution, perpetuating behavior that “may have carried short-term costs but long-term benefits for survival over human evolutionary history.” Mindfulness meditation makes people more altruistic—even when confronted with barriers to compassionate action. In March, the GGSC hosted a conference called “Practicing Mindfulness & ... posted on Jan 23 2014 (128,179 reads)

politicians, financial advisors and musicians. It's even included in some MBA programs. Perhaps it's time to take this trend seriously and consider incorporating mindfulness as part of your leadership toolkit. Taking Action How can you practice mindfulness for greater success? Here are five simple ways to get started: 1. Practice a breathing exercise. One of the easiest ways to bring the power of mindfulness to your leadership style is to simply include a brief, breathing meditation routine. All that's required is for you to sit still and observe your breath as it goes in and out of your lungs, without changing your breathing. This means not pushing or forcing your... posted on Jun 1 2014 (143,394 reads)

shift back into a more balanced perspective of the magnificence of both of our ways of being in the world. I think that that is how we will evolve as humanity. We have a strong right brain. We have a strong left brain. And now, we are becoming integrated into being whole-brained humanity. That portion of us is the portion that will survive and really turn us into whatever we're supposed to become next. TS: Do you think that many spiritual practices—I know you're familiar with meditation. What you described, you could say is a type of body-based meditation—when you were talking about the one-minute expanding and contracting different parts of your body. Do you think t... posted on Aug 24 2014 (35,464 reads)

Gandhi and nonviolence because it was an example of someone that embodied the change he wanted to see.  I spent that summer with the Metta Center for Nonviolent Education in Berkeley, involved in a nonviolent mentorship program. This is where I learned about all these people that embodied nonviolent practices, such as Aung San Suu Ky, Dorothy Day, and Peace Pilgrim. Their lives exposed me to stories of possibility and along with that internship, I also learned about meditation. Together the two transformed me. Soon I learned about Service Space Awakin gatherings and I kept going back every Wednesday until slowly I started learning about Service Space. It all just... posted on Feb 17 2015 (20,963 reads)

the youngest surgeon generals to ever serve in the role, is also emphasizing happiness as one of the main ways to prevent disease and live a long healthy life. Let's be clear: “Happiness” is not an emotion, an inherited disposition that is awarded to a select few, or even dependent on events that happen to you in life. Rather, Murthy argues that happiness is a perspective, and that everyone can create it for themselves with four simple, free approaches: gratitude exercises, meditation, physical activity and social connectedness. In Murthy's tour throughout the United States, he’s been collecting stories about people and communities that are putting their hap... posted on Dec 8 2015 (24,333 reads)

are measured in hertz (Hz). Specific frequencies induce different states in our brain: Beta Waves Hertz Level: 14–40 Hz Effect:  Awake, normal alert consciousness Example: Actively conversing or engaging in work  Alpha Waves Hertz Level:  8–14 Hz Effect: Calm, relaxed Example:  Meditating, reflecting, taking a break from work Theta Waves Hertz Level: 4–8 Hz Effect: Deep relaxation and meditation, mental imagery Example: Daydreaming Delta waves Hertz Level: 0–4 Hz Effect: Deep, dreamless sleep Example: Experiencing REM sleep During our active da... posted on Jul 27 2017 (75,328 reads)

that link purpose to better health and lower disease risk, these studies lend more credence to the claim that a sense of purpose is an important component of a healthy lifestyle for older adults. Fortunately, other research published this year suggests that older adults can foster a sense of purpose through deliberate activities, giving hope to all who want to nudge themselves toward a purpose-filled life. We know less than we thought about the impact of mindfulness and meditation During the past two decades, more and more scientists have studied mindfulness—a Buddhist-inspired collection of practices aimed at helping us to cultivate moment-to-moment aw... posted on Jun 21 2018 (18,718 reads)