Taking practice off the cushion: meditating in the middle of work, money, family, and ordinary days; choosing techniques, building a practice that holds, and remembering awareness when life is loud.
Walking, Nature, and Engaged Buddhism – with Christopher Titmuss August 13, 2018 - In this episode, host Michael W. Taft speaks with senior dharma teacher Christopher Titmuss about yatra—meditative pilgrimage without a destination—the power of nature, the importance of deconstructing the self, the… Read More »Walking, Nature, and Engaged Buddhism – with Christopher Titmuss
Your Kindness Matters June 14, 2018 - by Jessica Graham As spiritual warriors we can run into many traps along the path. One of these is the trap of meaninglessness. It is often triggered after one has… Read More »Your Kindness Matters
Planning Your Own Meditation Home Retreat April 17, 2018 - by Jack Walker In nearly every tradition of meditation, periods of retreat are a key component of training. Retreat lets you invest the bandwidth of your attention into meditation practice,… Read More »Planning Your Own Meditation Home Retreat
Effort vs. Effortlessness in Meditation Practice October 21, 2017 - by Michael W. Taft [dropcap]I[/dropcap] started out trying way too hard in meditation practice, and continued to practice like that for a very long time. Waking up was serious business,… Read More »Effort vs. Effortlessness in Meditation Practice
Just Keep Meditating: Cultivating Acceptance in Meditation Practice July 31, 2017 - by Michael W. Taft Meditation works best if you do it every day. Establishing and maintaining that kind of steady, daily practice presents a challenge, even for people with a… Read More »Just Keep Meditating: Cultivating Acceptance in Meditation Practice
How to Change Bad Habits using Mindfulness July 19, 2017 - by Daron Larson Last night I dreamed I drank a Diet Coke. It's been almost two months since my last one. I know there are more scandalous habits to conquer,… Read More »How to Change Bad Habits using Mindfulness
The Seven Muscles of Resilience May 30, 2017 - I'm very pleased to publish this adaptation from Meg Salter's new book Mind Your Life, which you can get on Amazon. ~ MWT by Meg Salter Why do different people… Read More »The Seven Muscles of Resilience
The Long Road to Financial Awakening May 2, 2017 - Getting Mindful with Money by Jessica Graham [dropcap]T[/dropcap]his might come as a shocking disappointment to some, but waking up doesn’t mean you and your life become magically perfect. How many… Read More »The Long Road to Financial Awakening
5 Reasons Your Mindfulness Practice Has Stalled & How to Reboot It February 13, 2017 - by Michael W. Taft It happened to me, and it’s happened to many people I know. You have learned to sit still and follow your breath. You can directly contact… Read More »5 Reasons Your Mindfulness Practice Has Stalled & How to Reboot It
What to Do Next January 20, 2017 - by Michael W. Taft I make my living as a meditation teacher. And in the last two months or so—as I’m sure you are perfectly aware—people have been freaking out.… Read More »What to Do Next
Exercise Your Attention with Mindfulness October 30, 2016 - by Daron Larson Scientific research into mindfulness practice and its potential benefits has exploded in recent years. It has been shown to help people manage stress, decrease anxiety, and get… Read More »Exercise Your Attention with Mindfulness
How to Be Mindful While Surfing the Net October 2, 2016 - For many of us, the Internet represents the pinnacle of distraction. But it we don't have to encounter it that way. This article from The Atlantic talks about simple ways… Read More »How to Be Mindful While Surfing the Net
The Mindful Wisdom of Pokémon Go July 21, 2016 - by Michael W. Taft I have to admit it: Pokémon Go is one of the funnest games I’ve played in a long time. I’m old enough to have missed the… Read More »The Mindful Wisdom of Pokémon Go
Wake Up and Enjoy Your Life with Mindfulness February 26, 2016 - by Michael W. Taft Sometimes I feel like I’m sleepwalking through life. There’s this sense of everything being distant, unfocused, numb. I’m working, eating, talking, sleeping, but I’m just going… Read More »Wake Up and Enjoy Your Life with Mindfulness
Overcoming Cravings With Mindfulness February 21, 2016 - by Jessica Graham (Watch this video for a very truncated version of the practice described here. And then come back and read the article.) I love popcorn. I have a… Read More »Overcoming Cravings With Mindfulness
Mindfulness for Worry & Insomnia February 5, 2016 - by Daron Larson Learn how to take breaks from your story and get some rest Most of us feel certain that we think and worry more than most people. When our… Read More »Mindfulness for Worry & Insomnia
SATISFACTION: Getting the Most Out of Your Life with Mindfulness October 27, 2015 - by Michael W. Taft [dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou can’t wait for your romantic getaway in paradise with your partner. You buy tickets for a dream vacation, imagine all of the things you’ll do,… Read More »SATISFACTION: Getting the Most Out of Your Life with Mindfulness
Meditate Now August 31, 2015 - by Jessica Graham You have heard that meditation is good for you. You've read a few articles about it or even tried a guided meditation on YouTube. You just know… Read More »Meditate Now
Meditation: Are You Doing It Wrong? March 14, 2015 - by Michael W. Taft Albert Einstein once said that "a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." It's actually pretty hard to make a mistake in meditation,… Read More »Meditation: Are You Doing It Wrong?
The Pause January 13, 2015 - by Jessica Graham How many times have you reacted in the same old way to your partner, resulting in a few hours of distance instead of solution and connection? How… Read More »The Pause
Acceptance: the Most Powerful Practice You Can Do January 7, 2015 - by Michael W. Taft This is an excerpt from Michael's book The Mindful Geek If I had to choose just one thing to teach, one single practice to give you that would… Read More »Acceptance: the Most Powerful Practice You Can Do
Eat Less Chocolate, Enjoy It More August 21, 2014 - by Jessica Graham The first time I thought of chocolate as a drug was a few years ago. I was having a day that was heavy with sadness. I had… Read More »Eat Less Chocolate, Enjoy It More
Step on the Clutch July 30, 2014 - by Michael W. Taft I love espresso. But I remember sometimes “waking up” suddenly and finding myself right in the middle of a shuddering caffeine meltdown. I’d been writing on… Read More »Step on the Clutch
Authentic Satisfaction July 25, 2014 - by Jessica Graham Last week my rib popped out. If you’ve ever experienced this, you know that it’s rather painful. It gives you a great opportunity to work with physical… Read More »Authentic Satisfaction
Never Waste Time Again February 27, 2014 - by Michael W. Taft Life often asks us to wait, and a lot of this waiting can feel crushingly pointless. We cool our heels in lines at the supermarket, the… Read More »Never Waste Time Again
Surviving the Holidays Mindfully December 22, 2013 - by Jessica Graham It seems like we all make a cultural agreement to go a little bit crazy during the holidays. Braving the shopping malls (and parking structures!) to buy… Read More »Surviving the Holidays MindfullyThe 5 Main Tenets of Mindful Parenting October 16, 2013 - By Lisa Kring for Huffington Post Mindfulness is the capacity to be fully present with one's actual, moment-to-moment experience as it is arising, with kind attention, without the mind trying… Read More »The 5 Main Tenets of Mindful Parenting
5 Goals You Should Shoot For With A Mindfulness Practice July 11, 2013 - by Julianna Raye It always amazes me how quick people are to judge themselves if they’ve tried meditating and didn’t drop into ecstatic transcendence on the first go. People seem… Read More »5 Goals You Should Shoot For With A Mindfulness Practice
Pratimoksha: A Month of Practicing the Vows April 6, 2013 - Sometimes you have to do something a little extreme in order to get a better understanding of yourself. For many people, the urge towards self knowledge takes the form of… Read More »Pratimoksha: A Month of Practicing the Vows
Being the Guitarist March 31, 2013 - by Julianna Raye As a singer/songwriter, I’ve had some pretty amazing opportunities. And I absolutely love the process of performing live, which I’ve done since I was 5 years… Read More »Being the Guitarist
Five Easy Ways of Undoing Distraction December 21, 2012 - by Michael W. Taft If you cannot focus on one thing at a time, or cannot maintain attention on one thing for as long as you want to, that is… Read More »Five Easy Ways of Undoing DistractionSlowing Down August 16, 2012 - by Jessica Graham For a long time I’ve been a person that is always on the go. It’s been this way since I was a kid. Even then, I constantly… Read More »Slowing Down
Yearning – Insights into Spiritual and Creative Freedom July 4, 2012 - by Jessica Graham There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don't you?… Read More »Yearning – Insights into Spiritual and Creative FreedomFive Proven Ways to Get Your Meditation Practice Back on Track May 10, 2012 - by Michael W. Taft We all know by now that mindfulness meditation can create positive changes in your life. It works, but you pretty much have to practice it every… Read More »Five Proven Ways to Get Your Meditation Practice Back on Track
Eating Mindfully December 10, 2011 - When I quit drinking, I acquired a sweet tooth. For the first time in my life I started eating until I was painfully full. I very unconsciously tore though whole… Read More »Eating Mindfully
Slump Killers September 14, 2011 - by Jessica Graham Experiencing a slump in your practice? We all experience occasional downturns in the urge to practice, as I know from personal experience. This year has had a… Read More »Slump Killers
6 Ways to Be Mindful Right Now May 31, 2011 - by Michael W. Taft You may think that you are too busy to practice meditation. But there is nobody who doesn't have a spare minute here or there to be… Read More »6 Ways to Be Mindful Right NowMeditation: The Power of Daily Practice May 21, 2011 - by Dan Gould Looking after our minds should be as natural as brushing our teeth. The recently launched Action for Happiness movement suggests daily habits – doing good to others,… Read More »Meditation: The Power of Daily Practice