What Is the Self?
This is a video of me speaking at the Portland Float Conference last October (2012). I’m adapting Shinzen’s ideas about how to deconstruct the ego to the environment of a flotation tank. Thanks to the… Read More »What Is the Self?
Michael W. Taft
Make Yourself Some Chai
by Michael W. Taft A hot cup of spicy chai is a fabulous way to start the day: allow no substitutes. It’s also makes a great support to meditation. Getting hopped up on tea before… Read More »Make Yourself Some Chai
Five Easy Ways of Undoing Distraction
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 distraction. Distraction dilutes brain power,… Read More »Five Easy Ways of Undoing Distraction
Tuning Into the Body with Mindfulness
by Michael W. Taft I really like to go dancing. In the Bay Area, where I live, there are a lot of rave-inspired dance events, where I go and dance for hours. The DJs are… Read More »Tuning Into the Body with Mindfulness
The Body as the Direct Path, Part 2
Welcome to the second installment of Mike Zittel’s amazing graphic mindfulness instruction series. In this part he starts right up where he left off in Part One, talking about various ways of meditating on sensory… Read More »The Body as the Direct Path, Part 2
Mindfulness of the Body
In mindfulness, the body is where to begin Mindfulness of the body didn’t come easily to me. When I first started meditating in the late 1970s, I had a very hard time sitting still. I… Read More »Mindfulness of the Body
Five Proven Ways to Get Your Meditation Practice Back on Track
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 day to really reap the… Read More »Five Proven Ways to Get Your Meditation Practice Back on Track
Alone Bad, Friend Good – Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness
by Michael W. Taft I used to have a hard time relating to people. As a bald-headed punk, my personality was so intense that my friends jokingly nicknamed me “Toxic Mike.” I felt that I… Read More »Alone Bad, Friend Good – Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness
Meditation and Religion
by Michael W. Taft Here’s the thing about meditation: it’s hard. Anyone who says it isn’t hard is trying to be kind, like when the doctor says, “This won’t hurt a bit.” Anyone who thinks… Read More »Meditation and Religion
Deconstructing Yourself Reconstructed!
As you no doubt have already noticed, Deconstructing Yourself is undergoing a design change. We’re very sorry to see the Miro go, but we’re hoping that this new layout will make it easier to… Read More »Deconstructing Yourself Reconstructed!
Freshness
by Michael W. Taft I remember how painful boredom used to feel as a teenager. It was crushing. New television shows, movies, and music just felt like rehashes of old ones. New people reminded me… Read More »Freshness
Meditation and Pain Reduction Link Found
Meditating over the years, I have experienced the pain reduction effects of meditation personally. This applies to the discomfort of illness, the soreness or sharp pains of injury, or even extremely chronic pain. Shinzen Young’s… Read More »Meditation and Pain Reduction Link Found
Nondualism: The History of an Idea
In November, I spoke about the history of non-dualism at the Science and Non-duality Conference, in San Rafael. I decided to give this talk because although a lot of people talk about nondualism, Advaita, and… Read More »Nondualism: The History of an Idea