by Michael W. Taft The Oxford English Dictionary defines the meaning of concentration as: The keeping of the mental faculties fixed on one object or set of objects. Keeping your mind on one subject at a time, in other words. One way to paraphrase this definition is to describe concentration as bringing all your efforts (whether mental, physical, emotional, etc.) …
The Sensuality of Everyday Experience
How to Use Sensory Clarity to Deepen Your Mindfulness Meditation Practice—and Enliven Your Life by Michael W. Taft Once some friends of mine were trying to get pregnant, and were having a hard time. They went to all the usual doctors, but—even though everything was deemed to be in working order—no baby. Eventually, the doctors said there was only one …
5 Reasons Your Mindfulness Practice Has Stalled & How to Reboot It
View PostWhat to Do Next
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. The election, the reality tv mogul, the surreal and terrifying descent of our country, has people profoundly worried and upset. As a teacher, they ask me what to do. How …
Meditation Will Wreck Your Life
by Michael W. Taft During the “Calvin and Hobbes” part of childhood, I had a very clear career goal. My grade school teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, and the other children raised their hands, saying things like fireman, doctor, and archeologist. I, on the other hand, ardently desired to become a Viking. I …
The Mindful Wisdom of Pokémon Go
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 Pokémon phenomenon when it first came around, but it’s easy to see why the game is taking the world by storm. (It’s been downloaded by more than 30 million people …
Follow the Threads — Mindful Awakening
by Michael W. Taft Mille viae ducunt homines per saecula Romam hen I started meditating in my teens, I believed in Enlightenment. I was going to get to the Big E, which involved having certain mind-blowing experiences. You’d see the Light, or God would open her kimono, or whatever, and after that you’d glow in the dark. I was super …
The Universe Is NOT One
Actually, it might be, but who knows? by Michael W. Taft If you’ve ever practiced in a nondual tradition, you’ve heard the phrase, “The Universe is ONE,” probably a few million times. It’s a staple of how nonduality is communicated, “we’re all connected,” “there is no separation,” “it’s all one big consciousness.” In the traditional versions of these teachings, they …
Mindfulness of Emotions Download
I’m excited to let you know that I’ve put together a special excerpt from my bestselling book The Mindful Geek. I think it will really help you when it comes to coping with difficult emotions. It talks about the evolutionary background of emotions, where they come from, and what they’re for, and how to deal with them. Most importantly, I …
Nonduality and Mindfulness — Two Great Traditions that Go Great Together
by Michael W. Taft In the context of American spiritual practice nondual traditions and mindfulness traditions appear to be in sharp contrast. Nonduality is often associated with the “doing nothing” schools of meditation, and mindfulness meditation is often very effortful. Mindfulness meditation masters in the States commonly refuse to even discuss enlightenment, whereas nondual teachers never stop talking about how …
Wake Up and Enjoy Your Life with Mindfulness
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 through the motions. Coffee takes me up, carbs take me down, but the whole experience is dull, boring, repetitive, predictable. Eventually it all feels like a chore and a burden. …
Pain Relief with Mindfulness: The Safe Haven
by Michael W. Taft I remember throwing out my back one time, which caused terrible pain in one leg. I went to doctors, chiropractors, took medications, all of which helped. But still as I was walking around, it felt as if my leg was on fire, with hot lava swirling in the thigh and knee, burning my flesh. Searing pain …
Willfully Altering Your Brain: An Interview with Michael W. Taft
Michael W. Taft was recently interviewed about mindfulness meditation by the fabulous David McRaney on his podcast “You Are Not So Smart.” Click the white arrow in the red circle below to listen to the interview. Here is part of David’s intro to the interview: In a way, you can simply will yourself into a new physical form – that …