My friend and I were having coffee the other morning talking about living ‘deliberately’. I know Henry David Thoreau and others have spoken about it, but I have my own meaning. To me, in many ways, to live deliberately means to live with intention or to do things ‘on purpose’, to navigate life so that…
After reading Heather Regan Addis’ blog post this week ‘Walk with Me’ which details the movie based on Thich Nhat Hanh’s Zen community of mindfulness practitioners, I was reminded of a wonderful gatha or the short verse that Thich Nhat Hanh uses to help us practice mindfulness in our daily activities: I have arrived, I…
I’ve been waiting for my life to slow down. In fact, it seems that as of late, my life’s one constant has been ‘full steam ahead’. I’ve had friends and colleagues marvel at how I do it all- yet, somehow there always seems to be more to do. This got me thinking of a time…
Happy New Year to one and all! 2018 has stopped me in my tracks- literally! I have been in bed sick with the flu for the last week. However, and thankfully, my wonderful colleague Alan Hughes has stepped up to the plate for me and has written this week’s challenge and blog post. Alan writes…
This past weekend was set aside for putting up the Christmas tree. I have all sorts of wonderful childhood memories of decorating the tree with my family. My mother would make snacks and hors d’oeuvres and there would be carols playing and everything seemed perfect. Although, I am beginning to think I may have had…
A few days ago, I was golfing with a friend in the glorious Autumnal sunshine. Conditions were right for a relaxed afternoon of good conversation, mindful attention on not only the ball but also on the stunning park like setting and some nourishing fun. The two of us were hitting the ball well and pleasantly…
I have been working a lot with acceptance lately. From a professional standpoint, the members at the weekly sit requested a session with the practice of RAIN, or the meditation on acceptance created by Tara Brach, then I modeled the RAIN practice when I was teaching on the MBLC Teaching Skills retreat and I will…
As I mentioned last week, I am currently at my cabin in the north of Canada; moreover, I have been sharing space with a lot of people in a small house. My cabin is an 800 square foot wooden structure with three bedrooms, 4 teenagers, a set of grandparents, my brother and myself. Things are,…
As the holiday season is approaching, a friend and I were talking about gift giving and of the politics that can surround the purchasing of presents. One observation that we made was the need in others, and ourselves from time to time, to reciprocate. And not only to reciprocate but to make sure that we…