You know that feeling when you’re in the middle of doing something, and all of a sudden, you realize you weren’t actually paying attention to what you were doing? That’s awareness. Observing myself, I notice a lack of awareness most commonly shows up as a combination of tension and hurrying through a task. For example,…
Not every meditation technique works perfectly for everyone. Oftentimes, experienced meditators go through multiple forms of meditation before settling on one that connects best with them, or feels like it has the greatest effect on their daily experience. You might start with concentration meditation, for example, then do a Vipassana retreat, before switching to mantra…
It’s easy to lose sight of just how powerful of a ripple effect meditation can have on your life. If you’re just starting your meditation journey, you might struggle with deciding how much time to invest in a practice that has uncertain payoff. If you’re a regular meditator, it may be hard to keep motivation…
The Mindful Souls subscription box is perfect for anyone looking for a beautifully curated monthly box aimed at spiritual seekers. Their boxes include easy-to-use tools to help you develop your spiritual practice, with 6-8 hand-picked items like jewelry, crystals, aromatherapy products, affirmation cards, and more. Considering ordering a Mindful Souls box, or a similar spiritual…
Most days, we wake up and get on with the business of the day. How often do we stop and think about what actually makes up a good life? How often do we have a chance to consider whether our actions are moving us towards life satisfaction? It’s easy to lose track of our end…
The Goddess Provisions Box is perfect for spiritual seekers who want to “nurture their inner goddess.” Each monthly subscription box includes 5-7 products like crystals, aromatherapy, natural beauty products, & spiritual tools. With 1700+ reviews and tens of thousands of sales, it’s one of the most popular spiritual subscription boxes available. Considering ordering a Goddess…
Each year, the UN World Happiness Report comes out with a list of the happiest countries in the world. (Usually, the Scandinavian countries win). But running happiness surveys isn’t as simple as it might seem. From self-reported surveys, to sentiment analysis, to testing saliva for oxytocin, there are a variety of ways to measure happiness. …
If you’re lucky enough to have a dog in your life, you may not even realize that you have a mindfulness guru living with you. It’s true. Animals are some of the foremost mindfulness experts out there. No, they can’t meditate. (Although their downward dog and upward dog poses are yogi-level). But dogs live in…
The Stoics of ancient Rome walked around imagining all manner of illnesses, deaths, and worst-case scenarios that could happen to them and their loved ones. It’s called negative visualization—and counterintuitively, all that negative thinking might help you live a better life. I was first introduced to the idea of negative visualization by the book A…
If you’re wondering how to appreciate life, the best way to do it is by practicing gratitude and reminding yourself of your own mortality. We take life for granted because mortality is scary, so it’s easier to ignore it. But ignoring the fact that our time is finite means it’s harder to appreciate our lives….
Thich Nhat Hanh was a Buddhist monk, teacher, and writer who taught extensively on the subject of mindfulness. When he passed away in 2022, he was rightfully celebrated as one of the most influential promoters of mindfulness in the world. Through his books and teachings, he reached millions of people with a message of compassion…
Part of mindfulness is understanding the difference between what we can control, and what we can’t control. And this is tough. It’s tough because we live in a world where we’re encouraged to pay attention to things happening thousands of miles away. We’re bombarded on all sides with worthy causes to support. Worthy though these…
There’s no more time-honored morning routine than sitting down at the kitchen table with coffee, eggs, and the newspaper. We’ve been trained in this habit. We mirror the behavior shown to us by past generations. My grandparents made it a point to read the full Washington Post every day. I spent many years reading the…
Looking for the best mindfulness blogs on the Internet? Top ten lists are a dime a dozen, so I decided to populate this one with mindfulness blogs that I—personally—regularly read and enjoy. Zen Habits and Raptitude, for example, are some of my favorite sites on the Internet and I’ve read them for years. I’ve also…
Ask ten people what meditation feels like, and you’re likely to get ten different answers. Meditation is an intensely personal experience. The experience of meditation doesn’t only differ from person to person. The same person can have a wildly different meditation experience from session to session. In my case, I experience calm, relaxing meditation sessions…
“Is meditation worth it?” If you’re considering starting a meditation practice, you might be asking yourself this question. Or, you might be hitting a wall in your existing meditation practice and wondering if it’s worth continuing. I get it. I frequently have to encourage myself to keep my meditation practice going. With anything that requires…
Have you ever been trying to eat healthier, and then (inexplicably) found yourself in front of the pantry eating potato chips? Me too. I wish it wasn’t this way, but falling off the wagon is usually a part of the process. To risk a case of too many metaphors, it’s all about getting back on…
The main difference between contemplation and meditation is that meditation is a practice that focuses on clearing the mind, while contemplation is a more analytical and reflective practice that involves thinking deeply about a particular topic or concept. Sometimes, all you need is to understand your own thoughts. When that happens, you sit down and…
Before I ever knew much about the concept of mindfulness, I went on a ten-day Vipassana silent meditation retreat. Those dozens of hours of Vipassana meditation were my entrance into the world of mindfulness. While Vipassana and mindfulness have a shared history and much in common, the two terms don’t refer to exactly the same…
If you meditate before exams, it can help clear your mind and create a more receptive state for learning. Just 10 minutes may be enough to boost your focus and concentration ahead of your study session. If your mind tends to race when you’re supposed to be studying or before you take an exam, you’re…
