Morning of the Spider Webs
It seemed an unlikely morning for miracles. As I woke and glanced out toward the valley, I saw that a thick layer of fog had wrapped our windows in gauze. The nights in Eagle River were growing cooler...
View ArticleHabits of Attention
We are all on intimate terms with anxiety. We all know what it’s like to be caught in its claw. It’s pretty miserable. And given that our entire future is a giant blank screen upon which we can concoct...
View ArticleThat’s What I Thought
A friend of mine recently visited her mother in a nursing home. But her mother didn’t recognize her. Her mother’s mind had lost the capacity to recognize someone she had known all her life. Actually...
View ArticleProcrastination Disguised as Busyness
The meditation teacher Eknath Easwaren talks about how people have energy only when it comes to things they like or already know how to do well. If you enjoy painting, or playing music, or a good...
View ArticleThe Gains and Losses of Getting Older
Several of my friends have found themselves in the role of caregivers for husbands who are struggling with memory loss stemming from dementia and Alzheimer’s. In one case, my friend was having a...
View ArticleThe Most Common Human Sacrifice
by Gregg Krech When we find ourselves in circumstances which are unpleasant or disappointing there are two common strategies our mind uses to escape. We idealize the future or we romanticize the past....
View ArticleResolutions Cannot Take the Place of Practice
by Gregg Krech It may not come as a surprise to hear that New Year’s resolutions don’t work – at least for more than 90% of those who make them. You’ll hear a lot of discussion about how to make better...
View ArticleWe Begin Again
The Parable A senior monk and a young monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As they prepared to cross the river, they saw a beautiful, young woman in...
View ArticleYour Life Raft
by Gregg Krech You will not find happiness on the path of Self-preoccupation. You need to abandon that ship. Your life raft is called ATTENTION It will take you to freedom on the sea of CURIOSITY...
View ArticleThe Challenge of Being Present with People
For the past two years I’ve surveyed people about their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the skills of mindfulness and attention. Mindfulness as an idea is quite well known, but as a practice...
View ArticleDay Two of the Retreat
It’s Day Two of the Naikan Retreat at the ToDo Institute. What’s happening today? If you were spending the entire week in a retreat here at the ToDo Institute, what would you be doing today? We’re in...
View ArticleDay Five of the Retreat
Day Five of the Retreat Much of the time in a Naikan Retreat is spent reflecting on individuals, from the time your relationship began to the present day, or perhaps just during particular periods of...
View ArticleOnce in a Lifetime Encounter (ichi-go ichi-e)
Ichi-go Ichi-e is a Japanese phrase that literally means “one time, one meeting.” However it is often translated as “once in a lifetime encounter.” What does this mean? The phrase, ichi-go ich- e, can...
View ArticleThe Anticipation of Suffering
“The Anticipation of Suffering is the Thief of This Moment” I was sitting in a gray, canvas camping chair with aluminum legs just a few feet away from the shore of Lake Champlain. The sun was low on...
View ArticleThe Moment You Become Aware That You’re Awake
I had the good fortune of teaching a symposium on the theme of GRATITUDE at the Sivananda Yoga Center in the Bahamas during Thanksgiving week. It’s an extraordinary place with palm trees, delicious...
View ArticleAre You in Contact with Your Life?
Charlotte Joko Beck (1917-2011) was a wonderful Zen teacher. Her teachings were beautifully accessible and directly connected to our real lives, particularly our psychological and emotional suffering....
View ArticleDEALING WITH THE DOWNS AND OUTS OF DEPRESSION
Usually, depression is not a mystery. It’s a state of mind and body which naturally and often elegantly reflects the circumstances of our life. The death of a loved one. The breakup of a long term...
View ArticleThanksgiving and the Spirit of On
I once traveled with a friend who had great insight into human nature. He said, “Wherever you go you can find something to complain about.” If we travel, we can complain about lumpy beds and crowded...
View ArticleCommitment Is Not About Time — There’s Something More Important
Eugene O’Kelly, at the age of 53, was on top of the world. He was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He had a penthouse apartment, two vacation homes, a yacht, a an abundance of money, a lovely wife and...
View ArticleAre You Suffering from Kufungisisa?
In our recent issue of Thirty Thousand Days: A Journal for Purposeful Living, we have an article on an innovative approach to mental health developed in Zimbabwe which has expanded globally to include...
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