Let's Sit! — Mindfulness

We all want to drop into that "zone" state. This is where time flies and we are intently focused on the activity at hand. Learning meditation is like learning to ride a bicycle. While sitting on the cushion, we want to coast peacefully, without distraction. It's not too different from bicycling. Imagine you are on the interstate and there is no one else on the road. There's a long stretch of highway for miles and the temperature is perfect. The ground is level so you don't need to pedal so much to keep your pace. These are the conditions that lead...

We all want to improve. Setting up a system of measure to track progress is key when building any skill, and with meditation it is extremely difficult. How does one assess one's own progress? This is a critical question, given the amount of time required for self cultivation. Remember that in Qigong breath is crucial. We say that breathing is strategy, and knowing which strategy to use requires proficiency. Practice and exploration aids and facilitates proficiency. The first step is to relax the mind and body, using the breathing. You want to aim for soft, smooth, slender and long. This...

Thoughts and the mind! Ah! How do you meditate on your worries, doubts, fears or goals?? And how do you reconcile the quest for no mind?? What do you think about when you are trying to quiet it down? These are all relevant questions. One of the goals in meditation is to quiet the mind chatter - slow down the monkey mind. How do we do this? To quiet the mind we say, give the monkey a banana. This means to use breathing do calm the mind - the breath is the banana. If the mind is very active, you...

Quick! Hurry up! Sit, breathe and find inner peace. Here's how to meditate in a rush. Get comfortable. Establish your posture. And take 3-5 breaths. Make them count! Engage your abdomen, and extend each inhale and exhale without making yourself tense.Breathe so that the exhale resembles that of a sigh. A sigh is how we naturally release tension. So all you need to do is sit and string a few together. If you can do that, you can settle your energy. If you can do that you can settle your mind and be at peace.Try it and let me know...

This is segment is from Mothers' Day 2017.  On this Mother's Day I'm reflective. I'm just thinking that all the drama in the world, where are the mothers? I ask you, "where is your mother?" What would she say? This is a great Question to ask yourself anytime you are not sure about an action. In addition this is a great question to ask a friend, at the moment prior to taking an action they might regret. I'm also curious about the use of the word - premeditated. We see it often used for a crime. Even in the dictionary...