Practicing Presence The core of practicing presence is discovering peace inside ourselves and with others by embracing the present moment. My interest in presence started early, even before I understood it formally. While some people seek mindfulness to reduce stress, others practice presence to connect spiritually. For me, practicing presence means experiencing peace and the …
Take a gentle breath and settle in as you read. Allow yourself a moment of kindness. Have you ever caught yourself stuck in judgment, turning a passing judgment into a story built on little evidence? This often becomes self-criticism. If you relate, you’re not alone; everyone faces judgment and self-criticism. Noticing this creates room for …
Breath connects us—within, to others, and to ancestors. Our breathing shows our physical and emotional states. For instance, shallow chest breathing links to anxiety. Breath and anxiety affect each other. This can create cycles that worsen over time. We cannot control all triggers. However, we can control our response. Mindful breathing reduces reactivity and stress. …
Cultivating Gentle Awareness Unexpected changes and pressure can trigger overwhelm or helplessness. You are not alone in this experience. The essential message is that cultivating gentle awareness—intentionally observing your experiences with kindness and non-judgment—empowers you to navigate difficulties with greater clarity and resilience. Practicing gentle awareness acts as a steady anchor in uncertain times and …
STOP an MBSR exercise. This is an invitation to pause as often as you can in your daily life, in various ways. I love the saying: “You are not a human doing but a human being.” Stepping away from our automatic habits gives us space to explore our beingness. Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that …
KEEP CALM: Calm is the space between our reactions. This week, our posts on OurMindful.Life.Now borrow from the British posters entitled KEEP CALM AND…. This slogan, coined as a symbol of stoicism, was produced in 1939 by the British Government to motivate its population at the start of WWII. British relatives who lived through the …
GLAD an MBSR exercise. In psychology, research shows that gratitude is strongly linked with greater happiness. In the context of the traditional Buddhist heart practices, the Brahma-Viharas, gratitude may best be understood as appreciative joy. In the words of Lao Tzu, “When we know how to be content, we never want for anything.” Thus releasing …