Mindfulness Classes With Oli Doyle: Recent Episodes
Oli Doyle
Learn Mindfulness today with these simple, effective classes from Oli Doyle, author of 'Mindfulness Plain and Simple'.
Minds are funny things, aren't they?
They think they know what the world should look like, what other people should do and how everything should happen.
And yet it doesn't.
Reality has its own rules, its own way of playing and its own ideas about what needs to happen next. And it doesn't care what we think about it.
The question then for us as humans is whether we should keep lecturing reality, arguing with what is and fighting for what the voice in our heads says 'should' be happening, or whether we are better served by noticing the truth of what is here now and working with it in the best way we can.
In today's class we apply practical tools to this very human problem and find the best way forward for each of us.
Living this instant means living instinctively, responding to the moment as it arises, free of fear and desire.
This is easy to say, but harder to do, and in this live class Oli shares his best tips and tools for coming back into alignment with your inner intuition.
Lao Tzu tells us that the lord of the country should not be flitting about, which means lost in the thought stream! And you and I are the 'Lord of the Country', the master of the house. Not the little me that whines and complains but the one who is aware of whining and complaining, the one who watches it all. This is what we seek when we meditate, and yet it is what we are. In today's class, we find the master, the lord, the boss and learn to live from there, not flitting about the countryside, lost in thought but rooted in being, here, now, always. For more information visit www.olidoyle.com or join my Facebook group - Mindfulness With Oli Doyle.
"The Master doesn't seek fulfilment, Not seeking, not expecting, She is present, and can welcome all things." Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching - Stephen Mitchell's version. This week's class explores the importance of finding the Awareness that you are and of bringing curiosity to our inner experience rather than believing the words of someone else. For updates on classes join my Facebook Group 'Mindfulness With Oli Doyle.'
Thinking is not something we DO, it is something that does US, and when we get addicted to watching and listening to the thoughts that come uninvited, when we lose our attention in that stream of words and images, we lose the most precious thing - our actual life.
Guided by the wisdom of Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, in this live class Oli explores the addiction to thinking from which all humanity suffers and shares the steps we can take to start to unpick the threads of that addiction.
Are you ready to be free? This class is for you.
"In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped..." Inspired by the Tao Te Ching, Oli explores the question, 'How can we drop what does not serve us? How do we move from the suffering of knowing best to the peace of not knowing?' In this live class, recorded on the 2nd of June 2020 Oli guided participants through a deep exploration of these questions while explaining some of the reasons behind different elements of mindfulness practice. Classes are live every Wednesday at 11am Melbourne time. For more details visit www.olidoyle.com.
That voice in your head, which I call The Storyteller' is forever loading you up with burdens - past, future, identity, story. Today let us put down those burdens and enjoy the simplicity of a life lived right now. For further information visit www.olidoyle.com, email oli@peacethroughmindfulness.com.au or join my Facebook group, 'Mindfulness With Oli Doyle.'
Mindfulness is often sold to us as a self-improvement practice, but how can we improve a self that can't be found?
In this live class, recorded on the 19th of May, 2020, Oli guides explorers through a deep examination of what is really going on inside.
To join in live, visit Mindfulness With Oli Doyle on Facebook or email oli@peacethroughmindfulness.com.au for class details. More classes and workshops are available at www.olidoyle.com
All stress is caused by identifying with, believing, getting lost in stressful thoughts, but there is another way to live, connected with reality and the peace that is always here.
In this live class from the 12th of May 2020 Oli explains how to move out of this suffering and what to do when thoughts pull your attention back.
This live class was recorded on Zoom on May the 5th, 2020.
For further classes join my group 'Mindfulness with Oli Doyle' on Facebook or email oli@peacethroughmindfulness.com.au to be added to my mailing list.
More information is available at www.olidoyle.com
A mindfulness practice to take you into the heart of awareness, to a place that is not disturbed, even in an ocean of thoughts.
When we sit, it is easy to get pulled into a path that doesn’t serve us. But if we know what place we are seeking, then our efforts can be focused the bring depth to this work.
It’s easy to be calm, except around people of course, so how do we live in harmony with the world when those we love are busy tormenting each other? Can we be the peace amidst the chaos? 㴀+皭湃
It seems as if the mind is in control of your happiness doesn’t it? But what if you are the Master of the House, simply giving your power away without realising it? What if the true power belongs to you?
Mindfulness can easily be overcomplicated, especially if the person explaining is busy thinking about it rather than living it.
Today, I want to explain why mindfulness only has one step, one move if you will. Every technique is designed to bring you to this one shift, but first it is helpful to see through the simple misconception that keeps us all stuck in the first place.
It seems so difficult for humans to be happy. Could it be as simple as noticing the breath?
Mindfulness, it seems, is not quite the right word, or rather it is being applied in ways that change its meaning. At its heart, this practice is about awareness, about finding out what you are, and about living in reality as it is.
In today’s episode I explore simple ways to notice this awareness and return to the freedom of living from that space.
Science is now confirming what the mystics have always said, that time is an illusion and hat everything has already happened by the time you experience it.
What does this mean for our mindfulness practice and our lives?
Meditate on this one and you will be shocked at what you find.
As human beings we are conditioned to believe in certain 'obvious' truths, like time, the material world and 'you' as a separate entity. But do these sacred beliefs hold up in the light of examination? Can they survive your observation of them? Listen and find out.
When I started this mindfulness journey, I was completely convinced that I was a person who needed help. Nowadays, I don't feel so much like a person, and I definitely don't need help!
In this brief podcast, I explain the journey so far, and show you some simple ways to direct your attention to your true home.
Have you ever noticed that the 'one' who makes all the noise in your head is the same one that complains about it?
And have you ever watched as the thoughts that comprise this 'one' rise and dissolve within the space that you are?
In this recording of Oli's regular Sunday night class, he draws you attention back to your true home. Are you ready to come in out of the rain?
For details on these free classes, visit www.olidoyle.com/classes
In this recording of Oli's live Sunday night class, you will discover the peace that is within by riding the breath and dropping attention ever deeper.
For more from Oli, visit www.olidoyle.com
The simplest way to change your world and your life is to withdraw attention from the stream of thinking, of mental chatter, and place that attention within.
Beginning with body awareness, this live recording of from Oli Doyle will show you the way deep within.
For more from Oli, visit www.olidoyle.com
What is real and what is imagined? If you listen to your mind, it will tell you all kinds of stories, but what can you verify in your own experience? In this recorded live class with Oli Doyle, this and much more will be revealed. All you need to do is to look inside. For more from Oli, visit www.olidoyle.com
Perhaps the most powerful and simple tool in mindfulness practice is breath awareness. It's always with you and it can take you instantly out of thinking and into your direct experience.
In this 13 minute class I will show you how to use the simplest possible breath awareness practice to transform your experience right now.
For more free mindfulness classes, head to www.olidoyle.com
Thanks for listening,
Oli
What causes suffering and how do we break free from its grip?
In part 1 of this live workshop recorded in London in September 2015, Oli explores why humans tie themselves in such knots, and how to free yourself right now.
Live guided meditation recorded in Bendigo, Australia. Stay present friends, remember to breathe and live through the body, not so much the mind.
In this preview of this week's course from OliDoyle.com, you will learn how knowing best about your own future creates so much of your stress, worry and frustration.
Are you ready to be free from thinking? Are you clinging to painful stories that bring stress rather than peace into your life?
Step into freedom with this simple, powerful journey inside your mind.
When I stop thinking my way through life, it's easy. And at the same time, that story of 'Me', with its past, its future, its worries and frustrations, starts to fade.
Life without a self, it turns out, is easy!
This podcast is an exerpt of 'Ending Stress For Good'. To listen to the rest of the class, head to OliDoyle.com and get a month's free access to this and other stress destroying gems.
Welcome to Ending Stress For Good! It turns out that moving beyond the stress that is normal for most humans is quite straightforward. We simply need to see what causes it, then learn some simple skills to move beyond it. This course will show you both.
In tonight's class, Oli explores the skillful use of pain to bring you into a state of deep peace. Used correctly, pain and suffering becomes a an alarm clock, pulling you out of the slumber we call thinking and into the present moment.
The interesting thing about thoughts is that they only have power when you forget who you are.
Today you will learn how to remind yourself of the simple fact that you aren't who you think you are.
In this week's class, you will discover that even in the middle of a painful stream of thinking, stillness can be found.
In this week's mindfulness class from Oli Doyle, you will learn a simple method of reducing the power of painful thoughts, by allowing them to be exactly as they are.
In today's class, Oli explores the power of examining every thought's relevance to your experience this instant, before you decide to listen to it.
In today's class, Oli explains how he uses mindfulness to make sure his energy - at home and at work - is invested in joyful projects, not disrupted by the distractions of this world.
These days the world is full of hooks - potential distractions that consume our time, energy and effort and prevent us from doing our best work.
And whether you work in an office or stay home with the kids, you make constant choices about whether to let busy work and distractions take swallow your time.
Facebook, email and television will consume your life if you let them, but wouldn't you rather be doing your best work?
Being Peace
Allowing peace into your life is simpler than it may seem. I say allowing peace because there is no need to create it, for peace is who you are underneath the mental noise we humans seem to experience.
When you wake up out of thought (which you can do right now), you will notice this natural peace starting to flow into your life. This is the simple, two step practice I use to do just that:
1) Bring your attention so intensely to the sensations of breathing that thought moves to the background. Stay as focussed on this breath as you can.
2) Notice yourself as the one who is experiencing these sensations, the one who is aware of the breath. Sense your own presence and keep following the breath.
This simple process is all you need to wake up in this instant.
In this free sample of my latest audio course, "Where Happiness Dwells", I will take you quickly into a state of ease and peace with the simplicity of just this breath.
For more information on the course, click here.
If I was to tell you that happiness is who you are, rather than a state you experience, you might look at me funny. Humans are so confused that we believe happiness is something we can get, when really it's something you have.
Come inside with me today and experience your true self, the experience of true happiness.
In September 2014, I was lucky enough to spend some time chatting with Byron Katie, author of several bestsellers, creator of 'The Work' and dweller in the world of dont-know mind.
Katie (as everyone calls her) woke up out of thought in 1986, and in this frank discussion she describes the process she experienced, whilst also sharing many gems for those of us who remain half-asleep.
Since I spoke with Katie, my identity has virtually dissolved, and the laughter and silence continues to grow, I hope listening is just as helpful to you.
Discover how the mind and its excessive thinking creates all stress, and how a life of simplicity and peace is possible through mindfulness.
What is always is exactly as it is.
That is an obvious statement. Yet my mind complains, judges, plans alternative realities and generally tries to bully the present moment. This never works for me. It leads to frustration, distraction and general ineffectiveness. It's a massive waste of time, energy and happiness.
They say that what you resist persists, but what if you're resisting resistance? What if you're trying to be accepting, struggling to allow what is, to be the good mindfulness student.
Today's class is a simple recipe for dealing with that exact situation, and it's so simple and powerful that you will be absolutely delighted.
Thanks my friends, I hope you enjoy this instant,
Oli Doyle
There is one reason why humans are unhappy, and when we deeply understand that reason our potential can unlock itself rather quickly.
I invite you to explore what creates stress and how life flows when we live instant to instant.
You are not who you think you are. Underneath all that noise and craziness, we are al the same; pure awareness.
Today, I invite you to spend 9 minutes immersed in that awareness.
Often I encourage curious exploration of emotions, but I know that for some people at some times, that process can feel overwhelming. Maybe you're making a speech, or playing in the final, and you find noticing the physical sensations arising to be distracting. Or maybe you just need a little break from those thoughts and feelings.
Today's class will walk you through a simple process to shift attention away from those thoughts and feelings and into the world around us. When we connect with this instant, those thoughts and feelings can quickly become much more manageable.
Is it really possible to watch thoughts, or is it a myth? If I'm thinking, how can I watch the thought at the same time?
I was asked these questions this week, and it reminded me of a time when I didn't know thought was something arising in my awareness. I thought it was me.
So today, I bring you my 10 minute guide to ending stress forever (which means just right now), by learning to watch thought. It's surprisingly easy.
Today, from the archives, I wanted to bring you a ten minute practice session. I hope you enjoy it!
I gave up mindfulness once. I had a tantrum, told myself off and swore I would go back to seeking happiness through the outside world. This lasted a good few weeks.
Today, I wanted to share what was going on in my head, and why I got stuck, because the same thing might happen to you (maybe it's happening now).
So in today's class I will explain the problems I created for myself by setting goals and expectations in my practice. I will also show you how I manage these thoughts now.
I hope this helps you steer clear of some of the potholes I fell in on my own journey.
There are 4 skills you need to be happy. All you need to do is:
1) Live life one instant at a time.
2) Allow this instant to be EXACTLY as it is.
3) Notice the space between thoughts.
4) Know that thought is not who you are.
I could write a 300 page book on this, but instead, I decided to teach you these 4 skills in about 8 minutes.
Follow these 4 steps and your life will never be the same.
Today I decided to bring you three gifts from me to you; three simple exercises that have the power to completely change your relationships for the better.
Test them out today and you will be amazed at what happens.
In this article shared with me by a friend, there were some serious examples of people suffering long term mental health issues that came to the surface during meditation.
Looking after yourself within these practices is critical, and today I wanted to share my best tips on how to safely enjoy mindfulness practice, without risking your mental health.
If you follow my simple, gentle teachings, I believe you will find the right balance of challenging yourself without overstretching, and today I want to share my best tips for maintaining a strong, healthy practice.
I will also share some of the challenges I experienced after meditation retreats. As always, I hope it's useful.
P.S. You can find this balanced peace with my simple, gentle, free intro course, 6 Weeks of Peace.
Listening to the radio today I was struck by the way humans try to stop aggressive politicians from being aggressive by attacking and threatening them.
So instead of complaining about it, I decided to release my 9 minute guide on how to change the world for the better. I hope you enjoy it, but if you don't, I'll still be happy.
It's so easy to let each day skate by without paying much attention to those things we call 'everyday'. Having a shower, talking to a friend, walking down the hallway. But what if you were manifesting peace in every instant of that so called ordinary activity? What if even washing the dishes brought deep joy?
This kind of everyday peace is possible if we take proper care of those activities. Today I would like to share some simple steps to help you find this simple joy in everything you do.
How can we deal with pain mindfully? It seems so all consuming, so awful and so hard to cope with, so how can we stay present and peaceful in the midst of that? Last week, Muriel, one of our lovely listeners, asked this:
"I totally get that experiencing the present moment gives you the real chance to be happy and to live life. I am making progress into not getting caught up in stories that built up from my thinking. But how do you deal with pain?"
Today, I invite you to explore the worst physical situation possible, and to get curious about whether peace is possible in the middle of that.
The answer to this question might seem obvious... until someone questions your beliefs or actions. It might appear crystal clear that happines is what you want, until you find yourself angrily defending a mental position.
As it turns out, lots of us humans pick being right (or fighting for it anyway) much of the time, and it always costs us our happiness.
What would your life be like if you never needed to change anyone's mind or control how they see you, ever again?
The Integrated Mindful Relationship:
After yesterday's class on the end of approval seeking, a friend of mine emailed me a brilliant question:
"Im scared of the consequences of 'just listening' to someone, because it is not this 'seeking approval' that has allowed me to be well-liked and have a wide circle of friends? Isn't it my charm, humour, mannerisms, personality traits that have allowed me to nourish and create new relationships?
I fear that if I follow your instructions to just listen, without interacting as I have in the past, it is a negation of me and could compromise relationships. Am I just interpreting the podcast too literally, and ideally one should try and seek approval less but at the same time, not give up one's personality traits? Im a medical student and have many interactions with patients. I wholeheartedly agree that adopting an approach to just listen and be with the patient, and opposed to trying to 'gain' from patient is worthwhile and will actually lead to greater compassion and patient care. But what about relationships with family, friends, girls etc?/ what are your thoughts? Is there an ideal balance?" Today, I would like to answer these questions.
I remember a time when I thought that what you thought about me was VERY importent. In fact, it was life or death. I spent every moment checking on you, making you laugh, wondering what you thought about what I just said or did, and if I thought you liked it, I was excited, but if I thought you didn't, I felt depressed.
One day, when I sat still for long enough (I'm rather a slow learner), I realised that you don't exist, at least not in the way I thought. I also figured out that I can never know what you think, and I don't so much care anymore either.
Amazingly, when I stopped caring what you thought, I was free to care about you. And when I realised that I can never know your inner world, I turned my interest to mine.
And this is what led me to the happiness I thought I wanted YOU to provide. Delightful.
I had a big realisation a little while back, one that is taking some digesting. I was watching a talk by Eckhart Tolle, who said that, in essence, my whole life is happening inside my head. As he put it, "We believe there is something going on outside, but maybe that's just our imagination!"
Now, I had heard this idea before, but I never really grasped it as anything more than an intellectual concept. But this time it hit me right between the eyes; everything I call 'my life', every so called experience, every posession, even every person I only experience in my own head.
This is mind-blowing, and I wanted to spend some time on it today, I hope you enjoy...
Why are relationships so difficult? Every ounce of pain in your life arises not because life is misbehaving, but because your mind is misbehaving! You see, minds love nothing more than putting conditions on our happiness, telling the world what it 'should' be doing and pointing out the flaws of those around us.
When it comes to our children, these expectations can be particularly strong, and if you're not careful, those thoughts will bring frustration, then trick you into believing that your children caused it!
Today, I want to introduce you to the wonderful world without expectations of anyone else.
If you want to really connect with your children, your parents or anybody close to you, you must do one important thing:
Leave the future alone!
Warning! Today's class may be controversial as I explore the question:
Is your child's behaviour any of your business?
If you're a parent, you have tantrums, (sorry but it's true)!
Here is a simple guide to dealing with them!
Welcome to week of mindful parenting this week at A Little Peace and Quiet!
If you don't have kids, this week is still for you, because our thoughts are our children too, right? They infuriate us, make us feel all warm and fuzzy, distract us and talk us into spending our money on things we shouldn't but. What's the difference really?
All this week we will explore how we deal with these children, and ourselves, with compassion, mindfulness and good humour. I hope you find these simple classes useful.
Today, I invite you to make a simple, radical attitude shift that brings instant relief from frustration at other people.
Once upon a time I thought I could cling to moments of peace, that passing joy could be made to last forever.
But true peace doesn't come from anything that's passing, it's in you, now and forever.
Today, come find it.
Once I thought mindfulness meant blocking all thought, silencing the mind, and this led to predictable consequences. I felt sluggish and strained and when thought came back it came hard!
Luckily, someone told me the secret - just watch those thoughts, don't block, don't get lost, just watch!
Learn this, and life is a breeze.
There was a time when I hid from life in books about meditation, in silent contemplation and by sitting staring at the wall. I wasn't really connecting with the present moment, but I thought I was progressing.
In truth, I was opting out, and my practice lacked a connection with my day to day life. I was hiding in a cave, without bringing that practice back to the world.
True practice is ordinary, grounded and deeply connected with daily life, but if you have ever used it as an escape, you might enjoy today's exploration of this common trap, and of how to untangle yourself.
I'm sitting here listening to you, watching you, but mostly I'm judging you. I can see by the faraway look in your eyes that you're lost in the future, and I can hear from your voice that you don't get it, that you need my help...
Welcome to the mind of the judge, the character I became when I memorised some Hindu quotes, digested the ideas of the Dalai Lama and learned to talk about meditation. I thought I had it figured out, and that was the problem...
You see, figuring it out has nothing to do with mindfulness, in fact it gets in the way! But when I was on my early journey, I believed that I had it all figured out and now I was going to tell you all about it!
The lesson I learned from this was simple: forget about everyone else, and focus on your practice this instant. I hope this simple shift helps you tap into peace right now.
Welcome to another week here at A Little Peace and Quiet.com!
All this week I am sharing some of my biggest struggles, hurdles and challenges when I was learning how to meditate. I hope that by sharing these, I might make your path a little smoother!
When I first sat down to meditate, I had already set up massive expectations for the future, like "When I'm enlightened, my life will be like this..." I had goals, I had ways to measure progress and I completely ruined it!
The result? I felt like a failure, I wanted to quit (I did several times actually) and the story that I wasn't good enough found its way into meditation too.
If I had realised what to do with all those expectations, beliefs and goals, things might have been a little simpler, and so I offer you today's class.
I hope it brings out a little more of the peace that's already inside, right now.
Enjoy!
Oli Doyle
"Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier." Lao Tzu
When I set out on the path of mindfulness, feeling that I was a good person was very important to me.
Now, I don't much care about holiness nor wisdom, but my actions are much kinder and wiser.
Today I would like to share how this transformation came about.
Today I was inspired by Byron Katie's work over at www.thework.com, and I wanted to share something profoundly simple (or simply profound):
Your relationship with us mirrors your relationship with your thoughts. Make peace with thought, and world peace is inevitable.
Have fun!
A mindful stop is a powerful way to step out of anxious, stressful stories and into peace and tranquility.
Thinking is a choice, and today I will show you how to stop.
Come for an adventure in the present moment today, as we journey into that quiet place within.
Over the next 13 minutes, I invite you to change the way you see the entire world.
Most of us prioritise instants. It sounds a bit funny written down like that, but the job interview is more important than brushing your teeth, your wedding day is more important than last Wednesday.
Certain instants matter more than others, which leads to two things:
1) Important moments become anxious, stressful and nerve wracking and
2) Other moments you can stay on autopilot, just awake enough to avoid accidental death.
So we stress, and we daydream, neither of which is much fun.
What is a lot of fun, as it turns out, is treating every instant with respect, paying careful attention no matter what you are doing.
Treasure every instant, and you will be able to relax through the important ones and thoroughly enjoy the rest!
"Peace and Harmony are naturally occuring, they happen without our efforts." Oli Doyle, Mindfulness Plain & Simple.
Because our inner state seems so turbulent, us humans tend to think that peace is something to aim at, not something we have available now. But underneath that turbulence, there is harmony right now, the only question is whether we notice it or not.
And of course, the difference between noticing peace or being lost in turbulence, is our relationship to those thoughts that keep coming and going.
Today, come join me in the inner peace that has always been there.
"Unconditional happiness means exactly what it says, no longer putting conditions on our happiness. It also means opening our minds to the possibility that we can be happy now, without anything in our lives needing to change." Oli Doyle, Mindfulness Plain & Simple.
What are you putting in the way of your happiness right now?
"The essence of mindfulness is to be totally in the moment with openness and interest instead of getting lost in the judgements of the mind. Living in the present brings freedom from pain through freedom from time, as suffering cannot be created without referring to the past and the future." Oli Doyle, Mindfulness Plain & Simple.
You can find this peace this instant, simply by looking at the world a little differently.
Today, as we continue our series based on my book Mindfulness Plain & Simple, we begin to explore mindfulness in action by asking the question:
"What is life like when you don't believe what you think?"
Join me today for 15 minutes of peaceful, joyful mindfulness practice, starting with the breath and journeying through this wonderful moment.
When I was 5 years old, I discovered a brilliant solution to the problem of emotions; just block out the ones you don't like.
This worked, except when it didn't. And when it didn't, the results were pretty poor. Lost tempers, broken windows and embarrassing outbursts were a sure sign that what goes down must come up!
17 years later, I discovered a new way; make friends with what arises, even if you don't like it. This was tough to start with (but only for the first 3 years or so!), but after that, emotions became my friends, and now they rarely create problems in my life.
Today I would like to take you through the process I used to get there.
What role do thoughts play in your life?
"Thoughts come up one after another until we are exhausted and we need to sleep. Then, when we wake up, the running commentary picks right up where it left off. This is why we can't seem to 'get away from it all' when we go on holiday because we are actually taking 'it' with us!" Oli Doyle
It's like this for most people; thought after thought from dawn 'till dusk. Watch their faces as they walk down he street and it's clear; they are not there, they're somewhere else, stressed out about what was or what might be when they could be enjoying the sunshine.
So what are these things we call 'thoughts' and how should we deal with them? In today's podcast we explore how thinking too much blocks happiness, and more importantly, what you can do about it.
Welcome to the second part of this special series based on my book, Mindfulness Plain & Simple.
Self Image:
Right now, my mind is telling a story, and if I trace them back, every story is connected to what I think about myself.
Once upon a time, I spent much energy and effort trying to make them good stories, trying to reframe the bad ones, and trying to affirmation myself to a positive self image. It was exhausting.
There are 2 problems with trying to cultivate good self-esteem:
1) It's a lot of work.
2) It's completely unnecessary.
Today, come and explore the alternative - living free of thinking in the present moment.
Welcome to this 10 part series based on my book Mindfulness Plain & Simple.
Over the next 10 days we will explore why human beings have so much trouble being happy, as well as discovering how to untangle this suffering and find peace right now.
Let's begin with a quote from chapter 1:
"It is not what happens to us that causes our suffering. Our suffering is caused by believing the stories our minds tell us about what happens to us."
Indeed, the only suffering comes from inside, as does peace and happiness. The mind is so hypnotic that it seems as if the outside world dictates our inner experience, but in reality the reverse is true.
When you learn to step from the world of thinking to the here and now, life becomes free and easy, today I invite you to begin this journey.
Life is a mirror, reflecting your inner world back at you. If you're lost in anger, the world will show you anger. If you're caught up in judgement, the world will give you these back too.
So when something seems to push your buttons, this is a very good thing. It is an opportunity to discover who you are.
It is rare that Hollywood is enlightening, but this line from one of Jack Nicholson's great roles speaks to the paradox of human existence; We live as if the future will be better than now, but no-one has ever been there.
Watch the news tonight and you will hear it, see it, feel it, we are waiting. We are anticipating. We are planning ahead. It might be more beneficial for us and the planet if we stopped asking "What will the future be like?" and instead considered this question:
"If today was humanity's last day, how would we treat this moment?"
How would you answer?
Today is a story day at my house. At times like these, we all get caught up (at least a bit), in those stressful stories spun so exquisitely by the mind. I can see it happening in others, and I feel it happening in me; the mind is in charge a little more than usual.
I know this, because my friend stress tells me so, and the mind has a story about that too. This story says "Stress is bad, you should be present so the stress goes away."
What I notice is that, when I follow this story, I resist what is (stress) and I feel the normal effects of that resistance (more stress). I try to get rid of it and the old 'What you resist persists' law seems to kick in.
But luckily, a few years back, I discovered an alternative. I noticed that, when I allow the feeling, embrace it even, I come straight back to the present. The stress then becomes just another part of now, like the breath, or the birds singing.
Treat stress like a friend and it becomes one. And today I wanted to share this simple but powerful way to make stress a force for good in your life.
Knowledge has the power to improve our lives incredibly. Equally it can kill the mystery of life by reducing this unpredictable world to a series of quantifiable parts.
Or so it seems.
In reality, you NEVER know what will happen next, and you can never explain anything. You can tell a story about it, but there is no concrete truth.
There are two choices once you understand this; you can hide from the mystery, or you can embrace it. Today the choice is yours.
Listening to the radio today I was struck by a feature of the human mind; the search for the new and familiar. This sounds like a paradox, but in fact we tend to seek experiences that feel new and exciting, within the realm of the familiar.
Just like the 'new' pop songs that sound familiar enough that millions love them straight away, in life we humans want to be stimulated, but safe.
In the practice of mindfulness, this has a couple of implications: first, it is easy to ignore the familiar, to zone out in everyday life. Second, it can lead us to lose our curiosity, our freshness for the new.
In the life of a mindfulness student, every breath is different. Every day is completely unlike any other. And time is a practicality, not a reality.
Join me today on a mind-ending journey and you might come to see the beauty, the excitement and the joy contained in every ordinary instant.
Picture a wild, heaving nightclub in Brazil. The music is electrifying, the mood is intense and the dancefloor is heaving. And you? Why you're standing against the wall.
You see, you are much too busy thinking to dance, there is too much to figure out. Why is the music so loud? What if there is a fire? And what will everyone think of me if I don't dance just right?
Life is a wild, crazy nightclub, and most people are holding the wall. If you want to get in the mix, today's class is for you.
Life energy is pulsing through all of us all the time, but the mind numbs our awareness.
Today, I will show you how to listen to your body from the inside, boost your immune system and sharpen your present moment awareness.
When I was a kid, everyone told me to think about my future. They convinced me (for a while), that this was the way to be happy: plan ahead, work hard, succeed, feel good.
And so we have the 5 year plan, the 10 year blueprint, which is completely upside down. It's a trade off: forgo happiness now, and you can have it later, but what if you don't survive until later?
Today is all about flipping the usual approach on its head and doing something radically different: thinking about how you want to live today and trusting that the future will take care of itself.
This approach is radical, freeing, and it might just save the human race.
Today I feel tension in my jaw, my thoughts are running a little bit faster and I know who's to blame. It's theirfault.
You know them right? They do things that are unfair, unjust and illogical. They are selfish, irrational and stupid. And they're everywhere!
Luckily, my happiness is no-one else's business (although I forget this sometimes!) My peace is mine to enjoy or ignore, and today I choose to return there.
Join me for a simple practice that will refocus your attention, from the uncontrollable outer to the already peaceful inner. Maybe a billion people doing this, and I think we'll have world peace.
At the airport yesterday, I noticed something odd; everyone stood there, waiting in line, before the gate was even open...
Humans seem to have an in-built urge to "get there". Spend a few minutes watching people waiting in line and you can see it. Watch how we shuffle a few inches forward to get closer to the front, even though we know this shuffling makes no difference. Watch people driving faster to get to their holiday destination 5 minutes quicker, and listen to the language of progress and growth that dominates our economic culture.
Even better, take a look inside and notice what you are rushing toward, and see how this rushing decreses your quality of life.
Today's class is all about what happens when you focus on the journey and let the destination take care of itself.
In the old days, miners didn't have any way to know what gases were in the shaft. Potentially deadly chemicals might be silently drifting through the air, bringing about certain death without you even noticing. That's why they had a canary.
A canary would detect something that might be killing you and send you a signal (it would get sick). Similarly, your body reflects back the stress arising from your resistance to the present moment, it alerts you when it's time to get out of that pit.
Resistance is the cause of all stress, all worry, all anxiety, but often it is sneaky, it hides in the background, almost undetectable. Luckily, work can bring resistance to the surface, as it brings us challenges, difficult situations and people we might normally avoid. Resistance and work are often good friends.
And when resistance arises, we have a wonderful opportunity. We can use this state of unease to bring us back to alertness, awareness and our natural inner joy.
Today, I will walk you through a simple way to do this, from Eckhart Tolle's wonderful book Practicing the Power of Now.
Enjoy.
Sitting at my desk I hear the clatter of cutlery from the staff kitchen. It sounds like a toddler looking for their special spoon, banging and scraping away in a mad rush to get to the bottom of the drawer. But I know that's not it. It's just Jill (name changed), unstacking the dishwasher. Well maybe 20% of her attention is on the dishwasher. My guess is that the other 80% is working through her list.
They say a rushed job takes twice as long, and today I would like to invite you into the quiet, peaceful world of being precise and focused.
Learn how to sharpen your attention and return to now, and you will experience peace and clarity every moment of the day.
Let's get started.
The day begins, and it's one thing after another, one appointment to the next, one meeting to the next as your to-do list grows (along with your stress). Arriving home at night, did you even remember to breathe? Did you really live that day, or were you somewhere else, drifting through thought?
Join me today as we explore the power of stopping and learn how to use body awareness to pause, recharge and reset in the midst of this busy world.
My friend is lovely, but I know she doesn't really listen. She's far too busy you see. Busy with her thoughts, with big ideas, with important side notes. She hears people, but she doesn't truly listen...
As we continue our journey through mindfulness at work we will explore the power of listening as the connective tissue of positive relationships.
We will also examine the value of true listening in keeping us present in the here and now.
This week at A Little Peace and Quiet is all about mindfulness at work, and let me start with a question: Are you really there at work? Or are you only half present, distracted, procrastinating, and watching the day slip by? Or perhaps you are on high alert, stressed, anxious and highly strung as you lurch from crisis to crisis.
Most of us are probably somewhere in between (depending on the day perhaps), which is a massive shame for two reasons:
1) You could be alert, curios and peaceful at work each day, regardless of what is happening.
2) That peace will have a powerful positive impact on everyone you cross paths with each and every day.
This week, I hope to help these two possibilities to emerge, and I will share every tool I have to assist you in making work a place of mindfulness.
You're in the supermaket and of course you picked the slowest queue. The person in front of you can't remember their PIN, and the person coming to help the newly trained server must be coming from across the Atlantic.
What will you do? Spend ten minutes in frustration, anxiety and useless anger? Or spend ten minutes in heaven, with no-one to bother you, nothing to do, ten minutes of pure being.
After today's class, you can make a choice. Will you spend your life waiting to get somewhere else? Or will you sink deep into the wonders of this moment.
Enjoy.
The student asked the Master: "What is the secret to happiness?"
The Master replied: "Just do one thing at a time."
Joy and peace are begging for your attention every second of the day, but most of us humans never look.
Happiness is right under your nose, but most people are too busy to stop and smell the roses.
And in calm, careful attention, we become both happier and more efficient, and it costs nothing.
Today I invite you to pay attention to the details of life.
The only difference between misery and happiness is the relationship you have with thought.
If you're lost in thought, it becomes a dictatorship, ordering its loyal subject (you) about according to its whims.
But take a step back and thought becomes an advisor (or perhaps a board of advisors), ready to give helpful guidance, which you can accept or ignore.
Most humans live in a mental dictatorship. Today I will show you how to find freedom.
If you find yourself drifting through the day, struggling to stay present, this week is for you.
All this week I will bring you a series of simple exercises that can wake you up out of the dream of thought, starting with awareness of breath.
Right through your day, breathing is happening, but do you notice it? Or does it drift past, obscured by thoughts which clamour for your attention?
Amazingly, peace is as simple as noticing one breath. This simple practice is the doorway to awareness, and passing through that door is joyful indeed.
I hope you enjoy it.
Eating is a universal process for humans; we all need to do it most days.
But what happens when you start munching? Do you really taste the food? Or are you lost in your mind, rushing through on the way to a better future?
Most of us only vaguely notice taste, unless it's amazing or awful. In between, we barely notice, we're much too busy thinking about something else.
Learning to eat mindfully has some powerful benefits. You will notice, when you really taste food, that fresh, healthy food actually tastes better than processed sweet or fatty food. You will know when you are full and cravings for more (or for sugar) can become a part of your present moment, something to experience, not something to fight.
But best of all, you will experience a deep sense of peace during meals, a feeling of groundedness that is vastly different to our usual anxious state.
And how can we experience this? Simply sit, breathe and chew, nothing else is required.
So get your knife and fork and join me at the table today for a session of mindful eating. Sit down, relax and let me show you how simple this practice can be.
Connecting with the natural world is enough to bring deep peace and step out of compulsive thinking.
Nature is always calm, silent and peaceful, and when you make friends with this world it is bound to treat you kindly.
The very experience of looking at this world without thinking getting in the way is a powerful one. It can move you from anxiety and stress to a world of calm quickly and easily.
So today, come outside with me. Wriggle your toes in the grass, feel the sun on your skin and never stop gazing at the stars.
I promise you won't regret it.
Are you really walking? Or are you just trying to get somewhere?
Look around you when you're out in the world and you will see people everywhere, on their way somewhere else. No-one is truly walking, they're too busy thinking about where they're headed.
True walking, mindful walking, has nothing to do with speed, and everything to do with attention.
Attention to detail, to what surrounds you, to what your body is experiencing right now.
Attention to life.
So whether you're going fast or slow, come for a walk with me today and appreciate the wonderful peace that arises when you just walk without thinking.
It just might change your day (or maybe your life).
What better way to start the day than with a cup of tea? But is your cup wasted, lost in a sea of thinking?
Every day around the world, millions (maybe billions) of people rush through their tea (and their life), in search of a future that will make them happy. But if you're waiting for the future to bring happiness, you will be waiting forever.
The alternative is to drink your tea (and live your life), as if every sip could be your last.
If you're going to drink it, you might as well enjoy it, and today's class will show you how to make drinking your tea another path to mindful awareness.
Learn the secret of drinking tea and you will know how to find joy in your life right now. It's just that simple.
This week is all about simple exercises that bring you back to a state of peace, joy and mindfulness.
Each day I will share one powerful way to start your day mindfully, and remember, starting your day can happen anytime, as it's always now.
Today, we begin in the simplest possible way, with one mindful breath. This may seem too simple, but before you know it, one mindful breath turns into five mindful minutes, and five mindful minutes turns into a mindful life.
Join me for a wonderful reminder that your whole life is just one breath, and that there's no need to overthink it.
Look around you and you will notice that those with the strongest attachment to themselves, their opinions, beliefs and expectations live the most complicated, conflictual lives. Here are some simple ways to go beyond such conflict:
1) Don't believe what you think
2) Don't worry what others are thinking
3) Learn how to watch thoughts coming and going
This is actually just one practice, and it is simple and powerful in equal parts. Step out of the content of the mind and into the process of watching it and ah! Freedom! So sudden, so instantaneous!
Have fun in this moment, and remember that your thoughts are wholly unimportant. You, on the other hand, are precious, important and wonderful. There's no need to create this wonder, you just need to remember it.
Thank you for bringing a little more peace into this world.
Conflict is like a fire that rages inside, and the more you get lost in the thoughts about what happened outside, the stronger it gets.
That's because unconscious attention strengthens thought, while deliberately paying attention to them removes their power.
So in ending conflict in this world, the key is to pay proper attention to thought, in the right way, with mindfulness.
Today I will show you how.
The recipe for world peace is simple, and it does not involve any complex geopolitical solutions. We just need to breathe.
Well, breathe and be aware anyway. If you learn to do this, even in the midst of great anger and suffering, peace will begin to emerge.
And when your world is peaceful, those around you will certainly be drawn in.
So when anger threatens to take over, we must remember:
"Self and others are not two separate things, because the suffering, hope and anger of both sides is very much the same.
When we get angry, we suffer. If you really understand that, you also will be able to understand that when the other person is angry, it means she is suffering." Thich Nhat Hanh
Today, I invite you to join me in a place of compassion, peace and deep empathy.
For conflict to arise we need three things:
Personalities, stories and drama.
As you will discover in today's class, these three elements bring incredible difficulty, suffering and trouble into this world, and they contribute nothing.
Today I invite you on a different path - using the challenges of the world to become more deeply engaged in this wonderful moment. I hope you like it.
Can we deal with conflict mindfully? Is it possible to strike a balance between accepting people as they are and being assertive? How can we do this without being trampled?
Welcome to conflict week! All this week we will explore how conflict arises, what feeds the drama of human conflict and how we can go beyond it.
As humans begin to master these simple practices and become aware of the elements of conflict, the world will dramatically change.
We begin today by deconstructing the true cause of conflict, and practising a simple exercise that can remove conflict from your life today.
For more classes, come on down to www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
In my last book, Mindfulness Plain & Simple, I discussed an interesting paradox, which is that we all seek happiness, we try to get peace and contentment, when in fact it is the very seeking that gets in the way of happiness.
We look to the outside world, or to some needed change in our inner world (a change that will happen in the future, which never comes) in the hope that this is the path to happiness. But unfortunately, there is no path tohappiness, there is only a path ofhappiness.
True happiness is 100% engagement with this moment. Today I will show you how to make this engagement your focus right now.
When you have a problem in your life, how does your mind respond? If you are anything like me you will notice repetitive patterns of thinking, old solutions being refashioned (even if they don't work) and a firm urging to try harder, work longer and push through the challenge.
You may also have found that this approach doesn't work. And you may even have found that better solutions arise when you STOP thinking about the problem, that inspiration strikes in the shower, in the garden, but never in the office.
So today, I decided to explore a new approach to finding solutions, an approach that uses mindfulness to uncork our natural brilliance, our inherent creativity. I hope you find this approach useful and refreshing.
You mustn't settle for philosophy. You mustn't allow mindfulness to be an exercise in discussion, argument and consideration. You must dive in.
Today I implore you to take a running jump into your inner world. Don't let the mind redirect you. Take a risk, dive in and discover the truth of your being; discover true peace.
Our minds are hungry, seeking more knowledge, more information, more understanding. We want to know more (more than you!), we want to know why and we definitely don't want to be left wondering.
But a joyful life is not about knowing, it is about experiencing this moment as it is. Of course, this involves a good deal of wondering and of sitting comfortably with not knowing.
This is why, in Zen, they don't give you much information, they simply tell you to sit and experience this moment directly. This direct experience is the basis of today's class, which begins with another dialogue:
"A monk asks Zen master Chao Chou: What was Bodhidharma's intention in coming to China?
Chao Chou: Look at the cypress in the courtyard.
This may seem an odd answer, but listen on and you will see why this is the best advice a meditator could receive!
Today's class begins with a mysterious dialogue:
"Master Shui Lao asked Ma Tsu, 'What is the meaning of the coming from the West?'
Ma Tsu then knocked him down with a kick to the chest: Shui Lao was greatly enlightened. He got up, clapping his hands and laughing loudly...
Afterward, he would tell the assemly, 'From the time I took Ma Tsu's kick up until now, I haven't stopped laughing.'"
Listen on, and you will be surprised at how this links to the challenges that throw us off the path of mindfulness every single day.
Enjoy.
As we come to the end of our 6 week mindfulness course, I want to let you know that you are already perfect. Nothing about you needs to be changed in this moment.
Of course, now you get to choose whether you stay lost in thought or wake up into this now, but whether you do this or not, you are perfect beyond words.
Consider that; "Perfect beyond words". When you go beyond words (thinking), perfection was there already. Everything is perfect.
You are part of that everything, you are precious, you are incomparable. And as you continue to wake up, perfection will shine through you ever more brilliantly.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. This course is an accompaniment to my upcoming book 6 Weeks of Peace, which will be available around the end of April.
If you enjoyed this class, please tell a friend.
Oli Doyle
It sounds crazy, but in reality, stress can bring you to peace, and challenges can be of great benefit to your mindfulness practice.
The secret is to learn to use stress as an alarm clock, a reminder to return to the present moment.
Master this simple skill, and everything you thought was an obstacle becomes immensely helpful.
Today, I invite you to do something simple but incredibly powerful; make a commitment.
A commitment to what? To waking up out of thought.
Forget the distractions, the shiny objects of this world and instead commit to something life-changing; commit to living this life moment by moment and to returning to this wonderful moment whenever the fog of thought creeps in.
In this simple 8 minute class, I will show you how straightforward this process can be.
The job of the outside world has nothing to do with your happiness, instead it is custom designed to wake you up out of thought!
Ordinarily, we think that happiness will come when at last the outside world starts doing what it's told, giving us what we want. This plan has only 2 major flaws:
1) The world won't do what it's told and
2) Even when it does, the happiness doesn't last.
This happiness is fleeting, it is dependent on certain conditions and fades as things change again. So what should we do?
Luckily, peace and joy are always there, deep within, your only job is to find it.
Join me today on a journey into your depths and discover what you were chasing all along.
The only aim of mindfulness is to wake up, but not out of sleep, out of thinking!
There are only two possible states for the average human being: we are either present, awake and alive in this moment, or we are lost in thought, asleep. There is no in between.
This week's classes are all about waking up out of thought, and I will share every tool, every tip and every technique I have to help jolt you (or at least nudge you) out of your slumber and into the beautiful, peaceful simplicity of this moment.
I hope you enjoy the ride.
What if there was nothing to do, and nowhere to be?
Would it change your quest for happiness if you knew that no improvement was possible, or even necessary?
How would you live this life if you knew that the only possible achievement was to live fully in this instant?
Join me today in the place of joy and ease, the present moment.
Life is a happening! In today's class we discover the burden of me and learn how to experience life as an adventure!
Join me on a journey from one view - that identity is key and positive self-esteem the goal - to a radically different world in which engagement with life is the ultimate enjoyment.
What could be better?
If you are serious about enjoying life, you might also enjoy my book, Mindfulness Plain & Simple.
Thinking - the act of getting lost in thoughts - is a great way to miss out on life. It leaves you dwelling in two time zones (the past and the future) which you will never ever get to visit.
Thinking is always about what was or what might be, but life keeps happening now. Life is sharp, fast, a constant evolution, while thinking is dead. It is focussed on something that happened already, or something that might, a largely useless process.
Today, join the class and learn how to use thinking so thinking can't use you - learn how not to think. Even in these short 8 minutes you will already experience a world of quiet and calm, a world of simple peace. When are you waiting for?
Drama is no more than a vain attempt to control the world. It contributes nothing positive to you or those around you, whilst derailing your very attempts to influence the world.
Worse than that, drama is sneaky! It pretends to be necessary, justified and useful, when in reality it is no more than a waste of time and energy.
Because drama is sneaky, you must be alert to outsmart it. Keep watching thoughts and you will stay in control of the one thing that matters - where you place your attention.
Drama is the storm, but never forget that you are the sky.
If you embrace today's practice you will notice some dramatic changes. You will notice that, as expectations are replaced with interest, everyday life is infinitely more enjoyable.
Life in this instant is easy. Thinking about what should have been different is hard. Which will you choose?
Ordinarily, we see life through thought, and our thinking determines our quality of life. It directs our worries, fears, joys and anxieties. Thinking has a lot of power.
But there is another element to your experience right now; there is someone who is conscious of the whole experience. There is a watcher, there in the background. Could that watcher be you?
Today, come on a journey into the world of non-thinking, a simple, peaceful place, with nothing to do, and no need to be anything special. The joy of dropping all thinking will amaze you.
Wake up today, wake up! Wake up! Not out of sleep but out of thinking, which is not only a dream world, but also makes you tired, unlike the rejuvinating state of real sleep.
If your awareness is absorbed in thought, you are not truly alive, nor dead, just dragging along.
Today, I invite you to wake up out of this half life into the electric world of the body. The energy, stillness and aliveness is incredible, and I hope you enjoy it.
For more classes from Oli Doyle, take a trip to www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
So far this week, I’ve talked about all the things that keep changing, but there is something inside you that has stayed the same ever since you were born, maybe even before!
You do have an identity of sorts. There is one constant in your life: the awareness that exists in the background, watching, and mindfulness practice can take you into this awareness and out of stress right now.
Most of what we call 'me' is really just an experience; a thought, a situation, a body, a job. But if these so-called experiences aren't me, then what is? A largely neglected element of mindfulness practice is the art of self-awareness, sensing yourself as the watcher of all experiences.
Most teachers ignore this and treat mindfulness as a mind training exercise instead, but this misses the most powerful part. Realising that you are not who you think you are is the greatest gift of this practice and of any type of meditation. It releases you from the cycle of worry-scheme-stress-react-worry-scheme-stress that most humans are completely caught in. It also destroys the idea of a time based self, which ends the reliance on past and future.
Instead of ignoring this challenging place, I invite you to lean into it, and to realise that thoughts and experiences are there to be enjoyed, but there is something else that endures through the ever-changing craziness we call life.
As we enter week 4 of this mindfulness un-course, it is time to recognise that which has caused all our pain, our fear and anger and frustration; Me.
The common element of stress is always your sense of being a separate 'me' in a world that won't behave. Learn to drop the self built on thoughts, opinions and beliefs and you will discover a freedom you never thought possible.
So this week is all about 2 things: recognising the falseness of this constructed self and discovering who we really are. Let us start by checking if this self really is made up.
Today I will show you how to access the stillness inside whenever you want to. If you're feeling strung out, lost in this fast paced world, this practice can be your refuge regardless of the circumstances of your life.
For over 200 more mindfulness classes, visit www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com.
Did you know that inside, you're always peaceful, even if you don't notice it? I know, you may think this sounds crazy, but underneath all thoughts and turmoil, we are all completely silent.
Today I invite you to find that silence by noticing what is there when thought is not.
For more thought un-provoking classes, join me at www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
WARNING! The following podcast may cause your false identity to explode, leaving you peaceful, free and perhaps appearing slightly unhinged! Please exercise caution if you are attached to your story, if you fear losing the false future or if the past is more important than your happiness.
For more classes, catch the internet bus over to www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
To get a copy of Oli's masterful book Mindfulness Plain and Simple get the tube over to
Amazon.com or
Amazon UK
Listening to silence can change your life. It can remove you immediately from the churn of continuous thinking, the stress of a world seemingly filled with noise. In truth, there is silence everywhere, inside and out. Silence is the background from which all sound emerges and into which it returns.
Life and silence are synonomous, and when we listen to silence deliberately, it unleashes great peace almost instantly.
Today I would like to share with you this simple, powerful peace.
For more classes, head to www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
Do you ever feel like life is always busy, like time is always stretched as your to-do list grows like a garden weed?
Have you ever arrived at the end of the day feeling like it was all a blur of rushing and busy-ness?
If you answered 'yes' to either, you're probably a modern day human. Congratulations! If you are searching for an alternative, this week is for you. Each day, I will be celebrating the joy of going slow, of being still and enjoying this wonderful peaceful world.
Join the full journey at www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
I hope you enjoy the un-ride!
Oli Doyle
Let everything be exactly as it is and you will discover a radically different world, one that is peaceful, calm and perfect already. How freeing!
For more classes from Oli Doyle, visit www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
How to make peace with the people you can't stand!
For more mindfulness classes, resources and workshops, visit www.alittlepeaceandquiet.com
When we practise allowfulness, what we are doing instead is taking a step back whenever the thoughts start to take over. We come back to experiencing the feeling as it is—as a sensation. That’s it. If you can learn to do that, you will never have an emotional problem again. When the emotion tries to take over your thinking, or vice versa, you can just sit and experience the feeling while watching the thoughts roll by. It’s as if you are sitting in a nice warm house watching a thunderstorm roll through. Beautiful, powerful and unable to stop your happiness.
Does resisting what we see as negative actually help us in any way? Does it provide any positive benefits or help us to resolve those situations, or does it merely reduce our ability to effectively deal with what's arising now?
As we begin the week, we will see how to step out of this struggle and bring curiosity to this wonderful life.
When you learn to sharpen your attention down to this moment, you can focus just on the time you are spending with the person Now. You can really notice the person’s facial expressions today, the way the person is talking today—you can really listen. And in that listening, the relationship changes.
So you are no longer worried about the next Now or the last Now. It is just this; it is all just this. And suddenly difficult situations aren’t difficult anymore. They are just challenges that either require action or don’t. If they require action, you act, and if not, you leave it—very simple. The mind will try to complicate this and say, “Yeah, but … Yeah, but … Yeah, but what about … What if …” But there is no situation where being in the Now doesn’t apply. In any situation, all you can do is act in the best way you can, or not act. There is no other path or option. When you keep this in mind, life is very simple.
Experiencing life as it happens is not possible through the mind - it is only possible by stepping out of thinking and into curiosity and openness. If you listen to a friend without worrying about what it means for you, how what they’re describing may affect you and what you might say next, that listening will open up a whole new perspective. You can be wholehearted in your actions, which brings a sense of calm, peace and joy. It also makes you increasingly effective as old beliefs, assumptions and conditioning no longer contaminate your actions in this moment.
Instantaneous focus means bringing your attention so sharply into this moment that there is no room for anything else, for any thought, to take over. Now thoughts can still arise and they will and that’s fine, because we’re not trying to get rid of thought or to block it. We’re not trying to have a quiet mind. We just want to be primarily focused on our object of awareness, which in this practice will be the breath. With instantaneous focus, you are so sharply aware, so alive in this moment, that everything else fades to the background.
What is life like when we just stop thinking, unless it is absolutely necessary? Today we will explore what that world is like, and how we can all step into it whenever we decide.
Humans make one simple mistake that causes all our stress; we look for stability in the wrong place. We seek a predictable, safe experience in the outside world, which is constantly changing and evolving. We look for peace and happiness through external events and experiences. And in the end, we are left frustrated and disheartened.
Instead of blaming the external world, we should just stop asking it to give us what we want. And rather than giving up on what we want, we should start to look for it inside. In truth, you are peace, joy and brilliance all rolled into one. All you need to do is look.
Whether you call yourself religious or not, we all follow the biggest religion of all time - Should-ism. Those of us who (at least occasionally) follow this religion believe in a whole lot of 'Shoulds', which are different for each of us.
Today, I will show you a simple practice to help you notice when the shoulds are taking over and to step back into curiosity.
The mind and the world have convinced you of a simple but powerful lie: that happiness is determined by what happens to you on a day to day basis. This lie keeps your attention focused outside, your main interest in what others do, what life does, and how it affects you.
Today I will illustrate how this process itself prevents any chance of finding peace, of being truly happy. I will also show you how it is possible to take a different path and find peace right now.
So far this week we have explored how to catch your thinking before it takes over your attention, your feelings and your life. Today I will summarise the practices from this week into one powerful experience.
Thoughts and feelings are so closely connected that it's often hard to tell where one world ends and the other begins. As it turns out, The Thinker is closely involved in this world too, both encouraging emotions by telling stories and using them to feed drama.
Today we will explore how to end this drama by bringing more awareness to your internal world.
Human beings are lost in a combination of mental stories most of the time. At the core of these stories is the one main storyline, the story of "Me". This so-called me is no more than the accumulation of past experience, beliefs and conditioning, yet most of us see this story and think it is who we are.
Today, I will take you on a different journey, to experience another aspect of your experience, that is deeper than thought, deeper than belief and much more satisfying.
Today we explore how thought patterns continually grab our attention by pushing our buttons. If you ever find yourself getting lost in the same thoughts over and over again, this class is for you.
Welcome to day 1 of our series on 'The Thinker', that little nagging voice inside your head. Join me as I share with you some powerful exercises to reduce the power of this voice whilst increasing your awareness of the present moment.
We have looked at trust from 9 different angles over the past 9 days.
Today, I will fold those 9 into 1 simple mindfulness practice and ask you a couple of transformational questions.
In today's mini-class we will free ourselves of the stress and struggle that comes from "not liking" someone. We will learn how to look and listen with fresh eyes, so that person no longer causes us a problem.
Enjoy!
In today's mini-class we explore a simple but powerful practice that will completely change your relationships with people you know well (in a good way). I hope you enjoy the exercise and the experiments you conduct on those people when you meet them this week.
Enjoy!
Why is it so hard to listen to others without getting carried away with my story? Why do I get distracted so easily when someone else is talking? And most importantly, what can I do about it?
In today's Mini-class, we explore these questions and more, and you'll come away with a little more homework to sharpen your listening when you head out into the world.
Enjoy!
Today we begin relationship week, our deep dive into why relationships are so hard for humans to maintain, what gets in the way and how mindfulness can help. We begin with an exploration of what gets in the way, plus a little experiment to try when you're out there in the world.
Life often seems stressful for one good reason - we miss the space, silence and stillness that is always around us. In today's class, I will take you into this peaceful place with some simple, easy to repeat tools, making life enjoyable even in hectic times.
Enjoy!
A few days ago, I posted on here about the greatest gift we can give our children - our total attention. In response to that, a friend tweeted me to ask how to share mindfulness with our children, and I wanted to share two ways to teach mindfulness to kids and adults alike, without it sounding all new age. So I recorded for you this guide to sharing the peaceful loveliness, without turning into a preacher. Enjoy!
The platform for happiness is realising that the mind is not who you are. Come on a journey to explore your true self; Awareness.