Brad4d Savasana: Recent Episodes
Beth
Hear some daily spiritual insights before you start your day, evening, or meditation. Take a breath, take a listen, then take care.
Our values and belief systems—called shraddha— often dictate our destiny. Your shraddha can be aligned with God, or shraddha can serve power, lust, fame, or money. You might find temporary happiness if your shraddha revolves around selfish desires, but inner peace will never be the result. If you seek peace in the world, start with your shraddha.
Self care isn’t self-indulgence. It’s caring for your wounds by spending time in solitude, taking inventory of how your thoughts, words, and actions affect others. If self care in this sense is ignored, you can easily blame others and play the victim. Because some of those wounds are self-inflicted, and others might be wounds carried from long ago.
We can easily lose track of our lives if we don’t periodically assess our priorities. We find ourselves stretched too thin, taking on too much while getting nothing really done. Remembering our priorities will call for us to drop the unnecessary so we can live a little more on purpose.
We’re often led by our secular culture out of a desire to fit in and belong. But a life rooted in God is very countercultural. It rubs against the secular values of sex, power, and money. When we spend time in our inner room, we know that we must practice some self-restraint in our outer lives. We work on shedding those habits and attitudes that drive us further from God’s Light.
Aches, tightness, or strain in your body tell you that something isn’t right. You might choose to ignore it, saying “no pain, no gain.” But your body will react when your life isn’t in proper alignment. Notice what happens when you encounter conflict. What does your body do when you make choices that might lead to pain? Pay attention to your body as a teacher. It will tell you the truth that your mind refuses to admit.
Media moguls are rich, and many content creators seek a piece of that pie. They serve you with addictive content that keeps you in a state of craving and competition. This content keeps you stuck and needing more. For you to find inner peace, ask yourself if your media choices point towards the ego and competitiveness or towards service and cooperation.
The 5 a.m. Club went viral on TikTok as people touted the benefits of waking up earlier to get things done. Triathletes would call this sleeping in! You can make the 5 a.m. about productivity, or you can use that sacred time in the morning to cultivate quietude. What you do the first few moments of the day frames the rest. Can you dedicate the first few moments of your day to cultivate the sacred within?
If you’re drawn to silence and contemplation, experience a Quaker meeting. The stereotype of a Quaker is far beyond reality. You find simplicity, equality, and empowerment. You abandon the ego and listen to the Divine within you. You only speak when it can improve the silence. We all possess that Inner Teacher. It’s your choice to listen.
Political polls, news media, social media, and politicians often shape the narrative about what we should consider to be the most important issue. When you step away from all of these, look around you. What is causing harm at this moment that might affect the future? How are you personally making it worse with your habits, behaviors, and thoughts? Rather than adopt a selfish perspective about what the government can do for you, we should adopt a communal perspective. A political poll doesn’t always look at nuances that a spiritual perspective often does.
We’ve all had “that” relationship—one that broke us open completely. Your charred self might need years for rebirth and renewal. How much time that takes depends how much spiritual renovation is needed. During your spiritual remodeling, you don’t return to your old self but build a stronger, more resilient structure that can hold unconditional love while warding off unwanted visitors.
People with good (and not-so-good) intentions can offer us advice that only reflect their truth or understanding. That teaching might be limited to their life path and not yours. To protect ourselves, we must return to the True teachings that transcend time and circumstance. These are Eternal Truths, not temporal or personal truths.
Our need for perfection can often constrict our prayer lives. We tell ourselves that we must have this posture, this sequence without interruption in order for our prayers to “work.” In reality, when we have a perfect intention—aligning our will to God’s—then it’s perfect.
Our emotions can often delude us into thinking that what we’re experiencing is eternal. Our emotions will fixate on a thought—good or bad—to the extent that we miss the uniqueness of each moment. Every moment something new is born. Every moment something dies or fades. We must learn to welcome what’s new and let go of what is fading.
When you plug in a lamp into the electric socket, does the lamp shine brighter if the energy is “positive?” It’s just energy. How we channel our energy through our emotions and thoughts can make it seem positive or negative. Even if energy is “positive” or “negative,” are we spreading lovingkindness when a Reiki master tells us to exhale “negative energy”?
Meditation techniques teach you how to train your mind, direct your thoughts, or simply observe your thoughts. Contemplation is about letting go of techniques and surrendering to God. We use the discipline of meditation to handle the chattering mind or craving senses so that our spirits can rest in contemplation.
Alabama Senator Katie Britt caught a lot of heat during her State of the Union response, particularly with her story about the woman who suffered from sex trafficking. Yet there are so many people suffering at this moment, including ourselves. We pray, “Have mercy on us and on the whole world” to ask God for mercy not only for us, but also for those who have no one to pray for us.
We can travel to exotic places to learn how to meditate, but what happens when we return? We sit in meditation and get disrupted by the many stirrings in our lives. We become reactive, demanding that the world caters to our demand for silence. Practicing meditation amidst the interruptions of our everyday lives cultivates non-reactivity. We learn how to be calm with the small disruptions so we can remain calm when our lives erupt in chaos.
When you experience something new, your senses and attention are engaged. It’s like falling in love. A spiritual awakening or born again experience can feel like that. But then the honeymoon ends, and you yearn for that sensation. You can grow bored and search for other methods to give you that same feeling. Rather than search for something new, that boredom is a call for a deeper relationship with God beyond the senses.
Everyone experiences things differently. You might have 10 people witness an event, yet each person extracts what they choose to see. We can easily miss new opportunities or paths when we only pay attention to the familiar or the grand. Something new might be waiting for you to notice it.
Self-care practices are critical to help us heal the wounds the world inflicts upon us. But turning in towards ourselves—incurvatus in se—can leave us closed off, stuck, and isolated from the world. As we begin to heal, we open ourselves up so we can do our part in healing the world.
No, yoga isn't a religion. Hindu is. However, yoga provides a framework to help you live a little more in line with your religion. American yoga teachers might mention the Yoga Sutras in their classes, and the sutras themselves give you tools how to reach union with the object of your desire. It's similar to what St. Teresa of Avila talks about in Interior Castle. The aim in yoga (and contemplation) is union or oneness. It's up to you with whom you want to be unified.
Background music by Chris Collins at Indiemusicbox.com.
A lot of courses, books, and workshops promise shortcuts to enlightenment or spiritual awakening. They bypass the challenging and the boring and stick to the sensual. Most of them appeal to some of our base desires, such as a desire for adoration or riches. Even if they achieve temporary liberation, it curves inward rather than outward. It perpetuates the self rather than serves the Self.
Social media is full of way too much noise. Not only are many of the posts full of distracted and anxiety-producing energy, but the comment section is often full of emotion-laden vitriol that lacks rational thought. All of this social media content and comments keep us in a state of shock and fear. No wonder we’re all suffering from anxiety and stress. Rather than respond with something impulsive, think again. Ask yourself, how will this post be received? Does this build bridges? And most of all, what does this say about my own character? Does this reflect who I really want to be?
Valentine’s Day can usher feelings of resentment for those who aren’t in a relationship. But this year, Valentine’s Day falls on the same day as Ash Wednesday, where Christians go to the spiritual desert and reflect on their relationship with God. We practice simplicity and do away with something we know gets in the way of our relationship with God. During Lent, every day is Valentine’s Day as we put our love and longing for The Beloved first.
How easily our emotions pull us out of control! It's one thing to feel an emotion, but it's another to let it run rampant in our brain. Add some impulsivity in there, and you've got yourself quite a conflict. Handling our emotions and impulsivity can be a difficult task, so that's why we turn to a stillness practice. This is training the mind to pause rather than react to the conflicts in your mind and in your world. Practicing stillness allows you to harness your emotions and impulsivity so you can use that energy to create positive, purposeful change without regret.
Starting Sunday, February 18 at 7 a.m., I'll be leading a live, virtual Christian contemplative practice on the Insight Timer app. You can find a new, live contemplative practice each week by heading to my Insight Timer profile: insighttimer.com/brad4d_wellness
In our “go for it” impulsive culture, there’s little patience for things to ripen and arrive at the proper time. We want to seize the day out of enthusiasm, but sometimes the right choice hasn’t fully matured or materialized…yet. God’s promises are slow, and this can test our faith and patience. But perhaps that’s the point.
Social media and website analytics can tell creators which posts and pages get the most engagement. Marketers tell you to create more content similar to that so you can increase your audience. Rather than create content that is authentic and inspired, we’re tempted to create content that is simply about worldly profit. Meanwhile, the content and creators who are truly authentic remain on the periphery. We’re left with content that emphasizes worldly values and hedonistic behaviors.
Lent begins (of all days) on Valentine’s Day. Many people might give up drinking or sweets for Lent, which is fine because it serves as a reminder of God as you resist temptation. This year, I’m giving up political news for Lent. While it’s important to stay abreast of what’s going on in the world, many of us turn to political news only to have their ideas confirmed. Yet that leaves us not only bitter but also less compassionate towards those who might disagree with us. That’s not being very Christ-like. Lent is about walking with Jesus and removing any habits, behaviors, or objects that get in the way of loving God and one another.
Many books, courses, and videos promise quick fixes to finding peace and joy. There are no deep secrets to having joy and peace. Rather than gathering more knowledge or more methods to secure more joy in your life, it’s a matter of taking things away. It’s also a matter of realigning your life around the true source of joy and peace.
Politics and marketing often manipulate spirituality so it persuades us into believing what’s profitable for them. Then we’re blinded by fear and desire to the extent that they become idols. Our spiritual truth becomes watered down or even distorted by those who have something to gain from us. A spiritual revolution means rooting out idolatry, materialism, and fear and return to the virtues and values that are at the core of our spirituality. It’s about scrutinizing our own words and actions to see how they stand up to what we profess to believe.
How often have you found yourself leaping away from your meditation or prayer space when a great idea arrives? I’ve noticed when my distracted mind wants to have its way, a thought will arrive with urgency. I cut my time in centering prayer or meditation, thinking I must act immediately. Most times, it can wait. This cultivates patience and weakens impulsivity. If we just sit, we teach our busy minds to remain still.
Evangelists, theologians, and philosophers love to talk about God. Some will try too hard to convince you towards their point of view. But what does it say about their relationship with God? If you consider God like a spouse, how much time and energy do you spend talking about God rather than investing in the relationship itself? We can over-intellectualize God without spending much time in love.
Too many voices in this world promise us inner peace and happiness if we just buy this, read this “new” book, or enroll in this program that costs thousands of dollars. Did the Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, or Krishna demand money before they offered their wisdom? Regardless of your spiritual, religious, or political affiliation, spending some time in silence and self-reflection are two keys to living a healthy, joyful life. Although both practices are simple, they are also difficult because they require three things modern culture doesn’t like—patience, humility, and discipline.
After a turbulent weather event, you become humbly aware of the power of Nature. Even though many of us don’t recognize it on a daily basis, we’re connected to Nature on a spiritual level. St. Francis understood this in his Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Hear the words of this 13th century monk, who understood the importance of honoring nature well before we uttered the words, “climate change.”
The story of the Three Kings (or magi) fascinates me because it depicts deep spiritual seekers being led by faith. They dropped everything and followed a star. Then, transformed by what they saw, they took a different path home. We can use this story to contemplate our true calling. We can find meaning and purpose in our lives when we drop everything and follow the light.
Modern culture loves forward progress, but sometimes we can easily get swept up in the wrong direction. We get pulled by the expectations of others or our desires for approval. Yet if we spend time each day in stillness, savoring that inner silence, we’ll become more grounded in our purpose. We let God guide our path rather than the worldly vices.
Negative people can be tough to be around. Some people can’t exorcise their negative emotions and spread them to others. This can leave us lethargic, depressed, and disempowered. It’s up to us to recognize how other people’s energies can consume us and find ways to transform them.
How easily we forget the meaning of Christmas during this holiday season! Our energies become scattered as we rush to buy gifts for others and prepare elaborate meals. Our need to please others can cause us to forget what our souls are truly longing for. Take a moment to return to center and keep your eyes focused on The One who is coming.
When our lives are stuck, we demand God to change things. It can be frustrating when God doesn’t answer our prayers. We then get tempted to retreat, to backslide, rather than wait patiently for the light to come. Evelyn Underhill gives some gentle words of wisdom to help us wait.
Christianity and yoga complement each other very well. The Gospels give us a perfect role model of how to be, and yoga philosophy guides us in how we can remove barriers that get in the way. What’s most important is who is at the center of our lives. Yoga teaches that we become yoked with who or what we put on the pedestal, whether it’s God, ourselves, or our worldly pursuits.
To a certain degree, we all crave a little more power—power over others, power over our situations, power over ourselves. We know that craving worldly power can be futile because once we have it, it can easily be stolen. Worldly power is about competition. Worldly power strengthens the “I, me, and my” and ultimately results in isolation and loneliness. Instead, we use these three mystical powers to connect deep within, where we experience union with the world. This passage came to me from Awakin, and it’s attributed to Fred LaMott.
The word “repent” really is a buzz-kill, isn’t it? Words like “repent” really turn people away from religion. Let’s face it, many people don’t like to hear that the way they’ve been living is “wrong.” But the word repent in the Bible is a mistranslation of the Greek word “metanoia.” It’s taking a step back and looking at your life differently. Metanoia is a challenge for us to see things from a new perspective. Metanoia questions the status quo in society, culture, and our lives. Don’t we all need a little metanoia?
Embark on a transformative journey of spiritual reflection with this guided audio meditation, drawing inspiration from Ignatian imaginative prayer. This immersive experience focuses on the sacred scene from the Gospel of Luke, vividly bringing to life the profound moment when Mary and Joseph welcome the birth of Jesus. Allow your mind to wander through the rich tapestry of this biblical event, fostering a deep connection with the characters and their divine surroundings. As you engage in Ignatian contemplation, envision the tender moments, the whispers of angels, and the quiet majesty of the stable. This audio meditation serves as a serene pathway to explore the profound spiritual significance of the Nativity, inviting you to encounter the timeless story of love, hope, and the miracle of Christmas in a uniquely personal and meaningful way.
The world can easily sweep us away with its collective anger and anxiety. It feeds on our own anxiety and anger, gathering strength to destroy whatever peace and compassion that might exist. It’s up to us to take moments every day to sit in stillness to reconnect with virtues that serve God and his creation. This gives us the energy and mindset to effect positive change in the world.
If we hold everything in the Bible close to our hearts, which translation do you use? Some translations of the Bible are rigid, and others use language that we don’t use today. Let’s face it, that turns people off. That’s why it’s important to understand that our faith and love are beyond words and language. The book I quote is from Neil Douglas-Klotz, “Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus.”
A lot of self-help and self-care strategies emphasize finding yourself or finding your authentic self. While some methods are helpful in stripping away attitudes and behaviors that hurt us and others, others might be strengthening our persona, our ego, or our superficial self. We eventually learn that we must dissolve any concept of self, any ideas of I, me, and mine, to experience connection with the Divine.
In today’s political arena, it’s hard to find Christian leaders. Many will say they’re Christian with their lips yet their behavior says otherwise. Very few act with humility but many act with pride and vainglory. Yet these leaders should be subjected to a higher standard because they serve as role models in our society. If a U.S. Senator, Congressman, or presidential candidate uses vile or proud language and behavior to try to one-up other people, it’s time to serve them their walking papers. We need better role models who serve with humility and integrity.
Whether we’ve accomplished little or accomplished a lot in our lives, we’re all loved by God. To compare ourselves or herald others as “better” is just the ego talking. All that can easily be stripped away in an instant, but that doesn’t mean our souls lose value.
It’s not surprising that many people are leaving Christian churches when we see such bad examples of them in the media. Some Christians have extreme worldviews, and when they have positions of power such as the Speaker of the House, they become role models for the whole of Christianity. Yet these extremes aren’t the norm, and they turn people away from Christianity altogether. It’s important for all religious communities to have diverse views while remaining grounded in truth. Spewing only one perspective of the Bible—one of condemnation—turns off the many people who seek love and belonging.
Matthew Perry wanted to be known as a seeker. To a certain extent, we’re all seekers. We’re all seeking something, whether it’s more money, more adulation, or more pleasure. Spiritual seekers know that we’re all really searching for something transcendent. We’re searching for meaning beyond our daily triumphs and troubles. Yet in a sense, we are already found.
Do we need more anger, greed, and violence in the world? We all have things we need to work through, and sometimes this inner restlessness can be uncomfortable. That's why it's critical for us to find healthy ways to channel our restlessness. Yet our restlessness is also a call for wholeness. It's a deep longing for God. While we work through some of our inner demons, we also recognize that deep down, we're hungry for transcendence.
We all fall out of step every once in a while. We lose our center and get easily swayed by the ways of the world that bring us stress and pain. God calls us to "Come to the water."
Lectio Divina is a contemplative practice that invites you to engage with scripture in a deeply personal and meditative way. In this episode, I'll guide you through the steps of Lectio Divina, helping you unlock the hidden treasures within Isaiah 55. As we immerse ourselves in this sacred text, we'll uncover its messages of spiritual renewal, reconciliation with the divine, and the importance of leaving behind materialistic distractions.
This podcast episode serves as your sanctuary for inner reflection, offering a space for you to connect with the profound teachings of the Bible and find solace in the midst of a fast-paced, materialistic world. Join me in this spiritual journey as we explore Isaiah 55, and discover the path that leads you back to God while shedding the burdens of materialism.
If you're seeking a tranquil escape from the noise of modern life and a deeper connection with your faith, this episode is a must-listen.
If you like this meditation, you can find more professional recordings for free on Insight Timer. Here's the link: https://insighttimer.com/brad4d_wellness
Find out more about contemplative practice on my Substack: https://brad4dwellness.substack.com
Unselfish acts can easily result in unsavory effects if our deepest motives have alternate outcomes rooted in the ego. What we're seeing in the U.S. House of Representatives is a clear example. A politician might desire to serve the greater good, but if there are ulterior motives such as the desire for fame, power, or money, the actions will eventually be skewed towards these corrupted outcomes.
Swami Vivekananda says that we shouldn't be attached to the results of our work. Instead, we cling to the ideals of love, truth, and unselfishness.
Most Christians have good intentions when they say, “Give it to God.” Yet that’s not very helpful to someone who is struggling. It oversimplifies the spiritual process we must endure as we take a good, hard look at our lives. Simply saying, “Offer it up to The Lord” doesn’t make it magically go away, and it doesn’t give that person the spiritual tools to endure.
Envy—that sneaky little vice that not only steals other people’s joy, but also your joy. Envy pairs with pride and thrives in competition. Thousands of women competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona yesterday, which means thousands more women probably sat at home feeling envy for not qualifying. Rather than let envy and competitiveness steal your joy, let that other person’s joy inspire and uplift you.
How often does our inner peace get disturbed when someone comes at us with their anger, fear, or pride? Our initial response is to participate in the conflict to protect our ego. Yet peace never arises from heated reactions to conflict. It comes when one person or group decides that peace will begin with them. This Metta Meditation from the Buddhist tradition helps us cultivate compassion for ourselves, those we love, and those that stir conflict. We then offer this compassion to the world.
Listen to this thought-provoking podcast as we delve into the world of self-improvement and discover why traditional wisdom may hold the key to true happiness amidst suffering. Understand how to find peace and joy by embracing life's challenges and letting go of the constant pursuit of instant gratification. Tune in for valuable insights and practical advice on navigating the complexities of modern self-help and discovering a deeper sense of fulfillment.
Do you want inner peace? Thousands of books will tell you their “way to inner peace.” The truth is there isn’t one way, but the most effective ways to inner peace are those that train the mind to be still. It’s difficult for the mind to be still at first, but you show up each day and begin again. Through practice, you’ll find moments when the mind becomes still. Those moments are when inner peace shines its light.
Our minds can get stuck in negative loops, and often the media we choose serve as step up transformers for our inner angst. It helps to engage with different media, saturating our minds with benevolent thoughts. That’s what prayers do. When we hear and repeat the prayers of the wise sages who’ve left their mark upon this world, we embody their benevolence. In this podcast, you’ll hear prayers from Sufi, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, Jewish, and Catholic sages. Take a few moments to engage and see if your thoughts change.
Many times we feel hopeless, and we’re desperate to have God throw us a bone. Rather than abandon our faith or become cynical, we ask ourselves how we might have stepped off our spiritual path. It might be areas in our life that we haven’t given to God, or it might be ways we’re letting our vices blind us from experiencing God. This passage from Padre Pio is a plea for God to stay with us in the midst of our willful abandonment.
Our patterns and routines may give us comfort, but they will often keep us stuck. This can cause us pain when things change. Rather than remaining fixed on our patterns, it helps to step outside our comfort zone to experience something new. Oftentimes, we meet reminders that there is an abundance of joy in this world.
How often do we look to others to help us form an opinion? How often do we project our own faults onto others? Self-awareness is a huge part of the spiritual journey. We recognize how every moment the ego (or the false self) blinds our perception. If we don’t see clearly, we can’t make good choices that benefit humanity.
Ever feel depleted of your energy after an argument? Emotions like rage and grief can suck the life out of you. The yoga tradition calls it “prana.” You breathe in new prana every moment, and it’s important to keep this life force balanced throughout the day. Otherwise, you might find yourself continually depleted.
Social media feeds are rampant with efforts of “Look at me.” We want to be seen or heard—sometimes we demand it. Yet this mindset contradicts most spiritual traditions, which teach us the value of humility. While Jesus teaches us that who is first will be last, we continue to demand being first. Being first or being obsessed with winning never brings inner peace. When we practice humility, we recognize the impermanence of situations and have gratitude for the gifts in the moment.
Social media, entertainment media, and certainly the advertising industry perpetuates the idea of “more” and “better.” That tells us we should find ways to stand out, “be seen,” “be heard,” and “speak your truth.” That won’t bring you much meaning and purpose in your life. It only gets you stuck in the perpetual chase. When you approach midlife, you realize that the chase never brought you joy, let alone meaning and purpose. Unfortunately, ways to find meaning and purpose only exist in the periphery because they aren’t about consumerism or materialism. They aren’t about show. Instead, they are about those quiet moments when no one is watching.
Social media is rampant with pleas to be seen and heard. We continually seek other people’s approval. We don’t want to say or do anything that our social groups might not like even though it might be an authentic expression of who we are, or it might be the truth. When our thoughts, words, or actions are governed by pride, we’re too fixed on the outcome, which isn’t always predictable. Instead, we should focus on the process. Every moment we should ask ourselves—is this authentic?
In a culture that emphasizes positive thinking and a positive mindset, some of us believe that external forces, however illusory, cause us to make poor decisions. When people tell us to question limiting beliefs, isn’t a belief in Mercury retrograde just as limiting? Could believing in Mercury retrograde just be a way for us to excuse our poor decision-making?
How many of us “sit in meditation” where we’re just distracting our minds from our inner restlessness? Whether we’ve meditated for five minutes or five years, we can easily lie to ourselves. Meditation and contemplative prayer are practices. We learn to not silence but instead harness our inner restlessness. It takes practice to allow some of our restlessness to unravel one thread at a time. It also takes some honesty and humility, acknowledging that even if we spent yesterday wallowing in our vices, today is a good day to start anew with virtue.
Entertainment and social media often fuel us with dopamine, but when we spend too long engaged with media, we lose too many moments in our lives. Rather than live our lives with purpose, we’re perpetually keeping ourselves stuck in routines and habits. If we could live each moment with awareness, asking ourselves, “What is this to eternity?” Maybe we can find a little more energy to live our lives rather than continually escaping them.
How easy it is to judge others without looking for those same faults within ourselves! We accuse others of things without remembering that we’ve been guilty of the same things. If you can’t be honest with yourself, how can you be honest with others? Can you take a good look at what you’ve done, or what you’re currently doing, and say you have nothing to be held accountable for? Our spiritual journey is about removing the blinders that limit our ability to acknowledge our faults. Only then can we work toward righting our ship.
In an age of echo chambers and “personal” truth, it can be hard to hear what’s actually true. We don’t like to hear that we’re wrong or we’ve made a mistake. We hate to hear that we’re contributing to a warming planet or to economic disparity. We don’t want to know where our meat comes from. The truth is often hard to hear—that’s why many of us avoid it. However, we never learn and grow if we always walk around thinking we’re right.
We can easily make a bad day worse by identifying with it. We feed our afflictive emotions like anger and frustration with more thoughts that give them more strength. Or we can just sit with them and let them exhaust themselves. We allow them to visit, but we don’t let themselves move in and take over. Eventually, those clouds move out and we can experience joy again.
People who live in rich nations have pleasurable options within a 6-foot radius. Why would someone sit in meditation when it’s so boring? That’s the point. When we’re continually seeking pleasure and getting stuck on a pleasure-pain cycle, we need time to withdraw from sensation-seeking. Meditation and prayer might not give you the dopamine you want, but it helps balance your brain.
What’s popular on various media channels appeals to our base desires. We see so many leaders promoting values such as power, fame, or money. So few role models of integrity exist. If we don’t have any teachers or role models who can show us how to live with integrity, we must become one of those examples. We can look back to some of the great role models in history, such as Maximus to Marcus Aurelius.
In an excessively distracted society, we find it difficult to quiet our minds. It can be frustrating to sit in meditation or prayer because we have incessant thoughts that peck away our concentration. If we anchor our minds on the breath, a phrase, or even a sound, our pesky thoughts will grow tired. This is training the mind.
It can be hard to get up when you get knocked down so many times. It can be tempting to just stay down and never try again. It’s also tempting to abandon your faith, especially when you see people with no faith faring much better. In Psalm 30, David essentially asks how his rejection glorifies God. He pleads to God to have mercy on him. God then changes his mourning into dancing.
Although I’m attracted to secular orders, I noticed they have a little too much structure for people still working and taking care of families. They also might include body and mind practices to develop the whole person. While I believe structure is necessary in every life, there’s also a need for a bit of fluidity to serve the individual’s unique circumstances and purpose. We need less extremes and more integration if spiritual practices and orders intend to survive.
False prophets aren’t new. So many cults have come and gone claiming to be prophets and apostles of God. They prey on people who have a need to belong, taking their money and making them all the more vulnerable to manipulation. It’s important to be aware of them and discern their message. Does this message resonate with scripture and tradition? Does it seek power? Most of all, is it rooted in love?
So much media tells us to put our needs first. While this can be appropriate in certain circumstances, we get into trouble when we get too consumed with I, me, and my. This puts us in direct conflict with our community and the world. Rather than relinquish the ego, which might seem impossible, adopt a servant perspective. Rather than ask, “what can I get out of this,” we can ask, “what can I give?”
Recalling fond memories of our past can sometimes leave us in a state of yearning, especially when our current circumstances seem troublesome. This state of yearning, clinging, and desperation adds more heaviness to the present moment. It also weighs us as we step into the next moment. Instead, we hold in our minds those feelings of joy, freedom, and peace, allowing them to lighten our emotional load as we move forward.
It pains me to see so few role models these days. Some role models might be entrepreneurs, only to find out later how they cheated others to be successful. Social media influencers try to dazzle us with their tricks and hacks while they hide their empty lives behind a facade. There are even fewer moral or ethical role models because they don’t want to market morality. I like to read about the lives of the saints, because even if my life isn’t like theirs, I can aspire to have faith like theirs.
When our lives are riddled with chaos, we can take a few moments and look around. There is peace when you can be mindful of something beautiful around you. Even if you’re surrounded by too much chaos, close your eyes and imagine a moment where you can feel at peace. And create moments for yourself by stepping away from the chaos and savoring something beautiful.
Many people no longer attend church because they no longer “feel” anything. But you can experience God in the everyday if you open up space for God to dwell. It’s about making an intentional effort to turn away from the distractions and temptations of the world for a few moments a day to draw within. Through patience and time, eventually you’ll hear the still, soft voice of God.
We can easily become consumed with fear and helplessness. These can blind our ability to see the gifts of the present moment. When we take a moment, open ourselves to a moment of joy, that moment can fill us with enough strength to endure the trials of that day.
Spirituality means different things to different people, but it recognizes that’s there’s much more to our physical existence than what appears. Spirituality puts all of us on a level playing field, which is why many people are spiritual but not religious. On an individual level, spirituality is what holds you together when your world seems to be crashing down around you. If you like this episode, why not share it? How far can you spread the word that we all need a little more spirituality?
Every once in a while, take a moment to do something that makes you feel giddy. Whether it’s swinging on a swing set or bobbing up and down in a swimming pool, we still have that inner child that loves to play. Losing ourselves in this giddiness can be good for the soul.
Depression can get you stuck in a perpetual loop of negativity. While you are healthy, every once in a while, take a moment and notice something different. Notice something that’s new or changing. If we train our minds to continually look for something new, we’re practicing mindfulness. That’s one tool to help keep our minds healthy.
We know everything in our 30s, don’t we? It’s when we reach our 40s and 50s that many of our illusions and insecurities drop and we’re left vulnerable to deal with those issues we pushed under the bed. Our world seemingly falls apart. It’s a call for renovation, remodeling, reconciliation. Sometimes it’s building our lives on a more firm foundation.
Brain scans of Tibetan monks and Franciscan nuns show that a part of the brain goes quiet during deep stages of meditation and prayer. But it doesn’t happen quickly to a majority of us because our minds are so preoccupied with the outside world. We also don’t train our bodies to allow us to sit attentively. We’re all unique, and we can find suitable ways to prepare our minds and bodies for meditation and prayer. I have several methods that work for me according to what’s going on in my life on the outside.
Fear can cripple us. Fear can keep us locked in a cage and prevent us from abundance. God has the power to cast out fear. We might not be aware of His presence at every moment, but if we can remain strong in our faith, we can boldly face our fears. By the way, the obnoxious birds attacking my feeder are grackles. I suppose God loves them, too.
Yoga has many benefits to the body, mind, and spirit. Yet those benefits only lie within the intention and mindset of each person. We bring different experiences to a yoga practice, so the benefit will be unique. However, you must be especially discerning about promises about chakra activation or chakra cleansing. Many people who make these promises are misinformed about the chakras and simply selling a “secret” method that really doesn’t exist. Ultimately, a yoga practice is about letting go of the promises and expectations of others and tuning into the messages within.
The will is pretty strong, sustaining us through some arduous moments. But what does the will serve? Does the will serve our ego or something greater? This is where training the mindset falls short. Mindset training serves the ego and can lead us to perpetual craving, aversion, and ignorance. Mindset becomes the enemy because it keeps us stuck in patterns and attachments. When the will is aligned with something beyond our ego, our will can be a good friend.
Spiritual and self-help texts will often speak of the false self, or the many personas we adopt to fit into the world. The false self isn’t necessarily false if it adheres to the virtues and values we hold most dear to us. What makes it false is when we’re dishonest with ourselves and others in keeping up that facade. The “work” is really about unifying these various layers of ourselves so they reflect our authentic self.
In a society that eschews religious traditions, I’m wondering about its connection to our inner conflicts. No, it doesn’t explain it all, but it could be one of many factors. Carl Jung has written how important it is for us to connect with our souls so we can integrate the conflicted parts of ourselves into a unified whole. If we don’t, we bring these internal conflicts into the world, thinking the world is wrong.
What’s common in meditation practices and depth psychology is integrating the various energies—or personas—into your whole being. Rather than let these energies run the show, we learn to harness them so they serve what’s appropriate at the given moment. It requires for us to live more mindfully with discernment.
Thich Nhat Hanh writes about the precepts of Interbeing in his book, Being Peace. These 14 principles of Interbeing can be incorporated into anyone’s life, whether you believe in God or not. These core values of Interbeing are values of humanity. They are important principles that can weave a better community and spark conversations without judgement or competition. It’s not about winning or gain. These are universal principles that be practiced in every country, political party, social class, and religion.
Popular self-help people can be like drug dealers. They give you a glimpse of what life could look like until you reach a pay wall. Sure, we all have to make a living somehow, but cultivating a better life can be free. If you truly want more out of life, desire less.
Self-help and get-rich schemes like to promise The American Dream and having whatever you desire. Some will even use spiritual words like “the Universe” or “positive energy” to make promises of fulfilling what people lack. However, the core of most spiritual traditions is the idea of service, of giving back to the world. We’ll never have enough if we’re always taking. And the world continues to be depleted by our desires, cravings, and attachments.
Too many messages from society tell us we “need” social interactions. It’s true to a certain extent, but a healthy person knows how to balance social life with quality time alone. Solitude is rich when you give yourself time to cultivate it. Although I’m an introvert, extroverts need time alone as well.
We often define maturity as the number of birthdays we’ve had, but some adults still lack maturity. Maturity is about owning our part of a problem and taking care of it. It requires a little space for us to reflect on our problems so we can learn from them. I’m a little foggy this morning, so I apologize.
Two camps seem to dominate my Instagram feed: how to be successful in the world and how to find the authentic self. Both promise to fulfill our dreams without accepting and learning from the challenges before us. They sell destinations rather than true inquiry. That’s because most of these messages are about inflating the ego rather than putting it in its rightful place.
Take a few moments to truly contemplate what happened Easter morning by engaging in Ignatian Contemplation, which is a type of meditative prayer passed down through St. Ignatius and the Jesuits. This prayer might be challenging for people who are used to prescriptive or repetitive prayers. However, Ignatian Contemplation allows you to experience the true meaning of Easter.
Self-help practices should be free, particularly in a world rampant with mental illness. Many people who need some of these healing practices can’t afford them, yet perhaps they also don’t fall into those populations where it’s offered for free. Pay close attention to these marketing schemes. If healing practices cost nothing to produce or gain expertise, they should be free.
We’re often told to fight through our problems, but this can weaken even the strongest people. When things aren’t working, fear often exacerbates our weakness. We can often work with our problems not by fighting but by accepting them, and being open to new solutions.
Finland is one of the happiest places in the world. The US is #15. Some countries, particularly in Northern Europe, seem to get it right about how to live a happy life. It’s a combination of mindset and practice. How many of these methods do you engage in? Which of these can you put into practice today?
When we encounter suffering, we often run from it or rush through it without reflecting what lesson it has to teach us. It’s not like we purposely cause self-harm or do things to exacerbate our wounds. Instead, we work at it each day. Yoga teaches us to find that edge, to find the right balance of stress to work through our difficulties and limitations.
We might know our personalities and say we “know who we are,” but do we know the multiple personalities that show up when we’re under stress? Certain situations elicit certain personas that help us adapt to these situations. It’s important for us to be aware of how and when these characters show up in our lives so we can limit the havoc they typically wreak.
Is Daylight Savings Time a surprise? Then why do people consistently complain about it? Complaining about losing an hour of sleep only makes it worse. Today marks a season where we can spend a little more time outdoors in the evening. It’s also a time of anticipating warmer temperatures to come.
We all yearn to be free. We want to walk through life being free to do what we want. Yet we often get caught up—and eventually bound—in pleasure and craving. Religious traditions teach us that the path of liberation is through discipline. It’s about restraining the patterns and behaviors that keep us stuck so we focus our energy on true freedom that’s everlasting.
We often go through each day mindlessly without paying too much to the details. We might remember specific episodes that make us look good, or we might ruminate on the episodes that stoke our anger or fear. If we take a few moments each day, preferably in the evening, we recall all of the ways we behaved—good and bad—to see if we’re in accord with our beliefs and values. This daily Examen can teach us the subtle patterns that often keep us stuck.
How easily those memories of the past seize us in the present moment! Or the anticipation of the future yanks us away from what’s going on here and now. Thich Nhat Hanh calls these “ghosts,” because they only exist in our mind. We conjure them—or they automatically return—through our conditioning. This keeps us stuck, feeding more thoughts into them so they get strengthened. If we can take a sliver of a moment to ground ourselves in the here and now, we can begin the long process of rewiring our brains.
Humility isn’t a very popular value because in its nature, it’s not about gain. Our society seeks gain rather than remaining humble, so it’s no wonder we’re always in competition with one another. Yet when we come across someone who is truly humble, it warms something within us. Why not practice humility today to defy our culture of gaining and winning?
How easily do our lives get pulled in many directions, to the point we can no longer drive straight! We might notice this during times of unconsciousness or emotional upheaval, when our autopilot kicks in. Lent is a time for us to reevaluate how we’re living our lives. We engage in certain efforts to bring our lives back into alignment with God.
How often do we take on a fad diet, lose weight, then gain it back once we return to our old eating patterns? Mental health is similar. Sure, drugs might help ease our symptoms of anxiety and depression, but it takes years of therapy to recognize our old patterns and develop new ones. This journey requires courage, strength, humility, and compassion.
Who is the good friend—the friend who tells you want you WANT to hear or NEED to hear? Marketers emphasize the first, and teachers stress the second. If we walk around life only listening to messages that validate our ego, we might miss the lesson.
With many churches losing members of their congregation, we also lose valuable voices that can help shape these communities. Church isn’t about attending a service once a week. Instead, it’s being part of a community that often disagrees. That community becomes lost when dissenting voices leave or fear speaking up.
Thomas Merton’s book, The Inner Experience, begins with a warning: You can’t use contemplation to hide. It’s not a solution to your problems. Many of our problems are situated in our false self. Contemplation is about being fulfilled in God’s existence.
So many self-help books and courses promise freedom and happiness, as if it’s an eternal state. That book or course might address a particular chapter in our life, but it might not fit into the next. Then we reach again for another quick fix out of our suffering. The best books and practices are those that teach us not only acceptance but also connecting with God or transcendence. Life is never a smooth path, so it’s best to anchor yourself in deeper, more universal Truth.
A branch of Buddhism tells the story of Indra’s Net to describe not only the non-solid nature of things but also how we’re interconnected and reflect one another. We can exhaust so much effort to try to stand out or stand above others, but that only tears the fabric that connects us.
We all have a still, soft voice within us. We often can’t hear it because we’re held captive by so many distractions outside of us. It’s critical for us to spend a few moments each day anchoring ourselves in Truth. Only then can we open our ears and hearts to what the still, soft voice wants to say.
This basic question points to where our will is directed. It points to meaning and purpose. Without this singleness of purpose, our lives may have little meaning or fulfillment. If we don’t know this answer, maybe sit with the question for a few moments and see if one arrives.
When our lives are nothing but chaos, we can exhaust ourselves trying to effect a resolution. Sometimes the best we can do is to be still. This allows us to conserve our energy, stay in balance, and avoid more chaos until the resolution arrives.
How many times do you hear, “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” Although “doing what you love” is often tied to purpose, calling, or vocation, the second part of that sentence is bound by expectation and outcome. Doing what you love should have the reward of its own. You do it because it’s an authentic expression of you. It’s about process rather than outcome. It doesn’t need to be about how you put food on the table. It’s something you’d do for free because it makes you feel most alive.
When someone famous tells their story, they often tell about those moments when their lives seem hopeless. We like to hear how they triumphed over their breaking points. But what about the rest of us who continue to struggle? Can we find hope amidst our struggles and look at them as those chapters in our life story that contribute to our growth and character?
Our conscience speaks to us—sometimes loudly—when we’re alone. That’s why we often surround ourselves with people who will validate our wrongdoing so we don’t have to listen to our conscience. But it will catch up to us. It’s important for us to spend time alone with our conscience to see what it has to say. If it’s conflicting with what our community says, we might ask ourselves about the company we keep.
We make New Year’s resolutions because we know that we’re doing something that is no longer working. The reflection itself is pretty powerful because we’re recognizing that our behavior keeps us stuck in old patterns. The New Year gives us hope, but each moment of our lives can be that fresh start we seek. What’s most critical is having the humility to see these painful patterns and the courage to change them.
Mary Oliver’s “The Summer Day” has often been quoted and recited for advocating “one wild and precious life.” Indeed, things come and go, so we shouldn’t waste our moments on things that serve little purpose. Oliver is imploring for us to pay attention to this moment. Find the detail of the grasshopper, embrace it, but don’t mourn when it hops away. That’s keeping our hearts eternally open to God’s gifts.
Each day, we all have the responsibility of taking care of ourselves and those we love. This might be our calling or it might just be a job. It’s up to us to find balance so that we aren’t sacrificing our calling so we can achieve worldly success. We must work each day towards our calling, which is our unique way to serve humanity.
So much of our communication messages are impulsive, distracting, or psychological imprints. We spend little time reflecting on the messages themselves and focus more on being heard. Spending some time in silence each day—or at least reduced noise—allows us to communicate with a little more intention. This means discerning what part of our message has purpose and which is just noise.
Many religious (even non-religious) believe that God is “up there” punishing us. What if we believe God is within us, loving us in the way you love a significant other? Many mystics in history believed this. When you love The Beloved, you do things to serve that love rather than do things out of fear.
Much of the U.S. culture thrives on excess. We speak more about the economy of our nation rather than the economy of our spirits. Spending too much on our outer life leads to a weakened inner life. We don’t often notice this because materialistic values sell so much better than minimalism. To find inner peace, we focus more on what we have within us rather what we want around us.
Lectio Divina is a contemplative practice that has been used for centuries. It uses sacred Scripture to guide and anchor you as you enter into silent moments with God. What’s important is that Scripture is proclaimed, not dramatized. If someone is reading Scripture aloud, the reader should refrain from performing it because the hearer will focus on the characterization rather than the words. The reader avoids inserting himself into the passage so that the hearer can be fully absorbed in the words themselves. If you want to learn more about Lectio Divina, head to my website at brad4d-wellness.com. You can also get Lectio Divina audio meditations on the Insight Timer app. Just search for me—Beth Bradford. .
All of us are afraid of something—spiders, heights, being alone, boredom. We can create so much drama when we busy and distract ourselves from our fears. Instead, we can be bold and face our fears, knowing that it can birth a new path.
For many years, I thought I was experiencing depression. I lost my taste for things I loved in the past. Yet I had this burning desire to spend time alone with God. It has no aim, no clarity, which can be frustrating. But it is a calling, and it’s up to us to respond.
The world loves to tempt us with distractions. Especially on social media, people and businesses are vying for our attention. They pull out various party tricks to try to win our eyeballs then eventually our wallets. How does anyone find peace in that? The Bhagavad Gita says we must break free from the pull of these sensory distractions that seek to gratify the ego.
When we experience trials in our lives, we often demand for things to return to the way they were. Some pleasure or security had been taken from us, and we want it back. But these trials and crises often serve to break us open. They’re a call for us to change something. Many times, they call for us to look within for what we seek outside ourselves.
Our lives can feel dry and stale when we rely on outer things to temporarily satisfy us. Rather than look to the world, we sink deeper into our roots and be nourished by our faith. This passage from Ezekiel reminds us to stay close to the river.
We can get overwhelmed by our circumstances so much that we’re blind to the blessings we take for granted. It can harden us so much that we refuse to see them, and this is when evil triumphs over us. If we can accept these challenges as part of life, we might notice that each moment something changes. Our faith grounds us and gives us hope that we will overcome our challenges and become stronger.
Finding out who you are can be a daunting task. It takes a lot of self-inquiry and humility. But then what? Do you just stay that way? We are always changing. Every moment, we change, the world moves, and there is a response. Rather than find out who you are, be curious about how you respond to each moment, particularly when you’re in hot water.
The Old Testament book of Wisdom has some beautiful teachings about how God sees the world and us. It reminds us of how God is patient with us in spite of our judgment and behavior towards others. Can you look at someone you hate and see God’s impenetrable spirit within him?
Believing in something, particularly a spiritual truth, is one thing. The spiritual path only begins there. We eventually need to walk the walk and live what we believe. This means what we think, say, and do all echo what we believe. It’s not about convincing others through words of fear or force. It’s about living in truth, even if it’s inconvenient or unpopular. We must experience and live it with all of our being.
Experience scripture through Lectio Divina, which is a meditative practice rooted deep within Christian history. See if scripture speaks to you in a new way as you listen with a contemplative approach. I recorded this during my live session on the Insight Timer app, so if I sound like I’m talking to someone, I’m responding to some of the chat through the session.
Self-help media tell us to pay attention to our senses and get out of thinking. The Stoics tell us to be a little more rational with our thinking. It’s actually a little bit of both. We train our senses to give us useful information so we can make wise decisions on our life path. Eventually, we move beyond the rational mind and discover something greater—wisdom.
We all have a calling. We might not know what it is—I still don’t. But God does. Today is the feast day of St. John Henry Newman, who reminds us to trust that God has a purpose for us. “God knows what He is about.”
Our impulses are moments of mindlessness. They reveal our weaknesses and inner drives. Impulses are different from instincts, which concern our ability to survive. Impulses are based on emotions and patterns of conditioning. It’s critical for us to examine our impulses and pause before acting on them.
Prayer and meditation, over time, dissolves our sense of separation. Neuroscientists such as Andrew Newberg have studied what happens to the brain when people pray or meditate. Even when you are physically alone, you never feel lonely. Your mind can be trained to feel a sense of unity and connection even when no one seems near.
We often get too comfortable in life, and when we encounter a troubling situation, our lives are thrown into chaos. St. Basil reminds us that we’re just travelers on this journey. We must accept both comforting and challenging situations. The challenging situations help us grow and keep us humble, and the comforts ensure us that God is good.
We are advised to "believe our feeling" and stop thinking in a great deal of New Age rituals. We are encouraged to "sue our desires" even in self-help programs. Not so quickly, the Cloud of Unknowing warns. It's obvious that a lot of individuals today are chasing the illusive in addition to being insane. According to the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, the ability of reason is particularly crucial since without it, we are unable to determine what is good or harmful. Without Reason, we feel justified in our discomfort or displeasure toward someone and take inappropriate action.
So many people find comfort in a religious house, particularly if it’s the religious house from their youth. Yet somewhere along their lives, that religious house locked its doors to them. Whether it was abuse or archaic rules, that house no longer beckoned them. Yet God beckoned them to return to him, and the doors to the house remained locked. God always welcomes the lost. Why do certain religious houses keep them out?
Why do we need to belong? Popular media and figures often talk about establishing our identity, but this tempts us to conform. It emphasizes division rather than unity. Look within yourself and ask why you need to belong. Perhaps those differences are more similar to those people who don’t belong to your group. Rather than conform to a group, cultivate virtues such as compassion and integrity. Then you might find that you belong everywhere. BTW, my mind is cloudier than usual this morning.
So many religious groups emphasize separation and belonging rather than inclusion and openness. They like to judge others rather than scrutinizing themselves. They use isolated Bible verses to judge and scold others without looking at their own hypocrisy. That’s really not what God is about. Think about it—would a parent purposely have a child only to condemn him? Instead, we need to look within ourselves and root out the chaff.
Envy easily finds its way into our lives through our media diet. Marketers feed on this envy, and if we don’t scrutinize it, we can become mad. St. Cyprian was a Latin Father of the Catholic Church, and he has important things to say about envy.
So many spiritual traditions emphasize the need for practice. It’s a letting go of worldly things and behaviors that bring us suffering. Living a life of gratification-seeking only brings suffering. We have to learn this on our own. On this feast day of St. Augustine, let’s reflect on his great passage, “Conquer yourself, and the world will be at your feet.”
How often do we praise God when things are in our favor, but plead with God when things don’t go the way we want? This is our insistence that things are only good when they go the way we want. And when they don’t, we’re disappointed. How many people have tossed out their faith in God because they were disappointed that things didn’t go their way? Instead, we let things play out, remembering that God doesn’t disappoint.
It’s a shame that some of these beautiful writers from our past didn’t have marketing professionals to amplify their work. One of these beautiful voices, Jacob da Todi of Italy, was one of them. Had it not been for Richard Hooper, who put together a beautiful collection of these voices, I would have never come across these words of Jacob da Todi. See if you agree.
Many people today eschew religious practices because they’re too constricting. Perhaps that’s what many of us need. It’s like being on a diet—we want to do what we want even though it might make us sick. Looking through the Jnana Yoga texts made me realize that religious practices serve to liberate us from the worldly practices that keep us stuck in illusion.
Not only do I have a background in higher education, but I also have 10 years of experience in broadcast news. News media and higher ed get such a bad rap among the public these days. It’s probably why I still haven’t found a full-time job! I don’t regret either career because both are critical in a society that is impulsive. We need more people who see things beyond the surface and can translate it for others. So I’ll keep looking for an employer who values what I have to offer.
In this age of tribalism, it might feel comfortable to retreat to our communities. What if, at the heart of it all, we wanted the same thing? Richard Hooper pulled together what’s similar from the works from many religious traditions. My favorite chapter is his compilation about The Beloved.
Too many spiritual movements use clever marketing techniques to sell workshops, retreats, and books. Ultimately we must ask—who is this serving? Gamaliel warned the Sanhedrin to let the early Christians go, because they might be fighting against God.
Our hearts often get tugged toward things of the world—money, success, possessions. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with that. However, if our hearts are seeking approval or recognition rather than God, we become emptied. Instead, riches in heaven depend on what we give away on earth.
Desires can be good when they point us in a healthy direction. When our desires are disordered, they can easily control us. Then our lives are only about the chase, and we lose agency over what might be best for us.
The Enneagram has been marketed to Christians as a way to shape their spiritual path. It’s sold as something mystical and esoteric, which might attract people who flirt with progressive and New Age practices. It’s neither spiritual nor psychological. It just attracts people into thinking they have the answers to what God wants for them.
The Biblical story of Mary and Martha provides some insight about our inner struggle. We complain about how stressed we are, but we don’t carve out time to rest our bodies, minds, and spirits. Sometimes this rest is when clarity happens.
It’s sad that our modern Western culture doesn’t value elders the way other cultures do. Dementia and Alzheimer’s plague the elderly in such awful ways. Even though it’s difficult, we must find ways to remind them that they are human and that has value.
Honestly, sometimes I just don’t want to go to church in the same way I don’t want to eat vegetables. I’m not crazy about vegetables, but I know they’re better for me than brownies. We get swept away so quickly in the ways of the world and lose our center. That’s where we return to our spiritual disciplines to keep us grounded. Like vegetables, we might find them boring, but we know they keep us spiritually healthy and grounded.
Many resist rules because they don’t like constriction, but rules can serve as guideposts if they serve to benefit the ruled. If leaders make rules but don’t follow them, they are meaningless. We can learn something about ourselves and others by asking, “What rules do you follow?”
Life can bring us disappointment. We can easily blame these disappointments to create more misery, which pulls us into more disappointment and suffering. On the other hand, we can look with humility into our disappointments and recognize the patterns that led us off course.
When a hermit crab outgrows its shell, it leaves what’s comfortable to find a new home. Staying in its old shell would limit its growth and it would eventually suffer. Sometimes we fear leaving what’s comfortable because the unknown leaves us vulnerable. However, this is only for a short time.
Temptations often lead us down the wrong road, and we feel helpless. We believe we can’t turn around. Marcus Aurelius says no, you can recover your principles at any moment.
When we begin our day with simple, good things, they can set up a strong foundation. They guard us when the world wants to tell us something different. There is joy to be had in the world. Listen for it.
Stoic philosopher Seneca believed that tranquility can’t be achieved when we’re concerned about the opinion of others. We make decisions based on other people’s approval of us rather then speak from a place of integrity. We cultivate integrity through self-awareness and solitude.
So often we spend too much time yearning for the past or anticipating the future. We want the present moment to be different than it is. And when that moment is gone, we want it back. Savor something in this moment.
I want to spit every time someone tells me to smile when I’m hurting. When you’re suffering, it indeed is difficult to smile. After the sting subsides, we can investigate our suffering and find the path of transformation. This is the essence of Buddhism—the Four Noble Truths. It takes courage and patience, but you’ll get there.
How well do you know yourself? So often we move about the world thinking we’re innocent and others are guilty. We don’t see how our behavior might hurt or offend others. Our reactions are telltale signs of our character. They tell us what role we choose to play and what we choose to hide.
Faith isn’t about security. Faith gives you the confidence to step forward in a new direction, on a new road. You realize that the safe route has always left you exhausted, so faith lifts you and carries you.
It’s easy to throw up your arms and say, “The world sucks.” That attitude gives you the liberty to wash your hands of any responsibility to fixing what is broken. Marcus Aurelius gives us these three virtues to guide us in the present moment. Peace be with you.
When you lose someone you love, the suffering is immense. We can’t race through the grief. Although there’s no proof of heaven, the idea of heaven can carry us through the grief process. The idea of heaven allows us to savor the love and the memories.
We feel happiness usually as a result of an event or intimate episode. But pure joy is uncaused, that is, it emerges when the mind isn’t searching for it. You don’t seek it—instead, you discover it’s there all along when the mind no longer clings.
How often we spend time and effort with words! We use them to both comfort and accuse. However, they can’t replace the experience of the present moment. The word “bird” can’t tell us much about hearing birdsong. When we speak less and experience more, we’re living in mindfulness.
Many religious texts describe people who have lived chaotic lives. They’ve turned down a dark road that only leads to more chaos. Then someone tells them that there is a different way—one that has living water. Who are these people today that inspires us to live differently?
At one time or another in our lives, we’re presented with an ethical dilemma—truth or loyalty? Sometimes our desire to live honestly or seek justice interferes with our desire for community. Most spiritual traditions uphold honesty and justice above loyalty. If all of us lived with integrity, we wouldn’t have to choose. We would know that if a person, political group, or work situation acts dishonestly, we would be best to choose truth. Loyalty means nothing if it’s not held together by truth. Loyalty ultimately weakens if it’s woven with threads of greed, intolerance, or lust.
We can look at the various trials of life as a running race. We know we’re not the only one going through this. Just the community of those suffering as we do reminds us we’re not alone. To get through our trials, we move at the pace that is uniquely our own. We take in the positive vibes around us and believe we will endure.
I laugh every time a yoga practitioner—especially a yoga instructor—says, “I used to think yoga was about the pose.” A simple study of the yoga sutras will tell you that’s not the case. When we arrive at a place in our lives where we are stuck, yoga helps us to rewire the patterns in our consciousness. That is where the practice of yoga begins.
Long gone are days of blue laws. We no longer hold one day a week apart from the others for proper rest. Our lives can easy erupt in frenzy because we don’t hold a Sabbath Day holy. The Sabbath is that one day of “not-doing” or “undoing” that reminds us of what is most important. How we spend our Sabbath is telling of what we hold sacred in our lives. What do you make time for?
We spend a lot of time thinking or feeling or daydreaming. When do we let our minds relax? When do we pause and experience the newness that exists in this moment? Meditation cultivates the quiet mind. It takes time and patience, but it’s a worthy investment.
We often get stuck in patterns and attachments without recognizing how they keep us stuck. Removing the bandage hurts, but joy comes after the pain. This Easter morning, let us taste what freedom feels like by focusing on what gives eternal life.
Too often we’re told to surrender and find ourselves swallowed instead. Love can quickly morph into codependency when the person we love suffers from addiction or mental illness. We want to help, but our help only enables and feeds the illness. Surrender to the transcendent—be it God or the Universe or whatever. But surrender wisely, discerning when your help harms or truly heals.
In a culture that loves goals and success, we don’t deal well when uncertainty strikes us. We don’t like chaos, so we seek patterns—sometimes unhealthy ones—to give us order. Uncertainty reminds us that change is inevitable. It tells us that we’ve become too comfortable with old ways. Uncertainty calls for us to remain alert, which opens up possibilities we might not have considered.
Although optimistic thinking has the power to open our minds to different paths in the road, it isn’t the same as positive thinking. When we tell ourselves (and others) to “think positive,” it’s negating and bypassing the necessity of suffering. Suffering prepares us and strengthens us for a new road that lies ahead—one that we might not necessarily see. If we bypass it, we might not have the wisdom or spiritual strength to take this new path.
When we feel separate or alone, a smell or a picture can bring forth the memory of what “home” might be to us. In this sense, we can always feel connected to “home” if we choose. If we have a relationship or affinity to the transcendent, to the infinite, we can move about the world seeing all things to be “home.”
We sometimes arrive at a dead end. We try to fight through it, but it often takes too much energy to remain at this dead end, this stuck place. This is a call for us to make a decision—do we keep fighting, or do we turn towards something different? Whatever our decision, we should always be moving towards things that make us larger than where we are now.
This parable from the Gospel of Luke is well known. Let’s walk into this parable using our imagination. We picture ourselves as the prodigal son, the father, and the elder son. See which resonates with you. Sorry my girl dog decided to rattle her food toy while I was recording this!
In a world of chaos, we look for certainty. We like order. But things are always changing. Because we are always evolving, we mustn’t be so fixed in our ideas that we can’t be open to the possibility that what we believe is no longer true. We might have ideas and beliefs about things based on our observations or experiences, but that’s not the entirety of the issue. Instead, we accept that many things are more nuanced, and we might never have all the answers. We can accept the uncertainty.
During a long winter of our lives, we might feel that nothing is happening. Although we feel stuck, we’re told to endure the ennui. At times, yes, as long as we’re shedding the patterns that led to craving or aversion. But sometimes our current path might be leading nowhere, too. In fixing our eyes down a straight path, we’ve become too rigid, and we might have missed a turn. This is a call for us to shake things up a little bit—try something new or learn something new. That little catalyst might awaken our spiritual senses to discern whether we’re on the right path.
This poem by Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows) really spoke to me. Let’s use them as part of a meditation practice called Lectio Divina. Let the words bring peace to your day—and peace to the world.
Our emotions can easily take over in times of stress. They build and build to the point that they trump our ability to reason. Our emotions can fuel us into positive action when we learn to regulate them. Otherwise, we walk around in a continual state of fight or flight.
Ignatian Contemplation is an imaginative prayer where we engage our mind into a story in scripture. This episode guides us through the practice using visualization with the help of the Holy Spirit. We experience the Transfiguration on the mountain and let the experience speak to us in a unique way.
The practice of Lectio Divina, or “divine reading,” has been handed down through centuries in the Catholic Church. Although prayerful reading of scriptures date as early as Origen and St. Benedict, the four stages in Lectio Divina were described by Guigo II. However, he was describing the four stages of a monk’s life, NOT a specific prayer practice. It’s rare to achieve a contemplative state the first time we practice Lectio Divina. However, if the desire to get closer to God gets us to practice, perhaps God might choose us.
Streaks can be good because they keep a discipline at the top of our minds. We make the practice more important so its fruit can benefit our life. But we must be careful not to let the streak become the goal. Although the streak might keep us coming back and help us discipline ourselves, sometimes the streak takes on a life in itself. The streak becomes a means of competition rather than helping us achieve the fruit of our practice.
We tend to trust our “sixth sense,” our intuition, when our bodies react to something in our physical environment. Psychologically, this is a cue to something from our unhealed past. It’s something we should investigate because it distracts us from spiritual work. The Cloud of Unknowing says if we describe our experience of God by our senses, it’s not God. God is not experienced through our physical senses. God cannot be described in this way. If we have an experience that is inscrutable, that might be spiritual.
We might demand peace in the world, but how much hostility do we hold in our own hearts? Peace starts within. We can’t wait for the external world to have peace before we take on the work of peace within us. This Prayer of St. Francis recognizes that effort of dropping our sword. We might not have started the fight, but we can be the bigger, stronger person by ending it not by winning, but by loving.
It takes more energy to play a role than just to be ourselves. That’s why so many of us come home from work, shed our “work selves,” and restore our sanity. Be careful, though, not to believe this false self IS you.
So many of us want to be “free,” but we don’t want to let go of the things that keep us in chains. Many of those things are cultural messages of materialism. To live a fruitful life, we must adhere to the universal virtues of a spiritual life. To be truly “free,” we must practice self-control.
The most authentic teachings go against the worldly teachings of power, prosperity, and sensory gratification. Too often we get bombarded with the worldly messages that would have us believe that we don’t have enough. They train us to believe that we lack something, then they try to sell us the solution. Pay attention to the authentic messages that invite us rather than compel us.
American society loves to emphasize success and growth. We’re always looking ahead towards what we want to gain. Are we ready to let go of something to move forward? Many times, we don’t want to accept the season we’re in. Although we’re always growing and moving forward, sometimes growth only occurs when we shed or let go of something.
It’s not easy to take a look at ourselves. It requires a bit of humility, humor, and self-compassion to see where we might be infiltrating our message. Our message might be noble, but our intentions and desires can turn people off the message. It’s not that we should put on an act or a different character when we’re with others. If we’re practicing self-awareness, we can be ourselves no matter the company.
You don’t have to be in your midlife to wonder, “Is this all there is?” So often our expectation of what we hoped for isn’t quite what we get. Even if we achieve success, we might feel unfulfilled or that it’s not enough. What we need to ask is—what new life is yearning to spring within me? What do I need to let go to let this new life take root?
Research shows that our negative thought patterns can keep us stuck there. Our need to vent our frustrations then spread our negativity to others. To keep us in balance, it’s important to look in a different direction to see something positive. It might be something we take for granted. When we keep a steady stream of gratitude, we’re less likely to be thrown off by setbacks.
Personality tests can be fun, particularly when they explain how we’ve interpreted and perceived past situations. However, they don’t give us much insight about how or if we’ve grown over time. They only give us a snapshot of who we are now. Furthermore, they don’t offer much help how we can evolve. This takes a little more time and reflection.
Our culture and our innate instinct seeks pleasure and avoids suffering and sorrow. We know that sorrow is difficult to endure. The Cloud of Unknowing and the Dark Night of the Soul both describe this spiritual and sensory aridity. We feel nothing is moving, yet we know we can’t go backwards. Rather than do something to avoid this spiritual winter by vacationing in a warm spot, we endure it, knowing that God is working deep within our spirit.
In achieving what we want in life, we often hear “go to the extremes.” Many spiritual traditions will say, “no, practice moderation.” We do all things with God in mind, including taking care of ourselves rather than our egos. We put sensory pleasures such as drinking, eating, or sex in their proper place. We carefully discern how they can interfere with our walk with God.
The Katha Upanishad recognizes the need for self-control. The world offers so many promises of sensual pleasure and liberation, but we have very little discipline over our desires and pleasures. If we don’t tighten the reins of our minds and use our discriminating intellect, our desires and pleasures can cause suffering for others and eventually ourselves. It only brings about imbalance. Instead, we engage in spiritual disciplines to cultivate self-control so that we drive our own chariot.
Many people who complain about being unable to meditate suffer from the overwhelming chatter in their heads. This excess chatter more than likely also continues off the meditation cushion, whether within the mind or in interacting with others. With practice and time, this chatter loses power. We find ourselves needing less words, and the words are much more effective. The Cloud of Unknowing even tells us that just one word will do, especially if it emerges from the silence.
The world lost a great teacher this past Thursday. Thich Nhat Hanh was a key influence on my understanding and welcoming Buddhist teachings into my life. We can honor him by living and sharing his teachings. Here is a short passage from Miracle of Mindfulness that tells us to look for the miracle in this moment.
When we move about the world without taking time to reflect, we might find ourselves merely reacting to the world from our unhealed past. We might try to glaze over it with a “positive mindset,” but that will only repress our reactions. Repression only creates more stress within us, and it will explode eventually. We must have the courage to look back at moments that angered us and let them go.
In Thomas Merton’s Asian Journals, the appendix includes some rich reading and reflection. In this episode, you’ll hear a closing prayer that emerged from the silence. He didn’t script it. It’s a call for unity among all people. It’s what happens when love speaks. Perhaps some our members of Congress need to hear this. No, everyone needs to hear this. It’s time for us to drop our swords of division and pick up universal, agape love.
Some circles will make being “a contemplative” sound like this exclusive club that God’s special chosen belong. That’s just pride talking. Being a contemplative is an approach, a process, and a life. According to Chapter 27 in The Cloud of Unknowing, it’s a matter of “forsaking the world.” Each moment, each day, we drop the attachments and aversions that keep us bound in a vicious cycle of craving and gratification. We have one aim alone—the desire for God.
The yoga and Christian traditions both teach purity. Purity of heart is clearing away any intentions of personal gain. In our prayers, meditations, or contemplations, we align our intentions towards the Divine, who seeks to bring harmony and balance to the world.
The Cloud of Unknowing is a text to be savored over time. In fact, it’s taken more than 15 years for it to blossom within me. Within it contains a simple yet challenging approach to devotion and some reassurance about the contemplative path. This passage from Daniel London’s The Cloud of Unknowing, Distilled provides comfort for those struggling with worry or anxiety. We place these worries in The Cloud of Forgetting and focus solely on God. If you’ve never read The Cloud of Unknowing, London’s “Cliff Notes” version is a heartwarming place to begin a contemplative journey.
There’s a ton of misinformation in Christian circles about meditation and yoga. Most of it is rooted in fear of “the devil” infiltrating the mind and warping people into doing evil. Well, kids, that happens even without yoga or meditation. When others tell you that you shouldn’t meditate or practice yoga, they’re not trusting you to discern what is from God and what is illusory. The Vatican document about meditation is pretty valid. It tells me what I already know—what my yoga teaching tells me—that we can’t believe our sensory experiences to be spiritual ones. It ends by saying we should choose any method to turn our hearts toward God. The desire for God—not the selfish desire for a “mystical experience”—should be the principal driver.
The desire to achieve enlightenment might be a noble one, but the biggest barrier to it is the pride of the false self. If we seek enlightenment for a self-serving benefit, it will elude us. If we’re looking for a sensory experience, it will elude us. When we drop expectations and attachments of the false self, enlightenment emerges like a deer from the woods.
The philosopher Seneca said that we have an abundance of time, but we don’t know how to use it. How easily we busy ourselves with the ridiculous, yet we don’t make time for what’s most important? How we spend our time says what’s important to us. It tells us our priorities and what we really value. Sit down for a moment and ask yourself, “How do you spend your time?”
The Cloud of Unknowing is a 15th Century text that serves as the basis for Centering Prayer. The discourses themselves provide insight into contemplative living. Several chapters deal with humility, which is often lost these days in self-centered social media. Humility is a critical virtue in that it brings us in communion with others through forgiveness.
Although I’m quite critical of self-help for its emphasis on division, there is definitely a need for self-inquiry. Too often we speak from our “gut,” which is often an emotional reaction based on unhealed wounds. In our self-improvement efforts, the goal isn’t being right or being above others. It is about bridging divides through love and understanding.
In spirituality, we often like to dive into the deep end head first. We want the profound contemplative experience quickly. It’s like rushing love in a relationship—it takes time to grow. Take the time to progress through each stage, continually moving forward as your love deepens.
When we talk with people with whom we disagree, we sometimes label their comments or their personality using extreme terms like “fascist” or “racist.” Labeling others is ineffective persuasion. It furthers divides and reveals your need for approval from your group’s standpoint.
If I saw 17 shooting stars during this year’s peak of the Geminids meteor shower, does that mean I get 17 wishes? Meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere all the time, but often we don’t notice them because we’re not looking up. It’s the same with good things in our life. We don’t see them because we’re not looking in the right direction.
How hypocritical we can be when we hold resentment towards others without seeking forgiveness for our own words and behaviors? I believe many people cannot sit alone with themselves because their resentment towards others builds upon the times they’ve wounded others. Instead, we can begin to set ourselves free by forgiving “those who trespass against us.”
Many secular or New Age people will talk about their Dark Night of the Soul as if it’s a challenging moment, a depression, or just a bad experience. It’s much deeper than that. If you hear of someone talk or write about the Dark Night of the Soul without mentioning St. John of the Cross, it’s probably just a challenging time. The Dark Night of the Soul is a purgative process in the mystical tradition where we’re called to let go of our material desires and sensory gratification. There is no spiritual bypassing here.
We recently hear about “doing the work.” All noble aims require a little bit of work. The “work” in The Cloud of Unknowing, the text often cited regarding Christian contemplation and meditation, is undoing the mind. Rather than study concepts of God or debate others about theology or liturgical practices, we drop all of it. We rest our thinking on God’s shoulder and abide in that love.
We live so much of our lives with “ought to” and “have to.” If we only live this pattern, it’s likely we’re only living our lives according to other people’s expectations of us. Meanwhile, our true self—our authentic self—is desperately trying to serve its purpose. This division becomes greater as we get older, and it can easily weaken us.
Our American culture encourages us to break down walls and barriers so we can achieve the American dream. But sometimes our “dream” might not even be ours. Sometimes we blindly follow a course or path without recognizing some of the stop signs or barriers that are trying to get us to turn. Sometimes failure is a good thing because it gets us to wake up and open our eyes.
When we get overly consumed in our problems, it might be difficult to see hope. Oftentimes, how we see the world is a confirmation of what we believe about it. A glimmer of hope could be right in front of you, not as the fulfillment of your demands, but as a reminder of the simplest things.
When we try to prove others wrong, sometimes it speaks of our attachment to being right. We need to be right so we can believe we have power over others. Sometimes both are right. In our fight against others, sometimes we might lose our sacred connection while strengthening our pride. Ultimately, our spiritual practices need to weaken our pride and strengthen our compassion and humility. If they do not, you might be fighting against God.
Many meditation and prayer practices are about getting out of our own way. That’s why many suggest practicing in the morning, before our minds get flooded with excess thoughts about the material world. We can tune into the heart, which can discern beyond emotion and reason. If we listen closely, it will guide us by saying, “Oh yes!”
When our minds fixate or ruminate on something wrong, it can disrupt our inner peace. If we challenge ourselves to look at other things, we can put these disrupters into perspective. We look beyond the superficial to notice that the world turns with no help from you. We look around and notice something new or evolving. We look within to notice how our reactions and patterns continually disrupt our lives.
In a society that values “success” and “achievement,” we forget that our actual existence is a gift from God. Whatever we achieve in the material world means nothing in the spiritual realm. When we devote too much energy in developing the false self, we build too thick a wall between ourselves and God. It is up to us to break down these walls and remember our original grace.
We might look for clues and cues in our everyday lives about where we should turn. We might even experience a vision or message that we believe is from God. Perhaps it might come as an ecstatic experience, overwhelming our senses. But Walter Hilton, in his book, Ladder of Perfection, says, “Whoa!” The senses, if driven by the ego, can drive us into chaos in seeking sensory gratification. Instead, we use discernment and ask, “Where is this leading us?”
Most spiritual paths emphasize dissolving self-centeredness for something bigger. One of the core texts of Christian meditation—or Centering Prayer—tells us the same. We dissolve ourselves into this Cloud of Unknowing so we can transcend the ego and experience union with God.
Some people today will claim to have “visions” or hear “voices from God.” Although I don’t doubt their experience, I’m careful of seeing them as “mystics.” Looking at the stories of mystics from the past, it’s a tough journey. Mystics aren’t rich, and they certainly don’t hold workshops on how to have visions. True mystics have become immersed in God. Their path is one of service, and you know them by their humility. There are too many false prophets out there.
A lot of talk about “purpose” confuses work and service. Many times work is what we do for some reward, whether it’s money or status. Service is our giving back without needing credit.
Think about some of the words we choose to make inferences about the world: all, no one, everyone, many. These words lack specificity, and our inferences might be hyperbolic. They also might not be true. Our minds easily ruminate on these thoughts, which can affect how we live our lives.
Mental, physical and emotional balance is critical in avoiding burnout or overwhelm. There might be times when emphasizing one is appropriate, but then we must take measures to restore balance. Look at your own life to see where you could reduce your energy or shift it towards other components.
We are easily swept away by messages of collecting, of gain, of winning. Spiritual traditions teach us messages of shedding, of surrender, of communion. There is only one true identity we need to seek—the identity in God.
Many self-help books or workshops will label the ego (or the false self) as bad. They advise for us to rid ourselves of it. The ego simply has been misaligned from our experiences. Rather than fight against ourselves, we can transform the ego so that it serves our essential (or authentic) self.
Fire, just like water, is powerful. It gives light and destroys if we use it mindfully. Most of all, it has the power to transform, burning away the temporal and softening us to be molded into something new.
We cling to moments of joy and avert moments of pain. This is natural. However, we can bring about suffering if we believe that things aren’t changing. We fear losing what we love or we panic thinking this moment of pain will endure. With each passing moment, there is birth, life, death, and regeneration.
How often do we bypass or overlook the present moment because we’re yearning for the past or anxious about the future? These cognitions weigh the present moment, and hinder our ability to see new seeds that might be planted. Rather than spending our lives constantly whipping our heads between the unchangeable past and unpredictable future, we can remain aware and unbiased with what we’re experiencing right now.
Some will say meditation isn’t supposed to have a goal, but we all have an intention behind everything that we do. Some spiritual practices—like prayer—might appear to be sacred, but if our intention is to merely complete them to check off a list, they’ve lost their sacredness. We can’t get too attached to our spiritual practices because sometimes they become routine. It is then that we move to other practices, remembering that our intention should be deepening or transformative.
Many self-help charlatans will tell you to “listen to your emotions” rather than your logical mind. Your emotions can easily steer your life out of control if your mind doesn’t help balance them. However, there might be times in your life where your emotions run out of energy. What fuels you then? Faith. Faith takes you by the hand and guides you through the darkness.
Myers-Briggs, The Enneagram, or even astrology attempt to define us. We might say, “Yes, that’s me!” But do these tests really understand how your experiences, your ego/false self, and each unique situation factor into your response any given moment? If we believe that we “know who we are” through taking these tests, we’ve found a way to limit our spiritual path. After all, the spiritual path will eventually ask us to drop this sense of “me” anyway.
We often get exasperated when we feel our lives aren’t going anywhere. During those moments, look back on your day. What did you do that aligns you with your aims? More importantly, what do you do out of routine or habit that doesn’t serve a current aim?
When my mind is excessively active, I find sitting in meditation to be difficult. During those phases in my life, I find running to be a meditative practice. If you spend that time focused on the body, you’d be surprised how calm you feel afterwards. You can also do this while walking if running isn’t your thing.
Philosopher Seneca and the author of The Cloud of Unknowing both write about how we use our time. Each moment is a gift to us, so it’s up to us to use those moments to nourish our souls rather than deplete them.
How easily we get led astray by our curiosity! Although curiosity can be a good thing, we must discern what is essential from what is interesting. What we find interesting can easily pull us down a rabbit hole and pull us away from what is truly essential.
We like to wear certain clothes to “make a statement,” but what is it really communicating? If it’s a message of grievance or resistance, do you intend to have a rational discussion with others about it, or do you just want to assert your need to be right? Most of the times, it reveals the place where we are identified. In that sense, we are not free.
We’ve heard others speak and write about “finding” our spiritual (or authentic, true, sacred) self. We’re led to believe it’s a blissful journey. Nope. It involves a lot of shedding and inner strength. The reward, however, is that we learn to walk on our own.
We might go about our lives thinking we’re producing good fruit, but sometimes a small amount of crud can blossom within us. We might not notice this because we’re externally focused. We might not notice how something from our environment has interacted with something inside us. That might keep us stuck. It’s up to us to take a look inside.
Our passions can easily lead us astray. The root of the word “passion” refers to being led beyond our control. The spiritual traditions teach us to balance passion with reason. That’s where wisdom comes in.
Many charlatans promise enlightenment in one quick, easy course or workshop. Enlightenment is not quick, nor is it easy. It requires a long practice of drawing inward. When the world tempts us with sensual gratification, that only draws us further from enlightenment.
Many people, particularly during moments of suffering, ask where God has been. We demand for God to be visible in the macro moments of our lives, but we fail to see God working in the micro moments. We might have missed those subtle hints in the small moments. The Examen, a daily Jesuit prayer practice, is a way to see where God is working in your day-to-day episodes. This episode takes you through an Examen.
The book The Cloud of Unknowing describes a “cloud of forgetting,” which is where we place the thoughts, images, and attitudes about the world during meditation. Over time, we begin to see things a little differently, recognizing how easily we get swept up into things that only serve to disturb our inner peace.
We often choose messages we want to hear. People who are popular in the media and social media are continually monitoring what people want to hear so they remain relevant. But sometimes we need to hear messages that challenge us. These messages call us out of complacency and conformity so we can learn and grow.
When Jesus healed the deaf man, he said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “be opened.” How have we closed ourselves off to the messages we need to hear? In clinging to our desires and attachments, we might not sense messages around us that tell us to modify our path.
I hear too often, “I can’t meditate.” We believe we need to sit down and silence our minds with the snap of a finger or sound of a bell. It’s not that easy. Our bodies get fidgety. Our monkey minds dart from tree to tree. Through patience and perseverance, you eventually get more accustomed to sitting.
I often hear people saying they don’t go to church because they “don’t get anything” out of it. So they find churches that will entertain them. If you consider church as a “public prayer” to complement your private prayers, you might find it plays an integral role in spiritual development. My guess is that this podcast will get the least number of listens because many in our society eschew any religious organization. It’s truly unfortunate.
Who is in charge—you or God? You or the universe? We often forget, and we limit our relationship with God or the universe to what we get out of it. We think little of what we give to the relationship. Then we wonder why God or the universe doesn’t answer our prayers. Perhaps it’s because we’re out of accord in this relationship.
The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) is one of the books omitted from The Bible. It offers more esoteric teachings, even though they don’t contradict Christian teachings. In fact, I hear echoes of The Upanishads in it. In this passage, we are told that our essential nature is good, but we make life complicated when we look to the unnatural for contentment.
We often speak first and reflect later. Rather than really think about the consequences of our words, how often do we consider if they are universally true? Our assumptions and inferences are sometimes incorrect, so we always leave room for listening and learning.
We can walk through life denying our imperfections or wallowing in them. These extremes can bring unnecessary suffering and disconnects us from humanity. When we acknowledge, accept, and work with our imperfections, we have a little more compassion for others.
I’m fascinated how many false prophets and healers come forth with a “new” way of healing. They charm others with their curated and flashy media and make false promises of healing. But we remain tormented. The wisdom of the ancients has transcended time. It points us to the True North.
Patience is not only a virtue, but it is also a gift. Patience stretches our faith wide and deep, creating tears within us that give space for God to fill. When we release our demand to have our needs satisfied quickly, we develop inner strength as we rest in the unknowing.
How wonderful life would be if we didn’t insult one another! Yet sometimes we get easily offended by things that have nothing to do with us. Or we get offended because society tells us we should feel upset. If we walk around expecting everyone to tread carefully around us for fear of upsetting us, we’ll never learn about ourselves.
It’s a common desire in the U.S. to be “free” to do what we want. But we also need to remember that what we do can have a profound impact—good or bad—on others. Rather than recklessly choose to engage in behaviors that might bring harm to ourselves or others, let’s remember that our actions create large ripples in the communities in which we live.
Many of our desires are rooted in the material. Even if food is an essential need, we DESIRE something delectable. If we need comfort or security, we DESIRE the sexual. If we aim to desire things rooted in the spiritual, what we receive or attain is more sustainable.
We like “hacks.” We like easy. We look for shortcuts to things. But as quickly as they come, like a downpour, they will quickly fall away because we don’t give them time to take root. With the spiritual life, we must progress slowly, enduring the disciplines and teachings so they can permeate deeply into our souls.
Mind you, I hate driving. Rather than ruminate how much I hate it, I use as practice. We can practice one-pointed focus by having zero distractions and using the silence to concentrate on the road. Other times I use podcasts with the understanding that certain podcasts will engage a specific mood. This way, the time isn’t wasted because you are being intentional with your choices.
How tempting it is to do things for attention! When we live our lives onstage through social media, we look for ways to shock others. We live exaggerated lives. Yet this is not sustainable. Instead, we seek balance, which uses discernment to choose wisely.
So often we get mired in our trials that we forget moments of beauty. We easily believe in negative thoughts, which bring more activation of our disappointments. But a voice, a text, a picture, or a song can catapult us out of our tornado of negativity. By recollecting a fond memory without clinging to it, we can remember the beautiful fluctuation of life.
Simone Biles had dropped out of an event in the Olympics citing she knew she couldn’t perform according to what others expected of her. We all can relate to the heavy, limiting feeling expectations of others. We eschew this heaviness by opening to our best at each moment, embracing all possibilities. Rather than live according to expectations, we aim to do our best at each moment. If that isn’t enough for others, remember that you don’t have to answer to them.
Love songs often point to Eros, which is romantic love. They often point to “new” love, which often morphs into the deeper, agape love which is all-pervasive. Some songs can be conceived as love songs from God. Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” can be one of them.
Desiring success might motivate us, but we must not let it consume us. It feeds on your deep-seated desire to belong or be loved. Remain aware of how far you’ve come, and balance success with a little bit of humility.
Some of the best teachings are the most difficult because they pull us out of complacency. We become refined in the fire of tapas. But many will give up or bypass the difficult, thinking it’s unnecessary. The hardest teachings are there to transform us so that we truly become new.
If we move about the world looking for occasions to be offended, we’ll never find peace. We’re simply waiting for other people to behave the way we deem appropriate, and that might never happen. Instead, we can look at an emotional reaction with an inquiring mind. Not everything is about us.
We often want to be heard, to tell our story. This, too, can speak of ego. If we think, pray, and live human truth, it doesn’t matter if we’re heard. Those who want to listen will be drawn to you. Those who do not still need to prepare their hearts. Your actions will be seen, and they will listen when they are ready.
So much junk science slips through the cracks of more reputable publications. Because it’s so easy to publish, many people write articles that promote their products while providing misinformation to help sell. Then an uncritical reader will share this article, thinking that it’s valid because it was published on a somewhat reputable platform. We need to be more discerning about media that we read and share.
Ponds rely on the rain to sustain them, while lakes are fed by rivers and mountains. One is stagnant and one is continually replenished. If we’re not connected to something bigger, some greater source, our self-regard might dry up.
We love to play the blame game, don’t we? We look to find someone else to blame for our suffering without recognizing how we might be playing a part in our suffering. Eventually, we find a way to live without blame, recognizing that all of us are doing the best we can according to our level of consciousness.
How often do we stuff a variety of thoughts into one sensory experience? We love to judge, infer, and augment each moment rather than remain open to the purity of an unfiltered experience. This is where we can experience the inner silence and peace and find connection with life.
When we encounter something, we often seek the opinions of others before we form our own. I did the same when I encountered the crowdfunded series, “The Chosen.” Of course, I didn’t find much opinion about it. This allowed me to fully experience the series without the bias of others to color my experience. With any experience, we can use this simple criterion: Does this nurture my becoming a better servant for others?
We all get stuck in routines. They make us feel comfortable, but they also lure us into complacency. This keeps us from realizing where our path might be changing. We must do something different, even though our stuck mindset doesn’t want to move. Yet there’s a part of you deep within that says, “Shut up and do it!” You’d be surprised at what you missed.
When times in our lives are rough, we often wonder, “Where is God?” Or we become so consumed with fixing things ourselves that we forget about God. During these times, we’re called to make a shift—to do something different. If you take off the blinders of your habits or routines, you might find God is exactly where you are.
When life feels so heavy, we must pause for a moment and find one small thing for which to be grateful. Just one small degree towards gratitude can set your day along a better course. Nature can help, whether it’s a cool breeze in a heatwave or a little diddy from a robin.
Mathieu Van der Poel’s epic finish at Stage 2 of the Tour de France gives us motivation. While “climbing” the Mur-de-Bretagne—the wall of Brittany—he had to reach deep within to find the strength to break away from the other cyclists. It would be the memory of his grandfather, the late Raymond Poulidor, that would push him beyond his limit and toward his finish. We can do it, too. It’s just a matter of gritting our teeth and focusing.
We live so much of our lives seeking approval from others, but what about our own dreams? Did we drop them somewhere along the way? If so, we must go back to the place we left them and take a good look.
A lot of pop psychology likes to overly simplify the two hemispheres of the brain. We hear that left brain is concerned with details and right brain integrates the details into the big picture. Although it’s more complicated than that, what’s important is that they need one another. One isn’t better than the other, and they must keep the communication channels open. This is a good metaphor for living.
We get so caught up in ridiculous arguments, creating unnecessary stress about things that really don’t matter in the grand scheme of life. When something grave in our lives does occur, such as a parent being diagnosed with dementia, the stress can overwhelm us. These trials force us into simplicity, where we no longer concern ourselves with petty arguments. Instead, we find peace in something as precious as a cool summer morning.
Many of us engage in a search for our “authentic” or “true” self, but what does that mean? Is it a personality, essence, or purpose? Or is an illusion? What’s more important is identifying patterns and routines that bring harm to ourselves and others. It’s about seeing clearly and responding to the present moment authentically.
It’s important for us to look closely at what gives us a rise of anger or shame. Those emotions can point at something that can bring about wholeness. What’s key is changing the way you see the situation and how you behave as a result. Choose a response that brings about wisdom and unity rather than division.
So much behind the crises of this world is our clinging to our identity. We try so hard to “find” ourselves, yet there is a person inside us who has never been lost. It is the essence of us that is inherently good because it’s not defined by roles, identities, or boundaries.
Your world is heavily influenced by what you pay attention to. If you tend to media that tell you the world is terrible and wrong, then you will see the world that way, and continue to select media that confirm your belief. But if you balance that media with something soothing (such as this podcast ;)), you’ll see the world much differently. Or if you turn off all media and simply look around you, you can rest in the simplicity that everything is as it should be. It doesn’t mean there isn’t work to be done, but you recognize what can be done just in this moment with what’s in front of you.
When life turns chaotic, our rituals and routines help ground us. They can bring calm to the storm. It’s important, though, to reevaluate our routines to ensure they continue to be life-giving rather than limiting. Equally important is to incorporate more of them when our life might not seem to be going in circles.
How many times a day do you come across messages that say, “You need…”? Billions of dollars are made each moment by preying on your feelings of inadequacy. Images and videos portray those who have something you don’t, and it makes you feel as if who you are isn’t enough. But no sensory pleasure will satisfy. A healthy inner life is what matters. It can’t be achieved in an instant.
So much discourse is wasted on complaining. We want to tell others how the “other” has hurt us. We wallow in our suffering rather than allowing it to transform us into something new. The book, The Deepest Peace, by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel is a POWERFUL book that challenges us to see peace in spite of the violence.
It’s funny how so many Christians fear meditation because of what someone else told them. Do they not trust that the Holy Spirit can discern? In a world where so many ache to experience the divine, perhaps we need to remind Christians (and others) of the LONG history of Christians who meditate.
Although there are too many conspiracy theories that cultivate mistrust in institutions, it’s important to maintain a healthy level of skepticism about what you personally know and believe. Even scientists are challenging their theories to forward their understanding of phenomena. When someone presents an alternative explanation for what is known, look at their evidence AND your evidence. Always keep an open mind and stay open to change, but trust scientific consensus and logic when you don’t have the evidence.
What would happen if The Beatles never existed? The movie “Yesterday” poses this question. The music of The Beatles still lives strong today. The song “Let It Be” gives a kind message of hope for those who struggle. Sometimes the simplest message is the right one.
Any time we catch ourselves at a moment of unconscious or even malevolent thought, we can pause and speak words to ourselves that change direction. Even you don’t find time to meditate, take these phrases with you to practice mini-meditation sessions throughout the day. You might find meditation comes more easily when you find a moment to pause.
You might have heard this quote from Thich Nhat Hanh. It’s a wise perspective when our lives seem muddy or chaotic. Most things in nature must endure struggle in order to see the light. Why do we believe we are different?
So many of us struggle to please others and conform to the expectations of others. We measure our beauty and worth based on arbitrary standards rather than shine in our authentic selves. When we begin to live authentically, we inspire others who didn’t have the courage to live the same.
How we see the world is often a projection of our own minds. It’s easy to point out the speck in the eyes of others yet refuse to acknowledge the plank in our own eyes. We want to rid the world of conflict, but it starts with our own minds. Rather than project our guilt unto others, we should look to see where we need to work within.
We all have them—the many voices that tell us we can’t or shouldn’t. Many times they’re deep-seated memories that want to color or suppress the present moment or situation. Also within us is a voice that says we can and we should. Let’s look to them when the inner critic demands to be heard.
Just because someone is experienced at meditation doesn’t mean it’s easy. We still struggle during tough moments in our life. When we get stuck on the hamster wheel of ruminating thoughts, oftentimes the present moment offers us a moment of repose.
We easily judge others for behaving irrationally, but we often don’t see the many moments where we do the same. Our emotions and circumstances will often influence how we behave at any given moment. Therefore, it’s up to us to remain aware at every given moment, particularly when we make important decisions for ourselves and others.
Sometimes our frustration comes when we compare our lives to others. Instead, we should aim to carve a unique path, led by what awakens our freedom the most. Rather than work towards a goal, live in the path.
At the end of the term, many students recognize that they aren’t doing as well as they thought. Throughout the semester, they were unconscious how their decisions affected their progress and learning. Therefore, they were surprised at the outcome. This can happen in our own lives when we live in habits and routines. If we reflect on the choices we make each day, we might obtain different results in the future.
Too many marketers are getting involved in “selling” one type of meditation technique as “the only” way or the “proven” way. Please. Just as there are different foods to nourish us, there are many meditation practices to steady our minds. Pick one that suits you, but also know that others will suit you at other times in your life.
Before Napoleon Hill, there was James Allen’s “As A Man Thinketh.” Much of our words and behaviors are results of our thoughts. Allen tells us how important it is to meditate on benevolent, kind thoughts so that our words and actions bring about benevolence.
So many marketers and influencers want to sell us “one pill” or “the only method proven” to lose weight, make us happy, heal our relationships. Because several behaviors and experiences resulted in your suffering, several methods—and time—will turn things around. There are no quick, easy fixes. Change is hard, but well worth it. And by the way, be sure to get your vaccine!
Many self-help gurus like to validate our pain or perhaps soften it, but do they actually provide ways of healing it? We come off retreats feeling so high, only to return to our communities feeling a larger divide between “us” and “them.” Good self-help, or “self-care,” should aim for healing, which can ache sometimes because we’re forced to take an authentic look at ourselves.
How hasty are we in our response to others? How do we know the accuracy of our interpretations? Rather than seek truth, we often project our own issues onto the behaviors of others. Our emotional states and unresolved conflicts easily muddy the waters of our current experiences. Rather than react, we might be better to listen to others a little more closely.
“Flow” is the moment in your life when you’re so immersed in what you’re doing that it seems timeless. Although you’re engaged in great effort, it seems natural and effortless. Things seem to unfold easily. Flow points us to our authenticity, because we’re not seeking gain or approval. Instead, we are engaged in who we authentically are.
The Buddha taught “attadipa,” which essentially means “be islands unto yourselves.” We get easily swept up by the opinions of others, and this can cause suffering. If we become sustainable unto ourselves, we aren’t affected—good or bad—by how others regard us. We mindfully investigate the words and actions of others in our uncovering of truth, but we don’t depend on the words and actions of others for our self-worth.
We look in awe at the moon when it is full and bright, but we don’t often acknowledge it during the day or during its various stages. The moon gives us hope, knowing that we are always in a stage of waxing and waning. We aren’t meant to shine bright all the time. It bows in subservience to the sun and the Earth.
Each Friday I couldn’t wait to watch the next episode of “Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” It would be first on my list of things to do rather than waiting until evening, when my “have-to’s” were done. Impulse control and delayed gratification are part of emotional intelligence, which has been a better indicator of life success than IQ or SAT score. We can better manage our time, energy, and life if we get off our sensory overload.
How is it we hate to be alone yet we insist the world revolves around us? If we insist that we are “social beings,” why do we persist in acting in our own self interest? On the other hand, people criticize those who seek to better themselves for the sake of living better in a community. Ultimately that is our social responsibility. If we want to eschew secular or religious law, we can’t ignore spiritual laws that govern not only our communities, but also ourselves. That includes the law of cause and effect.
Our environment affects us in many ways. If our outer world is toxic, it feeds on our inner toxins, and we respond with the same toxicity. We must pay attention to what our external environment feeds us and limit or give up media or people who nourish our afflictive emotions. If we can’t avoid or limit these people or media, it’s all the more important for us to spend time alone to nourish our minds and spirits with healthy “food.”
Belief in God and religion altogether is waning, even though research shows that faith in a divine being that connects us improves our lives in different ways. I don’t know if solitude is possible without God, but it certainly is much more pleasant and peaceful.
We go to extremes to get noticed, but that isn’t sustainable. It’s also inauthentic. We might put on an act to try to get more likes for our videos, articles, and pictures, but there will always be another who goes further to the extremes. Then we feel compelled to act more extreme, even though we know it’s a lie. Then all we see on our feed is extreme content, and moderate content gets lost or overlooked. Balance and moderation might seem “boring,” but it is the only enduring path.
We can make beautiful music if we sing the right note. God implants this note in each of us. We can wish to sing someone else’s note, but that’s not authentic. Rumi tells us, “Be your note.”
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. We make choices each day that bring about heaven or hell. None of us are perfect, yet we’re all the more willing to call out others for their imperfections. Rather chastise others for their mistakes and “cancel” or boycott them, we should first acknowledge where we’ve missed the mark.
Many people are agnostic about God because they don’t have evidence of an existence. That’s where faith comes in. Faith calls us to look at all things differently, with a glimmer of optimism. Although the present moment might be unbearable, our faith gives us the strength to endure.
How violent or angry are the media you attend? Do your favorite songs describe angry stories? Do your favorite shows or movies advocate violence as a means of justice? Studies show that even seeing an angry face can trigger those same emotions in your brain. If we aren’t more mindful of the media we consume, it might mix with other stressors in our lives, contributing to the collective anger in society. We can choose our media, and choose wisely. For those angry people we can’t avoid, we cultivate compassion in our minds to counterbalance the negativity.
Does God conjure an image of love or judgment? How you see God, particularly if God has a heavy influence in your life, can affect different areas of your brain. If you adhere to a fear-based God, it has the ability to trigger more of a stress response. If you believe in a loving, compassionate God, it elicits more openness towards other faiths and traditions.
If you look closely at the four gospels in the Bible, you’ll notice that some stories are omitted, and some are told differently. Even the number of angels that appear to Mary Magdalene are different. So which one is “true?” All of them. Each gospel was written for different audiences, so some details were included or omitted. Rather than argue details, we instead look at the overarching message of each one. They speak the same truth—we should love one another, let go of our attachments to worldly things, care for those who can’t care for themselves, and practice forgiveness.
We are responsible for our actions. We must therefore engage in healthy self-inquiry so that our actions don’t bring more suffering to ourselves or to others. A positive mindset only puts a covering over your suffering. It doesn’t heal it. We can heal the world by first healing ourselves.
In a society that likes to emphasize identity, we don’t see how these identities create separation. Even if we do, we are content if we belong to an identity, and we are angry or sad if we don’t. These identities change over time, and they cloud our perception of reality. They also cloak who we really are inside. If we drop our identities, we just might find that we belong to one another.
Many of us fear change because we're comfortable in this moment. On the other hand, we embrace change when we're uncomfortable. Each moment passes, and it's important for us to release it. We can't see into our future, but instead we can use this moment to move in the direction we choose. All the small movements and changes in our lives move us forward in life. Take a small step today.
It’s easy to feel frustrated when our prayers and petitions aren’t answered. We might be tempted to abandon our faith. Instead, we can ask ourselves if we’re being authentic in our prayer. Do we put on our spiritual “Sunday best” during our prayer time, only to act and speak differently when we go about our lives? The door to God might seem locked, but the lock is on our side.
Until we move, we might not take a look at all the things we accumulate. Little trinkets, sample sizes of cosmetics, and even clothes tend to pile up over time. So do our attachments to these things. Can we let go of the things we think we need to experience something new?
The answer to this question tells you what is most important in your life. Oftentimes we might believe that “righteousness” or “justice” might be driving us. However, many of those times what drives us is our need to be right, our desire to get what we feel we deserve, or our unconscious addiction to sensory pleasure. Rather than act from impulse, which might be impure due to our temporal emotions, we can pause and ask ourselves, “What is driving me?”
I loved the movie, “Mulan.” Three powerful virtues—loyalty, bravery, and truth—are stamped into Mulan’s father’s sword. These are virtues we can all uphold. We must, however, ask ourselves, to whom or what are we loyal? Money? Power? God? How do we show bravery without hurting others? And most of all, are we being truthful? Can we be loyal and brave in regards to the truth? Can we make an effort to live in truth?
Just as several factors might contribute to your stress, you might need several factors to contribute to well-being. Yoga might not work, but perhaps yoga and eating healthy might. A job change or location change might alleviate stress, but meditation might also reduce the mental fluctuations. It’s important for us to explore our “nexus of mediating factors” that cause us to bubble over or simmer down.
I struggled many years with the idea that if you “just believe” in Christ, that you will be saved. This says little about the continual conversion, the inner transformation. We repent from our past transgressions, but we continually strive to transform ourselves from within so that we make wiser choices that bring about peace, love and compassion. This means letting go of our attachment to people, behaviors, and things that cause us to miss the mark. God can’t make that choice for us—we must use our free will to become more like the God we worship.
It’s anticipated that as the pandemic and its restrictions ease, people will search for meaning through spiritual practices. My guess is that “influencers” who ride on trends will try to exploit this for material gain. But God never goes out of style. Instead, we go out of step with God and wonder why we’re experiencing so much suffering.
It’s natural for us to direct our attention to our negative emotions and thoughts. However, we can’t be consumed by them. We also have to see the silver lining of each cloud. We take note of the cloud and its warning, but the silver lining reminds us of what’s behind the cloud. Some of us who are overly identified with our false self have become so attached to the clouds—the problem—that we don’t want a solution.
If you look at what occupies your day, ask yourself what benefits your body, mind, or soul. Is there something you’re consuming, such as negative media or junk food, that might bring harm to you or those around you? Sometimes what we believe to be innocent consumption might be actual addiction or attachment. Try letting a piece of something go to see how you react. You might find that what you consume might be consuming you.
We all lean towards the easy, but most things require effort. We then go to extremes of effort and ease. Quick fixes and three-day fasts might bring immediate results, but they don’t form habits that lead us to continual progress. Instead, our spiritual practices require moderation—the right amount of effort and ease—to sustain us throughout our lifetime.
Living alone doesn’t mean leaving society or our current surroundings. Instead, as The Buddha taught, living alone means living without the heavy baggage of our past and anxieties of our future. Solitude can’t occur when these ghosts accompany us. Instead, we experience stillness in the present moment, even in the company of others.
Who makes our decisions for us? Do we consider the consequences of our choices? If we make decisions rooted in our sense of entitlement, it might mean someone else loses. It might bring about suffering among our community, which will come back around and cause us suffering. Instead, we trust in karma, recognizing that the intention behind our action results in eventual consequences.
Like a gardener uses old scraps to feed new seedlings, we can use our processed experiences to cultivate something new in our lives. Instead of tucking away our afflictive experiences, we mindfully reflect on them. We recognize what we can learn from them and nurture our new experiences with them.
We get easily lured away from our center by our attachments and vices. We all have them. It’s just a matter of whether we control them or they control us. We take a pause, return to the virtues of our spiritual center, then ask, “is this a wise choice?”
We go to a therapist for our mental health, but what about our spiritual health? That’s the job of a spiritual director. Richard Rohr writes that both can be helpful in leading a healthy, productive life. I would also add a third—someone who knows about healing the body.
Tiger Woods’ car accident would have him suffer leg injuries, and people are doubting the future of his golf career. Having back surgery the same time he did in 2014, I was amazed how quickly he would swing the golf club again. People were amazed that I would finish an Ironman five months after my back surgery. We can never underestimate the power of the human spirit. If Tiger Woods wants to return to professional golf, I have no doubt he will. It might not come quickly, but it will come.
I hate Mondays and the constriction that accompanies it. However, I experience the dread for what it is—just a temporary feeling that will pass just as the moment and the day do. Yes, I still yearn for the weekend when I’m free, but our clinging or aversion to what the moment brings can cause us to lose an opportunity for a new direction.
Confession here: I roll my eyes whenever I see a televangelist whip themselves into an ecstatic state. I can do that, too, if I spin myself around for a few minutes. I can also take drugs to induce visions. But none of these experiences are God. A vision or ecstatic experience isn’t “on demand.” They are gifts, secrets, to encourage us to venture further. We have to be discerning about any of these by reflecting on our internal state before and after them. Has our craving for experience conjured something in our imagination? Or do we feel a sense of vanity afterwards, like we’re somehow more advanced in our spiritual walk than others? Ultimately, as Thomas Merton and John of the Cross tell us, we can’t rely on these experiences as our only means of divine connection. We have to let go of the craving.
If we are in a continual state of growth and renewal, can we do the same with others? Do we see people we know as our picture of them from 20 years ago, or do we see the new, evolved person of today? It’s important for us to experience each person, each scene, each moment as ever-changing. This fluidity allows us to open ourselves to bends in the road.
It’s unhealthy for us to avoid our inner conflicts. Oftentimes we consume too much fake news and live in a positivity echo chamber. Eventually, a situation will inflame the kindling of our resentment, which might bring actual harm to ourselves or others. Instead, we are called to be honest with ourselves and our suffering. Rather than sugarcoat what we feel, we can compassionately tell ourselves when things aren’t ok. Rather than ignore wounds until they get infected, we address them and heal them. It takes courage and honesty.
We often hear the power of gratitude in spiritual circles, but scientists have found that gratitude can motivate you to pursue your goals. When someone does something nice for you, that feeling of gratitude stirs you to do something nice in return. Gratitude gives you the willpower and hope to carry on.
Many hold high expectations about Valentine’s Day, planning special dinners, vacations, or floral deliveries. That’s not love. It’s not a matter of gift-giving or anything material. It’s a recognition and respect of another, wherever they are in their stage of life.
Life can get overwhelming. Sometimes our trials and tribulations can pile up heavy on our hearts. We don’t believe God is near. However, our current feelings about our current state don’t speak much about the whole of our past, present, and future. All feelings are transient, yet God is enduring. Even if we don’t “feel” God, oftentimes it’s because he’s behind us, whispering “just keep going.”
It’s easy to get discouraged and dark, particularly when external circumstances reflect negativity. When this happens, spend time rekindling the flame of love. This means reading or hearing words of encouragement. Find a “go-to” passage that warms you. One of mine is from “The Greatest Salesman in the World.”
It might be easy to love those close to us, but how do we love those who are not? We can at least wish for them to be free from suffering. We can allow a fraction of the love we feel towards those close to us to seep out towards those we don’t know. If we want to feel joy, we can aim to extend this fraction of love. Then, as the Sutta Nipata says, “Your life will bring heaven to earth.”
Many times we suffer twice when we worry. Our thoughts and rumination about something that may or may not occur can do more harm than that something. Practice letting things be in your mind. Allow them to arrive, but refrain from speaking back to them.
We’re often told to “trust our feelings,” but then we’re told that our feelings can mask reality. Which is it? It’s both. To a certain extent, our emotions drive us to do something. When out of control, they drive us out of control. We use time in withdrawal and restraint to sharpen our feelings. We then use reason to help steer our emotions towards things that effect a fruitful life.
People in the US cling to this concept of liberty. We proclaim it when we make choices that defy certain rules or structures. We claim it more as a right rather than a responsibility. We do little to consider the consequences of our choices. Then, when our choice wreaks havoc on our lives or the lives of others, we want to blame others. It’s important for us to own the responsibility of our liberated choices so that we can continually grow as individuals and as a society.
Stress and emotion create a toxic cocktail. They work together to wreak havoc over our lives and the lives of others. We see images and videos of others who have sought control over others when they themselves are uncontrollable. We must take measures to harness them so they don’t control us. We can use them as fuel for our actions, using reason as the reins.
Many people go about their lives restless, never knowing the meaning of their circumstances. If we look closely, we might recognize that through our suffering we find our purpose. We can use our voice to complain about our circumstances, or we can use it to inspire others to see through them. We all have a voice, a purpose. Do we use it for our personal gain or for the benefit of the world?
The law of attraction has benefits in that it opens your eyes in ways they might have been closed. However, we can’t be too fixed on the outcome. Even in prayer, we easily get frustrated when our prayers aren’t answered in ways we expect. But each time we ask, we get what we most need at the right moment.
Trees might seem still, but they are continually in a state of change. So are we. When our lives seem still and don’t appear to be moving on the outside, this state of stillness is important on the inside. We should embrace each moment for what it is, learn from it, and open ourselves when it’s time to grow, flourish, let go, or remain still.
When we engage in our efforts, we expect to see progress, particularly when we see quick progress in others. However, we don’t know the story of others. Instead, we should remember what Pierre Teilhard de Chardin tells us: “Trust in the slow work of God.” Timing is always perfect, even if we are impatient.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin writes about how each of us can participate in the work of God. It doesn’t mean abandoning the work of our own soul. Instead, if we are mindful, we can make each act a small piece in the betterment of ourselves and the world. This is because we are all woven together in this intricate web. What we choose to weave is integral to the whole.
Unity and peace will never come if you’re always seeking vindication. People will always wrong us, and if we can’t find an attitude of peace and unity until justice is served, we’re placing our agency for peace outside of us. Instead, if we approach our thoughts and actions in the spirit of unity and reconciliation, we can inspire others to do the same. In that sense, justice will be served because truth and conscience will burn bright like the sun.
While we’re enduring great suffering, we feel like God is not with us. Our suffering demands God to heal us. Even in our deepest suffering, God is infused in us. We cannot sense God because He is not “out there,” but “in here.”
As many celebrate the life and teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s important to also look at how he viewed peace. He believed peace is not accepting the status quo, but recognizing the tension and using peaceful means to arrive at a desired outcome. In his view, peace is both a means and an outcome.
Starting something new or breaking out of routine can bring on anxiety. Our minds grow fearful as thoughts of failure want to dominate. But God is with us always, whether we want Him there or not. By keeping the virtues of peace, compassion and service in mind, we can find courage knowing that by trying, we can’t fail.
Social media and reality TV seem to enjoy mimicking the drama of narrative fiction. Rather than live the mundane, live in moderation, they thrive on extremes. This isn’t reality. What happens is many of us are looking for the next viral moment. Our media teaches us that living a balanced life doesn’t get the attention we desire. However, spiritual traditions tell us to seek moderation, balance, and humility. We avoid extremes because they are not sustainable.
I’m still reeling at the rainbow of emotions I’ve experienced the past four days. My dog received the care he needed in spite of a $4000 hospital bill. Social media might receive criticism for inciting cynicism and rage, but I was reminded how it also can be used for good. I’m thankful that my family and friends could reach out to me in my time of need.
It’s remarkable how keen our focus is during moments of great suffering. All our senses, thoughts, and actions are directed towards the present moment. We cannot think about anything else, even if we want to. These moments teach us how to accept each moment, either good or bad. I’m headed to the vet emergency room. Say a prayer for my dog.
In a country that praises the freedom of speech, we don’t practice much discernment in the consequences of our words. All spiritual traditions tell us something about how we should speak and receive one another. Rather than use words to “win,” we use words to further truth, not profit or power. Our words do matter, and we should not be surprised if unhealthy conflict results by using words that incite harm.
How crazy people can be claiming their culture, their identity, their God as “theirs,” as if it’s something they can possess? We even see our material possessions as “mine,” not “yours.” When we consider things from a spiritual perspective, we all belong to one another. We all belong to God. Rabindranath Tagore makes an interesting metaphor—that we are all rivers longing to meet the sea.
Many cultures emphasize more—more power, more wealth, more things. We’re easily led to believe that bigger is better, and we should seek to expand our acquisitions. But joy can start as small as a mustard seed. It can sprout from simple things. Rather than spread wide, joy can spread deep, taking root within.
The story of the magi who visited Jesus is one of my favorites. What would inspire these men—of course we’re not sure there were three OR they were all men. The magi had seen in the stars that a king had been born. They traveled a great distance and brought gifts to an infant. They knew something others did not—that there was something magnificent happening. I always wonder what great things are happening right under our noses that we’re missing because we aren’t looking through a spiritual lens.
Many of us couldn’t wait for 2020 to be over, as if putting up a new calendar will magically change things. Beginning a new year is only a shared mental construction. If we wanted, we could have begun a new year a month ago. If we see each day, each moment as an opportunity to begin again, we can experience the freshness each moment has to offer.
In times of great change or great stagnation, we face the fear of uncertainty. We easily get caught up in the panic and don’t pause for the teaching each moment has to offer. There is a unity in all things, and that unity whispers us a promise: “Everything will be ok.”
When everything is quickly available at the flick of a fingertip, we struggle and ache when we have to wait. When our desires aren’t immediately gratified, we don’t see what preparation is necessary for us to receive. If we skip steps and receive our gift prematurely, the outcome might not be what we desired.
The internet allows our words to spread all over the world. Some words, particularly those that arouse controversy, are amplified, contributing to pain rather than peace. Rather than speaking without consideration, Khalil Gibran tells us to let the spirit guide our tongue and shape our words. Those are words that pierce the heart and endure well beyond the conversation.
Perhaps one of the reasons I’m still single in my 50s is that I spent most of my 20s and 30s chasing after men who were wrong for me. I was addicted to the thrill of the chase and the brief exhilaration of acquisition. With most of these relationships, I would be left broken-hearted and empty-handed. When we live in a state of clinging and acquiring, we aren’t free. The object of our desires imprisons us.
We often talk about the “stress” of the holidays, but can we complain about that now? Instead, we mourn NOT having our many social gatherings. Just think—you probably won’t have to battle holiday weight gain in January! Yet still, we are uneasy when we can’t find peace in being alone. However, Henri Nouwen writes that by finding our quiet center, we can develop a sense of authenticity that we carry into our relationships with others.
Although meditation has become popular in mainstream society as a means of stress reduction, it’s important to understand where it progresses. Yes, it calms the waves of stress, but we eventually recognize that these waves are part of the large ocean of connectedness to others. We develop a sense of authenticity that implores us to manifest this in the world.
Can you gaze upon something you love without a running mental commentary? Evelyn Underhill, in her writing about contemplation, implores us to experience Reality without labels or frames. Instead, we immerse ourselves in loving the object of contemplation, such as an animal or flower. This immersion not only connects us to the object, but also to the rest of the world.
We get easily caught up in our routines to the point that we live life on autopilot, lacking awareness. We assume everything is taken care of, and we take things for granted. But do we know where we’re going? Is this taking us in the right direction? The Katha Upanishad reminds us that we allow our senses to drive our lives out of control. Rather than living life on autopilot, we live moment to moment, making mindful choices along a bumpy ride.
This is a visualization I recorded for InsightTimer.com. Visualization can be an effective way to guide the mind, particularly when the mind wants to dart off in various directions. This meditation takes us to the mountains, where we listen closely to what messages they want to communicate with us. Fireplace and mountain wind sound effects by SoundIdeasCom and sounddogs, respectively, available at Pond5.
What do we do when we encounter something beautiful? We might want to take a picture or compare it with other things. We shower it with excessive rhetoric rather than experience beauty for what it is. This is a call for mysticism, or experiencing reality untainted. Evelyn Underhill’s “Practical Mysticism” calls us towards mysticism.
I honestly wonder how many people, particularly business and political leaders, can look at themselves in the mirror while lying and breaking laws. Unless you’re a psychopath who has no regard for right and wrong, our conscience elicits our sense of guilt. If we shrug off our sense of guilt, we continue down a slippery slope of hurting others and eventually ourselves. A healthy balance of guilt motivates us to change course in our behavior.
Oftentimes we hear “Dark Night of the Soul” as a euphemism for depression. Although the symptoms are very similar, the Dark Night of the Soul is means of spiritual growth. You might not recognize it until you’re on the other side. St. John of the Cross wrote about this spiritual maturation in his book, Dark Night of the Soul. It is a time when your old ways no longer give you sensory pleasure. You experience an aridity, but you also feel a deep sense of grounding. You know you’re being led even though you have no evidence of it.
When life always goes the way we expect, we don’t see the many things we take for granted. It is when things fall apart that we’re forced to piece together some semblance of normalcy. We recognize that all things are in a continual state of change, and so are the things we take for granted. Therefore , this moment-to-moment awareness can show us certain gifts that we don’t slow down enough to see.
We love our traditions because they give us comfort in the midst of chaos. COVID-19 has upended many of our traditions, creating a lot of additional suffering and uncertainty. However, this might be a good moment to ask ourselves what traditions need to change. Have we become so attached to the routine of our tradition that we forgot what’s at the heart of it? This time might open us to new traditions if we stop resisting.
When life gives us trials, it can be difficult to endure. The noonday demon tells us to quit—that it’s not worth it. When the end seems too far in sight and the noonday demon tempts you, remember that you’re building resilience. You’re building mental strength to endure future races. Visualize the finish line in mind, shrug off the noonday demon, and finish the race. The world is counting on you.
Thomas Merton sums up much of my life’s perspective in his book, “New Seeds of Contemplation.” His words ring true today. He writes that when we see the world as divided, it’s only a projection of our internal division. In battling others, we’re only compromising our own values. We might not recognize it because we don’t spend enough time in solitude. Solitude allows us to reconnect ourselves where we’ve become compromised. It’s not about living in a place where we’re always right. Instead we reconcile ourselves with where we’ve been wrong. Then we can see the world with a new perspective—one that seeks unity over division. Sorry I seemed to ramble again. Sleep was scant because one of my dogs was coughing all night.
The serenity prayer adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous is one we all can employ during our times of struggle. It’s important not to suffer twice by resisting what is happening. Instead, we examine what can be done in each moment. In some cases, there is a small thing we can do. In others, we accept what it is without adding more anxiety. It might seem overwhelming to think about how long you can endure in your suffering. But we can tell ourselves, “I can accept this moment,” and, as those in AA believe, we take things one day at a time.
People can be really cruel to one another on social media, or any place where they don’t interact with others face-to-face. You can take them personally, or you can see them as lines in a play, where the other is merely playing a role. Good or bad, these words don’t define you. If anything, it shows the other person’s projection of wounds. In the book, In Search of Wisdom, the writers tell us that inner peace can never come when you rely on the opinions of others. In the same vein, we should choose our own words carefully, choosing words that bear truth and compassion.
Certain days can be difficult to endure. You don’t see light anywhere, and the path just seems long with no end in sight. You grow tired, thinking, “I have no fight left.” But Hope whispers in your ear, “Just keep going.” Hope can come in the form of a memory of someone dear or of a dog who finds joy in simplicity. Hope isn’t an escape hatch but rather a small drink of water when the spirit is thirsty.
It can be difficult to be grateful when we're in a state of anxiety, clinging, or desire. We want so badly to get what we want, or we're angry because life isn't working out the way we'd planned. We can be grateful for one thing--our breath. Our breath is a kind servant, giving us life-giving oxygen. This meditation allows you to focus on your breath to induce a state of calm. Then, you send the calm back to the world in your exhale.
Music: "New Mindfulness" by Chris Collins at indiemusicbox.com
We might strive to get what we want, but ultimately that’s never enough. When we mindlessly indulge in our egoic desires, we live a life that swings between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. We can still this pendulum by living beyond our hyperindividualism. This means recognizing that the world moves much more easily when we surrender to its movement. This means that the option we demanded for ourselves might not be best for all those involved. The universe chooses the path of sustaining itself, and it favors interdependence. Readings here are taken from The Aspen Institute’s Relationist Manifesto, which was conceived by New York Times writer David Brooks. You can find this manifesto on the Aspen Institute’s website.
My heart was truly moved this morning reading an article from Lion’s Roar about the US election result. Hearing these Buddhist leaders resonate their teachings with our current state of affairs is what we all need. We all have a role in weaving the fabric of society back together. Once your emotional reaction subsides, stay awake. There is work to be done.
We engage in a lot of testing and measures to gauge change in our physical health or intellectual progress, but how about spiritual or emotional growth? If you look back a few months or years, have you learned from your mistakes? Have you transformed through your suffering? It’s important for us to take time to reflect on our growth so we aren’t winding up circling back to past mistakes.
No one on this planet is truly “self-made.” If not for the hundreds, thousands, or millions of people who have had to work to create conditions for one’s success, the person would not be successful. One person not attending to their task can create a ripple of conditions for another’s failure. This suggests our interdependence. Rather than allow an inflated ego to give ourselves the credit, we should consider the many others whose shoulders we needed to stand on to even reach that ladder of success. In gratitude for others, we then pay it forward and help others live their dreams.
It is easy to get caught up in collective delusion, especially when it feeds our desire to belong. But can we look deeply within to see how our desires and impulses influence our behavior? Are we chasing after something abstract without looking at the concrete? Do we rely on others for our esteem and worth, fearing and distracting ourselves from the Voice of Truth? James Allen writes how important it is for us to spend time in solitude so that we can ask ourselves, “What is really going on here?” Sorry I seem to be rambling—I’ve had little to no sleep last night.
The tension of uncertainty can be quite overwhelming. Personally, I feel it in my chest. I recognize it coming, and I also notice when I layer it with more unproductive thoughts. Then I ask myself, “who’s in charge here?” As much as we can’t control the chaos in the world, we can be more productive and proactive when we take charge of our own self. Rather than ruminate over the past or fear for our future, we can accept what we’re feeling in this moment. This becomes training as we navigate through important decisions in our lives. And sometimes, honestly, it helps to just change the TV channel.
The force of truth or love live on in spite of conflicts in our families and nations, Gandhi had written. Although history often cites series of conflicts, the mundane element of compromise is often overlooked. Our egos want to win, but that only breeds more resentment and division. Do we want peace, or do we just want to be right?
We might be beloved and admired in our spiritual or religious communities, but how are we outside of them? Do we abandon our teachings and participate in the suffering of the world? While it’s important to heal your own soul, it’s equally important to engage in our unique role in healing the world of its suffering.
You might have heard the parable of two wolves that battle inside us all. But another version of it, perhaps the more authentic one, ends a little differently. Rather than “feed” or “starve” the “dark” wolf of jealousy or rage, we investigate the nature of it. Perhaps it’s a suppressed reaction to an event long ago that never healed. Or it might be an appropriate response to a current situation. Through inquiry, we harness the emotion and choose the most appropriate response that results in healing not only ourselves, but also others.
I cannot say I’m a “good” Christian. Instead, I’m a “wild” one. I seek spiritual truth in all religious and spiritual disciplines and how they heal the body, mind and spirit. But in the continual process of healing, I know I have a purpose in healing the world. So do you. Your purpose might differ from mine because your gifts are different from mine. Joan Chittister asks us, “What will you do here and now, in this world, in our time?”
When we are consumed with our own needs, we believe the world is limited in its resources, so we compete with others for fame, fortune, love, and power. However, when we offer our gifts to the world in service to God and others, we can recognize the world’s abundance. According to the Upanishads, we must go to those in need, seeing the Lord of Love in all living things.
As more people live their lives without a spiritual grounding, they might ask, “What drives people to believe in some spiritual or divine entity?” Are they living a lie? Are they just crazy? If you look at the accounts of some (not all, because some are truly crazy), you have to open up to the possibility that there might be some energy, some force, that binds or connects us all. Gandhi’s belief in God inspired him to liberate India from British Rule. Was he living a lie? Was he crazy? His writing about his own faith in God is very warming, particularly in our current state of chaos.
When things don’t go our way, we sometimes adopt a selfish perspective by saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” This implies that as a result of this disappointment, you will be rewarded next time. However, we often don’t see what needs to be learned from this disappointment. It might be something about ourselves or an understanding of how this disappointment fits into the web of life. Instead, we can say, “All things serve a purpose,” knowing that this disappointment is a piece of the larger, multidimensional puzzle.
Anthony de Mello’s book, The Way to Love, has had a profound influence on my life. He introduced me to the concept of attachment, particularly how they become obstacles to our joy. In this passage, he relates the Christian story of how the rich man cannot enter the kingdom of God because he’s attached to his wealth. Only by dropping our attachments can we experience joy. Sorry for the few pauses in my reading, my light was fading and I was struggling to see! That’s perhaps a metaphor I’ll save for next time.
The actor Chris Evans, who played Captain America, recently created an Instagram account to help promote his political information website, A Starting Point. What is interesting, though, is that his Instagram promotes his love for simple things, such as his dog and the changing of the leaves. We need more role models like this—people who show us that life is more than our personal gain. We need more role models who propagate decency, humility, and compassion. These role models can normalize human values that build community and peace, making materialistic and selfish values irrelevant. Let’s cling to these positive role models and eschew the ones that want to divide us.
The most popular concept of yoga is someone, usually a thin, white female, contorting her body in an unnatural position inaccessible to 99.9% of the population. Some might believe it’s a religion so they eschew it without the slightest bit of inquiry. If you look back at some of the ancient texts that informed the varieties of yoga practices, you’ll understand that it’s less about what’s on the outside and more about what’s on the inside. Yoga, therefore, cannot be conveyed in an Instagram image.
If you have a little more time, here's a little longer podcast episode that will settle your mind, body and spirit. Savasana is also called "corpse pose," and it's typically done at the end of a yoga practice. It's a time to restore and cultivate healing. Lie down on your back and settle into this time of relaxation. Music: "Enlightenment" by Chris Collins at indiemusic.com. Collins is one of my favorite meditation composers.
We often hear Christians cite John 14:6 as a means of excluding those who don’t believe. But what does Jesus mean when He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life?” It means living a life of compassion, truth, forgiveness, and service of others. It’s about putting others’ interests before our own, especially if they are in need. Gandhi said, “Your Christians aren’t very Christ-like” because he himself recognized what Jesus meant by “the way...”
Relationships can become toxic when one person controls the decisions. Our attachments to approval, being right, or being loved can seize control of us, preventing us from being free. Once we recognize how our attachments influence our decisions, we make choices that benefit not only us, but also others. Freedom happens when we respect ourselves and others.
When we begin a relationship, we become mesmerized by the great “high.” However, once the honeymoon is over, that’s where the work begins. We deepen our relationship in a continual process of growth and renewal. However, it’s easy to get stuck in the sensory experience and believe THAT is the relationship. So it is with our relationship with God. Our “born again” conversion experience might be great, but we don’t remain there. As Alan Jones writes, we must walk the Via Dolorosa, experiencing the growing pains of a relationship that deepens and solidifies over time. Jones asks, “Do I worship God, or do I worship my experience of God?”
Early church leaders recognize acedia as one of the vices that plague humankind. It strikes during the midpoint of a journey, where the beginning and end seem nowhere in sight. Evagrius (I keep pronouncing his name wrong, including here) called it the “Noonday Demon” that makes the day seem too long to endure. Rather than escape, he tells us to recognize it as a temptation to abandon our journey. Once recognized, it loosens its grip on us so we can continue our journey.
I’m reading a beautiful letter from a man who is a great role model of humility. The letter is rather long, but it is a careful, thoughtful appeal for all people to come together and care for one another. He calls for a new culture of dialogue, mutual cooperation, and reciprocal understanding. Can we drop our sense of righteous indignation and heal our communal suffering?
This is the one-year anniversary of Brad4d Savasana. In this year, I’ve learned that expectations can easily limit and frustrate. When we give away what comes freely without any expectation of anything in return, we can find that the well is always abundant. This podcast has become my audio rough draft of my written work, which you can find at https://medium.com/@mbbrad4d
On this Feast of St. Francis, we recognize that we are stewards of all living things on Mother Earth. St. Francis honors the elements of the earth as sisters and brothers in his Canticle of the Sun. Why not treat our natural family with care and love?
Hermann Hesse contemplates the autumn of his life, questioning how distant goals can steal the joy of each moment. We recognize that each moment is a season in itself, birthing something new, ripening what is sown, or harvesting our fruit. Sometimes the beauty of the moment is letting go.
What would happen if we repeated the same behaviors accepting the same results? If we know something we do brings us suffering, why do we continue? How do we bounce back from failure if we do nothing to improve?
We often bring our attachments into our conflicts with others. We tell others they are wrong while we’re fixed in our own mind of being right. We try to bully others into adopting our perspective. Instead, why not be magnetic and allow others to be attracted to your point of view? This allows you to be detached from changing someone else while showing in your own life how peace can exist.
The Social Dilemma really shocked me. Although I knew the tech companies were gathering data about me, I didn’t have a full understanding how persuasive technology worked. There are a lot of bad actors out there who are sowing discord in our minds and communities. We can be more mindful about what we choose to post ourselves, noticing how it reflects our own state of mind. However, we can also spend time in silence and question who we are outside of these virtual communities. Consider it an intermittent fast that can loosen your grip on the addicting technologies.
We are given a life to live, and when we encounter problems, we must refer to our instruction manual. These are teachings written inside our hearts, passed down through the many scriptures in various spiritual traditions. Yet we eschew them for the temporal, material, superficial teachings popular in modern media. The purveyors of these teachings profit from our problems while failing to point us to the transcendent teachings within. The answers are always found in spiritual teachings—why not have a look at them?
Alan Jones wrote a book relating the spiritual walk to Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy.’ We live so much of our lives in a state of restless anticipation, and we seek relief from things that don’t satisfy. Eventually we must face our hell to find paradise. Note: I screwed up Dante’s order. First is inferno, then purgatorio, then Paradiso.
Gandhi coined the term “satyagraha” to indicate his philosophy of change. It’s loosely translated as “soul force,” employed by Dr. King. Some will use “nonviolent resistance” or “passive resistance,” but it’s much more than that. It’s about unity on the soul level. It’s less about changing people’s minds and more about moving people’s spirits.
Hope is that flicker of light, of goodness, that continues to burn in spite of darkness. We might feel hope is lost, but if we drop our attachments and desires for a specific outcome, we use our hands to cultivate that hope. We can do this if we all share our light of hope. This light of hope reveals the evil that lurks in the darkness. Our collective hope can light up a nation and a world.
Communication in relationships is important, but sometimes relationships can be cultivated beyond words. It’s not always necessary to speak, especially if we’re doing most of it. I found discursive prayers to be difficult because I felt I was doing more talking than listening. Instead, I chose to be silent for a while, letting the Holy Spirit speak beyond words.
Let’s face it—there aren’t many leaders in politics, business or society who are role models of love. Although we all have a dark side with which we need to reconcile, we must remember not to let our dark side become who we are, even if it temporarily gives us profit. Ultimately, love always prevails. You can be a light, a role model of love.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were Hollywood’s power couple many years ago. After their breakup, Lopez took her broken heart to the Dr. Phil show. They spoke of the ideal partner as “a soft place to fall.” Although that might appeal to the romantics, it’s not a prescription for an everlasting relationship that is life-giving for both.
In my 20s and 30s, I would write letters to myself to offer hope in my darkest days. I would promise to open them a few months later and contemplate my growth since then. In 2006, just after a bitter breakup, I wrote a love letter to my future partner. Reading it now made me realize what I wanted in a significant other I actually needed to cultivate within myself. You can be the author of your own love story of yourself.
The Light Of Truth Universal Shrine (LOTUS) sits deep in the heart of Virginia. Its motto is “One Truth, many paths.” How often do we bicker on the periphery without recognizing what’s deep in the heart of the argument? Saying that we are “saved,” “woke,” or “chosen” sets up more division and exclusivity. Rather than having a clenched fist, we should extend our open hand.
In a world that seems to be broken, it’s easy to fall back in despair. Instead, we can remain steadfast in our faith and hope. We look deep in our community and ask, “What small act can I do to keep hope alive?” These small acts of hope can build upon one another. Small acts of hope around the world can illuminate the world.
If you read about some of the great spiritual role models in history, you’ll know that there was something that drove their actions. Oftentimes their role was to shake up the status quo when people became complacent. As so many people turn away from religious practice, I can’t help but wonder who will emerge as our spiritual role models? Who will lead the people through spirit, rather than desire for power?
All living beings experience suffering. How we react to suffering is our choice. We can resist our suffering, which can bring on more suffering, or we can investigate it as birthing a new way of being. Many great leaders have emerged because their suffering brought them great purpose. In the case of this pandemic, will we return to our old lives and routines, or will we find a new way of living and being?
In a culture that thrives on accumulating material possessions, we attribute power to those who have “the most.” We create false idols out of people who have great power, wealth, and fame. But the great religious traditions say that material possessions inhibit our ability to connect with the divine. The difference between a religion and a cult is the religious leader sacrifices himself for the sake of others.
It’s easy to get caught up in our drama. Can we step outside of it a few moments each day and reflect? We revisit ways in which we might have spoken untruth or acted carelessly, and we aim to do better next time. We also revisit moments where our thoughts, words, and actions have brought divine joy. By practicing this “Examen,” we recalibrate ourselves and remember our True North.
We mistake boasting for confidence. We attribute material success to our own doing, and oftentimes we forget how our privilege might have gotten us there. If our ego gets out of hand, God leaves us to our vices, which eventually leads to ruin. Therefore, when we boast, we should recognize that all things are fleeting. Even if we are in a high place, we should respect those in low places, because God loves them equally.
When we don’t investigate what we believe, we might be led down a path of untruth that might seem honest and noble. Lance Armstrong felt compelled to maintain his untruth because the ends justified the means. But does that mean it’s ok to be dishonest? What about the people who believed the lies? How do we know the truth if we don’t invest in knowing it? Or are we more attached to proving others wrong than accept the possibility that we might not be right? Sorry I rambled a bit.
Political leaders and legal professionals like to employ many words, but they do little to effect change. Three words that Jacob Blake’s mother said are the most necessary: “Search your hearts.” Julia Jackson’s words transcends her frustration and pain to appeal to something deeper within all of us—our hearts. This is the message we all need—to ask ourselves if we want to continue hurting ourselves and others, or if we want to heal.
It’s easy to react to others’ anger or disrespect with a similar response. However, this results in a power game, where peace will never be the result. Instead, we can respond with “Namaste” or “jai bhagwan.” Both sayings recognize the divine being in others and ourselves. They also serve as a wake-up call for others to remember that we all possess that divine spark.
We often assume that contemplatives and those who enjoy solitude don’t want to be a part of the world. It is in solitude that we gather our strength and our vision. It is in quiet contemplation that we let go of the material vision that wants to bear upon us. When we return, we inspire this vision—the way of unity that transcends division and transforms others. This passage is from Thomas Merton’s Inner Experience.
If you sit outside before dawn, you hear the quiet before the first bird sings. It gives us hope that a new day is dawning. This bird is like a prophet, singing in the dark, with no care of who listens. It sings because that is its mission—to awaken the world who has fallen asleep.
When we get overwhelmed with the state of the world or the state of our lives, it’s important to take time in sanctuary. Whether it’s a physical space in your abode or a brief traffic light, time in sanctuary can recalibrate our thinking. We sit quietly with our deep breath, receiving the gifts to steady us.
We seek pleasure in worldly things, believing these things can relieve our suffering. But the more we accumulate, the more attached we become. Thomas Merton suggests that our experience with God is inversely proportionate to our attachments.
You don’t have to take holy orders to become a monk in ordinary life. If you have a longing that fails to be satisfied with material or temporary things, it could be a call to experience God. Contemplation is this experience, and although many writers have tried to express it, it, like God, can only be revealed when the student is ready.
It’s easy to get caught up with media that nourishes our seeds of afflictive emotions. If that is the case, we shouldn’t be surprised if we react to others—and ourselves—with these afflictive emotions. If we can instead catch ourselves in these moments and say, “I don’t have time for this,” we can nourish the seeds of compassion and truth.
Many will eschew “mainstream religion” because it has “too many rules.” But we recognize that certain rules guide us on the road of life. Rather than criticize those who attend religious institutions, we should recognize the areas in our life where we need discipline.
Many of us are told to “follow your passion.” However, this fails to tie us with a deeper purpose. At a graduation speech several years ago, Walter Isaacson told the graduates to “Aim higher,” and tie our passion to service to others. Rather than be consumed with our own needs, why not start each day by asking, “How can I serve?”
Many spiritual traditions will use their texts to open their hearts to The Divine. This episode employs Lectio Divina from the Christian tradition. The passages are drawn from the book, “Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings” by Richard Hooper. If you’re interested in interfaith dialogue, this book does a marvelous job in bringing these faith traditions together.
Kahlil Gibran wrote compelling imaginings about Jesus from the perspective of those who encountered him. This passage illuminates how Jesus loved the “unseen” in Mary Magdalene. Her meeting Jesus made her realize that she had separated herself from her spirit. We can use this passage to ask ourselves if we, too, have forgotten our spirit, causing us to look to external things to bring us temporary satisfaction. Instead, we can remember and love the unseen in not only ourselves, but also others.
The power of positive thinking is strong, but it’s important to investigate our thoughts. Even if we have a “burning desire” for something, the law of attraction cannot fill a void of which you are unaware. For instance, if you desire an expensive car, what void do you believe this will fill? A desire to be popular or accepted? A car might bring temporal acceptance, but it will only introduce craving as your need goes unfulfilled. Instead, focus on what you “really” want, but also focus on how this can be of service to others. That way, your offering to the River of Life, which is rich and abundant. James Allen’s “As a Man Thinketh” tells us to really investigate the nature and power of our thoughts.
In southern Virginia, the Yogaville community has a beautiful shrine called LOTUS, which stands for Light Of Truth Universal Shrine. It suggests there is “one truth, many paths.” Richard Hooper echoes this sentiment in his book, “Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao-Tzu; The Parallel Sayings.” Sometimes the truth is hidden in the present moment if we open our eyes to see.
Do our words emerge from the depth of our hearts—the silence? Or are they rooted in our desires to win an argument? Cultivating silence in our everyday experiences allow us to speak with integrity and meaning. This passage from Thomas Merton tells us that silence is the “mother of all speech,” the formless before the formed.
We love distraction, particularly if we’re addicted to our emotional drama. We also love to muddy the water of our lives when we believe that our excesses can bring inner peace. Thomas Merton says that this is illusion. Those who thrive on distraction fear the truth that silence can bring. Instead, we can welcome silence into our minds and hearts, knowing that it is where God’s voice is heard.
Eric Whitacre was featured on “CBS Sunday Morning,” highlighting his remarkable music talents. His song, “Sing Gently,” brings 17,000 voices from all over the world. Each voice plays a role in creating the magic. Each voice sings with the intention of joining others in perfect harmony. In our society, many voices want to stand out for the purpose of being heard, rather than to bring harmony. Can we be a voice that sings gently, bringing peace and unity in a society that is singing off-key?
Thomas Merton describes the consonantia of nature and silence in the essay, Day of a Stranger. We can hear these notes if we tune out the noise in our heads and listen with spirit.
Our technologies make it easy to escape our current reality, but it also prevents us from learning what the present moment can teach us about ourselves. Do we hold unrealistic expectations that are only fulfilled in our fantasy? Our ability to come home to ourselves and our imperfections allows us to learn lessons, particularly about how we relate to ourselves and others.
On this day, the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, we contemplate who she was, rather than who we want her to be. Oftentimes we don’t like uncertainty, preferring the manifest over the unmanifest. But the mystery, the unmanifest, is pregnant with potential. Can we sit with uncertainty, rather than rush to an answer that might not be the right one?
We applaud extremes. We are somewhat envious of those in the circus. We implicitly tell ourselves that we must be extreme to be accepted and approved by others. Yet we come home to ourselves and cannot accept our mundane life. This makes us more anxious and unsatisfied with ourselves. However, inner peace can be found not by external acclaim, validation, or compensation. It can be found with our acceptance of the mundane and ordinary.
Henry David Thoreau’s “experiment” in living alone in the woods presented him with a sense of mindfulness. In the conclusion of “Walden,” he writes the importance of inner exploration.
In a society that takes comfort in separation and dualism, it might be discomforting to see God in people and things we do not like. God is infinite and all-pervasive, connecting all things. Kabbalah is one of many mystical teachings that recognize the existence of God in all things.
When I see immense houses in neighborhoods much wealthier than mine, I wonder how someone needs that much space. After watching a documentary featuring Diana Beresford-Kroeger, a conservationist, I felt the urgency in preserving our forests. We might feel powerless in battling government and business to slow climate change, but we can do our part in refraining from excess.
As a former news photographer, it was my job to capture moments in a short amount of time. But how often do we rush through our experiences in hopes of capturing the moments to share on social media? Rather than view our moments through our cell phone cameras, why not experience things first, and truly live in the moment?
Thomas Merton gave this powerful speech criticizing politics, business and media for dividing the nation. His words in 1964 still ring true today. A minor oops in my recording of this—the book by Mirabai Starr is called “Wild Mercy.”
When we hold onto our anger, it might be difficult to forgive. We might believe that we are victims of injustice, but ultimately we must make an account of how we treat others. Those who have gone forth plead with us to make amends on earth, before it’s too late.
How often do we get caught up in the busy-ness of our lives? Have we stopped and asked ourselves what is really necessary, and what is trivial? Thoreau suggests for us to simplify our lives.
Each moment has a beautiful teaching. It can be difficult to find if we’re focused too much on a destination or too mired in our problems. The present moment can give us a new perspective if we are open to it.
In a world that thrives on conflict, we could easily get swallowed whole. Rather than participate in it, we can transcend it by calling on Shekinah, the dwelling of God.
We like to hurry through life, rushing certain moments in anticipation of a desired event. But what do we miss along this path? Hermann Hesse tells us to make room for the blossoms of life.
Conflicts might be resolved through laws or social norms, but they don’t resolve the conflict within. The Dalai Lama called for a spiritual revolution in his 1999 book, “Ethics for a New Millennium.” He describes the necessity of transcending our self-centered nature to live in peace with others.
Our anger can be like a wild horse driving our chariot. We allow our anger to seize control, and we say or do things out of our hot state. But peace doesn’t result. It only facilitates more unhealthy expressions of anger. We have the power to choose differently.
The result of self-help is not to stay in the level of self, but to do your part in healing the world. Although so many in society are just getting by in a level of unawareness, you can join the critical mass in making the world a better place.
Responding to anger with anger never brings about peace. Instead, we can use the anger within to transform a situation and bring about peace.
We might be tempted to act out in our times of sorrow and grief, allowing them to turn to rage. But John 11:35, the shortest passage in the Bible, says, “Jesus wept.” Although he could have performed his miracle at the moment he heard about the death of his friend, he allowed himself to grieve. This showed the humanity of Jesus that exists in all of us. Sometimes the best response when others are hurting is compassion.
When the world appears in a state of conflict, it can immobilize us. But we can change the world one act at a time. This quote has been attributed to St. Francis: “ start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, then you find yourself doing the impossible.“ You can do one act of kindness, compassion or peace today.
In a time where the world is so wounded, it’s of utmost importance for us to seek spiritual connection. Rather than contribute to the anger and sorrow, we can contribute to the healing.
We might experience a great “high” in some relationships, but we have to be careful not to become addicted to them. The “high” is not the relationship, and the relationship hasn’t soured if we don’t experience it. Instead, it might be drawing us deeper.
Our guilty pleasures can easily take over our lives, and eventually our joy. By examining what doesn’t serve, we can use our energy for things that serve the greater good.
Rather than doing what we can to avoid suffering, why not investigate what it can teach us? With a little curiosity and mindfulness, we can practice sitting with suffering, knowing that we are never suffering alone.
If you wake up early enough and open your window, the birds will sing you a beautiful song. We often can't hear them after the rest of the world wakes up. Listening to the birds is a great teaching of mindfulness and simplicity. It is there for us every day.
Many of us cry “freedom” in exercising behaviors that bring harm to ourselves or others. This is not wise. Self-control gives us pause and brings forth wiser choices.
We get stuck in patterns and relationships that hold us back from evolving. If we reflect on how we have moved on from the past, we can use this energy to break free.
The tension we might be feeling during lockdown awakens our need to belong. Rather than allow this need to fester, recognize that by letting go of our needs and attachments, we find a deep connection to all.
Our attachments can send us into destructive patterns if we don’t recognize them before they take root. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that the chase can result in clouding our ability to make wise choices.
As we grow anxious in waiting for our lives to be restored to “normal,” we are called to practice patience. Though difficult, practicing patience sustains us through trying times and prepares our hearts for joy. This passage is from Henri Nouwen.
As our society comes under more stress, it’s important to ask ourselves if we want to add to the problem or become part of the solution.
Many believe that God is “out there” or “up there.” God is omnipresent, so God can be experienced in the present moment. It’s a matter of surrendering our hearts and expectations of where God “should” be.
If we don’t walk in awareness, it’s easy to become reactive about our environment. We make ourselves victims rather than co-creators of our experience. But if we look objectively at what is going on, we recognize where our actions contribute to a sometimes unpleasant result. Our noticing is the first step to change.
Many of us are growing especially anxious, especially if we’re still required to stay home. Instead of bringing instant gratification to our suffering, can we allow it to teach us? Pema Chödrön’s book, “Comfortable with Uncertainty,” teaches us about a loneliness that can purify.
Meditation won’t solve our problems, but it can help us reach a place in our lives where we can live beyond the drama.
We often get weighed down with trials in our lives. Hesse says love is always present and possible if we look within to our ultimate calling of light and spirit.
Each moment of our lives requires a different engagement of our energy. Rather than living our lives at a continually rapid pace, our awareness of the moment can teach us when to live life slow.
Some put on a sourpuss face if you say, “mantram,” particularly when it comes to meditation. Their fear limits their understanding. The Prashna Upanishad explains (briefly) the meaning of OM.
We often make judgments about the world based on a limited perspective. Even in our current reality, we choose to take in those elements that support our beliefs. Sometimes we need to take a step back, see the forest rather than fixate on one tree.
Why pay money for classes in mindfulness when your greatest teacher is your four-legged friend? When anxiety seizes me, I look to them for advice.
It amazes me how judgmental some (not all) religious people can be. While being steadfast in keeping their traditions, they eschew other practices as “wrong.” If we experience God differently than someone else, who are we to say they are “wrong?” Is God not bigger than the framework of one religious tradition?
When someone is suffering, we often want to do something, either turn our eyes or try to “fix” them. But Henri Nouwen says caring occurs when we can be simply present with someone in their suffering.
Many are growing restless because we are not accepting what the present moment can teach us. In the past month, have you taken some time in quiet reflection? Henri Nouwen writes how destructive our lives can be without a quiet center.
Many spiritual traditions see God as One—nondual. Out of the nondual comes dualistic concepts—male/female, sun/moon, light/dark. The Prashna Upanishad describes creation, and it tells us which path is the wiser choice.
The HBO show “Newsroom” speculates what a cable news program would look like if it neglected the sensational. It provides a critique of what happens when we allow our emotions and selective perceptions to dictate what we see. If we strip away the sensational and reflect deep on our reactions, we might see things a little more clearly and act with awareness.
We yearn for community particularly when we don’t have it. We see ourselves as separate, but we are part of a whole. Emerson writes that the “wise silence” that connects us can be accessed at any given moment.
After Jesus died on the cross, Mary Magdalene was concerned about his proper burial. Just before the Sabbath, she goes with Joseph of Arimathea to anoint him. She and other women were with him at his crucifixion and burial, remaining steadfast in their faith and love. What would you do?
Christians recognize Good Friday as the day Christ was crucified. Although the story of the crucifixion is well known, we might not know Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant. If you can imagine Jesus in this role, this passage is pretty powerful.
Hadewijch was a mystic in the Middle Ages who wrote to fellow women in her community. Here she describes the soul.
Ignatian contemplation has us enter into stories in scripture, using our imagination as part of prayer. Through practice, we see what message God wants us to hear. This passage is read on Palm Sunday—when Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.
It can be disconcerting to see those who choose a path of greed and deceit arise to power, perverting the Word of God to suit their selfish ways. The Book of Proverbs reminds us that those who choose the upright path will ultimately prevail, because God prevails.
We might crave community and belonging, but do our groups help us and nurture our growth? Thomas Keating tells us to be mindful of the groups to which we conform, especially if the groups serve chiefly those in power.
Our discontent can be a portal of inquiry. Krishnamurti says that when we are satisfied, our minds become fixed. Discontent causes us to question, and it can help us evolve.
We look to our mentors and influencers as perfect, but we don’t know the painful road they have traveled. Hesse tells us not to cling to others who give advice. Instead, follow your own path.
Bells are often used in mindfulness training to help with one-pointed attention. Here’s a meditation with a random bell. If you listen closely, you’ll hear Girl Dog shake her collar after the first bell. If you listen even more closely, you’ll hear my essential oil diffuser. It’s not always perfect, but life never is!
The mind has been compared to many animals—a monkey, a puppy, an elephant. The mind is strong like an elephant, but the present moment can tether it. Pema Chödrön’s translation of Shantideva explains.
Being alone when we don’t chose can be a struggle. However, if we wrestle with the false ideas of ourselves, eventually these ideas dissipate. Then you are left with your authentic self, who is indeed connected spiritually with others who have done the same.
Thomas Merton recognized the unity among us during a shopping trip in Louisville. Can we see ourselves in others? Can we see how others shine like the sun as we grasp for the last pack of toilet paper?
How we treat others can affect the world, good or bad. The “other” is an extension of yourself, so treat others with kindness. This is Pema Chödrön’s interpretation of Shantideva.
The story about two wolves has been somewhat modified to express duality—the good and evil within. But the true Native American story suggests that the black wolf represents courage when it is needed. If we “starve” the black wolf, we fail to see what the dark parts of ourselves can teach us, bringing wholeness and healing.
As spring brings light a little earlier and temperatures a little warmer, step outside and breathe the healing nectar of the morning air.
Although these times try us, it’s important for us to remain in the light. It’s easy to react with bitterness and hostility, but a strong person transforms it through the light.
We struggle when we are alone when it’s not our choosing. Pema Chödrön gives us six suggestions on how to manage the struggle.
Our efforts in self-help are moot if we don’t let go of the behaviors, substances, or relationships that cause our suffering. But it doesn’t stop with us. Once we begin our healing journey, we must aid others in healing their suffering.
Wellness addresses balance of mind, body and spirit. If one is “sick,” the other two will resonate and respond. We might work hard to achieve a healthy body, but if our mind is not healthy, we might never be satisfied with our progress.
Certain roles we play and identities we choose can help us feel a sense of belonging. These roles and identities can also keep us spiritually stuck, preventing us from our unique path. Joshua Harris, a former Christian pastor and writer, recently announced he was no longer a Christian in his concept of the term. However, it is possible that, by abandoning his former identity, he might be more Christ-like.
As our routines become disrupted these next few months, it’s important to recognize that we’re all in this together. Rather than complaining about our boredom, let’s take some moments to acknowledge how disconnected we’ve become from our hearts and minds.
Lectio Divina is a method of entering deeply into sacred texts. You hear a passage four times, each step settles deeper within. The fourth step finishes with contemplation, where you remain in silence and allow God to respond.
We struggle with this moment when it is uncomfortable, but we also cling to this moment when it is filled with pleasure. However, each moment passes, giving life to the next moment. This moment contributes to your awakening...if you accept it.
We lose our rational thought when caught up in a hot, emotional state. By allowing our emotions to settle and considering the other, we can come to a peaceful resolution rather than an imbalanced one.
It’s important for us to take a look at how certain behaviors, substances and people can limit our ability to see more clearly. It’s recognizing how our taking things to extremes can cause us pain. If we take notice, we might remember a time when we didn’t have this attachment, and we could get on with our lives just fine.
Kahlil Gibran recognizes how his beliefs about the world changed once he listened to his soul. This writing brings forth unity in time, space and humanity.
Thomas Merton often echoes Thoreau in his appreciation of nature. How often we go through life hurried without appreciating the beauty of dawn. Merton describes how the birds, each morning, ask God permission to “be.” God responds, “yes.”
The world wants to tell us we’re “perfect,” or that “perfection” is a goal to be achieved. But perfection keeps us fixed in one moment, limiting our awareness of the changing, impermanent nature of things.
Ruiz’s First Agreement says “be impeccable with your word.” Ultimately what you feel within will find life through your words. If you have love within, negative words can’t take root within, and you don’t feel the need to spread rumors or misinformation.
If we seek to separate and divide ourselves from one another, why do we resist being alone? Thoreau says as our planet is connected to the Milky Way, we are all connected to one another. However, we choose to distract ourselves from the source of life with “outlying and transient circumstances.”
When identified with the ego and the senses, we see ourselves as separate. When we recognize the Self within, we enter the unitive state. This passage comes from the Mundaka Upanishad.
Just as the body needs rest, so do the mind and spirit. Take moments in your life to withdraw from the sensory world and find your inner bliss.
Living in Philadelphia is challenging for me because of the traffic. However, my resistance to sitting in a traffic jam is a reminder of how I’m not accepting the present moment. These reminders are good teachings in resilience.
Chogyam Trungpa writes about the discipline of the warrior in his book, “Shambala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior.” Warriors work for a cause greater than themselves, and therefore they must abandon the ego.
We often engage in behaviors or substances that block our ability to see clearly. During the Christian season of Lent, we are called to reflect on what prevents us from our clear seeing.
We see the embrace of meditation and contemplation in 14th century Christianity in works such as “The Cloud of Unknowing.” The book that follows, “The Book of Privy Counseling,” advances this prayer of quiet, of moving beyond defining God.
So many of us seek answers outside ourselves, but the questions themselves might be meaningless if we don’t look within. Some books have the ability to shake us up, turning the questions inward. Choose those.
Who is the “you” on social media? Who are “you” in society? The roles and labels we give and create are temporal. How we serve humanity at this moment is most important.
If you seek connection, it can be found in nature. This is a passage from The Radiance Sutras, translated by Lorin Roche.
The Dalai Lama calls for us to come together in spiritual dialogue—to recognize what we have in common. The natural world gives evidence of a force that lives around us and within us, connecting all of us.
How often do we invite silence into our day? Our distractions pull us apart, and silence helps us tune into a deeper connection to ourselves, others, and the universe.
When feeling low, it’s difficult to change our mental channel. Reciting a passage of hope out loud tells those voices that we are stronger. As Psalm 30 says, “rejoicing comes in the morning.”
When a loved one is sick, you adopt a mindset to help you cope and accept. Mine is “quid hoc ad aeternitatum,” which means, “what is this in light of eternity?” You make choices that are enduring and don’t waste time or energy on trivial matters.
Many people will engage in yoga for the physical benefits, particularly at first. Eventually it trains us to become more aware of when to press further, and when to ease up.
How often do we speak from the ego? Sometimes it’s best to choose silence, especially if our ego wants to “win” an argument or bring down someone else. James Allen writes about how those who have inner strength will choose silence over empty words.
Who are you outside of the labels and identities society has created? Who are you when you’re alone? You might have done self-examination several years ago, but you might have evolved. It’s important for us to be aware of how our reactions and perceptions affect others so we can continue to effect positive change in the world.
A lot of traditions note that we seek pleasure and avoid pain. This is common among many people. However, joy is something more deep-seated, rather than fleeting pleasure. Joy exists in both pleasure and pain because it connects us to something much more eternal. This passage is from Rufus Jones' "The Inner Life."
It’s important to seek help when we need it, but we have to put in the necessary effort ourselves. Escaping or demanding others to change won’t bring us closer to healing ourselves. We must do the inner work.
When we don’t feel we are enough, the world reflects this idea back to us. This mindset makes us vulnerable to media and messages that persuade us that approval can be bought. However, if we imagine we’re enough, we make choices that benefit ourselves and others. You can read the text version of this at https://medium.com/@mbbrad4d
Although Thomas Merton traveled the world, he would find solace in the woods. In “Raids on the Unspeakable,” he notes the artificiality of the city, criticizing the destruction of nature and its way.
How often do we use words or music to fill the void and avoid silence? Both can be used to improve upon the silence if they open up the deep places within our spirit and allow our souls to breathe.
Most of us desire power, but it’s a matter of how it’s acquired, cultivated, and utilized. One type of power is temporal, one is dependent, and another is independent and eternal.
When a person or situation pushes our buttons, our reactive mode might elicit a response we might later regret. Shantideva tells us to be still in these situations, and act “like a log of wood.”
Hope can help bring a positive light that helps us in a given moment. We have to refrain from placing hope on a particular outcome, especially if it brings us out of what the present moment can teach us. This passage is from Thich Nhat Hanh.
We hear and see messages that tell us that approval and belonging comes with purchasing a product. Thomas Merton is critical of these messages, telling us that peace and happiness comes without cost.
If we find ourselves yearning for the present moment to be different, it calls attention to places on which we should reflect. Our uncomfortable edges can be the best teachers.
Although it’s important to have healthy relationships, it’s equally important to find contentment being alone. Otherwise, we place demands on our relationships to fulfill needs we could fulfill alone.
How often do we live life on autopilot? We get into the car, insisting on filling the silence with music or other audio. We also reach for our phones during moments of waiting, filling empty spaces with entertainment. We lose our ability to focus and accept the mundane if we don’t practice cultivating them.
When feeling anxious or depressed about things we lack or crave, we can get stuck in this mind state, which brings more lack and craving. Taking a few moments to focus our attention on what we DO have can help us shift out of our negative mindset, even if it is just for a moment. However, with practice and consistency, we allow gratitude to be a balm for what aches our hearts.
The more busy and distracted our lives, the more crucial is our need for solitude. We reflect on what’s best for ourselves, and we learn how to tune into our deeper self.
How often do we hurry through experiences, good or bad, saying “Life is short”? Seneca disagrees, saying that life can be long if we are mindful in how we live.
We waste so much time, energy and money on things that give us temporary pleasure, only to find emptiness or more craving. By seeking the eternal, our thirst is quenched.
We can adopt a religious or spiritual practice, but it’s important to reflect on our own lives. According to St. Teresa of Avila, humility grounds us and gives us proper perspective. However, she says, sometimes we are called to fly.
Our religious practice might seem strange to others because it is different from their own. But it is not wrong if it cultivated compassion and honors a divine connection among humanity. Here’s a passage from a foreword from the Dalai Lama in the book, “The Mystic Heart” by Wayne Teasdale.
Many people have walked away from religious practices because they are tired of being told there is only one way to God. Rufus Jones tells us that our way is unique—based on our own individual self.
As I watch a movie about the existence of angels, it calls to mind some of the things that I believe. Your beliefs might not have evidence, but ask yourself—do your beliefs inspire you to be a kinder, more peaceful person to others? Do your beliefs bring you a state of calm?
Rather than speak from your reaction, it is better to pause and choose the right words to facilitate understanding and compassion. Tolstoy says sometimes it’s best to be silent.
Martin Luther King gave his life in service of a greater mission. Great leaders transcend their ego and seek to bridge people, cultures, and nations. James Taylor echoes this sentiment in his song, Shed A Little Light, which starts with the words, “Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King.”
Making a tough drive in hazardous conditions cultivates a sense of awareness and concentration. It’s a good practice for living.
As many people’s New Year’s resolutions begin to wane, we can always begin again. Rather than setting a date to do something, why not start now? If you don’t succeed today, take heart—you can always start again tomorrow, or in an hour.
Certain places can exude magic if you tune in. I found a blissful connection visiting Concord, Massachusetts, especially Walden Pond. This is a short passage from Thoreau.
We can try to prove someone wrong, we can argue our point of view, or we can throw a tantrum or bully others to get our way. It means nothing if it doesn’t bring us together. Our political, religious or cultural views may differ, but we can remember that we are all connected through our spirit.
Rather than being aversive to pain, ask it what it can teach you. Iyengar tells us that “pain is your guru” in his book, “Light on Yoga.”
During our daily grind, taking a brief moment of pause pulls us out of a state of reactivity and into a state of receptivity. Tara Brach writes about the Sacred Pause in her book, Radical Acceptance.
Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation keeps his spirit alive by reposting his blogs, articles and archives. This is a letter of encouragement to keep our hearts open to compassionate action in the world.
This passage from the Mundaka Upanishad honors how deep, how wide is the Lord of Love. Although this part of Indian spirituality, it resonates the Psalms of David. This translation is by Eknath Easwaran
In our hurried and distracted world, it’s important to find moments of silence. Thomas Merton writes about silence in his book, “Love and Living.”
Most of us might be aware of our physical bodies, especially when we experience pain. Have you developed an awareness of your “inner body?” This passage from Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” gives us a simple method of becoming aware of our energy body.
We often feel powerless to effect change in the world. Wayne Dyer, in his book “Your Sacred Self,” maintains that following our spiritual quest actually transforms our collective spiritual deficit.
Although we might find comfort with others, it’s important for us to spend time alone. The ego finds it uncomfortable, but our authentic self breathes fresh air, unencumbered from societal expectations. This passage is from Osho’s book, “Love, Freedom, and Aloneness.”
We easily get caught up in labeling ourselves and others without considering our paradoxical nature. Richard Rohr writes about the need for nondualistic thinking in our society.
Our ego taunts us to make choices that give temporary pleasure, but eventual pain. Isaiah 60 tells us to “rise up in splendor.”
Karma is misunderstood as a powerful force of judgment. It is more about what types of seeds we choose to plant in our world. This passage is from Nischala Joy Devi’s “The Secret Power of Yoga.”
I find it interesting that so many people are attached to traditions that no longer serve. They hold fast and cling to things that no longer serve a purpose. Anthony de Mello echoes this sentiment in this parable.
Hugh Prather’s “Little Book of Letting Go” gives methods in releasing what binds us. This passage is about the tyrant that runs our lives, the ego.
Anthony de Mello recalls the story of the mystical temple bells in his book, “Song of the Bird.” It’s a story of deep faith and mindfulness.
Swami Satchidananda taught many ancient concepts in “a new wrapper.” His book, “To Know Your Self,” has many relatable essays about modern life. To attain peace of mind, choose a beautiful thought.
Life can seem like a roller coaster. We encounter a thrill ride of ups and downs. The Yoga Sutras remind us that if we want to shine our inner light, we should seek balance, not letting the thrills disturb our inner calm.
We use “love” to describe feelings between family members or romantic couples. It is much deeper and more eternal than that. This is the famous passage from 1 Corinthians 13.
During times of excess, we feel the need to “do without” to restore a sense of balance in our lives. Deepak Chopra emphasizes that we should look at our lives and communities with this same sense of wholeness. This passage is from “The Shadow Effect.”
In our desire to fit in or conform, we often suppress our creative spirit. The more we suppress, the more unfulfilled we will feel. Martha Graham offered these beautiful words of inspiration to one of her students.
Hermann Hesse’s “Three Harmonies” is a beautiful poem that encourages us to “conquer the frightful gloom” with our voice.
“Festivus for the rest of us!” Grievances weigh us down and keep us stuck in the past. Eckhart Tolle writes about grievances in “A New Earth.”
Rituals and routines are roads that provide us with a means for living, whether they are as simple as a routine of getting ready for work or a family ritual to maintain the family’s identity. It’s always important, though, for us to ask which routines help us grow, and which keep us fixed in a mindset rooted in a culture that no longer exists.
Rather than trying to persuade or force your point of view, practice contemplating the basic human-heartedness that connects us all. This passage is from Gaylord Ferguson in the collection of essays, “Radical Compassion.”
Raise your hand if you’re impatient! So many times we demand things to happen before they (or we) are ready. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin tells us to awaken to the “new spirit gradually forming within you.”
Thomas Merton reflects on non-attachment in his “New Seeds of Contemplation.” Some people are not under your charge to reform, so it’s futile to push a rock.
This poem by Hermann Hesse inspires us towards “our ultimate calling: to light and spirit.” It is a message of hope for our divided nation.
Here’s a longer episode that guides you though a savasana, which typically ends a yoga class. Whether you finished a series of yoga poses or not, lie down and let the healing begin.
C.S. Lewis writes about aspects of morality in his book, “Mere Christianity.” He never judges, and he writes honestly of the human condition. This passage echoes the current issues of division in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
If we struggle with loneliness, we might hastily reach for something—or someone—that might pull us away from what our loneliness can teach us. Henri Nouwen writes about this in “Inner Voice of Love.”
Covering up our dark side, or our shadow, can cause us much pain and anxiety because it doesn’t allow us to live authentically. Debbie Ford, before her passing, wrote how important it is for us to “become intimate with our shadow.” This passage is from “The Shadow Effect,” a book that she co-wrote with Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson.
In a society that offers infinite distractions, it’s most important for us to consider the bliss that can be found in “ananda,” the bliss of being. This is a passage from “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle.
The Chandogya Upanishad has some thematic parallels to the Gospel of John. Both speak, “In the beginning...” You can hear themes of loving one another. I also seem to like saying “certainly” this morning. Call it “end-of-semester” brain clog.
Kahlil Gibran writes beautiful accounts of encounters with Jesus in his book, “Jesus the Son of Man.” This story is about Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus for the first time.
It’s ironic how we abandon dogma associated with religion, yet we adopt various dogmatic practices when it comes to the physical body. Although US culture emphasizes the physical, yoga is more about the inward journey.
The Tao Te Ching has many teachings on leadership. This episode reads two versions—one from Stephen Mitchell and the other from Andy Smallman. Contemplate how this teaching could apply to our leaders today.
Hearing Isaiah’s prophecy gives a beautiful perspective of the peace and justice the Lord brings. This is the meaning of Christmas—preparing for Who is to come.
When you approach the world with kindness, the world approaches you likewise. Andy Smallman’s Tao of Kindness embraces the Tao Te Ching through this lens of kindness. You can read this work at https://kindliving.net/tao/. If you listen closely, you can hear my girl dog sniffing around for her chewie.
If you have an affinity for nature, particularly trees, you’ll be nourished by this passage about trees from Hermann Hesse’s “Wandering.”
The Mundaka Upanishad says that rituals and sacrifices don’t necessarily reveal the Lord of Love. I couldn’t help but hear the parallels between this and Jesus’ criticism of the scribes and Pharisees.
It’s important to evaluate information you take in because it affects your opinions and beliefs. Often we take in information that conforms to our beliefs because it makes us comfortable. The yoga sutras discusses the importance of pramana, or correct perception of our environment. Nicolai Bachman defines pramana in a concrete way.
The aim of yoga is to still our fluctuating mind. Nischala Joy Devi describes our state of mind beautifully in her interpretation of the Yoga Sutras, “The Secret Power of Yoga.”
We can get overwhelmed with our digital lives. Michael Harris writes about how technology pulls us from the peace solitude can bring us.
One text that is often conflated with depression is "Dark Night of the Soul" by St. John of the Cross. However, this spiritual text is a call for a deeper faith. His poem "The Ascent of the Mount" describes how it's important to let go of the sensual in order to obtain the spiritual. Much of his work echoes the Buddhist principle of non-attachment.
Rather than react to situations that bring about our anger, it might be a call for us to recognize how we might be continually creating situations that stir up anger. Thubden Chodron writes about how our actions--and reactions--affect others.
We step out of mindfulness when our minds begin a running commentary on what’s before us. Thich Nhat Hahn offers some insight in his book, “Peace is Every Step.”
As we enter the holidays, we might encounter those who differ with us. Rather than speak from reaction or impulse, choose your words carefully. Tolstoy tells us sometimes it’s best to be silent.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with schedules and to-do lists, but it’s equally important to recognize our connection to a higher purpose. This passage from Lama Surya Das is a reminder for us to see our connection to others and the Big Picture of our lives.
Surrender often sounds passive in a society that emphasizes striving. Sometimes peace exists in the present moment, allowing it to be exactly what it is.
Andy Smallman breathes the Tao Te Ching using 21st Century language. His efforts to promote kindness in our world can bring peace within ourselves and our communities. You can find his work at https://kindliving.net/tao/
Studies have shown that breathing practices can calm the mind and body. Ujjayi, also called “ocean’s breath,” is a simple breath practice we can do anywhere, anytime.
Anthony De Mello’s “The Way to Love” has several insights on why we suffer. In his view, our attachments cause our suffering.
Although we might say, "honesty is the best policy," do we abide by it? Leo Tolstoy speaks about truth many times in his "Wise Thoughts for Every Day." Truth isn't as much of a policy that we engage here or there, but it is a means of being. We should live in truth and act in honest, authentic ways. By doing this, we set a good example for others.
In our polarized society, it’s easy to show disrespect and judgment for others. Ronald Rolheiser says that in doing this, we are serving an ideology rather than God or truth.
Our minds often carry the busyness of our lives into a meditation practice. Sometimes it helps to center yourself with some sacred words. This is one practice of centering—Lectio Divina—which has been practiced for centuries. Give yourself a few moments during the last reading to savor contemplation.
Richard Rohr says that although public prayers keep community, they might not bring deep intimacy with God.
When we encounter difficulties with others, meditating on compassion can put our hearts at ease. This metta meditation generates compassion for ourselves, those we love, those for whom we feel indifference, and those with whom we struggle. Then we send this compassion to the world.
If you struggle with meditation, visualization can help calm the body and mind. This meditation visualizes light infusing our body’s energy centers.
Ronald Rolheiser’s book, “The Holy Longing” addresses the question, “What is spirituality?” He writes that caring for others is an important expression of our spirituality.
Wayne Dyer’s book, “Your Sacred Self” recognizes that all lives are sacred, and he writes about how we can discover our sacredness within.
Deepak Chopra’s spiritual law of least effort contradicts our tendencies of the ego. It’s about tuning into the flow of nature and accepting things as they are given to us at each moment.
A reading of Psalm 131–having hope in God rather than being concerned with trifle things that don’t serve.
Joyce Meyer’s “Battlefield of the Mind” offers a Biblical perspective of how our minds can get trapped. By letting go of the past, we can be transformed.
BKS Iyengar’s “Light on Life” centers on how yoga can help you evolve. This passage is about why we fear change.
We can become overwhelmed with despair and loneliness. Karl Rahner says that opening our rubbled-over heart can be a prayer in itself. In this silence, we know we are never alone.
Kahlil Gibran paints a healthy portrait of marriage—one where we allow “spaces in togetherness.” Our souls should continue to breathe in a relationship rather than form an unhealthy attachment.
When do I need to make an effort, and when do I stop? Tolstoy said that “real” force comes from a state of inner calm.
St Therese de Lisieux had a strong, inspiring devotion to Christ. She prayed and participated in church not because she had to, but because her love attracted her. She felt “drawn” to God, so she chose love over fear.
The Dalai Lama’s book, “Ethics for a New Millennium,” presents life lessons we all can practice. This episode calls us to pay attention when we engage in negative thoughts.
If you love the water, here’s John Masefield’s poem, “Sea Fever.” Yes, I recorded this a few feet from the Atlantic surf.
Thomas Merton wrote about spiritual truth that resonates with many religious and spiritual traditions. Here’s a passage about how frustration ensues when we demand for the world to bend to our selfish desires.
Marianne Williamson’s book, “Healing the Soul of America,” focuses on a spiritual approach to politics—one that’s grounded in humanity rather than division. We know that fulfillment based on materialism is temporal, so she suggests a different, more sustainable, approach.
Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, “The Four Agreements,” considers four simple, powerful principles to guide your life. The first is speaking truth to yourself and others.
Savasana, or “corpse pose,” is a yoga “pose” that typically ends a yoga practice. It allows us to settle into a state of calm.
The focus of Anthony de Mello’s work is to really investigate yourself. He tosses out the “I’m ok, you’re ok” mantra out, replacing it with something to awaken us.
Many of us struggle with loneliness, looking for someone or something to take our loneliness away. Henri Nouwen Writes about loneliness in his book “Reaching Out.” Loneliness is a condition that we all experience, but by facing this loneliness, we can transform it into a blissful experience of solitude.
The Tao Te Ching offers profound teaching about living, leading, and learning. There many references to water, and this verse compares water with “the highest goodness.”
The Upanishads are texts that influenced the yoga tradition, but they echo the truth in many traditions—that we are all connected in God.
In Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Art of Power,” positive seeds can take root in your mind if you water them—allow them to flourish. Negative seeds can do the same thing.
Leo Tolstoy is better known for “War and Peace,” but it is said that he kept a series of essays by his bedside. This collection of essays, compiled in “Wise Thoughts for Every Day,” speak eternal truth about faith, pride, justice, and work. This episode is about pride, and it comes from the translation by Peter Sekirin.
This passage from Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Book of Hours” shook me. It shows that God walks with us through “beauty and terror.” Even if we don’t notice God’s presence, we should “just keep going.”
In a busy and distracted world, sometimes we forget that we have a purpose to fulfill. John Henry Newman reminds us that we all have a mission in our lives unique to us, whether we attend to it or not.
Why add to the negativity in this world? You can take the advice of Og Mandino, who said, “Greet this day with love in your heart.” This mantra can begin melting a negative state and help attract more positive moments—or at least help you notice them.
The early morning hours are the best time for a spiritual practice. It doesn’t have to be structured, but it should be consistent. Starting your day with something positive establishes a good foundation for opening up life in the spirit.