This week we have been working with the basic premise of mindfulness: paying attention to what is happening right here, right now… without judgement. That word again – judgement. Well, we name it because it gets in the way. If we are going for moment to moment awareness, it helps to be open-minded and to … More Creating Space

There is a common misconception that meditation is about checking-out; that it is about going somewhere else. Ah, the floating meditator off in space. It’s not such an accurate image. A key aspect of meditation is checking-in; establishing presence. Jon Kabat-Zinn, an influential trailblazer of meditation in modern culture, defines mindfulness (which is an aspect … More Consider a Smile

We begin this new round of meditations in the same way we begin every round of the Practice of Living Awareness, with a smile. This gesture is not about pushing happiness; a smile doesn’t always say, “all’s wonderful” or “everything is positive.” But what a smile does consistently express is presence. It does say, “I … More Coming Back To Ourselves