Meditation

In 1996, I attended one of a series of 30-day silent mindfulness meditation retreats. As with many retreat centers, the cabin where we practiced was designed...

I recently posted a blog about practicing outdoor yoga. In it, I shared a favorite quote about the natural world: “The earth is the guru of...

There are lots of things to love about spring—the freshness of new life, the invitation to shed layers of clothing, and the opportunity to spend more...

When we think of meditation, we usually think of someone sitting cross-legged on a zafu or other type of meditation cushion. Indeed, sitting meditation is the...

Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga provide a scaffolding for the comprehensive practice of yoga. As the third and fourth of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, asana...

In the Insight meditation tradition, breath awareness is the first technique we practice. Observing our breath creates an anchor for the restless mind. Of course, practicing...

Scientific studies have shown that meditation has many benefits—calming the mind and body, promoting general well-being, even increasing brain cells in certain areas of the brain....

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? How do they usually pan out for you? The new year seems like a good time to start with a...

It’s 3:00 am. You’re wide awake, mind racing. You might be worried about paying your mortgage. You might be puzzling over something someone said to you...

“It is through the body that everything comes to the mind. It is through and with your body that you have to reach realization of being...

In the early 1990s, when I was just a few years into vipassana meditation practice, I sat a 10-day silent retreat. It was my fourth such...

Some traditions of yoga recognize the “seasons” of people’s lives. These traditions advocate for allowing your practice to evolve according to your season. Here’s how it...

In the past few months, I’ve been exploring metta (kindness) meditation in this blog. The first installment covered practicing kindness for an easy being—someone, human or...

Images of meditation have become ubiquitous. In the past, meditation was depicted as something that was confined to monks in the East. You know the images—...

Round meditation cushions—zafus—are standard fare in most yoga and meditation spaces. For many people, these cushions do the job. They elevate the pelvis to make it...

Most people learn pretty quickly that comfort is crucial when you practice sitting meditation. Maintaining your natural spinal curves in meditation is the key to ease...

Do you find sitting meditation uncomfortable? You’re not alone. For many people, the traditional posture, sitting cross-legged, is not ideal. The good news is that cross-legged...

On every silent Insight Meditation retreat I’ve attended—at The Last Resort in Southern Utah, or at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California—meals have always been...