Can Mindfulness Help with Loneliness?

All of us have felt lonely at times. For some of us, loneliness can linger and cast a long shadow over our day to day lives. A recent study showed that 13.8% of adults always felt lonely  (McGinty et al., 2020). But we probably don’t need researchers to tell us that loneliness is part ofContinue reading “Can Mindfulness Help with Loneliness?”

How Do I Stay in the Moment?

As we devote more time to meditation practice, we begin to taste what it’s like to be in the present moment. We gain a deeper appreciation for being in the moment, but we also notice how often we get pulled away from the moment by our thoughts and fantasies. At this point, we ask, “howContinue reading “How Do I Stay in the Moment?”

Why Do I Get Sleepy During Meditation?

Mindfulness meditation activates the rest and digest response of our parasympathetic nervous system, so we often feel relaxed during meditation practice. When we are relaxed, it’s easy to doze off, especially if we are tired or sleep-deprived. That’s very natural. In fact, falling asleep during meditation is very common. This tendency is so common thatContinue reading “Why Do I Get Sleepy During Meditation?”

How Do I Quiet the Monkey Mind?

“Monkey mind” is a Buddhist term likening our mind to the restless and unsettled nature of a monkey. Our mind is always jumping around, grabbing at different things, and never staying still. How do we slow down this monkey mind? The good news is, we don’t have to slow it down. All we have toContinue reading “How Do I Quiet the Monkey Mind?”

How Do I Work with Procrastination?

Procrastination is a very common human experience and tendency. With small things or big things, we can at times not want to deal with it at the moment, and defer to a future time instead. It’s good to have that flexibility, but when we keep putting things off that need to be done, anxiety canContinue reading “How Do I Work with Procrastination?”

Is Meditation a Form of Escape?

Meditation is often portrayed as a state of peace and calm. With some practice, we do tend to get a taste of being grounded and relaxed. But, however reassuring that feels, we also quickly learn that this feeling does not last forever. Some of us might start to view meditation as a way to recreateContinue reading “Is Meditation a Form of Escape?”

What is Mindful Eating?

Most of us love food and enjoy eating. We turn to food not only for nourishment, but also for celebration, social connection, and emotional comfort. Food and eating encompass such a huge part of our lives, but how often are we actually aware and attentive of what and how we are eating? Mindful eating, asContinue reading “What is Mindful Eating?”

How Do I Develop Acceptance?

Human beings have likes and dislikes. When confronted with an experience that we dislike, we often do what we can to prevent, avoid, or minimize it. Whether it is an internal experience like emotions/sensations or an external experience like social interaction, if it makes us uncomfortable, we have countless ways to avoid it. What happensContinue reading “How Do I Develop Acceptance?”

Why Can’t I Get Meditation Right?

Once upon a time, a young fish in a pond asked an elderly fish: “Where can I find the water? I’ve been looking all around for the water, and I just can’t find it.” The elderly fish laughed and said, “You are already in the water! You are surrounded by water, and always have been.”Continue reading “Why Can’t I Get Meditation Right?”

How Do I Work with Guilt?

Guilt is a feeling that we have done something wrong. It could be that we did something we believe we shouldn’t have, such as lying to our partner, or lashing out at someone. Conversely, it could be that we feel bad for not doing something that we believe we should have, such as not beingContinue reading “How Do I Work with Guilt?”