Zen Master Dahui talked about the place “where the road of words and speech ends” (言語道斷) and “where the domain of mental activity disappears” (心行處滅). Meditation is connecting with that place through immediate experience – What’s right in front you, right now? Mindfulness is letting go of thinking and judgment, and returning to the mindContinue reading “What is the Place of No Thought?”
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How Do I Stop Daydreaming During Meditation?
Daydreaming is a very common human mental activity. A large-scale study found that people spend 47% of their waking hours daydreaming! What is daydreaming? When we daydream, our mind is wandering into the past, future, or fantasy. Daydreaming is a way of escaping from the present moment. When we are daydreaming, we are not inContinue reading “How Do I Stop Daydreaming During Meditation?”
How Do I Find Peace?
I’ve heard many people say that they want to learn mindfulness meditation because they want to have some peace in their lives. How do we find peace, and what does mindfulness have to do with peace? Peace comes from the Latin word “pax” which means “tranquility, absence of war.” Our lives can be very busyContinue reading “How Do I Find Peace?”
Is Mindfulness the Same as Meditation?
Some people say that mindfulness is the a type of meditation. Some say that meditation is a type of mindfulness. Both are true. Mindfulness is simply present-moment awareness, so it can be done in the format of sitting meditation, or it can be done in everyday activity such as walking, eating, or exercising. From thatContinue reading “Is Mindfulness the Same as Meditation?”
What is the Difference Between Formal and Informal Mindfulness Practice?
Formal practice is the soil, and informal practice is the harvest that comes out of the soil. Formal mindfulness practice is the time we set aside each day to practice the formal mindfulness technique – bringing our attention to the present moment, bringing our attention to the breath. When our mind wanders, we notice theContinue reading “What is the Difference Between Formal and Informal Mindfulness Practice?”
Why Do I Feel Like I’m Starting All Over Sometimes?
After we have put in some time with mindfulness practice and have been practicing for a while, we have a certain sense of how things will go when we meditate. But sometimes, when our life is hectic, stressful, or challenging, we might find ourselves sitting down to meditate and having a hard time with theContinue reading “Why Do I Feel Like I’m Starting All Over Sometimes?”
Why Does the Present Moment Matter?
Because the present is all that we really have. We don’t really have the future – it hasn’t arrived. We don’t really have the past – it’s already gone. Everything we need is in the present. For instance, the food and water that we need, we can only ingest them in the present moment, whenContinue reading “Why Does the Present Moment Matter?”
How Do I Practice Mindfulness?
Pay attention to this present moment, on purpose, and without judgment. Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. It is, at its core, a practice of attention training. We begin by placing our attention on our breath. Just following our breath as it flows in and out. Perhaps connecting with the cool sensationContinue reading “How Do I Practice Mindfulness?”
Mindfulness FAQ 