What Is Mindfulness? –or– How to Do Something without Doing Anything
Mindfulness is simply “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment.” But explaining mindfulness and understanding what it truly is also means tackling its inherent roadblocks.
Finding Out Who You Are
As David Byrne puts it, we all reach a magical moment in time when we ask ourselves, “Well, how did I get here?” followed by a questioning of all that is around us. Do the objects, people, activities in your life tell the story of who you are? Do they fit you?
Teaching Children Values with the Dalai Lama
Today we had a great experience out on the deck under the pergola. Our whole family sat outside and shared our study of How to Practice by the Dalai Lama, which turned out to be an excellent experience in teaching values to my 12-year old son.
As I posted awhile back, we recently took up the [...]
The Ethics and Morality of Buddhism
One of the central aspects of Buddhism, in my experience, is the manner in which it deals with ethics and morality in a very logical, driven manner. It’s easy to see how the teachings of Buddhism appeal to the West, partly because they do relate to a universal morality that is also taught in Christianity…
The Happy Marriage: Two Secrets for Sharing Responsibilities Equitably
Like many married couples these days, my husband and I choose to share household responsibilities “equitably.” I like to think we have two secrets to our happy marriage, both of which have a lot to do with cooperation…
What is Quaker Meeting?
As a part of my new practice of “church at home” with my kids, I decided to research the format of Quaker meeting, something that has intrigued me for awhile. The unformatted Quaker meeting eschews the idea of “sermon” allowing each member to pace his/her own reflections internally and in tandem with the group and [...]
Church at Home: An Alternative Approach to Teaching Spirituality
Whether you are Christian, practice an alternative religion, or even a non-religious spirituality, sometimes it is simply a question of the right moment coming along, prompting you to take initiative and finally create some concrete routines and activities to teach spirituality and keep you and your family on your spiritual path, while matching your worldview and your lifestyle.
My New Favorite Place to Meditate
In my quest to find the time daily to clear my head and practice “emptiness” it’s time to give thanks to my parents for creating such a beautiful place and welcoming us to it. My new favorite place to meditate is on their backyard swing with Baby Del in my arms.
The ground is covered in [...]
Our Buddhist-Inspired Wedding Ceremony
The text of our Buddhist-inspired wedding ceremony includes quotes from Pema Chodron, Tibetan Buddhist nun, The Velveteen Rabbit, and Shakespeare, as well as a modified lasso ceremony and vows inspire by Buddhist teachings. We wrote the ceremony ourselves. Read the full text here…