I’m Nate, a writer, mindfulness practitioner and student of the inner workings of the mind.This blog is a place where I share my thoughts and ideas on mindfulness, meditation, psychology and work.
I’m taking a course at the local Shambhala Center on the four immeasurables: loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. The course consists of teachings that Pema Chodron gave to ordained monastics at her Yarne Retreat this year. It’s a tremendous opportunity to listen to and study her direct teachings. During the first teaching, Pema spent…
This is the fifth article in a series on cultivating transcendent action in your everyday life. Each article focuses on one of the six paramitas, or perfections. Cultivating and practicing these actions in your everyday life helps you connect to your true nature and allows you to overcome suffering, or samsara. The first four articles…
I seem to have an insatiable appetite for all things related to self-growth or self-improvement. It strikes me that some embarrassment arises as I write this. Hmmm….maybe it’s a cultural thing that saying I’m interested in improving myself is seen, at least by me, as a sign of weakness. Honestly, I don’t know if that’s…
This is the fourth article in a series on cultivating transcendent action in your everyday life. As these teachings build upon one another, I would recommend that you read the first three articles, which cover: transcendent generosity, transcendent discipline and transcendent patience. These teachings, which I first read about in Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s book, Rebel…
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” -Dalai Lama Each and every sentient being on this planet wants nothing more than to be happy. The underlying motivation that led you to a spiritual practice whether it be meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, chanting, etc was…
Corbett Barr at Think Traffic wrote an excellent post the other day asking his readers ‘Why do most websites fail?’ There have been a number of very interesting responses to this question. Some people took the route that websites fail because people get bored, or they don’t want to do ‘website related activities,’ such as…
“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it.” ~ Shakyamuni Buddha More and more I’m learning just how true it is that my life is shaped by the way I think and how much…
Money. Take a few moments to repeat the word to yourself. Let it sink it. What feelings begin to surface? Anxiety? Fear? Greed? Lust? Jealousy? Happiness? Money is such a central focus in our lives. We typically spend a lot of time comparing what we have to what others have, which is indirectly tied to…
In the present circumstances, no one can afford to assume that someone else will solve their problems. Each individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged. ~Tenzin Gyatso (14th Dalai Lama) Hey everyone! I wanted to write a short…
This is the third article in a series about cultivating transcendent action in your life. These teachings come from the wonderful book, Rebel Buddha, by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. The previous two articles covered cultivating generosity and cultivating discipline in your everyday life. Today I’m going to discuss an action that I think many of us…