Living the Dharma

As many of you know, I was away on a month-long meditation retreat during July. I have to say it was the most valuable thing I’ve done in years. It will take me a long time to digest and write about it, but here’s my first stab.

The retreat was …

Meditation and the Brain

Meditation and the BrainThis is a great page summarizing the latest research on how meditation affects the brain. It includes articles, videos, slides and links on how science describes the influence of meditation on the brain, as well as resources for making positive changes that will profoundly influence your …

Staying anchored through distractions

I recently read an interesting tidbit about distractions. It was a study that examined people’s different ways of coping with disturbances when trying to meditate. The study compared the brainwaves of three people: a non-meditator, a Hindu meditator, and a Zen master. While sitting, each subject was confronted with a …

Happiness isn’t just about me

I read a really interesting article in Ode Magazine yesterday. There’s now scientific research showing that happiness is contagious! This study suggests that if I’m feeling happy, there’s a good chance that my friends and neighbors will be happier, too. The analysis is distilled down to pretty significant numeric probabilities, …

CD Review: “Your Breathing Body” by Reginald A. Ray

Your Breathing BodyWhen Reginald Ray speaks of “touching enlightenment with the body”, he isn’t just saying that we can touch enlightenment with our bodies. What he really means is that there is no other way to do so. I just finished my first pass through his 20-disc meditation CD series, Your …

Getting past boredom in meditation

Does meditation leave you feeling bored and restless? Maybe you took it up so you could find a refreshing oasis in the midst of a too-stressful life — but it’s just not doing much for you. In my monthly post in Wildmind’s blog, I offer my perspectives on how to work …