The Mediocre Meditator

Stimulus and Response

Stimulus and Response

At our house, this quote from Victor Frankel is often repeated: Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.      Cultivating that space, and the...

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It’s the Exhale

It’s the Exhale

Do you have a favorite kind of breath work?  There are lots of patterns that help to regulate, stimulate, and relax. What I've noticed, though, is that left to my own devices I spend far more time taking in than letting out,  so when I have a...

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Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut

Many experts who know a lot more than I do about various schools of meditation practice believe the best posture is one that includes open eyes, downcast gaze. According to Pema Chodron, author of “Uncomfortable with Uncertainty” and many other...

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Toes in the Grass, or the sand, or . . .

Toes in the Grass, or the sand, or . . .

This summer I've finally re-explored the delights of meditating in nature. If you heard where I lived, in a downtown high-rise, you'd assume that wasn't on the menu. I'm lucky because right across the street I have not only a park, but a sandy...

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My Type of People

My Type of People

I’ve written before about Meredith Hite-Estevez, who leads an online cohort through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, is a mom, professional oboist, a coach for artists and creatives and about to be a published author.  AND a podcaster.  This...

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Meditation on the Road

Meditation on the Road

As attached as I might be to my little nest at home, one of the great things about having a regular meditation practice is that you can take it with you anywhere. Having travelled quite a lot in my life, it’s nice to have a practice that really...

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Focus

Focus

I've gotten up and down three times since I started to compose this post.  Isn't meditation supposed to help me with focus?  Or maybe without it, I would have gotten up six times by now, scrolled a little, and washed my hair. I'm going with that...

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It’s a Vitamin, not an Epi-pen

It’s a Vitamin, not an Epi-pen

As I write this, I'm having an amazing vacation on the Amalfi Coast. Feeling relaxed, good company, great vistas. There is a beautiful garden where I could sit quietly and keep up my practice  Of course, there are also people to be with, naps to...

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Yes, There is an App for That

Yes, There is an App for That

There are a lot of apps now for meditation. Some are really just timers, and some are fully narrated guides with directions about breathing and managing thoughts. They can be lovely journeys, and a good way to get started . . . maybe. My personal...

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Waiting on Meditation

Waiting on Meditation

What good is mindfulness meditation, which is focused on what's happening right now, when what's happening right now isn't so great? What if right now you're stuck waiting - waiting for test results, waiting in line, waiting for the tornado warning...

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