Why and How to Start Meditating in 2019
Welcome to 2019! The new year can be a simultaneously exciting and daunting time, with the endless possibility that new digits on the calendar somehow […]
Finding Community
There is a story of a woman who went to visit the Buddha. Upon meeting him, she asked “I’ve been meditating every day, I sit alone under a tree for hours. Lately, I cannot find my purpose. I feel lost and lonely all the time. What should I do?”
Five Mindfulness Practices to Use Throughout your Workday
While many of us value the focus, peace-of-mind, and resilience that mindfulness cultivates, it can be challenging to fit practice into a busy workday.
11 Tips for Mindful Parenting
As parents we are all running the same race: Get ready for work, drop the kids off at school, work hard all day in order to get back early for hockey or piano practice, make dinner, make sure the homework gets done and then crash on the couch once the kids are in bed.
I’m a mindfulness teacher and I want to buy an Apple Watch: The case for balanced connectivity
Technology is deeply embedded in our lives and we all know it’s getting worse. Mobile devices are so essential to our day-to-day functioning that it makes more sense to think of them as extensions of our brains rather than work tools or lifestyle accessories. But the backlash is definitely on. Experts, myself included, are increasingly sounding the alarm bells about how smartphones and social media are eroding our attention spans, mental health, relationships, and public discourse.
Reflections on Difficult Times and How Mindfulness Can Help
I’ll try to get you up to speed on what happened without boring you to death with the minutiae of my “first-world” problems: My wife […]
Mindful Communication
Research in psychology and neuroscience consistently demonstrates that being connected to others is one of the most important ingredients for health and well-being. The same can be said for being effective at work: being in tune with colleagues is essential for success.
The MindSpace Institute introduces you MBSR and MBCT Facilitation Certificates
MindSpace is thrilled to be working with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies (CMS) to bring you teacher certification programs for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
Mindful Habits
Let’s face it: almost everything we do in life is tied to a habit. Life is simply too complex to think everything through. Could you imagine having to lay out explicit instructions on how to drive a car? Or cook a meal? Or walk? Or even breath? Thankfully, our brains automate these sequences, by creating habits, which free up mindspace for more interesting concerns like how to deal with a sticky problem at work or make our own lives happier or more meaningful.
How Psychological Flexibility is Cultivated Through Mindfulness
I was first introduced to formal meditation practice in a Zen dojo in 1994. At the time, my life was chaotic and it would remain so for another 10 years. On several occasions over these ten years, I tried to build a regular meditation practice. Although I never managed more than meditating intermittently, I have no doubt that what little practice I did manage helped me. It helped me by giving me a direct experience of distancing from my thoughts. I had previously experienced what I thought as being a part of my essence, as what was defining me, and thus of the utmost importance.
