During challenges, I seek refuge in the wilderness. Nothing extravagant – usually a solo hike, sometimes an overnight trip. Physical exertion is a key component – I enjoy a bit of challenge to get me out of my head. At my age, it doesn’t take much: a couple of miles,...
On the final day of a multi-week class, a participant asked a question that I’ve pondered for some time. These are not the exact words, but the query was essentially, “Is there a hierarchy of meditation practices? In this class, did we start with the most basic or...
Last month I wrote about the practice of walking meditation and how this daily activity, or something similar, can be woven into one’s regular mindfulness practice. In this month’s article, I’ll expand on my explanation of walking meditation by presenting some...
If you’ve completed a Mindfulness Northwest multi-week course or attended a meditation retreat, you have likely practiced walking meditation. It is a foundational meditation practice, but at first glance, might be viewed as simply a break from sitting....
Definition: Reification: to make something abstract more concrete or real; to consider or represent something abstract as a material or concrete thing; to give definite content and form to a concept or idea. We humans come equipped with an amazing mind – a mind that...
Open Awareness is the practice of stabilizing attention with a broad, wide-open focus that allows mental objects, sensations, and sensory experiences to come and go. All mindfulness-based practices are oriented towards stabilizing attention. Sometimes a stable...
The R.A.I.N. practice is a 4-step process for meeting the challenges of life in a spacious, curious, reflective way. The four steps of rain are: (1) recognize, (2) accept and allow, (3) investigate, and (4) non-identification with the challenge. We've been amazed by...
Meditations using imagery and symbols can be powerful. The Mountain Meditation envisions your experience as that of a mountain: stable and solid but also always changing. This classic practice, popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is often included in our Mindfulness-Based...
In strengthening the ability to be present and grounded, "anchoring" attention with felt present-moment experience is deeply helpful. While many practices do this using breath as the object of attention, the anchoring meditation helps you explore other options. These...
In this core meditation practice, we direct attention to the sensations associated with breathing as our bodies inhale and exhale. This practice is a powerful tool for grounding in our experience of the present moment. Other breath practices like Breath Counting and...
The Body Scan is a mindful tour through your body. This practice deepens awareness of the body, strengthens attention, and supports a more grounded, present-centered feeling for life. The Body Scan can also reveal stresses and emotional issues that you haven't become...
Posture is the structural basis of our upright position. And posture supports our upright position in meditation. But it is tricky. We are guided to be upright, but relaxed – not too tight, and not too loose. But what does this all mean? If I’m “relaxed,” I feel my...
