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People who are more mindful are more receptive to making positive changes.

Excerpt from The Foundations of Mindfulness

Often when we hear the word “yoga,” we think of static physical postures like Downward Dog or Headstand. But what if yoga wasn’t about the pose at all? What if the postures were mo…

When it comes to our significant other we often want to explain away or even deny uneasy feelings, but these relationship red flags should never be ignored.

Eating with mindfulness and awareness may be one of the clearest pathways to understanding the soul/mind/body connection and can help strengthen our bond to the rest of the natural world.

“The most important thing determining the quality of your life is your mind and your own ability to master your mind.”

Consider teaching your child mindfulness during this period of homeschooling.

Be present in the moment and relieve stress

It’s not about willpower. Tools like meditation can help in recovery from alcohol use disorder.

Here are 108 suggestions for your own personalized 108-day mindfulness practice.

How can mindfulness help folks in addiction recovery? Rabbi Rami offers his frank thoughts after a compelling podcast interview.

Meditation is at the core of a new generation of treatments for social anxiety.

While I would love to tell you “all communication is good communication,” it simply isn’t true.

There have been lots of documentaries in recent years about various aspects of mindfulness, but Rob Beemer’s The Mindfulness Movement seeks to be a total guide to the many div…

How to make mindfulness easy and incorporate it into your life without it feeling like a chore.

Is mindfulness really the panacea for today's stress?

A panel of experts calls for more consistent scientific examination of mindfulness.

“It takes courage to let go of habits and beliefs championed by our parents and those we respect, but we must if we are to ever get close to a mindfulness practice.”

Teaching mindfulness to kids has been said to improve their wellbeing, boost performance in the classroom, increase emotional intelligence, and reduce stress and “negative” behavior.

Can meditation help you avoid a Snickers or a cigarette? A new study says yes.

Since its very beginning in 1869 in New York’s Hudson River Valley, Mohonk Mountain House has been inviting guests to be inspired by spectacular scenery that creates a sense of spa…

Being aware of the present moment may reduce certain symptoms.

We interviewed Sharon Salzberg for this issue to honor her remarkable career. With COVID-19 on everyone’s mind as we went to print, she graciously allowed us to share an adapted excerpt from Real Happiness.

Mindfulness and multitasking aren’t necessarily in opposition to each other. But when you are in a relationship, make time for single-tasking too.

Technology has revolutionized relationships in so many ways. We can now find old flames, new sweethearts, and future spouses online. We can search under any category of desire, “La…

What’s been on your mind lately? If you’re like most of us, a lot of your time is spent pondering things that are rooted in the past or the future: the dentist appointment in a few…

An audio meditation you can use anytime to reduce stress and lift your mood.

Just as mindfulness helps us clear our minds, it can also help us clear a path through the house.

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Wearing a "cone of mindfulness" can help protect our spiritual and mental wellbeing during trying times.

Try this exercise to develop mindfulness by meditating on one’s thoughts.

Mindfulness meditation can help us befriend the pain sensations and teach the brain that it doesn’t need to sound the alarm so hard.

Mindfulness techniques are being incorporated more and more for sleep health. Here are six expert-recommended mindfulness practices to help you fall—and stay—asleep.

iBme offers in-depth mindfulness programming for youth and parents and professionals who support them.

Despite the hype, researchers are still exploring the benefits of meditation and how much practice we need to achieve them.

Do you pride yourself on being a talented multi-tasker? Well, a new study says that may be an illusion. The study, conducted by Stanford University, says that multitasking may be d…

There’s no philosophy about this, it’s a simple quieting of the mind.

This simple meditation can be done in any comfortable position, including lying down or even walking.

A mindfulness research pioneer offers his wisdom (and a guided meditation) on utilizing simple mindfulness techniques to help manage and relieve chronic pain.

Pathbreaking work by Dr. Davidson is tapping the power of meditation and mindfulness for greater wellness.

There’s an interesting story about a woman being chased by a tiger. She is running for her life and comes to the edge of a cliff. Here, she notices a sturdy vine, and climbs down t…

Explore how mindfulness practices can support recovery from substance use disorder with meditation teacher and writer Adrienne van der Valk.

Like any form of meditation, mindfulness meditation training can be a different experience for everyone. Rabbi Rami reflects upon his own problems with the practice.

The world doesn’t stop being confusing and cruel just because we decide to think positively. When anxiety has you gripping the sheets, ask yourself these questions to redirect.

Misconceptions about meditation can get in the way of practice. “When you’re kissing somebody you want to be there for the experience. You don’t want the other person looking out the window.”

What might it look like to bring mindfulness into the college application process? One educational consultant shares tips.

How I turned my life around by changing my way of thinking.

Is it possible to forgive infidelity and to overcome the emotional pain of betrayal?

A new study examines how different practices benefit people who worry a lot.

Do you struggle with intense food cravings? If so, you understand that powerless feeling—when the craving takes control and you begin to feel like a passenger in Mr. Toad’s W…

“Your task is not to seek for love, but to seek and find the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” —RumiAs humans, we are creatures of habit. We not only stick …

Hugs are good for you, but do you get or give daily hugs? How long do they last? Up your spiritual hug count and reap the many benefits of this shared connection.

Mindfulness offers benefits for caregivers when success is “The first time I have not cried all the way to the mailbox…”

Extending your mindfulness practice to your memories will serve your loving, harmonious relationship.

In the age of COVID-19, mindfulness is a way to stay safe.

Many of us are well aware of what mindfulness is and the health and holistic benefits it provides. Those who practice mindfulness meditation, for example, understand personally how…

A novel study found that patients who practice meditation and mindfulness experience better sleep and relaxation patterns and have a more accepting outlook toward living with a long-term illness.

Chrissy Holm details three mindfulness practices that can improve your ability to lead others, as well as yourself during times of stress or discomfort.

One pelvic floor practitioner offers a powerful mindfulness exercise to help you experience more pleasure.

Follow these simple rules (and a secret fourth) and change how you eat.

Find ways to pause, rest, and be mindful.

“The more I practice cultivating the gaps and being really present for them, the more my nervous system gets the message that I’m okay.”

Writer Julie Peters talks about a past eating disorder, how she overcomes feelings of food obsession, and how she frees herself from internal oppression.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Ohio, spoke with Rabbi Rami about his efforts to bring more mindfulness to the U.S. Senate.

This incredible body of ours is a cloak for the spirit. Our bodies are a high form of intelligence that not only includes the fascinating brain, but also a network of consciousness…

Rami talks with contemplative scholar and author of How We Work Leah Weiss, MD.

Building a new health consciousness.

One of the leading experts in the human mind Dr. Daniel Siegel talks to Rabbi Rami.

S&H Editor in Chief Ben Nussbaum reflects on the word “radical” at its roots.

For Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga Teachers

Want to stick with meditation? Find the pleasure in it.

Neuroscientist and author Ken Mogi shares ways to practice nagomi, a Japanese concept of balance.

A somatics coach and meditation instructor debunks six myths about why you feel you can’t meditate. What's holding you back?

I spent last week away from home, work, studio, email, and Facebook in the city of my youth, Montreal. I remember it well, but only this past week did I really notice something str…

Surfer-writer-adventurer Jaimal Yogis brings mindfulness to his outdoor passions.

Bringing a mindful approach to pregnancy means listening to both your body and your doctor when it comes to weight gain.

Something joyful, beautiful, pleasurable, or delicious is happening: Notice moments of sweetness.

Yoga and mental health are inextricably intertwined. Yoga helps promote mindfulness, healing from trauma, and boosts creativity.

Mindfulness and meditation teachers explore how to go beyond self-focused manifestation and imagine true global change.

A chronic pain specialist and meditation teacher shows us how to simplify mindfulness and harness the healing ability of awe.

How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in MindfulnessBy Jan Chozen Bays, MDWhile it is becoming more and more evident that the practice of mindfulness is life-transform…

A guided meditation

According to many traditions, the energy center of the body lies in a specific location, known to house an abundance of life-force energy or qi. In Chinese Qigong it is called the …

Sponsored Content from New Harbinger Publications

At the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we have worked for the last few years to find ways to help our veterans returning from Iraq an…

September is a bit of a wild month, astrologically speaking. There is a solar eclipse with the new moon on September 1st and a lunar eclipse with the full moon on September 16th. I…

The keys to creating a kitchen that makes cooking into a beautiful, spiritual experience.

Our ability to stay with one topic is constantly in jeopardy, sometimes due to factors that we can control and sometimes to those we cannot.

Using altars to focus intention and connection in a space.

Avoid overeating and drinking too much this holiday season by mindfully focusing on giving yourself pleasure rather than trying to numb the pain.

“When we live with purpose, when we slow down and take stock of what is really important to us, voluntarily letting go of what isn’t, we begin to live more truthfully, on our own terms.”

Even casual drinkers are giving up booze for a month, a year, or forever in a movement that combines mental and physical wellness. Melissa Howsam talks to two mothers of the movement.

Mindful eating means being intentional about what, when, and how you eat. It can become more intuitive the more you practice.

Building resilience does not require superhuman feats. Begin today with these accessible, science-backed strategies.

Labyrinths are soul-soothing and insight-making. What is the future of the labyrinth movement and how can you do a labyrinth walk from home?

Breath action into everyday words. “You might be surprised at how many nouns in the English language can be used as verbs.”

What do you want? Use the power of intention to focus your mind on your next steps.

The good news? Research shows that parents don’t have to be perfect to raise secure children.

What secrets lie in the branches of an 800-year-old oak tree? Teacher and futurist James Canton reflects on the connection between humanity and the oak tree, and ultimately, nature’s role in human redemption.

Protestant minister—and Buddhist meditation teacher—Victor M. Parachin identifies the habits that can lead to wisdom.

Kristin Neff, PhD, created the scale that psychologists worldwide use to measure self-compassion. Now she reveals the hidden superpower that makes being kind to yourself a primal force for justice.

In a time of change and uncertainty, what can be done to ease the transition?

Mindfulness and Vipasana meditation teacher Christiane Wolf kicks off her second book by introducing us to a simple equation: “Suffering = pain x resistance.”

Why is it so hard to jumpstart a meditation practice even when you really want to? There are generally two reasons why people don’t meditate.

Besides taking a lunch, holding meetings while walking and doing body scan meditation at your desk are two more examples of mindfully returning to the office.

Slowing down can allow our habitats to renew and our fellow earthlings to thrive.

In dealing with a loss, your actions and words, thoughts, breath, diet, and more can all be tailored to a more mindful form of grieving.

Playing with language can be a powerful way to reframe burdensome thoughts.

Embracing fate to reduce struggle is key to practicing amor fati.

“I’m going to hazard a guess that the average drinker loses about 20 percent of their bandwidth to alcohol.”

Having trouble being here now? Maybe you’re trying to tell the wrong kind of time.

S&H editor Ben Nussbaum spoke with North Carolina–based artist Alena Hennessy about her favorite color, describing the painting process in words, and finding a personal style.

Ever wonder where all the time went? Discover how to create more room for what matters.

A simple practice of mindfully noticing eye color can make medicine a little better.

Want to be more loving and caring, with better health and enhanced wellbeing? Try awe narratives.

Renowned Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield explains how to be an effective teacher and discusses the many ways teaching can help us grow.

“Both psychological work and what we call spiritual work are seeking ways to deal with suffering, and really learning how to love without holding back, how to let go of the armoring.”

Feeling averse to meditation? One of these seven reasons may be the explanation.

When you're having trouble regulating your emotions, patience can seem like a faraway feeling. Here are a few tips for cultivating patience that lasts.

How can we transform our negative self-talk into self-compassion? A doctor of clinical psychology and mindfulness practitioner shows us how.

How do we move away from division and into a place of love? Poet, teacher, and Spirituality & Health columnist Mark Nepo shares some wisdom.

"The challenge for each of us is to enter life beyond our argument with an open heart and to meet trouble and help without preference."

Use these mindful methods to prepare for the holiday season with greater ease and less anxiety.

It’s okay to rest. Learn how the benefits of unstructured time can positively impact your mental health and wellbeing.

What if you were offered a microdose as potent as a psychotropic that lifts depression and gives you a buzz? Would you try it? Turns out, we all have access to something just as po…

Beloved meditation teacher and author Sharon Salzberg shares her thoughts on gratitude, pandemic resolutions, and the power of words.

Climate change experts have warned us for decades of the devastating consequences to come if we don’t change the way we interact with the natural world. So then, why does the air q…

“What we need to realize is that this sense of meaninglessness does not come from our lives but from the quality of awareness with which we live our lives.” Explore how the simple practice of awareness can improve your quality of life.

Emotional RescueHow to Work with Your Emotions to Transform Hurt and Confusion into Energy that Empowers YouBy Dzogchen Ponlop RinpocheTARCHER/PENGUIN“Emotions get their power from…

At the end of the third week of a monthlong pilgrimage to Korea some sixteen years ago, I was completely broken. Before we began the pilgrimage, I figured that a shaved head would …

I am addicted to reading articles with titles like, “are you dating a narcissist?” and “signs you should get out of your relationship now,” because deep-down I’m afraid that I am t…

Yoga and mindfulness can help us recognize that our discomfort has a flow.

Start your day with intention and mindfulness with this guided meditation.

Want to be more mindful when it comes to sex? Try following these three rules.

“Are cats on their own spiritual paths to enlightenment?” Here are four divine signs your feline is sending you.

I know as problems go, this is not the biggest thing, but I really miss practicing yoga in a studio.

The surprising history of the yummy treat, plus tips on sweet ingredients that do good

Turn your smartphone into a tiny health coach with these apps for better nutrition, mindfulness, and gratitude.

More…

Empathy and non-judgment lie at the heart of the therapeutic experience. “Strength and brokenness are not opposites.”

“The absence of holiday fuss clears the way for all kinds of spiritual opportunities.”

In his posthumous memoir, Being Ram Dass, the beloved cultural and spiritual icon and bestselling author of Be Here Now, shares his experience of his journey from the mind to the heart, from the ego to the soul.

2020 was a year. But maybe there's a silver lining (or two) to this pandemic after all.

Tai chi is a low-impact traditional Chinese medicine practice that engages the mind and body. The benefits of tai chi include increased mindfulness and focus, improved balance, and relief from chronic pain.

What is beauty? Why is it important? “Perhaps we should think of beauty not only as something that we should have but as something we should be.”

Tired of all the JUNK? Become inspired by Benedictine simplicity. Look for new ways to keep your space less cluttered.

You’re already a philosopher—“all you need is an enquiring mind.”

Giant squirrels, giant lessons? Animal chaplain Sarah Bowen explores what squirrels can show us about mindfulness.

Reclaim rest with a rest guided meditation that will take you on a journey of self-exploration.

Looking for a new practice to calm the mind and connect with others? Try writing an old-fashioned letter.

Stay grounded (literally) through your bare foot-to-earth connection.

Gardening is a lifelong practice that provides countless mental and physical health benefits.

“There was no ‘normal’ life to return to. In my own surprising, glorious, and hurting human body, I was already living it.”

In a culture that doesn’t help us hold our grief, how do we hold it for ourselves? Here are some ideas.

For one, it’s possible to be slow and fast at the same time.

Use breathwork and color therapy to find your center in your meditative painting practice.

The painkiller paradox, how meditation inhibits empathy, and why intuitive eating is important for the biggest food lovers.

What are microjoys, and how can acceptance of the bad with the good improve our life? Author Cyndie Spiegel tells stories from her life to explain.

Partnership in need of an infusion of healing? These five tips can help you foster more positive interactions with your beloved.

Is it possible to learn open-mindedness? Rabbi Rami explores his perspective on curiousity versus truth.

A seasonal affective disorder expert and light therapy pioneer shares how mindfulness can strongly support other treatments for SAD.

Does a yoga instructor’s cue of “just relax” cause you to tense up even more? Experiment with the act of softening.

Qi gong master Lee Holden shares powerful practices to bring more presence and pleasure into your life.

Practicing mindfulness can help teens cope with the pressures of growing up—and even ward off symptoms of depression.

“Dancing Mindfulness” combines healing movements with free-form expression to provide a new therapy for trauma.

An excerpt from Mindfulness, Meditation, and Mind Fitness

Mindfulness meditation could help you avoid a common decision-making trap.

Contemplating creativity, compassion, mindfulness, and body image with singer/songwriter Amanda Palmer

A combination of hatha yoga, mindfulness meditation and playful fun.

Excerpt from Shift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness by Loch Kelly

A zen priestess shares how she brings mindfulness into her kitchen

Here are 10 affirmations to help us be in the present moment when we are parenting.

A Tourist Town Where Mindfulness Is the Main Attraction

Is all the mainstream-media coverage of mindfulness and meditation good news for ancient-wisdom traditions…or not?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the ways in which my work as an artist and my work as a yoga teacher are really just exactly the same.I do think of teaching yoga as a form of…

Summer. A time of fun in the sun, pretty clothes, romance, rainbows, and unicorns.Or, if you’re me, a bad breakup, moving back in with my parents, getting hit by a car, two rounds …

When famous yogi and author Yogananda visits Gandhi in his memoir Autobiography of a Yogi, it happens to be Monday, Gandhi’s weekly day of silence. “Years ago,” the great master ex…

Lately, I’m really into joy.That probably makes me sound like a jerk. I don’t mean the kind of joy that comes with huge life-changing events like winning the lottery or making a ba…

You can’t think and feel at the same time. One of my yoga teachers, Nico Luce, said this in a class the other day, and it’s one of the sweetest, simplest, and most poignant senten…

Okay, so we all know we need to work on this thing called the “core” we keep hearing about. We know it’s good for the lower back, the digestive system, and we all want little teeny…

Today is my 28th birthday. Birthdays have always been kinda hard for me, all the way since I was four and I had this beautiful confection birthday cake with roses that fell on the …

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Sanskrit word “guru.” Most of us know it as “teacher” but the Sanskrit breakdown is a little different. See here from the Upanishads: The…

I was once in a workshop with celeb-yogi extraordinaire Sadie Nardini, and she asked us a question that really stuck with me. I’m going to paraphrase here:“If you could tell the wo…

Yesterday, I wore as much purple as I could muster. Even my eyeshadow was purple.October 20th is Spirit Day: a day of awareness for bullying and suicides in the LGBT community. Coi…

I’m going to tell you a story.One day, there was a raging bull in the middle of the main street of a small village. None of the villagers could get past. Everyone was upset about t…

If you had a time machine, would you speed forward into the future or relive the past?Someone asked me this once in a car on a road trip, and while my car-mates reminisced about ti…

If you didn’t know me as a person, and all you knew about me was that I was a yoga teacher and a poet, you would probably think I was pretty boring. You’d think of poems filled wit…

“I always wanted to be somebody. Now I realize I should have been more specific.” ~Lily Tomlin A friend of mine recently shared with me something he learned from the philosopher O…

Yoga has this wonderful quality of opening our minds and bodies at the same time. We get more physically flexible, and more mentally and emotionally so as well.We flow like water, …

Have you ever had a giggle fit?I used to get them all the time when I was a kid—something would set me off and I would just lose it for minutes—the people around me would have stop…

The truth will set you free! So they say. Lately I’ve been wondering—set you free from what, exactly? Satya, or truthfulness, is one of Patanjali’s five Yamas, or precepts for li…

As we pass the Solstice, the darkest night of the year, we are also entering into a New Moon cycle, which comes to a head on Christmas Day this Sunday.It’s dark out there. We’ve go…

“There is a deranged hope that comes with the New Year that we are entering into a whole new world, and everything can be better now.”

Classically, the yoga practice (physical asana yoga as well as the meditation and other practices) were passed down from a master to a student. Here in the West, yoga has come to m…

Living in the world with the goddess principle means a radical change.

Strengthening your warrior heart is about reacting with compassion and an open mind to those who disagree with you.

The other day, my friend and yoga teacher Meghan Currie said to me about the core: "There's just this layer of energetic garbage around your core. You kind of have to burn through …

In emotionally confusing situations, our first urge is to try to understand. We use our logical brains to try to figure out things like grief, pain, and (strangest of all) other pe…

It’s 2012: the end of the Mayan Calendar, the year of New Age spiritual transformation, year of the Water Dragon. I started off 2012 learning about the Divine Feminine with Shiva R…

I was once at a workshop about managing grief through yoga practice. I remember a girl in the back piping up and saying, “Sometimes you just need to discover that it’s pain from a …

Yin yoga, in case you’ve never heard of it before, is a style of yoga in which you wiggle yourself into a pretty intense stretch and just try to relax there for five minutes or som…

Well, we’ve finally made it to March. Here in Vancouver, that means it’s still kind of cold and raining, but there are little shoots coming up under still-bare trees, and there are…

If you’ve ever wondered and searched with the greater population of the world for the true meaning of happiness, you’ve probably heard, at some point, that it’s some form of seva, …

There’s a principle in Patanjali’s classical text on Yoga, the Yoga Sutras, called pratyahara. It’s usually translated as “withdrawal of the senses,” and it’s a part of the classic…

Happy first days of Spring! It’s a celebratory season, and one that just can’t help but invoke change, transformation, and rebirth. It’s spring cleaning time–get the dusty clothes…

In the wake of New Year’s Resolution season, some of us are taking a good hard look at what’s blocking our paths to happiness and health. There’s plenty: the world is full of distr…

As many of you already know, I am not what I would describe as a ‘sunshine and flowers’ yoga teacher. Listening to teachers talk about how wonderful all creation is and seeing insp…

Lately, I’ve been reading the Tao Te Ching. It’s the seminal text of Taoist philosophy, a system of thought that I’ve been attracted to since I was a stressed out, straight-A unive…

As some of you already know, I am a spoken word poet, which means, generally speaking, that I talk about my feelings in front of half-drunk audiences on Monday nights at a neighbor…

I’ll be honest: I’ve never liked meditating. I’ve dabbled in it, and forced myself to sit for 30 day meditation challenges, and it was boring and hard. Plus life is so busy: Five m…

Earth Day 2012 was just a few weeks ago, and I’ve been thinking about what that means to us now, as yogis and as human beings.Humans are a funny species: We love to shout “Save the…

“Close your eyes,” my yoga teacher says. “Don’t open them again for the next 90 minutes.”We laugh a little, like, Is she serious?Then she says, “I’m serious. Don’t open your eyes.”…

It’s Spring 2012, and we just had a super full moon: The moon was closer to the earth than it’s been all year. Here in Vancouver, it’s just starting to get warm, though the cherry …

One of the reasons we practice yoga, in my opinion, is to become better translators.Our bodies have a complex language, and they are talking to us all the time. Our guts are receiv…

I have a mantra. I say it to myself daily, in many situations, and it helps me immensely in my life. It’s this: Why am I doing this? I don’t even think the answer to that question …

We’re thinking about stress all wrong. “Pain is our absolute best teacher, because it forces us to change something.”

I was talking recently with a fellow yoga teacher about a student who takes three to four classes every day. He was a little worried about the effect that might be having on her bo…

In last week’s post, I talked about the vital importance of emotional intelligence. Medical professionals are learning that a huge, overlooked reason many North Americans get sick …

I have a confession to make. I haven’t been practicing yoga. But I HAVE been flossing. Every night. Sometimes, too, I do put on some sweet tunes and roll around on my mat for a…

Before I became a yoga teacher, I assumed all my teachers must have had it all figured out. They always had such great lessons, and seemed so calm and collected. I wanted to be lik…

I went to take a friend of mine’s class a while ago, on a full moon. She talked about how humans are made mostly of water, and the moon pulls the tides, so therefore it must have a…

If we start looking more honestly at where our flow comes from and where it goes, we can move beyond the fear-based ideology of scarcity and make better choices.

There’s an origin story that many yogis have: there was a first moment, a realization, a falling in love, a desire to shout from the rooftops: “Yoga saved me!”. For me and many oth…

Yoga is a good thing to have in your pocket.I’m writing this from the hotel restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I’ve spent the past week at the National Poetry Slam comp…

Soon, I’m turning 29. My birthday always sends me into an introspective tailspin about what age means, considering the past, and wondering what the heck I’m doing with my life.When…

Yoga has been banned in several countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and within sects of Christianity in America. Some of the bans have been lifted, others have not. This sou…

Attending a yoga class is a fundamentally vulnerable thing to do.I think about my body a lot; not only as a yoga teacher, but also as a woman. As I have expressed on this blog befo…

Guilt is a horrible feeling. When we are little kids, before our moral compass kicks in, we have absolutely no sense of guilt or shame. We know we are not supposed to punch other k…

If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you’ve heard some reference to the breath at some point. We know it’s incredibly central to the yoga practice; the awareness of the breath is per…

I often say that yoga makes you better at absolutely everything, except remembering where you put your car keys.A regular yoga practice boosts your immune system, regulates your ho…

This week, I got sick. I’ve been feeling it coming on for weeks, and I finally woke up with that telltale sore, swollen throat that I know so well from my long and checkered past w…

I am a yoga teacher, and I have scoliosis. I am not a straight-spined person. My dad has a condition called ankylosing spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis in which your bone…

I was sitting with a yoga teacher friend the other day, and he was having one of those freak-out moments we all have from time to time. You know the one: “I’m not good enough, I do…

Breathing is, indeed, good for you. It’s been shown that breathing into the belly helps encourage a relaxed state in your body, nourishes your organs, calms the nervous system, and…

When you are feeling stressed and anxious, what’s your strategy? If you’re like many of us, you head home to hide under your covers. What if I told you the cure was at the cocktail…

Everyone, at some time or another, has felt a personal connection to the moon. Most of us forget about it most of the time, but everyone I know has, at some point, looked out a win…

I recently took a workshop with a teacher named Gahl Sasson called “Past Life Regression Meditation.” Past lives is one of those theories on the afterlife that feels very real to s…

This week, I saw something going on that I thought was wrong. Someone bigger than me, with more authority, was doing something I thought was unethical. I needed yoga.Not the kind o…

"see if they wet their pants"by KabirThe words Guru, Swami, Super Swami, Master, Teacher, Murshid,Yogi, Priest,most of those sporting such a title arejust peacocks.The litmus test …

What does it feel like to be in a relaxed state? What triggers me back into a state of stress? What are the signs?

Every worldview, whether religious or cultural, is steeped in the structure of a story. Christians, for example, elevate the value of love through the archetype of Jesus, the ultim…

Injuries often happen in the silliest ways. We are intelligent adults; we look both ways before crossing the street, we don't run with scissors or swallow toothpaste. But we badly …

Are you ready to let go of what’s been holding you back and make space for what’s next?

I was on the hunt, seeking amrit, the nectar of immortality. I had to cross a river, so I found a boat made of ghost bones and stealthed to the opposite shore. I discovered a back …

Setting New Year intentions by the moon.

"A Rabbit Noticed My Condition"I was sad one day and went for a walk;I sat in a field.A rabbit noticed my condition and came near.It often does not take more than that to help at t…

When I was in school, I wanted to talk about feminism all the time. I loved its possibilities: a world where we could all be more feminine, a world where we all could be more mascu…

Tune into your body’s innate intelligence.

A couple of weeks ago, I adopted a dog from the animal shelter. His name is Finnegan, and he is the best ever: he is snoring belly-up beside me as I write this.I wanted a dog partl…

I taught my first kid’s yoga class last week, at the school where my mom works. “Just around 30 kids, Julie,” she said. “Grade 7. They can’t wait to meet you. You’ll love it.” I ha…

I wish I could speak like music.I wish I could put the swaying splendorOf the fields into wordsSo that you could hold TruthAgainst your bodyAnd dance.I am trying the best I canWith…

I used to think having a home practice meant I had to get up at 4 a.m. to chant mantras, meditate, and practice asana for two hours. I am not a morning person. Also I love going …

This is how bad things have gotten: I am squatting on my floor by a low table to write this because I threw out my back again and I am in extreme pain. Pain, however, can lead to r…

Once upon a time, Shiva, the Lord of Yoga, became infuriated to discover that his beloved, Sati, had immolated herself with rage when her father, Daksha, insulted the couple by not…

“Now is the time to know that all you do is sacred.” ~Hafiz Remember that moment on December 21st, 2012, when you wondered if just maybe the Mayans were right and the tides would…

Anger: we all know it, many of us well. But at a yoga party, it would be gauche to bring up the raging intensity sitting in your gut. We’re all focusing on the positive here, right…

The massage therapist slid her hand under my sacrum, and waited. I wasn’t sure what this was supposed to feel like and apparently nothing was happening.“What do you feel?” she aske…

A few years ago, I had a very annoying skin allergy. Wherever I scratched, my skin would bubble up: the condition is called Dermatographia, or “skin writing” in Latin.I could write…

“The body never lies,” Janet Stone said in a workshop on the yogic concept of satya, or truth. “We misinterpret it, ignore it, and project our ideas onto it, but the body itself ne…

The other night, my partner got a migraine. He was writhing in bed, ibuprofen scattered around the room, ice packs and hot water bottles strewn everywhere. I did what I do best in…

The story we are typically told about aging is that it is a downward slope: we get older, weaker, frailer, and sicker. Upon seeing images of young yogis, an older person might thi…

We know intuitively that our state of mind will affect our breath: it comes quick and jagged when we are agitated, and smooth and slow when we are relaxed. The yogis figured out p…

As human animals, we are affected by the weather. We like to think we’re not—our capitalist society expects us to be exactly the same amount of productive no matter what’s going o…

“Bellydance is a service,” my dance teacher was telling us. “We are offering something of ourselves to the audience, but we must be sure we are in control of how much we are offer…

How often to do you walk on your hands? Do you spend time crawling around the office, or traveling from couch to fridge on your hands? If you’re like most people, the answer is ne…

Sweating up a storm? Discover the emotional and spiritual meaning of sweating.

Getting grounded in relationships requires some talking.

“My Eyes So Soft”by Hafiz, trans. Daniel LadinskyDon't surrender your loneliness so quickly.Let it cut more deep.Let it ferment and season youAs few human or even divine ingredient…

There is definitely a specific pleasure in taking a public yoga class: listening to the wisdom of the teacher, exploring new postures, and simply being in the studio space with th…

If you practice yoga, you’ve encountered the word karma at some point—in class, in the yoga texts, or perhaps on the label of a fancy bottle of water. It’s a simple concept: if you…

Most people think they are bad at meditating. Can’t sit still and turn your thoughts off for at least 20 minutes? You’re not bad at meditating, you’re just a human with a brain.Act…

Here are four yoga postures that can really help your body deal with coughs, colds, and seasonal allergies.

At the studio I run in Vancouver, we used to participate in 30-day challenges where you can sign up to complete 30 yoga classes in 30 days. The studio would be jammed with people, …

Chaturanga Dandasana, which means “four limbed staff pose,” is an incredibly common posture in Vinyasa (Flow or Power) yoga. We can breeze through it 15 times in a practice without…

Stress has become a bad word in our culture. It causes illness and contributes to chronic pain. And we have too much of it. So we practice yoga: we meditate, do savasana, get relax…

My friend Carol has been cycling—by herself—across America. She calls me from the road, tells me what amazing things she’s seen, and that her back hurts. She really misses yoga!My …

We learn so many great lessons in yoga that totally fall apart in relationships. You are trying to learn about detachment and going with the flow, but you are in love with a person…

Check out this simple, restorative yoga practice you can do under the covers with two or three pillows when sweet unconsciousness eludes you.

I’ve been spending a lot of my evenings lately sitting at home watching Netflix.Not very romantic, I know. On these evenings, after long days of meetings, teaching, yoga, meditatio…

When I was a kid, I hated naptime. I would lie down in the cot like everyone else and watch my little kid friends drift off into a blissful sleep. I would fidget, giggle, and somet…

Two years ago, I was hit by a car on my bike. I doubled over, twisted and rolled on the pavement, and was left with injuries that changed my yoga practice fundamentally. I was sudd…

The most important instruction you’ll get in a yoga class may also sound like the most ridiculous one: “Engage your peeing muscles.” “Engage your vaginal walls like you were holdin…

Sometimes, in the yoga community, it seems that what we are always trying to do is feel good and happy and positive. Smile at all costs!Of course we all want to feel good, but if w…

Pain is incredibly useful. A calming yoga practice encourages the brain to create a new samskara.

A rounded yoga practice includes both stimulating and calming postures to tone and rebalance the nervous system.

Hands on adjustments are a relatively common but also quite controversial aspect of yoga classes. Strong adjustments have been known to lead to snapped hamstrings or popped knees, …

If you look up at the moon on the fourth night from now, you’ll see a beautiful crescent shape. If it’s close enough to the horizon, it’s often a sweet hazy golden color. The godde…

Sexual desire is intoxicating. Sex also connects us deeply to one another and to the present moment.

My dad has a special way he likes to order when we are out at a restaurant. First, order your beer. Then, wait to order your food until it’s also time to order your second drink. I…

It was a bad week for news. This week’s news made me feel angry, helpless, and sick. So what’s a good yogi to do? Focus on her breath and try to forget all about injustice?The Hind…

Do you know where your phone is right now? If it beeps or vibrates, will you keep reading this or stop to check the notification? Of course you’ll stop and check. We all do it. In…

Every now and then, I help facilitate a group of men who meets weekly to have conversations about what it means to be a man. It’s called Manology, and if I’m in the room, it’s prob…

Once upon a time, the great god Shiva and his beautiful consort Sati were having an argument. Her father was hosting a party and hadn’t invited the couple. Infuriated, Sati wanted …

Intimacy is, at its essence, a practice of presence: showing up and paying attention, whether it is to your best friend, the moss on the trees, or to the heaviness in your heart.

It’s a New Year, and we could all use a little help to cleanse, detoxify, and boost our immune systems. One of the ways the body cleanses itself is through the lymphatic system. Ly…

This year, I’ve been deepening my research into Tantric yoga philosophy while also taking courses on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (or CBT), which is a modern psychological practic…

“Just remember,” I told my friend right before she got onstage to perform a poem to a room full of strangers, “Speak from your vagina!” She laughed, but she knew I was serious. As…

“Live in the now!” Garth exhorts Wayne as he fawns over a beautiful guitar he can’t afford in the film Wayne’s World. This is a message that we get over and over again in many East…

During the time of the Fall Equinox, which fell this year on the same week as a new moon, the energy shift feels palpable. Many people can feel the change in light and weather, and…

I love getting my period. I know that’s a weird thing to say, and many women groan at the monthly inconvenience. But I appreciate it for cyclically returning me to my body. It asks…

Have you ever pasted up a big sign on your bathroom mirror that says something like, “You are beautiful!” to try to improve your mood and self esteem? And found that it works not a…

The yoga that we practice here in North America has a fascinating and complex history and lineage. There are influences from different branches of Hindu religion, Buddhist philosop…

‘Tis the season for drinking too much eggnog, eating too much, and pulling out old family hangover cures.We’ve just moved past the Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the sun cycl…

When I first started practicing yoga, I thought it was a 5000-year-old practice. I thought when I stretched back into Downward Dog that I was tapping into an ancient system of yoga…

Happiness: we all want it, and we want to know how to get it. We read books about it, try to buy it, and attempt to pin it down in a lab. We get close to happiness—we fall in love,…

Traditionally, the dark times—winter solstice or new moons—are times to reflect, to slow down and listen to the quiet voices at the heart of us that tell us what we truly desire, w…

It’s been a hot summer. I showed up to my yoga studio the other day, and noticed that the air purifying machine was blinking and beeping, which made me think of my kitchen lights, …

“The best thing about yoga,” a teacher of mine used to say, “is that it makes you more sensitive. The worst thing about yoga is that it makes you more sensitive.” We sometimes get …

One of the best things about yoga, for me, has been learning to tap into the wisdom of my body. We live in a very thinking oriented culture, and when I’ve been worried about someth…

I’ve been dealing with pain right between my sacrum and my pelvis at the joint where the spine and hips meet, for years. I’ve been to massage therapists, chiropractors, and sports …

We are living in a time of more choice than ever before. Not only can we order pretty much anything online, we are free to marry whoever we want whenever we choose, we can pursue w…

Understanding the spiritual meaning of anger and accepting its message can be liberating.

A major aspect of my practice has always been about coming home to my body. We live in a culture that doesn’t always honor the body; we tend instead to objectify it as this thing t…

One of the most famous yoga sutras—the short aphorisms in yoga attributed to Patanjali—is sthiram sukham asanam. The phrase means essentially that your asana, your seat…

Non-attachment is a pretty familiar concept within the worlds of yoga and meditation. In Buddhism, the word anicca refers to the concept of impermanence, that nothing stays the sam…

In many spiritual traditions, God is seen as the source of light, banishing the darkness and bringing hope. Darkness is seen as the enemy, a terrifying place where we are out of co…

In the Tantric tradition, the goddess of the 13th night from the new moon is called Sarvamangala. She is calm and quiet, surrounded by a crowd of 76 other deities, including the go…

The day after I finished a major project (my new book, Secrets of the Eternal Moon Phase Goddesses), I came down with a fever. For a few days, it hurt my brain to do anything other…

Around Valentine’s Day, a lot of people are thinking about love—whether they want to be or not. A set of particularly anxious questions can arise: How do I find the One? How do I k…

Chinese New Year, celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice, represents a brand-new chance to start all over again.

The other day, I took a bad yoga class. I went to see one of my favorite teachers, and as usual, her class was intelligent, well-paced, and well-focused. But as I moved through the…

We all know there’s great value in loving ourselves. Self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-compassion can get us through painful times in our lives, help us to bounce back from fa…

Over the last several years, I’ve come to believe that the greatest, most powerful, most courageous thing we can do in our lives is learn to befriend our pain. This idea is a majo…

Many of us fear and avoid anger, especially in the realm of intimate relationships. We think of it like fire—a spark could burn the house down. Anger is, however, a vital tool, and…

Every morning, I meditate. Badly. I know meditation is good for me. Meditation can help with anxiety, stress, insomnia, self-esteem and a whole host of other things. There are a m…

Vajresvari wants us to find power in being present with our joy, imbibing in delightful experiences even to the point of intoxication.

We all know living in the moment is a key aspect of happiness. We know we need to learn to pay attention to what’s actually happening around us, the people we are with, and all the…

This week, I skipped out on yoga. Instead, I tried kickboxing for the first time. I also tested out capoeira and jujitsu—it felt like a good week to do a bit of kicking and punchin…

Tara is one of the most famous and widely beloved goddesses in Buddhism. She was formed from a single tear shed by the sage Avalokiteshvara when, just before he ascended to enlight…

I don’t always make New Year’s resolutions—I find the darkest coldest months a pretty difficult time to start new things. This year, however, I did make one that not only helped me…

Photograph from Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley (Workman Publishing). Copyright (c) 2017. Photographs by Christine Hewitt.

Like everyone else, I’ve had difficult times in my life. I’ve had bad breakups, I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve been hurt. In these difficult moments, a lot of people have cheerfully …

Dieting mythologies have taught us that cravings are our enemies. We are told to ignore the plaintive cries of our evil bodies as they try to trick us into feeding them!Cravings ar…

Once upon a time, people spent their whole lives in one career until they retired. In this world, marriage was a given: it happened early and it was lifelong. Commitment was easy: …

Thinking is obviously an important tool. Humans have the powerful ability to think about the past and the future, make narratives about our lives that help us navigate new situatio…

Once upon a time, the god Shiva, the Lord of Destruction, was so busy meditating that he was not doing his godly duties. The other gods petitioned the great goddess Shakti to manif…

Ujjayi Pranayam means Breath of the Warrior. When we do this breath, it can make us feel like that—calm, focused, fierce warriors on our mats. It’s often taught as a whispering sou…

The other day, I had one of those moments which must be unique to this particular historical moment: I put an opinion on the internet and got some incredibly mean comments in respo…

We don’t always get what we want. But we always get what we receive. In Sanskrit, the word diksa means initiation. It usually refers to the teachings passed on from a guru to a st…

We do yoga to set ourselves free, right? That’s the message we get, anyway: the purpose of our practice is to liberate ourselves from sticky things like our bodies, desires, and re…

Yoga has its roots in India, but it has changed and evolved hugely since it came to North America. For some people it’s a spiritual practice, and for others it’s purely physical. T…

We are in a moment of change. Some of us are hopeful, others rageful, and others fearful. I’ve been thinking lately about a set of stories told by Sally Kempton in her book Awakeni…

Here are some tips that have helped me negotiate with my head when it’s on a pillow.

Discover a yoga pose to represent each quarter of the moon corresponding to its unique energy that you can incorporate into your practice.

Many yoga practitioners get curious about the deeper practices behind what we are doing on our yoga mats. What exactly are the philosophies we are following here? What’s the meanin…

You don’t need to be an expert in mindfulness meditation to experience its amazing stress-relieving benefits.

Have you ever noticed the music yoga teachers play in class?We know intuitively that music affects our emotions. It hits us deeply, unconsciously, elevating us, calling forth an ol…

One day, I showed up to my yoga mat with a broken heart. I’d just gone through a wrenching breakup, and it hurt. My body felt heavy and stiff. I tried to flip over from Downward Do…

One way of thinking about yoga is as a form of education into your own body. There are literally muscles that you can’t feel when you are first introduced to them because there is …

So maybe the real problem is not feeling stressed enough?

How loving-kindness meditation taps the roots of empathy

Why does overvaluing happiness backfire? We dive into the effects of longing on our everyday outlook.

So how can we, with Dhumavati, embrace the ways in which we are, powerfully, ugly?

Matangi tells a secret—that there’s a hidden joy, even power, in being an outcast.

This meditation is ideal if you need a pause from your day to slow down and calm down, and you may wish to put it on as you are lying in bed at night preparing to sleep.

Yoga, self-care, and alternative forms of medicine cannot always fix everything.

Bring your attention to the present moment with these tools for mindfulness.

Stillness and movement work together and can help us sense what we deeply desire, what’s gotten us stuck, or how we might want to change.

Use this guided meditation to draw the senses closer to connect with the body in the present moment.

Chinnamasta shows us the simple, playful, and fierce truth that much of what we need is already right inside our own hearts.

This meditation is a practice of honoring and acknowledging the range of complex sensations and emotions that may be present at any given moment.

Rather than piling shame on top of shame, we need to slow down and honestly feel whatever it is we feel.

The heart holds our love, connection, joy, and forgiveness. It can also hold grief and anxiety. Sometimes what the heart feels is very different from what the mind thinks it wants.…

Take these two actions to set boundaries around your phone and social media.

The yoga of relationships.

Try this audio meditation for slowing down the mind.

When the only goal of sex is pleasure through play for the sake of itself, we can surprise ourselves with how much is actually possible.

When we can channel our anger into compassionate communication, it can help us cultivate a stronger sense of self along with even more intimate and satisfying relationships.

When it comes to sex, listening goes a lot deeper than hearing.

A guided meditation for tasting a little sweetness.

An audio meditation to engage with our anger and compassion without shame.

For this meditation, you choose an emotion—something that’s present for you and easy to access in your body.

A simple and effective end of year ritual is to carve out a little time for yourself to meditate and journal.

Say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new.

Try these three helpful poses to bring stress relief to your muscles.

This guided meditation explores the bottom of the breath.

Calm down using the breath and slow down your exhale.

How to use mindfulness to let go of preconceived notions.

This meditation will help you to explore your own belly, offering it thanks, appreciation, and perhaps a little bit of healing.

Do the work of being in a loving, healthy, committed relationship with ourselves or suffer the rest of our lives with an internal roommate we hate.

Try this free writing journaling practice coinciding with the moon phases.

A preview of Moon Meditations: 16 Nights for Desire, Heartache, and Connection

This audio meditation is for those times when there’s discomfort in the body, whether emotional or physical, that doesn’t easily go away.

This goddess encourages us to courageously churn the oceans of our inner selves, to explore the painful feelings and old traumas in our psyches and let them teach us something.

An audio meditation for letting go and moving on.

We need to feel safe in order to heal.

Simple exercises that anyone can do to increase pelvic floor awareness and tone the muscles for strength and suppleness.

Your gut can be a really important source of wisdom in your life.

An audio meditation to tune into how you feel.

An audio meditation to open our understanding of our different voices.

Sometimes fear, anger, or sadness are appropriate responses to the complexities of life.

The first in three-part meditation series inspired by Ayurveda.

Find little ways every day to slow down, even if it’s just for ten minutes a day.

An audio meditation to calm emotional and physical inflammation.

Draw sacredness into your life whenever you need it with simple intentional rituals.

Get a boost of energy with this Ayurveda inspired audio meditation.

Learn how to release tension in the neck and shoulders with these exercises.

Start or end your day with this breath practice.

What can your anger teach you about yourself for better relationships?

A useful tool to get to sleep.

A guided meditation to harness your sexual energy.

When we're connected to our sexual energy and spirituality, we’re connected to our libido, our personal power, our sense of self, and our ability to go after what we want in life.

Strengthen, support, and stretch out your hips.

An audio meditation for sweet dreams.

Fall asleep while visualizing yourself in a field of flowers.

Gentleness with ourselves and our others sometimes means pushing back.

A guided visualization for better sleep.

Why we shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes.

Consider one way you could bring a little bit more pleasure into your day.

Get to sleep using this guided visualization.

If these signs feel familiar, here's what you can do about it.

Invite your desire to speak to you in your dreams.

How can you support yourself to let go?

Use hand mudras to save your hands and wrists from overuse.

Tolerate the discomfort of loneliness.

Honor your grief as we enter into the season of generative death and prepare for the coming season of rebirth.

Immerse yourself in a colorful city in your mind to rock you to sleep.

Ideas for commemorative events beyond traditional funerals.

Here are a few tips for keeping calm and taking care during the holiday season.

The final resting place is where, for those who seek it, we come to sit, reflect, and share with someone who has died.

A guided visualization to lull you to sleep.

A winter solstice meditation can be a time for grieving, acknowledging what’s been lost, and letting go.

How you can create some new traditions to celebrate the winter solstice.

This gentle yoga practice supports digestive health and immune function to help you get back into the swing of things.

A guided meditation to calm yourself.

The secret to a happy, health gut is knowing it’s not what you eat, it’s how.

A guided visualization to help you drift off to sleep.

One of the most powerful ways we can support our lovers is by taking care of ourselves.

In this Valentine’s month, it’s very important to spend some time loving ourselves. Honoring the relationship with our own hearts goes a long way towards supporting our relationshi…

We often think of self care as something we do only when we’re stressed, in grief, or otherwise hurting, but it’s really something we have to be doing every single day in order to …

A guided meditation to release tension.

The key to letting go of neck tension.

A guided visualization to help guide you to a deeper sleep.

The most important habit to start with is the one that will help us listen to our bodies more.

The work of pleasure and desire is to be honest with ourselves.

An audio meditation for times of emotional pain.

This simple guided meditation is inspired by the Yoga Nidra meditation practice, which is a progressive relaxation of the entire body.

On the full moon, create a ritual that has meaning for you.

Julie Peters shares her personal ritual for the new moon.

Struggle to stay focused when you meditate? Learning to listen like a musician can deepen both your meditation practice and your mindfulness.

When a labyrinth is walked with even a small amount of direction, it becomes a powerful field for self-discovery, transformation, spiritual deepening, processing grief, relieving stress, and finding clarity.

Meditation can be frustrating, with physical discomfort and constant, intrusive thoughts. Walking a labyrinth can be a wonderful walking meditation.

"We need to understand our fears and vulnerabilities, not so we can blast through what stands in our way, but so we can figure out how to support ourselves to manage whatever it is we fear."

This gently hypnotic meditation will take you along a dirt path into a candlelit cave with a clear pool filled with healing power. Relax through the guided meditation or allow it to help you get to sleep at night, encouraging your parasympathetic nervous system to wake up your internal capacity for healing.

When we avoid feeling what we feel, it tends to dampen all emotions.

“If we don’t know what we want to be when we grow up, is there something fundamentally wrong with us?”

This guided meditation allows the listener to release unwanted emotions.

Sexual energy may be an expression of the divine within each of us. That's one reason a mindful approach to sacred sexuality is so important.

In this meditation, imagine yourself playing and dancing with the wind high above the clouds. Remember your sense of playfulness and creativity as you explore the lightness and freedom of the element of air. This can be done as a seated meditation or to help you fall asleep at night.

Is intuition a useful tool or will it lead you astray? Julie Peters weighs the answers.

This guided meditation will lull you to sleep as you walk down a beautiful staircase encrusted with healing gemstones like amethysts, rose quartz, sapphire, and amber.

Pain can offer an invitation to soften, writes Mark Coleman, the founder of the Mindfulness Institute.

When we allow pain in fully (and then release it fully), the heart can transform pain into gold.

Anxious? Approaching the problem with self-compassion and mindfulness may help. Discover more about spirituality and anxiety.

This guided meditation will lead you through a visualization of healing white light to help support you in your internal healing from any injury, surgery, or illness.

Nudge your nervous system out of the stress habit through the act of celebration.

A simple guided meditation to help you connect to your breath and your body.

Use this guided meditation to cool off the body and mind and prepare for rest.

After the terrorist attack in El Paso, Rabbi Rami is asked about the Tree of Life Synagogue murders.

“The problem isn’t the depth of sadness or anger that we feel. The problem is our resistance to them.”

Follow your natural breath to help relax your mind and your body. Gently switch into the parasympathetic rest-and-digest state by effortlessly allowing each exhale to drop you deeper into relaxation so that you can sleep sweetly.

“Becoming clear on what is our problem and what is someone else’s is revolutionary.”

Connect to the sacred sexual and erotic energy living in your low belly, pelvis, and genitals. This energy is related to our desire, our connection with others, our pleasure, playfulness, and the possibility of personal growth. It is a powerful part of who we are, whether or not we share that energy sexually with anyone else. Breathe into this space to honor and listen to it, inviting its guidance in our lives. This is a very simple mindfulness-based meditation, there is no explicit material here.

Fall is the perfect season to release that which no longer serves us. Try this moon ritual to help you let go and move on.

Tap into what you truly desire with this meditation that honors the mind, the heart, and the pelvic floor as valid sources of information.

How to create social media boundaries to stay connected without getting sucked in.

Move through a guided relaxation process for your mind, your nervous system, your muscles, and your bones to help you calm down, slow down, and get the rest you need—whether you actually fall asleep or not.

Conte’s approach hinges on the principle of Yield Theory: the idea that anger is best defused when we meet other people where they are, as opposed to where we would like them to be.

“The impulse with judgment is usually to shame the person we are judging, to make fun of them or ostracize them. This is not an adaptive response.”

Though you can do this guided meditation anytime, it especially helps you fall asleep at night.

Contorted into a plane seat? Here are a few (discreet) stretches you can do to keep your blood flowing, calm your nervous system, and release tightening muscles on a long plane ride.

This guided meditation connects with sounds and distractions to help us get centered. This classical technique, called pratyahara, allows the mind and body to calm down, focus, and feel a lot better.

In winter, our digestive fire is low, so we should be eating warm, cooked foods. Yes—that means stop eating salads!

“Those moments can be very painful, but sometimes we should let certain friends leave our lives.”

Imagine a protective sphere that keeps in positive energy, releasing what we do not need.

This guided meditation helps you to remove any obstacles that are blocking your path to unconditional love.

We can’t second-guess every choice we make. So how do we know what it means for something to feel right?

“Desire is the feeling that there is something more out there for us, something bigger, something that has meaning and wants to drive us forward in our lives.”

“If you are a sensitive person, you might notice that you are highly affected by other people’s moods, what others might think of you, and the news you hear about the world around you.”

"Take a pause around the full moon (ideally within three days of it) to reflect on what you might be ready to let go of, and gently cleanse it from your mind and body with this simple meditation practice."

More…

“There’s always some new world on the other side of that destruction, even if we can’t imagine it yet.”

New moons are traditionally about planting seeds, setting intentions for what you desire.

Self-care staples include eating well, sleeping well, and connecting with friends and loved ones. Now is the time to double-down on these basic practices—and to make sure you're not spiraling into a black hole of stress.

COVID-19 has anxiety on high. To cope: It’s time to surrender.

That chronic back pain is a message from your body. Are you listening? These 5 questions will help you gain insight.

Cats are spiritual—or at least they can help us be spiritual. Here are five lessons your spiritual cat wants to teach you.

Toxic positivity goes way beyond having a positive outlook. Consider examples of toxic positivity and how to reframe them.

This Swedish practice will start your morning on the right note.

When we are on screens so much, it is important to find ways to relax and recharge without them. Here are some simple ideas.

Self-criticism is often an attempt to preempt criticism from others. Self-compassion can help you be more motivated by a desire for growth.

Chronic pain isn’t always telling us that something is wrong necessarily, but it is telling us something.

We tend to put others first—and it's time to break that contract and start living a life that is full and wild and precious.

The longest day of the year is the perfect time to celebrate the fruits of your labor.

Yin yoga works the connective tissue that wraps around our muscles and carries messages from the brain. By practicing yin yoga, we may be able to reprogram some of the physical patterns causing chronic pain.

Walk into an evening field and settle by a warm fire to enjoy the stars. Settle into a relaxed state, imagining your ancestors there to support you, your heart making wishes on shooting stars. Let your mind rest while your body makes its way toward sleep.

This gentle, progressive breathwork will help your body return to the rest-and-digest state so you can calm down, detoxify, rest, clear your mind, soothe inflammation.

Far too many in the Black community are suffering in silence. Mental health, particularly stopping suicides, must be part of the BLM conversation. Here are three barriers to care we must overcome and four ways to make lasting change.

This year, our Books We Love section examines self-care from an ayurvedic perspective, how food affects mental health and immunity, and how to cultivate a moon practice, and more.

Meera Lee Patel’s latest journal, Create Your Own Calm, is publishing as anxiety levels across the world are rising dramatically. Patel shared her creative process and personal journaling practice with S&H.

This meditation involves gentle, relaxed breathing and some light muscular engagement.

Pregnancy naturally causes anxiety—then tack on a pandemic. Writer Julie Peters shares her journey and how working on stress-management skills helps.

Breathe deep with this guided prenatal meditation by renowned yoga teacher Julie Peters.

“The fall/winter ... is full of yin energy, a darker, softer, slower energy. Now is the time to head indoors, eat warm cooked food, and get close to our loved ones.”

Stuck in a rut—or a loop? “Thoughts we’ve had thousands of times are easier to have again than new, creative thoughts. ... So what are we to do about our loops getting stronger with every repetition?”

Difficult emotions are there for a reason. There is one cure for toxic positivity.

Guided meditation can be used to promote better sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and even to relieve chronic pain.

Triangles aren't sustainable when it comes to relationships. Embrace the idea of circles, which are stable over time.

More than just candy and costumes: Halloween is a holiday that can, with a little thought, become deeply spiritual.

In this guided sleep meditation, we will gently relax the body while we explore a moonlit forest with a peaceful pond filled with lily pads.

Drinking green tea can be a daily mindfulness ritual. And it’s packed with health benefits.

Loneliness means your heart wants to open. What do you want to open it to?

Feeling stuck? Yoga can help with constipation. Get your digestion moving again with simple yoga flows.

This year is bluer than most—and this may be the bluest winter on record. Fight the winter blues in five ways.

“This idea has struck me deeply as I have watched my body change in fascinating ways—some beautiful, some almost gory. And I haven’t even given birth yet. I entered into this pregnancy unsure if I could do it at all, and I’m amazed by how my body seems to know a lot of things I don’t.”

Explore the power of loneliness and isolation through guided meditation.

Celebrate the coming of longer days with a winter solstice ritual.

Self-care is vital, especially in the winter months when darkness—quite literally—settles in. “We respond to the weather, the seasons, the moon, our emotions, and the food we eat.”

New Year’s resolutions never seem to stick. Explore a more holistic approach.

It happens: After a long day of sitting, your neck and shoulders feel awful. Yoga for tight shoulders can provide relief.

You can improve your sleep just by implementing bedtime yoga sequences into your daily practice. Yoga for better sleep can be done from the comfort of your own bed.

The practice of self-love isn't one-size fits all. Your body knows what it needs. Create your own practice by tapping into your emotions and listening to your body's signals.

Sore, achy feet affect your mood, not to mention cause pain to radiate to other areas of the body. Find relief for your feet by practicing yoga for sore feet.

Protect and honor your boundaries with a simple two-letter word: no.

“Self-love isn’t a given, it’s a practice.” Begin your self-love practice today through guided meditation.

Be your own valentine this year. Recommit to “the most important relationship of your life: the one you have with yourself.”

Does your New Year’s Resolution feel like a distant memory? The moon provides a monthly fresh start.

Hurting? Yoga for arthritis can soothe your joints and diminish pain.

Wounded in body or spirit? A energy meditation can assist with healing and recovery.

Meditation can help boost our internal capacity to recover and heal from illness or injury.

“Regardless of what traditions you follow, the spiritual meaning of Easter is a new light after sacrifice or tribulation.”

Jessica Morey was introduced to mindfulness at 14. She served as executive director of iBme 2011 to 2020. Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) offers in-depth mindfulness pro…

Bearing the weight of your world on one shoulder? Consider the spiritual meaning of right shoulder pain and how to address it.

When it comes to the spiritual meaning of left shoulder pain, your heart is at the heart of the matter.

Allow yourself to rest with guided meditation as you recover.

Try doing this sequence daily, mixing yoga and pilates—especially during pregnancy. You may feel relief within as little as a week or less.

Take a dive into the lucid dream world and explore advice for new dreamers.

When we confront obstacles, our feet may be the first to know it. The spiritual meaning of foot pain lies in our direction and the path we’re on.

Take a moment to stand upright. Do your best to stand as you normally do, without trying to find a “correct” posture. Close your eyes and notice what you feel.

Mindfulness teacher, community organizer, philanthropist, self-care activist, and author. shellytygielski.com

Willa Blythe Baker sits down to discuss her somatic mindfulness journey.

Step into welcoming, warm (or cold!) womb-like mindfulness with shower meditation.

Connect to the peace of our planet in 10 minutes with a guided outdoor mindfulness meditation.

These three inverted yoga poses can spark awakening if practiced with attention, mindfulness, and care.

Explore how mindfulness and embodiment can increase our access to pleasure.

What is the history of crossword puzzles and why do we love solving them? Author and puzzle writer Myles Mellor explains the neurological and emotional benefits of your daily crossword.

Rabbi Rami reflects upon his own Zen teachings after a recent conversation with crossword puzzle writer Myles Mellor for the Spirituality+Health podcast.

When you think of your daily spiritual practice, is it through discipline or joy? Rabbi Rami considers how his strategies for spiritual growth have changed over the years.

A board-certified nutritionist, herbalist, and intuitive eating coach offers her best tips to practice intuitive eating in a way that nourishes your nervous system.

Science and mindfulness meet in canine-filled green public locales.

Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can help many people access the benefits of meditation.

David Treleaven, Ph.D. is a best-selling author, speaker, educator, trauma professional, and founder of the Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM) Community. His work has been ado…

Kristen RaceAnyone who has ever suffered a bout of insomnia knows how frustrating it is to try to fall asleep when your mind is not ready; this is true not just for adults but also…

The Self-Compassion Diet: A Step-by-Step Program to Lose Weight with Loving-KindnessBy Jean Fain, LICSW, MSWIf you have invested in what Jean Fain describes as “countless one-way t…

The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-DoubtBy Russ HarrisCan you think back to a time when an opportunity presented itself, and you let it pass you by? Perhaps yo…

Practicing for a Joyful LifeBy Sylvia BoorsteinBallantine Books, $13.00“I feel delighted to have been born into what the Buddha called ‘this realm of 10,000 joys and 10,000 woes,’”…

A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship to Food(includes a CD of guided mindful eating exercises)By Jan Chozen Bays, M.D.Shambhala, 2009, $16.95The Zen tradition…

A Fearless HeartHow the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our LivesBy Thupten Jinpa, PhDHUDSON STREET PRESSCharles Darwin’s ideas have often been used to portray human…

Movement has the power to heal, to cultivate strength, and to nourish the mind–body connection. Try these DVDs to explore your own dynamic flow—all from the comfort of home. …

Directed by Phie AmboWe’ve seen plenty of documentaries that seek to reveal the benefits of alternative therapies. Often these films are informative but unengaging. So Phie Ambo’s …

SilenceThe Power of Quiet in a World Full of NoiseBy Thich Nhat Hanh HARPERONEIn his popular writings, Thich Nhat Hanh presents Buddhist teachings in a way that anyone can int…

The Happiness TrackHow to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate your SuccessBy Emma Seppälä, PhDHarper OneThe pursuit of happiness shouldn’t be such hard work. That’s the ba…

Clearing Emotional ClutterMindfulness Practices for Letting Go of What’s Blocking Your Fulfillment and Transformationby Donald AltmanNew World LibraryYou couldn’t swing a book bag …

Dream YogaIlluminating Your Life Through Lucid Dreaming and the Tibetan Yogas of SleepBy Andrew HolecekSounds TrueDream Yoga is a book that makes big promises: According to author …

RewireChange Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, and Conquer Self-Destructive BehaviorBy Richard O’ConnorHudson Street PressHabits die hard and science can now tel…

Your host Rabbi Rami talks to Vidyamala Burch about her book You Are Not Your Pain: Using Mindfulness to Relieve Pain, Reduce Stress, and Restore Well-Being—An Eight-Week Program. …

Eve Hogan talks to Dr. Richard Chambers about the current popularity of "heartfulness" and his new book Mindful Relationships: Creating Genuine Connection with Ourselves and Others…

Rabbi Rami talks to author Donald Altman about how he came to Buddhism and how it pushed him to explore the many facets of the mind, emotions, and mindfulness. A review of his late…

Host Eve Hogan talks to Cheryl Fraser about mindful sexuality and tantra including the "passion triangle" and ways to keep the interest with your lover alive.Dr. Cheryl Fraser is a…

Join host Eve Hogan and Dr. Cheryl Fraser on Part 1 of our two-part series in which mindful loving of an imperfect person and relationship myths — such as soulmates and the fleetin…

In 1965, a marine biologist named Roger Payne found himself relaxing on the stern deck of a sailboat on the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Headphones snugly in place, he recorded th…

“Many of the world's contemplative traditions teach that the normal mind is afflicted in various ways; that since it so readily brings us suffering and anxiety, it can't be deemed healthy.”

Recently I was running a workshop on the MB-EAT program for therapists experienced in mindfulness meditation. We started with a mindfulness eating practice that focused on making c…

“As I live into my own process of aging, my worldview has been informed by the depth and insight of many great teachers.”

Consider the story of Joanne: Although older than most of her peers at nursing school, Joanne looked like any other nursing student. Her personal journey, however, had been more di…

After heartbreak, writer Rebecca Green finds healing—and her spirit animal—in a place she never expected.

Intuition medicine pioneer Francesca McCartney has grown from a nearly silent little girl into an outspoken proponent of a once-clandestine healing technology, making the science of energy a respectable twenty-first-century health care choice.

Dr. Ron Alexander sat listening to the record company executives and staff he’d been hired to help. They’d sought him out as a mindfulness expert and corporate consultant to help t…

You’re in the frozen food section, facing one of those tough decisions: Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate?Starbuck’s Mocha Chip? Or perhaps something from Häagen-Dazs? Then suddenly you…

My wife, Amy, arrived with Patrick Dale Sutherland, our newly adopted 14-month-old son from Zambia, on Sunday, April 26. She had been in Zambia for 14 weeks. Zambia is a peaceful c…

"Pastures ranged over the rolling hills. Tall oak and beech woods lined both sides of the valley, and when sunlight suffused through them, they seemed as enchanted to Lisa as when she and her sister had played there as children."

Cassandra Vieten, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and the co-director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Group at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Becoming…

A recent issue of Business Week has stuck in my mind. The cover story is “The Case for Optimism,” and it is full of inspiring stories and studies showing that optimism works. Stude…

In 1979 a young Harvard psychology professor named Ellen Langer (soon to be played by Jennifer Aniston in Counter Clockwise) realized something astonishing — and true. “Without kno…

Encouraging compassion and kindness was central to Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, whether he was discussing the politics of race or our intimate interactions with friends and family.

A new field of research explores how diverse spiritual practices use the same scents, sounds, and movements to tap into our deepest selves.

Inverted postures in yoga include any pose where the head drops below the heart, and can be as simple as downward dog or as hard as headstand. These postures increase circulation a…

A study published in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice reveals that Zen meditation and its secular sister, mindfulness meditation, effectively reduce depression, anxiety, an…

Give yourself the time you need to succeed.

Thich Nhat Hanh wrote that silence can be thundering, eloquent, and full of energy.

To quell anger, Ayurveda addresses the emotional imbalance caused by poor communication between the head and heart.

Every choice we make, everything we do, is either inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Try Ayurveda for inflammation.

One year, my wife and I attended several plays in the Fringe Festival in Dublin, Ireland, where we were living. I remember especially a favorite of mine, Play, by Samuel Beckett. W…

If you’ve ever wished you had the power to control your dreams, a process called lucid dreaming, you’ve now got a good reason to try—not that it wouldn’t be nice to be able to put …

Recent studies confirm that a "half-empty" outlook is literally bad for your health.

An Interview with David Rome

In her new book, Close to the Ground, the S&H columnist and Zen practitioner explores Buddhism’s seven factors of enlightenment: mindfulness, investigation, effort, ease, joy, …

An excerpt from Buddhism for Couples by Sarah Napthali

Familiar with debilitating anxiety? Find natural relief.

A Light at the End of the Trauma Tunnel

In the California desert, a vipassana pioneer prepares for the next stage of her remarkable life.

From meditation to mental health, try these apps to achieve stillness on the run.

My closest friend has stage IV lymphoma. She’s always been a negative person. Could this be why she has cancer?Rabbi Rami: While our mental and spiritual states can impact our phys…

Devote Yourself to Your Own Goal

Happiness is good for you but not all the time—and other insights from The Greater Good Science Center.

Yogi Tommy Rosen uses his practice to help others in recovery.

The surprising reason why some chronic pain patients act like they don't want to get better—and how to help them.

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

A new generation of researchers is getting inside the mind of chronic pain—and unlocking powerful psychotherapies against what might be the nation’s biggest health crisis.

You sleep all night, only to wake up in the morning feeling fuzzy and groggy. What will help wake up your brain so that you can enjoy life every day? Two main ingredients: blood an…

Breath is life—something we take for granted, but couldn’t do without. In times of stress or grief, often we hear advice to “take a deep breath.” But sometimes deep breathing becom…

“What’s most simple to say is that, for our hearts to be wise and free, we have to attend to the mandala of our being—which includes body, emotions, mental states, and thought structure—and their relations with one another.”

How a retreat leads to increasingly positive thoughts

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

3 steps to warding off rising panic.

If you’re thirsty, you crave water. If you’re hungry, you want food. If you’re lonely, you yearn for companionship. Once our basic needs are met, we sometimes strive for perfection…

Two alternative approaches offer hope to those suffering from chronic pain.

New research reveals what happens in a wandering mind—and sheds light on the cognitive and emotional benefits of increased focus.

San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley Middle School is an unlikely beacon of hope. Shootings and murders are common enough in the California city’s southern neighborhoods that the loca…

Winter is here and brings with it shorter days, colder temperatures and, in many climates, less sunshine. It also seems to bring a fair number of holidays that are all about food. …

The Comparative MindComparing is great for prices at the grocery store, but when we start treating the unique and sacred story of our own life that way, we always invite suffering.…

Modern living causes us to overlook the obvious. Here’s how not to let that happen.

Try positive self-talk to eat better, feel stronger, and rejuvenate your body.

Edible forests offer a new approach to food security.

Channeling Emotional Energy

A positive attitude is like a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it.

Observe the experience of your depression and learn it's language

An Ode to Thich Nhat Hanh

An excerpt from The Grateful Life

According to science, avoiding unhealthy snacking can actually be as easy as decluttering your kitchen.

An MBA turned to meditation—and turned the process upside down.

Sponsored Content from Celebrant Foundation & Institute

In “My Practice,” we share personal routines that create wellness and happiness from spiritual teachers, yogis, nutritionists, and more, in hopes to inspire your own healthy rituals.

An excerpt from Russell Simmons’ new book The Happy Vegan: A Guide to Living a Long, Health, and Successful Life.

An excerpt from Sarahjoy Marsh's Hunger, Hope, and Healing

During our last 10-day challenge, we explored the topic of nurturing our relationships. From self-love, to romantic relationships and from family to community – it’s so very import…

Adapted from Everything Mind by Chris Grosso

While no one will argue the importance of building strong muscle tone, what might be more important to your health is the tone of a surprisingly complex nerve bundle that stretches…

Many new studies suggest that mindful walking is good, not only for mental health, but also to relieve stress. Moreover mindfulness, in general, is shown to improve chronic inflamm…

A new study suggests that washing dishes can be a form of meditation, promoting a positive state of attention on the emotions and thoughts in the present moment.

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An Interview with Daniel Goleman

Age is nothing, but a number.

Read these for New Year’s resolutions worth keeping

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For those with SAD, the holidays will pass, winter will eventually thaw, and help is always near if we reach for it.

When you feel like you’re falling behind in life, here are five things to refocus your attitude and get back on track.

If you’re easily overwhelmed, try these techniques to get centered.

In this mindfulness meditation class, Andrew Johnson will teach you to use full body relaxation techniques that will help you unwind and relax at will. If you enjoy this class, be …

This easeful, quieting practice requires as much from the mind as the body. Join Yin Yoga Expert Cindy Walker for long held, simple stretches that challenge the mind to process neg…

Dr. Richard Davidson explains that wellbeing is a skill that can be practiced and strengthened. Courtesy of The Greater Good Science Center.

Learn a fascinating, new way of approaching food and find a healthy balance in mindful eating.

A new study suggests that classical ballet might lead to increased wisdom in much the same way as meditation does.

Rabbi Rachel Cowan discusses aging workshops, wisdom, and loss.

Keep body and mind healthy with fresh, clean air in your sacred space.

Many of us have an inner artist we want to nourish, but not the budget for a painter’s studio or writer’s retreat. Here’s how to carve out a sacred space for creativity.

Learn how this artist starts her day with camera in hand.

Excerpted from Let’s Talk About Death: Asking the Questions that Profoundly Change the Way We Live and Die

“In the old days, the elders knew the stories of their sons—because they lived together,” writes Sam Keen his in beautiful new joint memoir Prodigal Father, Wayward Son: A Roadmap …

Natural quiet comes in many forms: the quiet of the solitary mountain walk, the meditation cushion, the yoga platform, the beach, the candlelit dinner, the massage table, or perhap…

Could you teach a peace-loving and exquisitely sensitive animal to carry you across a battlefield into enemy fire? What would that teach you?

Audacity, by its nature, breeds polarized responses. Here’s how you can judge whether your next audacious act will be a catalyst for good.

Adapted from The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works by Shinzen Young

Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley. —Theodore Roethke For many of us, overwhelming stress sends us straight into the arms of Mother N…

Learn how to take a vacation within your own mind.

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An M.D. faces the toughest test of a spiritual practice—healing herself from a terrible fall.

One author offers her thoughts on taking a 5-week, $500 vacation from anxiety.

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

An Interview with Hugh Byrne

Excerpted from Siddhartha’s Brain by James Kingsland

Clean eating can be more than a health practice; it can be a spiritual practice.

An excerpt from The Complete Book of Mindful Living by Robert Butera

Submerge yourself into complete bliss.

Multiple, simultaneous life changes are possible.

Want to stay sharp and focused all day long? Here are a few tips.

Worry creates a sense of powerlessness that fuels sensations of fear and anxiety. The more empowered we feel—the more we sense that whatever happens, we can successfully handle—the less necessary worrying becomes.

When what matters is listening to practically nothing at all

Transcendental Meditation is different from other forms of meditation.

“Mom, you’re not listening!” I’m accused of this all the time. Perhaps you hear similar things in your own daily interactions? I jump in too fast to finish a child’s sentence. Many…

Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler

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Cognitive overload is a term psychologists use when referring to dealing with too much information or too many tasks. Such overload can impair our memory and decision making, and c…

When the road gets rocky, what do you do?

Technology to help rewire your brain

Easy options for 5-minute meditations

A new program explores the potential of spirituality-infused treatments.

An interview with Sylvia Boorstein

Strategies tend to fall within set groupings. Which one do you use?

You can't control what you think, but you can control how you respond to what you think.

And see what it feels like to be the author of your own spiritual beliefs.

A sculptor of floral art reflects on his spiritual practice.

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Drawing from the wisdom of spiritual teachers, writer Emma Pearse focuses on healing herself to heal the world.

7 places to experience silence

There’s so much to love about art. “Art is life, and life is art,” some say. It encompasses everything from drawing to painting, dancing to writing, music to theater – and more. It…

Do the aftereffects of traumatic events we suffered as children follow us into adulthood in a physical way? Research about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) proves that enormous…

These simple daily practices can alter the neural pathways in your brain and help you turn your thinking around

Lama Surya Das shares his thoughts on walking an enlightened path in the modern world.

Harness powerful physical and mental benefits by going barefoot.

The pain of divorce can bring us to our knees. What if there’s a way not just to regain our footing but to step onto a new emotional path?

Brainstorm author Dr. Dan Siegel on the power of harmony, cultivating “mindsight,” and why you should learn to think more like a teen.

Vidyamala Burch discusses chronic pain and primary and secondary suffering, and shares a simple meditation for pain relief.

The secret to empowered action is learning not to beat yourself up.

Racing thoughts can be overwhelming, confusing, and distressing.

Try these practices when stress starts to overwhelm you.

Mornings can be tough. Maybe you like to sleep in as long as you can, and end up getting ready for the day by running around your house like a crazed animal. Maybe you have a basi…

A lot of us have a hard time being kind, understanding and patient with ourselves. We know that self-compassion is good for us. But practicing it is a whole other matter. Because w…

We started a new chapter of our book, One Dharma in our meditation group on Sunday: “Purifying the Mind.” Here’s part of the opening poem, by the 13th century Sufi mystic called Ru…

We had 12 people last Sunday night in our local group for our regular meditation and discussion. We spent our time talking about about the nuts and bolts (yes, sometimes sitting ma…

by Belinda Munoz Editors’ Note: This guest post originally appeared on Belinda Munoz’s blog, The Halfway Point. We found Belinda’s list so inspiring, and are grateful to her for a…

The Buddha’s Way of Happiness: Healing Sorrow, Transforming Negative Emotion, and Finding Well-Being in the Present Moment By Thomas Bien, PhD, with Foreword by Lama Surya Das Th…

By Cristina Spencer Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion are just a few of the individual liberties secured for Americans in the B…

The weather here in northern Michigan is amazing! Scary but amazing. We should have several feet of snow, still, but hyacinths are pushing up, trees budding and starting to leaf, p…

A conversation with a friend and fellow activist inspired me to offer some special love and appreciation to all of you parents out there this week. My friend, a longtime mover and …

What is a guru, and does this concept have anything to do with your yoga practice?The idea of a guru is a fairly common concept in India, the birthplace of yoga. In the 1960’s, The…

If I had a nickel for every person who said to me “I can’t meditate,” I’d be rich. But for the multitudes of people who have busy, focused lives yet say they cannot meditate, there…

Having suffered several losses in my family over the years, I must admit that it has changed my view of gratitude. Before my mom and brother got sick and passed away, I might have …

When I first started “coming out” as a spiritual guy, so to speak, I was living in sunny San Diego, California. The West Coast seemed to be the birthplace of so much personal growt…

For some addicts, hitting bottom and having a spiritual awakening are the first steps along the path of recovery. That's why Alcoholics Anonymous, the oldest and largest of the twe…

The two biggest mistakes we make when trying to start a meditation practice: Saying we cannot clear our mind of thoughts, so why try?; and saying we don’t have enough time.First, l…

It had been a long, hot day and I was ready for the heat to subside. Now, the sun was setting behind a stretch of jungle palm, ohia and mango trees, and as the ambrosial hour set i…

Years ago I heard an anecdotal story about the famous Italian artist, Michelangelo. While I have no idea if it’s true, the message so moved me and altered my perspective that the …

The Gottman Institute reports that the average couple waits six years before seeking help for marital problems and that half of the marriages that end do so in the first seven yea…

Ever wonder where we get our intimacy skills and beliefs? It concerns me that teenaged girls are learning their relationship mindset from romance novels that torment the reader wi…

Anneli Rufus is a frequent contributor to Spirituality & Health. Her books Party of One: The Loners' Manifesto and the Nautilus Award-winning Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On examined our lives as individuals in a crowded world. Rufus’ upcoming work, Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself, will be released by Tarcher Penguin in the spring and continues this path, addressing self-esteem. It serves as the catalyst for this blog and asks: Why do we feel the way we do about ourselves?

A new study shows that mindfulness meditation may help lessen the duration and severity of a migraine—one of the most painful and debilitating types of headaches. This is a s…

High in the hidden mountains of Escondido, California just outside sunny San Diego, lies the Deer Park Monastery, founded in 2000 by Zen Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Each year, t…

Video via Cosmic Kids?

As the end of the school year approaches, expectations and anxiety begin to loom in equal measure. Prior to graduation, the notion that “now life really begins” fills people with g…

Your state of mind is closely linked to the many physiological processes going on in your body. In fact, your entire meditation experience can alter depending on where your breathi…

If you were asked How do you nurture your relationships?, would you be able to give a good, concise answer? Maybe not, as talking about relationships is a lot like talking about lo…

Put this anti-stress routine on your to-do list for a more zen approach to daily life.

Meditation. It’s just a glorious thing for those who have experienced it. But many people have trouble either beginning a practice or maintaining one. However, there are several si…

Thoughtful reads, alternatives to blockbuster films, and music to move your soul. Here are our May/June 2015 reviews:BooksBrain Maker The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect …

“Know thyself”—PlatoGreat words of wisdom, applicable to practicing yogis and non-yogis alike. Yoga is primarily about self-study (Svadhyaya). We pay attention to who we are at any…

Money and relationships don't always work in harmony, especially when the ego is involved. Learn to navigate them with a little humility, gratitude, respect, and responsibility.

Often in my work I encourage people to create a target of all the things they want in their lives and we post them on one side of the room. These usually include words like: love, …

“But I’ll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest, and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything.” —Alan Watts Ha…

There’s a funny tale about how God created the world. Upon completion of His beautiful work, He realized that the meaning of life was so valuable, if it were too freely given, most…

Relationship on the rocks? If your relationship is a ship, the ego acts as a lookout. But it’s the spirit that captains it.

Meditation and yoga are renowned for their ability to help cancer survivors alleviate mental and emotional distress. But now a significant new study has revealed that their benefit…

What does it mean to nourish and nurture ourselves as catalysts of change?

Just when we think we have mastered mindfulness alone in our daily practice, we enter a relationship and realize what novices we are. Relationships are the graduate school of mindf…

We all know the drill with New Year’s resolutions. Make a fancy wish. Look to the twinkling lights of the holidays. Hope for the best. Mmm hmm.But haven’t New Years resolutions bee…

As our planet evolves, more and more seekers look to contemplative practice to deepen their spiritual connection. For me personally, dedicated mindfulness retreats have been a corn…

"In the beginner's mind there are so many possibilities; in the expert's mind, there are few." - Shunryu Suzuki Roshi As children, we're taught that having all the "right" answers …

Blame it on the environment, your work, the stress, your partner, the kids, the overwhelm—yet the truth remains—your emotions are your own and for you to remain in bala…

Tango is often thought of as a sultry dance for the young and flexible. New research shows that this passionate form of movement offers mighty benefits for all ages—backbending not…

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror at your body with disgust, or punished yourself for eating one too many cookies by spending hours on the treadmill, then you may recognize that …

Recently I had a young man working with me who showed me the Tinder app as a means of finding dates. Here, you could rifle through a series of pictures like speed dating online, an…

There is a population of people where anger is an accepted, indeed expected, emotion. The emotions of fear and sadness however, are not. In this culture, violence and addiction are…

When I was in my late teens, still living at home with my parents, I broke up with a man I had been dating for a while. In response, he chose to write a letter to my dad and put it…

That humanity faces monumental challenges needs no more proof than a scan of the daily news outlets. A deeper look reveals that the cause of our problems is not just political dysf…

After 25 years of partnership with my husband, I realize that one of the things that keep us together —lovingly together, is what I call “the little extra step.” For instance, yest…

We all have bad days, where nothing we do seems to work out the way we planned. If these days are more common than not, you might feel like you are merely surviving your life. It i…

It is my observation that people tend to get caught in the trap of thinking that big changes come from big effort. We tend to think if we don’t have an hour to meditate or pray, we…

Whether it’s your inbox, your phone or your own mind, right now you are probably juggling more in your day than you are comfortable with. Messages of learning to relax, practicing …

In our spiritual luminary series, each week we will feature someone who personifies a key spiritual value. In the first installment, we chat with yogi and activist Seane Corn, who …

“I would sit,” she offered unapologetically, “uncomfortable in my own skin, and think to myself that it would be worth the suffering because when I finished, I’d be happy. Like I w…

The pinging phone, back to back meetings, rush hour traffic; most of us get a little on edge when we are face to face with high stress situations. We also probably know people who …

I regularly see posts on social media from people saying, “If you voted for_________ (fill in the blank), you can unfriend me,” or “never speak to me again,” or a variation on a di…

Lucia Horan is offering a Moon Lodge retreat beginning on Mother’s day at the beautiful Lumeria Maui.

Can we try directing our love toward’s everyone, just for one day?

Tina Lassiter’s passion in creative expression clearly shows in the breadth of her work as an artist, photographer, and writer. Little did she know when she started that a path tow…

"Thank you so much for letting me tell you all this," she said, reaching over and patting my sleeve. "I feel like I've been talking for hours, but this really helped me. You're too…

Fortunately, we live in a society in which helpfulness and kindness are fairly common values. We typically consult with our friends on our troubles, help a neighbor out and offer p…

By Thich Nhat HanhOur greatest teacher lies within. Birth and death are only concepts. The present moment is our true home. Everything in life is impermanent.These eternal truths f…

Rabbi Rami talks to Hugh Byrne about switching from fast thinking to slow thinking, the beauty of silence, and his book The Here and Now Habit: How Mindfulness Can Help You Break U…

According to the ancient philosophy of the Vedanta, there are two types of happiness. The first comes from things turning out the way we’d like them to, i.e. getting what we want. …

If your stress level is 4 or above, it’s time for massage

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Take a month to figure out what you can and can’t eat.

“Meditation is not only one of the best forms of relaxation; it is free, fully accessible, and easily taught. The practice can be expanded to low-income and minority populations through four simple ways.”

Sponsored Content by Celebrant Foundation & Institute

“Woke up, fell out of bed...” Do you start your day running around, like the gentleman in The Beatles’ song, “A Day in the Life”? He staggers downstairs, downs a cup of coffee, gra…

Cultivating a purpose-driven life by day leads to more peaceful slumber at night.

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Here's how you can harness color as a powerful mood enhancer.

Mark Thurston, Ph.D. is an educator, psychologist, and author of more than a dozen books about personal spirituality, dream psychology, meditation, and mind-body well-being.&n…

Try these picks from S&H to transform your culinary creation

The popularity of coloring books is no surprise considering the benefits—from stress-relief to mindful awareness. Color your way to peace with these 7 picks from Spirituaity & Health.

Photography and quotes from the book Sacred Seed: A Collection of Essays, a compilation of original essays inspired by physicist and environmental leader Dr. Vandana Shiva. Reprinted with permission.

The invitation can upend your life in ways you never expected—and create great joy. How will you respond?

If you love heart opening music, camping under the stars and yoga, then don’t miss this episode, filmed on location at the annual Lovelight Festival on 200 acres of beautiful campg…

Real love is love that is no longer dependent on another person. Instead, love comes from a sense of inner abundance. It’s the natural overflow from a capacity you’ve developed within.

Step away and create an “oasis time” for restoration, communion, and grace.

An interview with Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson about their new book, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body

Maria Polonchek holds a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Kansas. Her parenting essays can be found in outlets such as Brain, Child, …

A lesson learned: be true to yourself and to be grateful for who you are.

The goal of The World Wisdom Bible is not to create a world religion, but to create peace, 12 coffee cups at a time

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What exactly is silence? Patrick Shen’s hypnotic documentary, shot around the world, seeks to explore both the scientific and psychological concepts of silence, and posits the idea…

“In Buddhism, we often talk about enlightenment or awakening, but words like that feel far away to me. I speak about intimacy.”

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Use this method to process traumatic experiences and work through challenging emotional states.

“To be a spiritual rebel,” Josh Korda writes in Unsubscribe, “one has to give the middle finger to materialism, self-centered fear, self-serving luxury, financial security. We have…

From climate change to white supremacy and the threat of nuclear war, the world’s alarming problems seem to be growing exponentially. That means we need to tackle them as teams, as…

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch (his rich, mellifluous baritone is immediately recognizable), this beautifully immersive documentary was produced over three years among the Buddhi…

From the archive: Selected stories from the past 20 years.

We learn best when we are not learning—when we make more room for silence.

Rebuilding the art of conversation with exercises based on three main parameters.

In our senior years, we may benefit from support in creating a new and clear vision for our lives.

An Interview with Robert Wright

If you’ve been meditating for some time now, but haven’t been able to deepen your practice, it may be time to check your posture.

An excerpt from How Love Wins: The Power of Mindful Kindness

How to use meditation to grow with loss.

Add the winding path of a labyrinth to your journey and you have a perfect scenario for self-discovery and self-mastery.

Enjoy this bright and healthy tart for the holidays.

Decreased consumption of violent media can significantly improve your quality of life—learn how.

Suffering is Optional. Here’s how to find the teacher inside.

“We all want our future self to be happy, so we ask: ‘What can I do to relieve this person’s suffering?’

A new way of thinking about and experiencing the world takes your vacation to the next level.

Dathüns focus on how we can come into our heart, beyond the negative thoughts we may have about ourselves, and tune into what is really, fundamentally there.

How to build a bridge between your work and your purpose

“By staying with our woundedness, we encourage the other to stay with theirs; that is when and how healing happens.”

And it changes the world, one interaction at a time.

Set the tone for your day by developing a morning routine that engages your imagination.

Getting in tune with your body can be a powerful tool in accessing your creativity.

An interview with speaker and guide Michael Regan.

Beth Darnall talks to Rami about making life adjustments to manage chronic pain.

A retreat can bring more balance into our lives so we can move boldly towards our biggest dreams.

When trying to repair a relationship—even with yourself—take these intentional steps.

By paying attention and anticipating pain (tension, need for energy, and so on), people come to “health consciousness” and are less likely to abuse prescription drugs.

Understanding and Transforming Habits of Harm

Jill Leigh answers your questions about energy, meditation, and more.

Developing your ability to resist distraction is the key to breaking this addictive pattern.

3 ways to keep hope alive in the face of a grim reality.

If you’d like to develop a Zen garden of your own, follow these suggestions.

In this issue we’ve got a letter from Jacki Mallett, an original subscriber (Thank you!), who now appreciates Akhilandeshwari Ma, the Hindu goddess who is never not broken: “I mean…

I gave you a second chance … I am a newcomer to your magazine. Upon reading my first issue (March/April) I was also “shocked” and disappointed to read the entry “Our Presid…

Kelly Boys teaches meditation and emotional intelligence to tech companies, veterans, prison inmates, humanitarian workers, and psychotherapists. She directed the launch of a …

Contributors to our July/August 2018 issue: Kelly Boys, Sandra Dieckmann, Stephanie Ludwig PhD, Jan Phillips, Parker J. Palmer PhD, and Kazuaki Tanahashi

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Ways to allow for reflection while walking.

Guidelines for designing your own intentional retreat.

Try this loving bath-time ritual on your own and receive a dose of self-love you likely need and surely deserve.

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How do we shift that critical voice in a way that supports us rather than knocking us down?

Listening in on a great conversation between Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush

An Interview with Mirabai Bush

Scientific researchers are clear that food intolerances are different from allergies and may take longer to show up in the body than allergies.

What can you do to slow or reverse the ravages of aging?

Kelly Boys talks about unconscious patterns of behavior and the benefits of being aware of them.

An excerpt from 365 Blessings to Heal Myself and the World, reprinted with permission from O-Books.

Sharon Shelton is a businesswoman, life coach, and mindfulness teacher currently studying under Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. She also facilitates a Meetup group (listentoyou…

On being “an advocate, an activist for the expression of Love in all its forms . . .”

Rabbi Rami Shapiro offers insight into some of life's biggest questions in celebration of our 20th anniversary.

We asked our readers to scout the spiritual landscape for emerging leaders who will help set our course for the decades to come. Your response was wildly enthusiastic, passionate, heartfelt, and all over the map (and the globe). Wow! What constitutes a spiritual path is becoming ever more diverse—and ever more likely to be led by women. In future issues, you’ll hear from more of your choices. We chose 10 (nine plus a wonderful collaboration of old and new) who represent your votes as well as our hopes for the spiritual future.

It is possible to live a stress-free life with completely natural methods.

Suggestions for Living Memorials—gatherings for a person who is present and alive before death.

How do you stay present in an out-of-time time?

A devotional, mindful attendance to the body in death.

Your spiritual practice is more essential now than ever before.

In the Presence of Death: Using ceremony to explore mindfulness in the journey of dying, death, and the years following, in this 9-part series

When I think about service, I think about my first teacher, Arvis Joen Justi. In my 20s, I became interested in Zen Buddhism through a book I read by Alan Watts. I cannot remember which one it was, but at the time, in the early 1980s, Watts was a popular writer and one of the first people to bring Eastern spiritual teachings to the West.

Diane and “Rondell,” one of the first people to “graduate” from the program and to be released from prison. buddhistpathways.org

10 powerful paths toward finding optimum wellness—and a better you.

There are different kinds of quiet, and each one creates its own rest.

Renowned mindfulness scientist and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn will be leading a retreat called “The Way of Awareness” at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, from May 5 to 10, 2019. For more information, go to Eomega.org.

In the Presence of Death: Using ceremony to explore mindfulness in the journey of dying, death, and the years following, in this 9-part series

People new to mourning are often surprised at how brutal the run-up to the first anniversary of the death can be.

Here are five core practices you can start using today to improve your communication.

A new study blames improper neck alignment during computer use.