Should your mind be completely empty, blank, and silent when meditating, utterly devoid of all thoughts? This is one of the most common questions people ask about the practice of meditation, and the answer varies depending on who you ask. But the simple, honest answer is: No. Thoughts are as natural as breathing, and almost […]
6 Mindfulness Exercises to Lose Weight and Gain Peace of Mind
When you think about mindfulness exercises, you probably don’t think about the kind of exercise that helps you lose weight. But thankfully, there’s one new approach to mindfulness, which actually helps you slim down as you ‘wake up’! It’s called the meditation diet. We first heard about the meditation diet from Leo Babauta and the […]
Meditation Tips: 10 Simple Steps to Buddha Mind
Do you want to meditate like the Buddha? First, let’s imagine what it was like to be him. You are sitting quietly at dusk under the boddhi tree, enjoying the pure peace of being. Nothing is wrong. Everything is right. The silence and stillness is so deep you can hear the bells of a temple […]
How to Meditate: 5 Things Every Meditator Must Know
Whether you’ve just decided to learn how to meditate or have been at it for some time, sooner or later you’re bound to discover that everyone who practices meditation experiences the exact same thing. Sure, the variety of spiritual experiences can vary tremendously—from little moments of bliss to full-on immersions in ecstatic states of cosmic […]
Meditation Techniques: 2 Paths to Freedom from our Busy Minds
Despite the huge variety of meditation techniques available to spiritual seekers around the world, there’s a secret that every meditator needs to know. There are really only two kinds of meditative practice: focused awareness and free awareness. Generally speaking, every meditation technique can be classed under one of these two categories, which have traditionally been […]