News — Mindfulness

Here’s a list of priceless gifts to give to yourself to live a mindful, rewarding and beautiful life.

Forgiveness 
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Mahatma Gandhi

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Lewis B. Smedes

Do you carry the weight of unresolved problems and hurt? It is time to let go of any burden you have been carrying around with you. Know that you did the best you could at the time with the resources available to you. Seek forgiveness, give forgiveness and forgive yourself. Capture any lessons to be learnt and move forward. Do not waste another moment in pain.

“Your mind is a garden and thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.” Unknown This may seem a little off topic but I was recently researching lawn care! (At this stage, you may be wondering what lawn care has to do with mindfulness and zen living, well stay with me, it will become clear.) Anyway, going back to the lawn, we did some work to our garden last summer and removed a large shed where the roof had started to leak. As we have been de-cluttering and minimizing our home we found that we...

What is Zen? ‘Zen is Zen’.  At least that’s what Zen Masters in olden times said. Zen is difficult to define.  Zen teaching is not bound by words or scriptures but is really a way of life.    The term Zen is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chan. Chan traces its roots to the pre-Buddhist Indian practice of Dhyana (to think/meditate).  Zen Definition for deeper learning A definition of Zen that probably best resonates with me is from Zen Master, Professor. Masunaga Reiho who defines zen as: “A practice that helps man to penetrate to his...

  Buddha (meaning “enlightened one” in Sanskrit), was born between the 4th and 6th century in Nepal (close to the border with India).  He was born a Prince and named Siddhartha Gautama.   His teachings are the foundation of Buddhism which is the fourth largest religion in the world. Like Jesus and Socrates, Buddha never wrote down his teachings but passed on his wisdom through the spoken word.  Buddha’s insights and knowledge still remain relevant to our lives today. Here’s a collection of 33 quotes from Buddha that can change your life: 1. To conquer oneself is a greater task...

What is mindful happiness? Mindfulness brings and maintains your focus on the present moment. By doing so, you are not to dwelling on the past or the future and you are taming your mind from constant distractions. It’s about being aware of what’s going on inside us and around us without judgment. Based on this, you could say that mindful happiness is experiencing happiness by living in the moment, rather than living in the past or future, accepting yourself and your thoughts without judgement, and consciously savoring all the goodness within you and around you. Let’s expand on how mindfulness...