“(Our) materialistic technology and commercial acquisitiveness (has led to) a loss of spiritual culture.”  “We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.” “The situation the earth is in today has been created by unmindful consumption. We consume to forget our worries and

In our seemingly endless pursuit of meaning, we are constantly evaluating. Everything we encounter becomes grist for the mill; we are always trying to make sense of the aspects of the world with which we interact. It is quite clear that we are all doing it, but what is less evident is how well we

“Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.” – Thich Nhat Hanh When we bring mindfulness to a seemingly mundane act, it can acquire a “holiness.” The reason for that is because something happens to how we are

“Connection is the antidote to the isolation that trauma creates. Through connection, we find safety, support and.the possibility of healing.” A trigger is a stimulus that causes a reaction, often an emotional response, related to unpleasant past experience. It can cause panic, anxiety, negative self-talk and despair. A trigger reacquaints us with the feeling that

“Notice what you love and let that guide you.” “When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment.” This is not the world I would create if

I cut my psychologist’s teeth on the inexhaustible Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. Jung was a disciple of Freud’s. He took the study of consciousness and behavior much deeper into mysticism and spirituality. It has taken the world many years to catch up with him.  Through my studies of Jung and my own personal analysis,

An old fable goes like this: There is a wise, old Native American Chief who is sitting at a campfire with his grandson. “I have two dogs who live inside me,” the grandfather told the boy. For a few moments, the child appears lost in thought and then asked his Grandpa to tell him more

Chicago Flowers When I arrived in Chicago last week, one of my most moving early experiences was taking in and marveling at the enormous energy and beauty of the multitude of flowers that have been lovingly cultivated by local businesses, groundskeepers at the Lincoln Park Zoo, those creating and maintaining the endless splendor of the

It is practically inevitable that the demands of our culture begin  to reassert themselves the moment we awaken in the morning. (They were probably in our dreams as well, although perhaps disguised.) Our first thoughts, feelings and behaviors, unless we do something about it, reflect our usual wake up process, as opposed to what could

My beloved meditation teacher first communicated to me the idea that the challenge with mindfulness is not related to being mindful itself, but rather to simply remembering to do so. Years later, this advice is  at the core of my practice. Let’s look at in depth: First, if you have reached the point where you