How Can I Be Mindful When Everything Is Happening At Once?

Reflection On Mindfulness and Distractions The first of my three seats is beside the largest lake on my morning walking route. It is not particularly peaceful in the conventional sense. There is almost always something happening: trees rustling, leaves falling, birds calling, water birds squawking, coots diving and ripples spreading across the surface. Sometimes a Read More

What Buddhist Tradition Do You Follow?

"Come and see."-The Buddha During my recent pilgrimage to Nepal, I found myself being asked a question that I had never really considered before. "What Buddhist tradition do you follow?" At first, I wasn’t sure how to answer. Over three weeks I spent fourteen days in Kathmandu and four days in Lumbini, the birthplace of Read More

Do You Have To Be A Buddhist To Meditate

"Can meditation exist without religion?" It is a question I have been asked several times, and one that has become increasingly relevant as meditation has grown in popularity through mindfulness apps, wellbeing programmes and modern psychology. Before answering it, I find myself thinking about something much broader. Mindfulness. Wellbeing. Spirituality. Religion. Meditation. Can any one Read More

Why Silence Feels Different in Temples

Does true silence ever really exist? Even during meditation there always seems to be something to hear:traffic outside,someone moving elsewhere in the house,the ticking of a clock,wind against the windows,rain falling,or the unmistakable dawn chorus of birdsong. During my own morning meditation, I almost always hear blackbirds singing somewhere nearby. And yet meditation remains possible. Read More

Is Mindfulness Becoming Too Commercial?

My short answer to this question is: yes. Mindfulness has become a huge industry. There are books, videos, apps, courses, retreats, coaching programmes and counselling services, all promising greater calmness, less stress, better sleep, improved concentration and relief from anxiety. Perhaps I am biased because I approach mindfulness primarily through Buddhism and feel that mindfulness Read More