Why Does My Mind Get in the Way of Meditation?

Have you ever sat down to meditate with every intention of being calm and mindful, only to discover that your mind seems determined to do anything else? I certainly have. During the first year of Covid, I began paying much more attention to the Five Hindrances in my meditation practice. I was trying hard to Read More

Joy or Happiness? A Puzzle From the Ānāpānasati Sutta

“Breathing in, I experience joy. Breathing out, I experience joy.Breathing in, I experience happiness. Breathing out, I experience happiness."— Ānāpānasati Sutta One of the pleasures of my Buddhist practice is that the more I read, the more questions I seem to discover. Recently I have been reading Awakening of the Heart by Thích Nhất Hạnh, Read More

Creating a Buddhist Meditation Space at Home

I have recently changed my Buddhist meditation space at home. The change came after several weeks of reflecting on why my meditation practice had started to feel mechanical, restless, and strangely uncomfortable. For the first time in many years, meditation began to feel forced. Something was clearly wrong. Being a fairly logical and systematic person, Read More

Stillness Haiku|The Empty Cushion

After meditation the room appears unchanged, yet something has shifted within. This haiku reflects the quiet transformation that can arise through Buddhist practice, long after the candle has been extinguished and the incense has faded. “Incense slowly fades-only the empty cushionknows where I have been”From “Stillness | Moments of Buddhist Practice in Verse” "Stillness is 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