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Mindfulness

I was first introduced to mindfulness when a friend gave me Thich Nhat Hanh’s book The Miracle of Mindfulness back when I was living in China in 1996. 

 

Thich Nhat Hanh, global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist and “the father of mindfulness,” died a few days ago at the age of 95 years old.

 

As my friend who introduced me to Nhat Hanh’s teachings texted me, “There is a person who has really helped decrease suffering in this world.”

 

Nhat Hanh taught mindfulness as a way to live in a state of peace.

 

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us or inside of us. 

 

Mindfulness is something that we already have within ourselves; still, mindfulness can be cultivated through sitting, standing, and walking meditation, through short pauses that we insert into...

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Happiness

 

I hope you had a happy Christmas or holiday!

 

This week I have been thinking about the topic of happiness. After all, we are all about to wish each other a “Happy New Year!!!!”

 

I have some quotes from some great yogis about happiness.

 

"If you want to be sad, no one in the world can make you happy. But if you make up your mind to be happy, no one and nothing on earth can take that happiness from you." - Paramahansa Yogananda

 

"Be happy for those who are happy, have compassion towards the unhappy, and maintain equanimity towards the wicked." - Patanjali

 

"Make others truly happy as you strive to make yourself happy. Speak a helpful word. Give a cheering smile. Do a kind act. Serve a little. Wipe the tears of one who is in distress. Render smooth a rough place in another's path. You will feel great joy." - Sivananda

 

When I read these quotes, I understand that happiness can be a practice.

 

Maintaining my own...

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God-Sized Hole

 

We have a hole within us that can't be filled with the normal things that we try to fill it with like: money, relationships, food, sex, scrolling on our phones, TV, productiveness, alcohol, drugs, pleasure, etc.

 

The concept of the God-sized hole first appeared in 1670 from French philosopher Blaise Pascal. He said, “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”- Blaise Pascal, Pensées VII(425)

 

Only God can fill this God-sized hole. That's one reason Yoga makes so much sense. The practices of Yoga fill the God-sized hole because these...

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Pillars of Yoga

I have been extremely blessed to come across the yoga path in my life. The different aspects of the yoga system have fortified me and healed me in so many ways. Some of the pillars of yoga are: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, a vegetarian diet, positive thinking, and meditation.

Meditation practice was my entry to the path of yoga in 1996. I have been practicing consistently for 25 years. Meditation helps me to quiet my mind and live more from the space of my heart. Meditators notice that with a balanced mind, we can stay more in control of our thoughts and emotions.

Positive thinking was my second step into yoga when I became a certified life-coach in 2006. In my training, we learned about how we create and attract the various aspects of our life with our thoughts. Training ourselves in positive thinking allows us to experience more wisdom and inner peace over time.

In 2007, I completed my yoga teacher training in which I learned about proper...

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