Resources for Conscious Living
The stories we weave in our mind become so vivid and rich, even colorful and persuasive sometimes, that we believe our own creative narratives, and we drive ourselves crazy with worry, anxiety, or anger.
In The Path is Everywhere: Uncovering the jewels hidden within you, Matt Licata, PhD, gives an accurate description of what we experience when we are triggered: our emotional world is set on fire. […]
When someone’s behavior, words, or reaction in the present moment remind us of a painful experience in our past, we may have an exaggerated reaction. We are triggered.
The amygdala, which detects threats and controls emotional reactions, becomes activated. Hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released, preparing the body for “fight, flight, freeze or fawn.”
Our reactivity is automatic and unconscious. It may be to FLEE (detach, dismiss and minimize), FREEZE (become anxious and fix), […]
As we approach Mother’s Day, I would like to invite you to take a moment to contemplate, what is/was your mother like? What is/was your relationships with your mother like? What important lessons have you learned from her?
No relationship is perfect, of course. I’m sure there were some challenges, and some very beautiful moments you two spent together.
Some of us have a “mother wound.” I had a very tumultuous relationship with my mother growing up. […]
This is a story about J. Krishnamurti, the great Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher. For over 50 years he travelled all over the world, speaking, teaching trying to explain in words concepts and ideas that are beyond words. I read a story about him once surprising his audience by saying he was going to reveal his secret “Do you want to know my secret?”
So, as you can imagine, everyone was listening attentively. Everyone wanted to hear the secret of his wisdom. […]
Someone I know brought up his fear of old age and death. It made me think of a Zen Parable I had read a long time ago. I always carry it close to my heart and it has been a source of inspiration for me.
Have you ever heard about the Zen Parables? They are called a Koans, a Japanese term that dates from the 7th century. These parables were used to produce doubt, […]
In the Buddhist tradition, there are two essential components to our freedom. The first one is awareness. It is the wisdom that comes from training your mind to see clearly and the second one is compassion for yourself and for others.
These components are compared to the two wings of a bird, without which the bird would be unable to fly and be free.
The first wing is our conscious awareness that allows us to recognize what is really happening in our moment-to-moment experience. […]
Nos hacemos promesas con respecto a lo que queremos lograr, pero pronto nos olvidamos de ellas.
¿Por qué es tan difícil cumplir con nuestras metas de Año Nuevo a pesar de nuestras mejores intenciones? Desde una perspectiva terapéutica, para que una resolución funcione es fundamental incorporar al proceso la autoconciencia y la autorreflexión honesta.
Podemos diseñar un cambio real y permanente si nos tomamos un tiempo para mirar hacia atrás, […]
An old friend I had not seen for over 20 years called me last week. It was wonderful to catch up and share the different paths our lives have taken.
Unfortunately, the turmoil he has experienced regarding his relationships has sunk him into deep anxiety and depression.
He has not spoken to one of his siblings for over 3 years, […]
The end of June wrapped Annapolis with a blanket of deep sadness as we could feel so close to us, what the seed of hatred, resentment and violence could be capable of. This was right in our neighborhood. It happened to people whose names were familiar to the Capital Gazette readers. We feel deep compassion for them and their families, and even for the perpetrator who is obviously seriously sick to commit such a horrendous act. […]
Also in Spanish ~
Rather than feeling discouraged by laziness, we could get to know laziness profoundly. This very moment of laziness becomes our personal teacher.
Traditionally, laziness is taught as one of the obstacles to awakening. There are different kinds of laziness. First, there’s the laziness of comfort orientation, we just try to stay comfortable and cozy. Then there’s the laziness of loss of heart, a kind of deep discouragement, a feeling of giving up on ourselves, […]
