April 18, 2011 |
A exciting first for susanpiver.com: a guest blog post! This one is from the talented and soulful Karen Maezen Miller, a Zen Priest and mother. Her book, Hand Wash Cold: Care Instructions for an Ordinary Life (New World Library, April 2010) is a memoir about spirituality in everyday life. I had received several questions from mothers about how to integrate... READ MORE
April 5, 2011 |
I received this from a reader the other day: Q: “I was wondering if the meditation practice can help with panic attacks at all? Or if you know anyone who has suffered from panic attacks and been able to overcome them through meditation?” A: I know someone who has suffered from panic attacks. Me. I still suffer from them, although... READ MORE
March 30, 2011 |
I’ve really enjoyed making and sending these emails and videos about meditation. It is so inspiring to see and hear about people’s heart-opening experiences. No matter how many times I see the effects of meditation practice, I’m still so blown away by this truth: If we open our hearts, we can change the world. Some of you have been good... READ MORE
March 15, 2011 |
From Ishita: Last night I physically had to force myself to sit down to meditate. Despite the fact that I feel good about doing it and sometimes it brings me peace, the act of sitting down is one I have to force myself to do. I had to laugh because I moved from bed to chair (where i meditate) bed... READ MORE
March 11, 2011 |
From Ishita: morning time for me is sacred. I cherish the hours of 6-9a.m. and it is where I feel most connected to myself and the world. It’s a perfect time for me to practice meditation. So when susan said “somewhere it is always morning.” i just loved that. it was a visual that put me back into my heart.... READ MORE
March 11, 2011 |
Meditation is not a form of self-improvement. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/20919078[/vimeo] 2:38 Good morning, lovely people. In the last two posts, I talked about the first two meditation misconceptions. The 3rd and final misconception is actually the most difficult one to drop and it is that meditation is a form of self-improvement. In our meditation practice we take the view that no improvement... READ MORE
March 10, 2011 |
My dear and wonderful (and accomplished and generous and brilliant) friend Ishita is establishing her meditation practice and will be reporting in from time to time (hopefully really, really often) about how it is going. I am SO EXCITED to have her as a regular part of the site, talking about what it’s like for her to explore the practice.... READ MORE
March 10, 2011 |
Good morning. Yesterday I mentioned I meditation misconception #1. Here is #2: It will make you more peaceful. I know, I know. Whenever we see pictures of meditators, they look pretty relaxed. When I first began to practice, I guess I imagined that it would evetually turn me into some kind of Yoda/Mother Teresa hybrid. Who knows, there is still hope. But in... READ MORE
March 10, 2011 |
March 9, 2011 |
Good morning! Often when I ask people if they’ve ever thought about a meditation practice, they look at me like are you crazy, there is way, way too much going on up here (pointing to head) and there is no way I can stop thinking. The #1 biggest misconception about meditation practice is that it involves clearing the mind of... READ MORE
March 8, 2011 |
Good morning! I am so happy to talk to you again about meditation practice as part of what I’m calling The Open Heart Project. It all began on March 5, 2011. This is the 3rd post and it contains some suggestions for establishing a daily practice. Be reasonable. Set a very doable goal. Don’t say, for example, “for the rest... READ MORE
March 7, 2011 |
Good morning! It is my pleasure to introduce you to meditation practice or, if you already have a practice, to revisit the foundations with you. This link leads to a brief video introduction to Shamatha meditation, or the Practice of Tranquility. It is about 10 minutes long. The video is also at the bottom of this post. The Practice of... READ MORE
