This is going out to the followers of “Mindful stuff” — a publication we have on Medium.
We haven’t posted new articles on Medium in several years, but we still get a lot of visitors to our website from people reading the articles previously posted here. We appreciate the following, and would like to stay in touch with you all. But, I don’t believe we’ll be adding to our Medium content in the foreseeable future.
If you want to stay in touch with us, we recommend joining our private (and free) mailing list — we have new content going out every month in 2019, and you can receive it by signing up here.
Thank you, and best wishes as we end one year and start another!
Jon@meditationSHIFT
Once a month we send out a letter to followers of this publication highlighting interesting things related to mindfulness and meditation.
We took a break form publishing new material in October — it’s a tradition, as we prepare to end one year and start another. We will have new articles next week, and we’ll recap them in next month’s letter!
We are also publishing a “Misconceptions” page — we’ve written extensively about misconceptions related to mindfulness and meditation, and this page will compile everything into an easy-to-read format documenting common myths and fallacies, and answering frequently asked questions. …
Once a month we send out a letter to followers of this publication highlighting interesting things related to mindfulness and meditation.
We have a lot for you this month, starting with a new article we published here on Medium — The Zen of BoJack Horseman.
Next, we have a feature on our site called mindful musings — short posts, sometimes funny, always insightful. We recently did a series of musings on attachment:
In case you aren’t familiar with Netflix’s animated show, let’s get this out of the way — it’s about an anthropomorphic talking horse named BoJack.
He starred in a 90s family sitcom that was a hit in the same way sitcoms like “Full House,” “Family Ties,” and “Charles in Charge” were hits. Present day, BoJack is a washed-up actor clinging to his past success and trying to regain relevance by getting back into the limelight.
Sound crazy? It gets crazier.
In this world, animals and humans coexist as a normal way of life:
- BoJack’s roommate is a human who freeloads…
Every week we discuss a quote or quotes that will (hopefully) resonate with you.
This week, we look at this often-repeated quote from Mark Twain:
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
I love Mark Twain, but given the opportunity I would rephrase this quote to say:
“Courage is acceptance of fear, management of fear, not absence of fear.”
Why accept and manage instead of resist and master?
When you resist something, you’re essentially telling it “No” by either suppressing, throwing up a barrier, or trying to change it in some way. …
Once a month we send out a letter to followers of this publication. It highlights interesting things related to mindfulness and meditation.
We have a lot for you this month! First, there is a new article on the Everyday Mindfulness site — Mindfulness: a continuous process and a way of being.
Next, we have a feature on our site called daily musings — short posts, sometimes funny, always insightful. Read the most popular musing from the past month: I want to overcome my anxiety by meditating!
Last week, we released “ARC: mindfulness for children.” …
It’s a common question — most people approach meditating with the goal of overcoming their anxiety.
First, you might examine the language that describes your goal. Instead of “overcoming anxiety,” consider changing it to “deal more skillfully with anxiety.”
This is important, because if you believe you’ll completely overcome something by meditating, you’ll be frustrated at the first sign of anxious thoughts, emotions, and sensations. You will most likely judge yourself for not being successful (“I was trying to get rid of my anxiety, and here it is again. I’m a failure!”). …
I originally published a version of this on our site as a “daily musing.”
There are many reasons people give for not being able to meditate. The most common include:
- My mind is too busy.
- I can’t sit still.
- I can’t focus (I have problems concentrating).
- I have ADHD (or anxiety, or another condition).
But, saying you can’t meditate because of these reasons is like saying you can’t exercise and eat healthy because you are out of shape and overweight.
You need to exercise and eat healthy because you are out of shape and overweight.
Likewise, you need to meditate…
Once a month we send out a letter to followers of this publication. It highlights interesting things related to mindfulness and meditation.
First, if you are looking for forums to discuss mindfulness and meditation, check out Everyday Mindfulness. There are a lot of insightful people contributing, and you can join in with questions and comments.
Next, we have a feature on our site called daily musings —short posts, sometimes funny, always insightful. I’ve republished a few of the most popular here on Medium, and I encourage you to visit and check out more.
These are the Top 9 from the…
I’ve noticed the following quote from Alan Watts on various social media streams lately:
“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”
This is only a snippet, however. Here is the entire quote:
“Furthermore, as muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone, it could be argued that those who sit quietly and do nothing are making one of the best possible contributions to a world in turmoil.”
It comes from Watts’ book “The Way of Zen,” and this particular passage is discussing how most people in modern society view something like “sitting and meditating” as a waste…
J. D. Andre
Founder of meditationSHIFT.
