Emotional maturity is one of those things that you instantly recognize in someone else but have a hard time pinpointing. It’s not about being stoic. It’s not about never getting upset. And it’s definitely not about having all the answers.…
I remember standing in my kitchen one morning, tempted to check my phone to see what was going on in the world before I had even made my first cup of tea. Sad news, three urgent emails and a text…
If you’re feeling restless before bed or in the middle of the night, try this long-lasting practice to calm your busy thoughts and relieve tension in your body. There are so many reasons why we have trouble falling asleep and…
Every morning, before anyone else wakes up, there is a moment where I sit with a cup of strong black coffee and do nothing. No phone. There is no agenda. Just the warmth of the mug, the bitterness of the…
No one wakes up and decides to ruin their life by being busy. It happens gradually as the water rises. You say yes to another. You check your email before bed. You are having lunch at your desk. You start…
Most people who care about personal growth already know what they want to change. It’s harder to talk about the quiet gap between wanting something and actually doing it, day after day, when no one is watching. This gap has…
If you ask most people why they meditate or why they are thinking about starting, the answer is: to feel less stressed. This is a very good reason. Meditation can help with stress. The research on this is solid. But…
After many years of daily reflection, I can tell you the biggest surprise: insight is not dramatic. There is no moment when the sky splits open and you suddenly understand everything. Instead, it’s quieter. You begin to notice things in…
Something unexpected is happening in the spiritual landscape. The same generations most likely to leave organized religion are the most likely to pick up a book on Buddhism, download a meditation app based on the Vipassana tradition, or quote Lao…
Here’s what no one tells you before you start meditating: You’re going to feel bad about it. Not just a little bad. Spectacularly, hilariously bad. You sit down, close your eyes, try to focus on your breathing, and in about…
