Each season, the celebration of Christmas has religious leaders and conservatives publicly complaining about the commercialization of the holiday and the growing lack of Christian sentiment. Many people seem to believe that there was once a way to celebrate the birth of Christ in a more spiritual way.
- By Ora Nadrich
Whatever it is we seek pleasure from, relying on external things to give us the high or a feeling of euphoria, we run the risk of deluding ourselves that we’re in control when we’re not.
- By Ora Nadrich
Whatever it is we seek pleasure from, relying on external things to give us the high or a feeling of euphoria, we run the risk of deluding ourselves that we’re in control when we’re not.
World Kindness Day, observed on Nov. 13 annually, is a good opportunity to reflect on the healing potential of both large and small acts of kindness.
- By Laura Bailey
Two different kinds of meditative breathing—traditional mindful breathing and virtual reality, 3D-guided mindful breathing—reduce pain but do so differently, research finds.
When I look at the trees in my garden, I see how they fully express life in their changing seasons. The wind blows and they surrender.
When I look at the trees in my garden, I see how they fully express life in their changing seasons. The wind blows and they surrender.
Albert Einstein famously said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I slightly disagree...
Albert Einstein famously said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I slightly disagree...
The pandemic brought the longstanding issue of loneliness and isolation in the lives of older people back into the public consciousness.
The pandemic brought the longstanding issue of loneliness and isolation in the lives of older people back into the public consciousness.
- By Jan Phillips
Every night after dinner, people gathered round a small fireplace and Father Oshida gave an evening talk. Mostly it was in Japanese, but he translated the important parts into English for me. I had been reading books on Buddhism every night before bed and was facing a growing dilemma.
- By Jan Phillips
Every night after dinner, people gathered round a small fireplace and Father Oshida gave an evening talk. Mostly it was in Japanese, but he translated the important parts into English for me. I had been reading books on Buddhism every night before bed and was facing a growing dilemma.
Picture a glass of clear water. You are holding a dropper of ink over it and you release a single droplet. Imagine it falling, hitting the water, and beginning to disperse, first as a feathery cloud of color and then gradually diluting the entire glass.
Picture a glass of clear water. You are holding a dropper of ink over it and you release a single droplet. Imagine it falling, hitting the water, and beginning to disperse, first as a feathery cloud of color and then gradually diluting the entire glass.
Mindfulness refers to a mental state of focusing on the present moment, and accepting the current state of the mind and body without judgement. Mindfulness meditation is a mental practice that helps achieve that state of mind. Ample research supports the use of mindfulness meditation for better mental health,
While we may have been taught that miracles are few and far between, and not only that but only "special" people can perform miracles, this is far from the truth. The first thing to realize is that life itself is a miracle. After all...
Many of us know that a few moments of connecting with our inner resources can have dramatic and healthy effects in restoring a sense of balance to a hectic day. But who has the luxury of spending 45 minutes to one hour...
Most people are so strongly habituated to death denial that when death appears they are caught entirely by surprise. Overwhelmed and confused, they tend to miss out on the extraordinary opportunity for peace and resolution that is inherent in the dying trajectory.
- By William Yang
A bodhisattva brings healing into this world not out of fear of sickness and death, but out of bringing people back to their true nature, their original pureness: the inner light of their own soul, heart, and mind.
- By William Yang
A bodhisattva brings healing into this world not out of fear of sickness and death, but out of bringing people back to their true nature, their original pureness: the inner light of their own soul, heart, and mind.
A cultural tradition that has changed across time and place is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a nonjudgmental expansive awareness of one’s experiences, often cultivated through meditation. A range of studies have found mindfulness to be beneficial for the people who practice it in a number of ways.
The biannual U.S. Catholic bishops’ meeting received more than its usual attention in June 2021 due to one particular item on its agenda: a proposed document on the Sacrament of the Eucharist, a ritual also known as Holy Communion.