Video: Dan Siegel on Mindfulness and Feeling Good
Daniel Siegel, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Co-Director of the UCLA Mindfulness Research Center, author of Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation and all-around stud does a striking demonstration of how you can go from a negative state of mind to a positive one in a matter of seconds — using only one word.
Even though I’ve experienced and performed many such demonstrations myself, this one’s pretty dramatic in its impact and simplicity, so be sure to watch the first two minutes at the very least. Towards the end, he gives a practical mindfulness technique you can use at any time.
Anti-Friction Technique #3: Obliterate
We first started talking about how friction is the enemy. Then we discussed technique #1 for managing it – namely, bypassing it. Then we covered overcoming friction – technique #2.
Today, I’m going to talk about technique #3 – obliterating friction.
This is the idea of getting rid of friction permanently.
Permanently? Yes, permanently.
In Taoism, this is called wu wu-wei – doing not doing. Basically, all actions follow naturally from the core of your being. You never (more…)
How to succeed in spite of the recession: Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra on ‘The Soul of Success’
When the going gets tough, the tough get meditating.
A few weekends ago I had the privilege of attending The Soul of Success seminar with Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra in Los Angeles.
In these times of economic uncertainty, Marianne and Deepak had decided to transmit a message of spiritual and economic empowerment to their audience.
As a vivid demonstration of their commitment to helping their students, they offered scholarships to those who requested it. Several attendees had taken up the offer from places as far-flung as Florida and Tennessee.
Marianne has always believed in accommodating those seeking her teachings regardless of their finances, and she certainly practiced what she preached in this workshop.
I only had a vague idea of what the workshop would entail, but having had both Deepak and Marianne as teachers for many years, I implicitly trusted their message and method.
Marianne began with a powerful prayer and a 90min lecture exhorting us to (more…)
Marianne Williamson on Divine Partnership
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Marianne Williamson on ‘Divine Partnership’ here in Los Angeles. In it, she elaborated on many useful ideas from A Course in Miracles applicable to dating and relationships.
For those of you who are not familiar with her work yet, she possesses one of the most lucid voices in contemporary spirituality. Her 1992 book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” is a modern spiritual classic. There’s a famous quote of hers — often misattributed to Nelson Mandela who read it at his inauguration — that starts, “Our greatest fear isn’t that we are inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that (more…)
Dating & Spirituality II: Yeah, But How Do You Make It Work?
The last article that I wrote, about how the concept of No-Self or anatta can empower your dating in a big way, received one of the most vigorous responses from the readers.
Here’s one of them:
“I really loved this article. The way you weave the concept of no-self into the dating pipeline, examining every step of the pipeline separately is nothing short of brilliant.
My only question is how to convince yourself that you have no self. I understand the metaphysical argument with the river molecules and the brain neuron action potentials changing constantly and all that, but how do I lose the emotional attachment? The pride? It would seem that if I don’t have ego, then I can’t be proud of myself for anything.
Is there a mindtrack that deals with this?”
– Michael, Los Angeles
(more…)
