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Contact Me Contact me Questions & Comments If you have a recommendation for a Mindful resource you feel could be listed here, contact me at: MindfulClear@gmail.com Please be patient. It can take a while to reply. I will check out suggestions. ​ ​ ​ Being with what is. Appreciate the present moment ...

Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement. Welcome to the Mindful Clearinghouse Your Source for Mindfulness Resources As a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), I noticed when the class ended, students often needed a sense of where to turn next. They had been awakened to their own innate capacity for Mindfulness and wanted to continue. They would ask what Mindfulness resources exist, and what would I recommend? To follow the path of Mindful living, most of us need ongoing resources, such as joining a meditation group, listening to podcasts and watching videos of experienced meditation teachers. We can't do it alone. Because I couldn't find a centralized, non-affiliated website that offered information on Mindful Resources for people looking to bring Mindfulness into their lives, I created this website. ​ While I provide links to Mindfulness resources I believe are helpful, I have no affiliation with any of them except for the Chicago Shambhala website, where I teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) online and co-lead guided Tuesday night online meditations, 6:30 - 7:30pm, Central Time, USA. ​ If you're interested in taking the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class, I'll be teaching my next one beginning in August, 2024. Find it at the Chicago Shambhala website here. They generously allow participants to pay what they can if the program price is an obstacle. It can be confusing to navigate all that is available when doing a simple online Mindfulness search. Thus, the purpose of this website is to provide a central place to learn about respected Mindfulness resources, based on my own experiences as a teacher of Mindfulness and meditator. I hope you enjoy the website. Ann Learn More Mindfulness is a Way of Life If you like this website, please refer others to visit us. Be patient with yourself. Self-compassion is one of the greatest revelations of Mindful practices and teachings. In my own experience, when we can express compassion and patience with ourselves, it becomes easier and more natural to extend your compassion and patience to others. Self compassion isn't "self indulgence". It's a fresh, life-giving force for goodness in your world and, by the extension, the larger world you live in. Dr. Kristin Neff is considered the leading proponent of Mindful Self-Compassion teaching, having created the 8-week Mindful Self-Compassion course. I've taken a short version of the course and was greatly benefited by it. If you're curious about Mindful Self-Compassion, click on the button below, which will take you to her website. I recommend clicking the tab for "Practices". She provides several helpful, free Self-Compassion exercises. Learn More "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver (1935 - 2019) American poet You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place in the family of things. Learn More Be Peace

​ BASIC MEDITATION INSTRUCTION Jon Kabat-Zinn's meditation instruction is among the most clear and easy to follow that I have found. The following instructions appear in his book Full Catastrophe Living : ​ "The basic instructions for practicing sitting meditation are very simple. We observe the breath as it flows in and out. We give full attention to the feeling of the breath as it comes in and full attention to the feeling of the breath as it goes out... And whenever we find that our attention has been carried elsewhere, wherever that may be, we simply note it, then let go and gently escort our attention back to the breath, back to the rising and falling of our own belly. ​ If you have been trying it, perhaps you will have already noticed that your mind tends to move around a lot. You may have contracted with yourself to keep your attention focused on the breath no matter what. But before long, you will undoubtedly find that the mind is off someplace else. It has forgotten the breath; it has been drawn away. ​ Each time you become aware of this while you are sitting, the instruction is to first note briefly what is on your mind or what carried you away from attending to the breath, and then to gently bring your attention back to your belly and back to your breathing, no matter what carried it away. If it [your attention] moves off the breath a hundred times, then you just calmly and gently bring it back a hundred times. ​ By doing so, you are training your mind to be less reactive and more stable. ... By repeatedly bringing your attention back to the breath each time it wanders off, concentration builds and deepens, much as muscles develop by repetitively lifting weights. Working regularly with (rather than struggling against) the resistance of your own mind builds inner strength. At the same time you are also developing patience and practicing being non-judgmental. You are not giving yourself a hard time because your mind wandered away from the breath. You simply and matter-of-factly return it to the breath, gently but firmly." ​ Jon Kabat-Zinn Full Catastrophe Living (2013) pages 60 - 61 ​ PLEASE NOTE: Kabat-Zinn instructs us to rest with the physical feeling of breathing. He emphasizes the word "feeling". We're not thinking about the breath. We're not trying to become the air or breath itself, moving in and out of the body. Instead, we are fully present to the physical sensations of the body breathing. ​ Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying wrote a book of daily reflections on living and dying titled Glimpse After Glimpse (1995). I find it helpful to sometimes look up any particular day of the year and read the paragraph or two of Buddhist wisdom there. Here is what he says about meditation on the March 2 page in his book: ​ "Whatever thoughts and emotions arise in meditation, allow them to rise and settle, like the waves in the ocean. Whatever you find yourself thinking, let that thought rise and settle, without any constraint. Don't grasp at it, feed it, or indulge it, don't cling to it, and don't try to solidify it. Neither follow thoughts, nor invite them; be like the ocean looking at its own waves, or the sky gazing down on the clouds that pass across it. ​ You will soon find that thoughts are like the wind; they come and go. The secret is not to "think" about the thoughts but to allow them to flow through your mind, while keeping your mind free of afterthoughts." ​ ​ NOTE: One time when I was leading a group of people in meditation, one of the attendees said they had been told by a meditation teacher to "make your mind a blank". But we're not trying to make our minds a blank when we meditate, so I'm glad this created the opportunity to clarify that in meditation we don't have a goal of emptying our mind. The key is to not get caught up in our usual patterns of thinking. Meditation can be a wonderful time -- we don't have to think about anything! We get to take a vacation from our usual discursive thoughts. We don't have to think about work, we don't have to worry, we can just rest with the object of our attention, which is often the breath or the body. I think Sogyal Rinpoche's explanation of this idea -- that meditation is not about trying to turn off the brain -- that appears on the November 25 page in his book is helpful. I quote it here: ​ "Sometimes people think that when they meditate there should be no thoughts and emotions at all; and when thoughts and emotions do arise, they become annoyed and exasperated with themselves and think they have failed. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a Tibetan saying: "It's a tall order to ask for meat without bones, and tea without leaves". As long as you have a mind, you will have thoughts and emotions." ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Check back for other authors' meditation instructions in the future. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Mindful Books Finding Inspiration in Every Turn Many books on meditation and Mindfulness have been published over the years. If you already explored the page titled "Major Figures in Mindfulness", you're aware of some of the most beneficial authors. I am listing the books that have had a positive impact on me or that have earned strong positive feedback and word of mouth. Books I've Read & Highly Recommend Jon Kabat-Zinn -- Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life ( This is my "go to" book when I need to be inspired to meditate ) -- Falling Awake: How to Practice Mindfulness in Everyday Life -- Full Catastrophe Living (This is a lengthy, brilliant book, that encompasses the strengths of an MBSR class as it explains the principles behind Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. I don't believe there is a false word in this book. It is considered a kind of "Bible" for the teaching of MBSR. Precise, compassionate wisdom. ) ​ Sharon Salzberg -- Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection Tara Brach -- Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha ​ Pema Chodron -- Comfortable with Uncertainty -- The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times -- When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times ​ Ken McLeod -- Wake Up To Your Life ​ ​ More books to recommend! Please check back. ​

Helpful Quotes by Subject Quotes from fellow meditators, authors, poets, leaders in the field of Mindfulness and others can help us on the path of life. They understand life's struggles. They also see the beauty in our world, sometimes hidden by darkness. This is a list of Subjects, such as Forgiveness/Forgiving, Patience. Click on the subject and you'll be directed to a page of quotes on that subject. The quotes are not in any particular order of importance. Subjects The AfterLife or What Comes After Death Awareness The Body or Being with the Body Buddhism Communication and Interacting with Others Community or the Need for Community Compassion Death and Mortality Emotions or How to Work with Emotions Forgiveness/Forgiving Love ​ Meditation Meditation Practice Meditation Techniques Mindfulness Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Self-Compassion Thoughts or How to Work with Thoughts The Three Poisons: Aggression, Ignorance and Delusion (Coming Soon) ​ ​ I ant details you want site visitors to know. If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery or video for even more engagement. Contact I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect. info@mysite.com 123-456-7890

List of Mindful Poems and Poetry I first heard the poem "She Let Go" by Safire Rose at a meditation retreat in Colorado back in 2019. Since then, I have read it several times with a meditation group. I haven't yet used it in an MBSR class, but it seems appropriate. It is so direct, down to earth and true. You'll find it at the author's website: Safire Rose ​ Edna St. Vincent Millay and e. e. cummings both wrote poems that celebrate the world in ecstatic terms. If you've experienced the world's beauty, these two poems might speak to you. ​ God's World BY EDNA ST. VINCENT MILLAY O world, I cannot hold thee close enough! Thy winds, thy wide grey skies! Thy mists, that roll and rise! Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff! World, World, I cannot get thee close enough! Long have I known a glory in it all, But never knew I this; Here such a passion is As stretcheth me apart,—Lord, I do fear Thou’st made the world too beautiful this year; My soul is all but out of me,—let fall No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call. Source: Renascence and Other Poems (Harper & Brothers, 1917) ​ e. e. cummings wrote the following gorgeous poem: ​ i thank You God for most this amazing day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes (i who have died am alive again today, and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay great happening illimitably earth) how should tasting touching hearing seeing breathing any–lifted from the no of all nothing–human merely being doubt unimaginable You? (now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened) ​ ​ William Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is another poem that gracefully credits the natural world for its restorative powers. Find it here: "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud " ​ Mary Oliver's poetry lends itself beautifully to Mindful meetings and meditation groups. I recommend her book Devotions: The Selected Poetry of Mary Oliver (2017), as selected by the author herself. Here is one of her most famous, lovely poems: ​ Wild Geese by Mary Oliver You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things. ​ ​ What a gracious, true poem. We can sometimes forget that, no matter how solitary we are, even if we have lost loved ones and feel alone, that we have our rightful place "in the family of things." ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ More Mindful poems to come. Check back later. ​ ​ ​

Mindful Resources Mindful Resources Often, after finishing a course in Mindfulness, a person will want to continue their Mindful journey with a sense of community or "sangha". It's useful to explore different offerings and see which suit you best. This list, as with all of the lists on this website, will be updated over time. These are Mindful Resources that have been helpful to me and others. The Mindful Resources listed here are: Online Meditation Groups in the US and Mindful-Oriented Organizations ​ ​ Online Meditation Groups Chicago Shambhala Tuesday Night Meditations I co-lead this group, alternating different Tuesday evenings with Barbara, who is a senior Shambhala Teacher. Barbara and I offer guided meditations. I usually base my guidance on meditations by Tara Brach and Jon Kabat-Zinn. It's different every week. Shambhala is a worldwide Tibetan Buddhism founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939 - 1987). Our Tuesday night online group is offers a variety of guidance from different meditation traditions. Register to receive the Zoom link at: the Chicago Shambhala Website ​ Insight Meditation Center Based in Massachusetts, this organization was founded by Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Check out their website dharma.org to see what upcoming online classes or meditation sessions they offer. There are other offshoot centers throughout the US that offer meditation books, book groups, etc. ​ Ft. Myers Meditation Kadampa Buddhist Center I have visited the Ft. Myers Kadampa Buddhist Center in person for years,when on vacation. I've been impressed by the friendly vibe of this small mediation community. They've had different meditation leaders over the years, so you'll want to see how you feel about whoever the current meditation leader of the group is. I don't know much about this particular "branch" of Tibetan Buddhism, I find them welcoming, calming, and that their offerings are easy to understand. Their meditation hall has a variety of gold statues and their meetings or "services" have some charming rituals, such as singing along to a recorded poem or hymn-like piece of music. Be open-minded to enjoy their offerings. As for me, I have been grateful they are there. They seem to be offering more online meditation classes or sessions these days. Their home page is: Ft. Myers Kadampa Center EverydayZen The Everyday Zen Foundation hosts daily online silent sitting meditation. At their Home Page, scroll down until you see Everyday Zen Daily Sitting, 7:30am - 8:00am Pacific Time. It's a nice way to start the morning with online silent meditation in community. They begin with a very brief chanting, then sit together for the half hour. Their home page is here: Everyday Zen ​ The San Francisco Zen Center Founded by Suzuki Roshi, author of the book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, they offer a variety of programs from dharma talks to classes. They host online sitting meditation (zazen) at early morning hours (California time) and evening, on Zoom,at this website page: Online Zendo. ​ New York Zen Center They offer a variety of talks and meditations online. Their website is: NY Zen Center ​ Sunday Sangha Jon Kabat-Zinn's son Will Kabat-Zinn hosts an online meditation group whose link appears on the website for Sunday Sangha. ​ UC San Diego -- Continuing Practice I received my MBSR teacher training through the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness, which has excellent teachers and teacher training. They offer mid-day (California time, remember) online meditation sessions. I have attended a few over the years. I would not say that these sessions develop a sense of sangha, but are more for someone who simply wants to meditate online with other people with guidance from an experienced MBSR meditation teacher. UC San Diego Mindfulness Center Continuing Practice ​ More online meditation group listings to come. Please check back. ​ ​ Mindful-Oriented Organizations The Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, New York, is a well-established and very respected organization hosting high-quality workshops, meditation retreats and other programs. Look at their upcoming events and you might even find a workshop with Jon Kabat-Zinn, so check out their listing of upcoming programs here.. They host "Rest and Rejuvenation" retreats for individuals to stay there that might be just what the doctor ordered! I hope to do an individual retreat there on my own someday.... ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Mindful Resources listing: Gratitude Even when things aren't going our way, can we be grateful for something? Perhaps for just being able to breathe. Or for the ways people have helped you in life. Or for the beauty in the sky, or an animal or person. Open up to feeling gratitude. See what arises. What does it feel like to experience gratitude? Notice what gratitude feels like. Basic Meditation Take a seat, with an upright posture, if your body can do so. Close the eyes, or leave them open in a soft, downward gaze. Allow your attention to rest on the physical sensations of breathing. With a light touch, if you drift away, notice this and, being kind to yourself, return your attention to the body breathing. Notice how it feels. No need to alter or control the breath. Your body knows how to breath. Rest with the body breathing. Allow thoughts to be on the margins of your attention. No need to think and no need to accomplish anything. Resting with the body breathing.

Major Figures in Mindfulness If you are interested in exploring Mindfulness resources, start with the leaders in the field. On this page, you'll find the key, respected, experienced teachers of Mindfulness in the United States. Each has their own style, wisdom, and voice. You''ll notice similarities among them, as all great teachers of Mindfulness are basically pointing us in the same direction: paying attention to our lives, letting go of habitual patterns of judgment, accepting the things we can't change, and setting the intention to practice, regardless of how difficult it can sometimes be.​ I am not differentiating between those who are Buddhist teachers first, such as Thich Nhat Hahn and Pema Chodron, from those, like Jon Kabat-Zinn or Tara Brach, whose teachings draw on Buddhist wisdom but are identified as Mindfulness rather than Buddhist teachings. These are major figures in Mindfulness that I wholeheartedly recommend exploring.​​ Their podcasts or videos are an incredible resource. Jon Kabat-Zinn​ As the creator of the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class as well as best-selling books on meditation and Mindfulness, Jon has helped untold numbers of people with Mindful practices. He is also a compelling and down-to-earth speaker. Jon's website is here ​ During the pandemic lockdown in 2020, Jon offered free online guided meditations and talks and answered questions from the worldwide audience attending his YouTube meditation sessions. If you search on YouTube for "Jon Kabat-Zinn Episode" you'll find these sessions captured on his YouTube channel, numbered by episode. As someone who attended nearly all of his "live" sessions, I can attest he had a profound impact on all of us. It was a remarkable community gathering of thousands. When I think back on the lockdown phase when we weren't quite sure if we would survive the pandemic, Kabat-Zinn was a lifeline of sanity and Mindfulness. He puts ideas into words carefully, with great precision and skill. He has a deep understanding of our delusions and showing people the way out of suffering. ​ Out of all the Mindfulness authors and speakers I've read and heard speak, Kabat-Zinn's precision, authenticity and instinctive ability to say the right next thing make him one of our great contemporary Mindfulness teachers. ​ Recommended Books by Jon Kabat-Zinn include: Full Catastrophe Living; WhereEver You Go, There You Are; The Healing Power of Mindfulness; Falling Awake: How To Practice Mindfulness in Everyday Life., and Coming To Our Senses. ​ Tara Brach Tara Brach's podcast titled simply "Tara Brach" is an indispensable resource in my life. I cannot recommend her podcast highly enough. She provides free guided meditations, talks and the occasional interview or longer talk from her archives. Her style is conversational, gentle, healing and relaxed. Whenever I feel the need to regain my perspective and sense of presence, I listen to one of her guided meditations or talks. I like nothing better than to sit in my favorite chair with a good hour or so of quiet time, and listen. ​ You will find her talks and guided meditations on YouTube. Her voice is rather soft, so at times she can be difficult to understand, which I regret. But you might start with this YouTube video, which is her "R.A.I.N. Meditation" guidance. This is one of her most well-known meditations. It offers subtitles, which are helpful for when her voice gets too soft: video ​ Her most well-known book is: Radical Acceptance. Highly recommended. Other books include: Radical Compassion and Trusting the Gold. Her website is here. ​ Sharon Salzberg Salzberg is a wonderful Mindfulness teacher and author. Her style is warm, down-to-earth, friendly and wise. I enjoy listening to her talks and memories of the early days when young adults in the 1960s including herself traveled to India to learn about meditation and Buddhism directly from respected teachers. She is one of the founders of the Insight Meditation Society (with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield) and is often found teaching (I took one of her online classes recently). Sharon's books include: Real Happiness; Real Love; and her most recent book Real Life. She gets right to the heart of the matter. Her podcast "Metta Hour with Sharon Salzberg: Where Buddhist Wisdom Meets Everyday Life" is wonderful. I listen every chance I get. Her website is here . ​ ​ Thich Nhat Hanh (1926 - 2022) "Thay", which means "teacher" in Vietnamese, as he was called by his many followers, was a deeply beloved, compassionate Viet Namese Zen Monk. He became a worldwide spiritual leader, offering meditations and talks to people around the world. I highly recommend watching his YouTube videos to gain a sense of his tranquility and gentleness. As with Tara Brach, his voice is sometimes too soft or low to understand each word. But you can typically get the sense of what he is saying even if there are no sub-titles. His books include: No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering, Peace is Every Step, and You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment. He passed away in 2022, but his foundation lives on. Their website is here . ​ "The Way Out Is In: Zen and the Art of Living" podcast covers Buddhist themes with an approach informed by Hanh's teachings and leadership. I find it helpful and recommend it. The podcast is currently co-hosted by Brother Phap Huu, who served as Hanh's personal assistant for many years, and Jo Confino, ​ Joseph Goldstein His podcast "Insight Hour Podcast with Joseph Goldstein" is wonderful. Highly recommended. He co-founded the Insight Meditation Society with Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Joseph's books include: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening. ​ Pema Chodron Pema is one of the most widely-read Buddhist authors among Western readers. She is in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, as a dharma teacher with Shambhala, an organization founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939 - 1987) that helped spread Tibetan Buddhist teachings in the West. Based in Tibetan Buddhist teachings, Pema's books deal with real-life fears and problems. She came to the Mindful path of Tibetan teachings and meditations after her own life as a divorced mother turned her toward something deeper. Pema's books are accessible and often draw on her own struggles and experiences on the spiritual path. Her books and audiobooks have taught me greatly. Among her many books, I especially recommend: When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times; The Places That Scare You -- A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times; The Wisdom of No Escape; Taking The Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears; and Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Don't Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment and Other Destructive Emotions. Her recent book is titled: How We Live is How We Die. It sounds intriguing. You'll find videos of Pema teaching and speaker on YouTube. Pema's Foundation website is here. ​ Jack Kornfield His podcast is "Heart Wisdom Podcast with Jack Kornfield". His website is here . ​ His book "The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace" is very helpful. ​ Dan Harris Dan's respected podcast titled Ten Percent Happier is a great resource. He offers interviews with leaders in the field of Mindfulness, including meditation teachers, experts, religious leaders, scientists exploring the effects of Mindfulness and many others, all of whom are interesting. I highly recommend his podcast. Check out his podcast and other resources at his website at: Ten Percent Happier. ​ Chogyam Trungpa (1939 - 1987) Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche is probably best known as the founder of the Shambhala organization, a world-wide community of meditation centers with locations throughout the US as well as retreat centers in Colorado and Vermont. Born in Tibet, he escaped as a young monastic man in 1959, when China invaded and occupied Tibet. After making his way first to the UK, then to the US, Trungpa founded not only Shambhala but also Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. What he was able to achieve in his too-short life is rather remarkable. Many people find his videos, teachings and books to be helpful. There is a somewhat chaotic element to his "crazy wisdom" which either speaks to you or not. Most Shambhala Centers offer in-person meditation sessions and/or online meditation sessions, sitting in silence with the breath, rather than with guidance. Centers usually offer free meditation instruction for newcomers and have served as many American meditators' first in-person experience with meditation, and introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. ​ Personally, I became introduced to Buddhism and meditation through a Shambhala Center. I was impressed that no one there tried to make me sit cross-legged, since my hips and legs were not built for sitting cross-legged. This was a huge factor in helping me see that meditation was not about a fight or struggle or pain, but about, well, meditating. I still feel that sitting in any posture that causes parts of your body, such as your legs, to fall asleep or be in pain, runs contrary to listening to your body's signals. And there is no benefit to purposefully trying to cause physical pain as part of your meditation practice. ​ The Shambhala organization keeps evolving over time. Their educational programs website is here: Shambhala Online. ​ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi (1904 - 1971) Suzuki was an extremely respected Buddhist leader who is credited with, among other things, founding the first Zen monastery outside of Asia. His book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind has been extremely popular and helpful to people over the years. Personally, I find it a bit difficult to understand, and therefore difficult to benefit from. But I list it here in case it speaks to anyone interested in a key text in English expressing Zen beliefs and ways of seeing the world. Many have found this book helpful. The San Francisco Zen Center was established in 1962 by Suzuki and his students, carries on his work in the Soto Zen tradition. They have an active schedule of dharma talks and other events. Their website is: San Francisco Zen Center. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Major Figures in Mindfulness

Mindful Poetry An online search for Mindful Poetry will result in a large number of poetry websites, and also a large number of Mindful poetry on websites. Here are some of the places I go to for poems to read at the end of online meditation sessions. Some of the poems you'll find here are also appropriate to read while teaching an MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) class. ​ Poetry Chaikhana: Sacred Poetry from Around the World (This is my "go to" website for wonderful poetry to use with a meditation session. You'll find a wide variety of world poets, many of whom are unfamiliar to most Americans. I refer to this website again and again...) ​ Mary Oliver (1935 - 2019) is probably one of the most widely-read poets in Mindful meditation circles. You'll find one of her most beautiful poems, "Wild Geese", along with about 20 more at her page on the Poetry Chaikhana website here . I recommend her book Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver (2017) , which is a collection of some of her best poetry, selected by the poet herself. ​ ​ The Poetry Foundation's website is a great resource for discovering poems by great authors. They sometimes don't have the poem I'm looking for, but I usually discover ones I'm glad to know. Their website is here: Poetry Foundation ​ All Poetry, the World's Largest Poetry Site ​ On Being with Krista Tippett was a radio show that provided wonderful poems over the years. Here is their poetry archive, by chronological date: On Being Poetry Archive ​ The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness (where I received my training) offers a list of interesting mindful poems, "Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye is a good choice to use when leading Class 7 of the MBSR class, when we practice Lovingkindness Meditation. The UCSD list is here: Mindful Poetry Another good source for interesting poems is the website of the Academy of American Poets: poets.org ​ The website for Spirituality & Practice has a section devoted to sacred poetry that offers interesting poems. Find their poetry page here. ​ For more Mindful Poems, click below. ​ Click Here

Retreat Centers Going on a retreat can deepen our Mindful practice. Retreat Centers are all different. They can be monasteries or other spiritual organizations who open their facility up to like-minded people who want to go on individual silent retreats up to centers that exist only as places to take Mindful classes and Retreats. This is a listing of some retreat centers you might find helpful. It can take some research to find out when they are offering classes or retreats, what their requirements are or, in the case of monasteries, what dates they are open for individuals wishing to go on individual retreats. I have personally done retreats at the Drala Mountain Center in Colorado and Chicago Shambala Center, one in the rural countryside and one in an urban setting. You decide what Retreat Center will most suit your needs. ​ Some Retreat Centers are linked to particular meditation or spiritual communities, so it's important to be respectful of the traditions that forged that particular Retreat Center. Some, on the other hand, are wide open to all meditation traditions. Of course, if a person wants to create their own retreat for a meditation group you belong to, it is possible to rent space in a wide variety of facilities, from hotels to individual homes. The key aspect of being on retreat is to meditate, to be out of your usual life/work routine, and to be open to what your meditation practice may or may not do. Being on retreat is not a vacation. It is a dedicated opportunity to practice meditation either singly or with like-minded people, either self-guided or guided by teachers. ​ ​ Click Here Retreat Centers Blue Cliff Monastery , a Vietnamese Buddhist Monastery Pine Bush, New York, about 2 hours Northwest from the city ​ ​ Spirit Rock Retreat Center, an Insight Meditation Center Woodacre, California Every website has a story, and your visitors want to hear yours. This space is a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what your team does and what your site has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want site visitors to know. If you’re a business, talk about how you started and share your professional journey. Explain your core values, your commitment to customers and how you stand out from the crowd. Add a photo, gallery or video for even more engagement.