Mandalas for Mental Health Ajahn Chah said that all people without exception are mentally ill. If I take time and, instead of thinking about Carolyn and Her Problems and focus on other people, I find I am less so. I have practiced in this way 2009 within a volunteer program that was initiated by IMCW, Insight on the Inside, IOI.... December 16, 2020By Carolyn Stachowski EngagedBuddhism, meditation
Larry Yang BIPOC Support Fund Launch IMCW is honored to announce the launch of the Larry Yang BIPOC (Black, Indigeneous and People of Color) Support Fund. This fund will be used to provide resources to BIPOC students and teachers as they seek to learn, teach, and otherwise deepen their experience in the dharma. Our sincere belief is that when barriers to full inclusion are eliminated, there is a natural shift in the balance of power that leads to a greater sense of community and collective transformation for the benefit of all..... December 10, 2020By Larry Yang, Trisha Stotler Affinity, announcement, Diversity, SocialJustice
Aspiring Allies Finding Our Way In our Buddhist and mindfulness communities, there are many times that call for us to be allies to one another. My own aspiring ally journey has brought a lot of growth along with many setbacks; heart-felt intentions along with plenty of uncomfortable mistakes; and it continues to bring deeper, more real, loving, joyful relationships with folks in my life. On this journey I’ve been looking for freedom; freedom and justice for myself and for all beings. All of this is spiritual practice..... December 3, 2020By Ric Chollar Diversity, SocialJustice, teachings
Joy is a Choice: Cultivating Joy & Savoring the Good Despite the divisive times we find ourselves in, I believe there is one thing nearly all of us can agree on. Our nervous systems are getting more than their fair share of wear and tear these days. With an apparent oversupply of unpleasantness, these times are an easy set-up for negative emotional feedback loops that lead to escalating levels of anxiety and stress. It is a natural human tendency to avoid or resist the unpleasant, to run away from our fears. We raid the cookie jar, or much worse, which just adds fuel to the fire. What we resist, persists. This isn't good for our mental or physical health and, as a nurse practitioner and meditation teacher, I have found that many of us--myself included --become easily drained. We can't drink from an empty cup. Yet as caregivers, we keep on giving....With all this, there is good news. Antidotes exist that help us break out of our negativity bias. In times like these, I am reminded of how deeply grateful I am for my meditation practice. November 27, 2020By Jennifer Jordan family, teachings
It takes a Sangha: Normalizing Accessibility in Our Mindfulness Communities We are all grateful that we are able to maintain contact with one another and practice together through technology during this period of prolonged physical isolation. One of these days though, we hope we will be together in physical practice space again. Our yearning is to share embodied presence with one another. We miss the ability to touch, to be beside, to feel the rhythms of each other’s hearts as we practice. May this be soon. But for some of us, returning to physical practice spaces will not be simple.... November 19, 2020By Alison Shapiro , Tara Beech Affinity, Diversity