Tending and Befriending: Cultivating Self-Kindness One of the most pervasive causes of suffering is the way that we tend to be unkind to ourselves. We carry around within us messages of unworthiness. We think we need to be perfect in order to be loved.... Mindfulness and meditation help us to untangle from these negative core beliefs, to start removing the thorns from our psyches.... August 19, 2021By Stan Eisenstein teachings
Mindfulness Online: What it is Like to Participate in Retreats, Workshops, Courses and Classes via Video Conference As we settle into an extended season of protecting ourselves from the covid-19 virus, many of the gatherings we would have engaged in are shut down. For now, we cannot meet in person for any of the IMCW programs we formerly attended: retreats, workshops, courses, classes, sanghas, and Spiritual Friends groups. Fortunately, online versions are available for many of these programs, and are becoming more and more available. While initially there may be aversion to retreats and workshops offered via video conference, as we engage in them we find many benefits to the new medium as well as ways to work through the challenges we encounter. Here, then, is a listing of some of the benefits of attending IMCW programs online, as well as some tips for how to navigate the challenges.... August 20, 2020By Stan Eisenstein resources
Mindfulness of Body as a Refuge Cultivating a sense of embodiment, maintaining some awareness in the body (as opposed to the head or the environment), brings a sense of groundedness and stability. Any object with a high center of gravity tends to be unstable and easily knocked over, while an object with a lower center of gravity is more stable. Similarly, when we cultivate moving attention down from the head and into the body, we tend to find that life events do not topple us quite so easily.... April 9, 2020By Stan Eisenstein COVID-19, teachings
Mindful Relations While there are many aspects that go into cultivating loving relationships (with intimate others, parents, children, friends, etc.), perhaps one of the most significant is our habitual way of experiencing those around us.... June 25, 2019By Stan Eisenstein DaylongRetreats