The Power of Mantra

yada “The human mind is rather like the trunk of an elephant. It never rests . . . it goes here, there, ceaselessly moving through sensations, images, thoughts, hopes, regrets, impulses. Occasionally it does solve a problem or make necessary plans, but most of the time it wanders at large, simply because we do not […]

How is Daily Meditation Like a Bird in the Hand?

yada “To make progress in meditation, you must be regular in your practice of it. Some people catch fire at the beginning, but when the novelty wears off in a few days and the hard work sets in, their fires dampen and go out. They cut back, postpone, make excuses, perhaps feel guilty and apologetic. […]

Prayer of the Mothers

The song “Prayer of the Mothers”, was born as a result of an alliance made between singer-songwriter Yael Deckelbaum, and a group of courageous women, leading the movement of “Women Wage Peace”. The movement arose on summer 2014 during the escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, and the military operation “Tzuk Eitan”. On […]

How You Metabolize Fat and Sugar

How you metabolize fat and sugar is completely different. “The conventional wisdom doesn’t stack up against the emerging research that shows us that a calorie is not a calorie (when you eat it). In a vacuum or a lab, calories from all foods release the same amount of energy when burned—whether the food is coconut […]

Moving Towards Forgiveness

Moving towards forgiveness is one of the three practices that lead us to a more happy and blissful life. The other two are gratitude and generosity, which you can learn about by clicking on the links. Of the three practices, forgiveness is probably the most difficult for many people. This is because we hold on […]

How to Choose the Channel of Compassion

yada “I was at a friend’s home when I learned to use a remote control to regulate the channels on his TV. My host said, ‘You just point this thing at the television and change it to whatever you like.’ Because you have been brought up in a scientific, technological culture — not always an […]

You Are Enough

When Marisa Peer spoke at A-Fest sometime in 2015, she made the point that You Are Enough! Marisa is England’s best and most famous psychotherapist and her voice is captivating. Marisa tells you that you are enough through touching stories of helping burnt-out Hollywood celebrities, regular clients, and even her own family. You will learn […]

Christmas Offerings

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah I grew up in a conservative Jewish family in St. Louis, but Christmas offerings were all around. Like the Christians in our neighbor, my father decorated the house with Hanukah adornments and we had at least one gift for each of the eight nights of Hanukah. We lite the candles, […]

7 Questions to Ask about Your Life

Here are 7 questions to ask about your life as we approach the New Year. You can read them over and continue on with your day or you can stop for a moment to ponder each one. Or you can take one question a day for the next week. Or you can take one question […]

True Happiness

True Happiness is the second of the Five Mindfulness Trainings authored by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (known as “Thay” by his followers.) In the time of the Buddha it was known as the second precept, “Not to steal.” But “What,” you may ask “is true happiness?” Is it made of money, power, fame, sex, […]