One of the attitudes we cultivate to enhance our being mindful is that of not “striving” – whenever possible and appropriate, not working to achieve a particular outcome from an experience. I relearned this attitude when I attended my son’s graduation.

I grew up in a household where university education was highly thought of. I appreciated and enjoyed mine, and my wife and I very much encouraged our “kids” to get a degree. When our son was about to graduate from Laurier University, we…

In order to deal with difficulties during meditation - and daily living – certain perspectives and attitudes can be quite helpful. I was reminded of this again a number of years ago when I encountered the cat’s meow.

As meditators, we are encouraged to practice skillful ways of responding to whatever physical and mental challenges arise during the meditation sitting. Our two cats – Thelma and Louise – have created both types of challenges for me.

When I began to…

Practising mindfulness has physical, intellectual and emotional benefits. It also feels quite pleasant when it occurs. By “when it occurs” I mean when I bring my attention back to the present moment – when I refocus on the here and now.

A few years after I began to meditate, in my work as a public servant, I was attending a day-long meeting of our national advisory council in Whitehorse. The council was my responsibility as coordinator, so I was paying close attention to the…