The Allure of Life’s Dramas, Are We Addicted to Strife?

Are We Addicted to the Soap Opera Mind? Since I first began to meditate, and even after years of meditation, I've found that the "non-meditative mind," the mind that is habituated to distraction, still remains. Though I find more peace and am able to live more presently with the mind that is free from the routine habits of distraction, there's a powerful force within my mind based on the habit of running after drama and strife. I'll call this the "soap opera mind." The soap opera mind likes things stirred up a bit, it likes to chase after drama and [...]

2014-02-24T12:27:13-07:00By |Meditation|3 Comments
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When Life Falls Apart…Meditate! Five Things to Remember

(Note: in this post, you'll get a rare glimpse into my personal life. I am offering this content only to share with you that what I present on this site is also what I practice. I would never advise taking on the practice of anything that I myself wouldn't do. Hence, the following post....enjoy!) When Life Falls Apart...Meditate!   I shy away from sharing too much personal information on this site, hoping to keep the content mostly applicable to all readers who happen upon its content. However.... ....lately, things around me have been falling apart. I'll not share the personal [...]

2016-01-19T21:16:09-07:00By |Meditation|2 Comments
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Compassion in Action: Teen Nick Halo Awards Score!

This blog is devoted to the discussion of compassion as it relates to meditation. However, as has been the case in the past, there are times when acts of compassion or organizations dedicated to the promotion of compassionate action warrant inclusion within this site. Last night while trying to find a soccer game on television, I stumbled upon the 2011 Teen Nick Halo Awards. What? That's what I said. Some of you may know what this is, which puts you (at least) a step ahead of me. The Teen Nick Halo Awards is a yearly program that honors teens and [...]

2011-11-09T12:34:15-07:00By |Compassion|0 Comments
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How to Meditate? Ten Essentials to a Great Meditation Practice

Wow, I hope that this title doesn't seem out of place here. I mean, after all, I've been posting on meditation, on its benefits, and on research into meditation now for almost a year. So, why would I post something as "basic" as how to meditate? (and what does a picture of 1000 meditating monks have to do with anything?!?) The basics of meditation, while simple, aren't always obvious when we read about how to meditate. Nor are they obvious in how we engage in our practice of meditation. We've discussed a lot of the "how tos" of meditation in [...]

2011-11-02T16:37:12-06:00By |Meditation, Mindfulness|4 Comments
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Compassion Fatigue in Nursing? There’s No Such Thing! Five Reminders…

BOLD STATEMENT: there’s no such thing as compassion fatigue! What?   Have you heard all of the talk in healthcare and in the literature about "compassion fatigue?" I just did a Google® search for the keywords "compassion fatigue in nurses" and came up with 104,000 links, up from 46,700 links just last spring! What?! You’d think that we’re all suffering from burnout, which can’t be possible…or, is it? The notion that being compassionate can cause fatigue gives me cause to pause, how about you? Can compassion really lead to fatigue? Can caring so much for another cause burnout? Perhaps the [...]

2019-02-26T10:55:35-07:00By |Nursing|4 Comments
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How Do You Meditate in Daily Life? Integration in Four Easy Pieces….

Frequently I'm asked what my day looks like and how I practice meditation in a busy life. Since preparing to publish my book, Minding the Bedside: Nursing from the Heart of the Awakened Mind, and starting my own business, the unfortunate fact is that the time for my "formal" practice has suffered. Yet, while I lament and moan about the lack of time to formally practice, it seems like the integration of practice into my daily life, and my ability to take life onto the path, has increased. While there really is no substitute for formal practice in terms of [...]

2011-10-25T11:49:30-06:00By |Meditation|0 Comments
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Occupying (our minds?) on Wall Street – Meditation in Action!

Explanation of Meditation @ Occupy WallStreet from WhatMeditationReallyIs on Vimeo. Since this site is based on creating community and since community is more than "meditators," or "nurses," or "bloggers," or...whatever, it seems fitting to include this video, from the site - What Meditation Really Is - on this site. Erric Solomon,Executive Director of the What Meditation Really Is website, filmed this interview with Anthony Whitehurst, one of the organizers of this meditation gathering. In context of what's happening with the "occupation" of Wall Street, it seems fitting to have a piece on meditation and its place in this event. Since [...]

2011-10-12T18:18:36-06:00By |Meditation|2 Comments
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