Simple ways to create calm and joy — At this time of the year, one of the most frequent reasons for stress is buying gifts. Searching, deciding, ordering, and knowing if it arrives on time, are steps that we don’t always deal with in the best way. Trying to help, I suggest some books that I recommend as…

ZEN BREAKS 80 — “You are the present moment” — “If you don’t obscure things with names, you can sense their inherent aliveness. They speak to you, there’s another dimension that reveals itself to you”- Eckhart Tolle 164. Observation is enough Adopting a daily formal meditation practice is not easy for me. Apart from some other obstacles that I can use as good excuses…

ZEN BREAKS 79 — Understanding requires practice — “In all Asian languages, the word for mind and the word for heart are the same words. So in English when you hear the word mindfulness if you’re not hearing the word heartfulness you’re really not understanding it fully”. — Jon Kabat-Zinn 163. What is Mindfulness? Based on what I have read, heard, and…

ZEN BREAKS 78 — A great opportunity — “Qi Gong is more than a set of exercises, it is an attitude that works to restructure one’s perspective on life, leading to balance and harmony with the world around us”. Francesco Garri Garripoli 162. Try it daily in just 10 minutes For those who are curious about Qi Gong and would like to experiment with it, here…

ZEN BREAKS 77 — A quick way to formulate it — “Happier people make it a point to make other people happy, and do things that make them feel well taken care of and secure.” — Adam Leipzig 161. Simple questions get deep answers What is your life purpose? This is a question that can scare us. It can scare us because we know it’s important, and so it can feel…

ZEN BREAKS 76 — Arriving at each step — “In the space between moments we can find ourselves” — Zen Michael 160. Slowing down Without hurry, and without running. Without the urge to arrive. ~ Just one step. One step at a time. Feeling the body, and accepting the mind. Feeling the movement, and enjoying the stillness. ~ Without any certainty. Or with…

ZEN BREAKS 75 — Overcoming fear, we embrace challenges — “Remember you can always find peace and joy — just look inside yourself.” — Zen Michael 159. Overcoming the fear of change When we think about sharing something more personal or profound, the first challenge is to overcome fear. The voice of fear There is something that seems to want to arrest us and that mentally tells us that “it…

ZEN BREAKS 74 — What defines you? — “We carry the same name throughout our lives, and consider ourselves as a relatively stable unitary entity, but is it really right to think of ourselves as the same person?” — The School of Life 158. What remains? A friend recently lost some family members, what reminded me of a previous reflection…

ZEN BREAKS 73 — A simple exercise to release tension — “If you’re always racing to the next moment, what happens to the one you’re in? Slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in and live your life to the fullest.” — Nanette Mathews 157. Release shoulders and neck tension About a month ago I discovered a new exercise to relax my shoulders. I’ve tried it…