 Last year, I finally made the connection between the Zen Teachings of Father Eli and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I began reading my notes from 1973 and 1974, all carefully preserved in two three-inch binders. As I read my notes, it began to dawn on me that the two masters were teaching the same basic ideas on life, liberation and happiness.
– Jerome Freedman, Mindfulness Breaks: Your Path to AwakeningSee more: follow the link in the bio. |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for March 08, 2019
 Mindfulnesss Breaks
Consistent practice of any kind of mindfulness break leads to relaxation, inner peace, happiness, joy and many other positive qualities of heart and mind. There are also many physical benefits such as reduction of stress, regulation of blood pressure, improvement of mood and the general sense of well-being. – Jerome Freedman, Mindfulness Breaks: Your Path to AwakeningSee more: follow the link in the bio. |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for March 02, 2019
 Desire
Desire is what causes things to happen. For example, if there were no desire in anger, we would never curse someone or hit them. If there were no desire in love, we wouldn’t want to bring happiness to people or reduce their suffering. It is desire itself that brings the final action, not the emotion underlying it. – Jerome Freedman, Mindfulness Breaks: Your Path to Awakening NOTE: This month we celebrate my teachers, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and Father Eli, who taught me so much about meditation, “mind stories” and visualization. My book, Mindfulness Breaks, Your Path to Awakening, celebrates Thich Nhat Hanh and Father Eli. The book was released last month. Chick on the link below or in the bio for more information. |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for February 27, 2019
 “Don’t look outside yourself for happiness. Let go of the idea that you don’t have it. It is availible within you.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh NOTE: This month we celebrate my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who is now residing in his original temple, Tu Hieu in Vietnam. According to Plum Village sources, he plans to spend the rest of his days there, walking and visiting the resting place of his teacher. My book, Mindfulness Breaks, Your Path to Awakening, celebrates Thich Nhat Hanh and one of my first teachers, Father Eli. The book is being released this month. Chick on the link below or in the bio for more information. |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for February 15, 2019
 “Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh NOTE: This month we celebrate my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who is now residing in his original temple, Tu Hieu in Vietnam. According to Plum Village sources, he plans to spend the rest of his days there, walking and visiting the resting place of his teacher. My book, Mindfulness Breaks, Your Path to Awakening, celebrates Thich Nhat Hanh and one of my first teachers, Father Eli. The book is being released this month. Chick on the link below for more information. |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for February 09, 2019
 “No one can be successful in the art of meditation without having passed the gate of breathing.”
Although all phenomena are going through the various appearances of birth, abiding, changing, and dying, the true person doesn’t become a victim of sadness, happiness, love, or hate. She lives in awareness as an ordinary person, whether standing, walking, lying down, or sitting. – Thich Nhat Hanh, “Simply Stop” NOTE: This month we celebrate my teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who is now residing in his original temple, Tu Hieu in Vietnam. According to Plum Village sources, he plans to spend the rest of his days there, walking and visiting the resting place of his teacher. My book, Mindfulness Breaks, Your Path to Awakening, celebrates Thich Nhat Hanh and one of my first teachers, Father Eli. The book is being released this month. Chick on the link below for more information. |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for January 18, 2019
 Happiness or sorrow – whatever befalls you, walk on untouched, unattached.
– Buddha |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for December 10, 2018
 The Key to Happiness
Grace is the key to happiness. When bad things happen, if we have confidence in grace, then we can remain grounded in that and not be overwhelmed by the soap opera of life. And grace is a circular blessing. The more grace enters your life, the more grateful you are. The more grateful you are, the more easily grace seems to enter. – Dharmavidya David Brazier, “Let Grace In” |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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Mini Mindfulness Break for December 05, 2018
 The Pursuit of Happiness
It’s our nature to want happiness and not want suffering. Thus, Buddhists do not ask that one give up the pursuit of happiness, but merely suggest that one become more intelligent about how happiness is pursued. – Jeffrey Hopkins, “Equality” |
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May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering! All my best,
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What will you choose today?
One of my favorite teachings from Helen Palmer is that “Energy follows attention!” Where we put our attention is where our energy goes. If we put our attention on relaxing, beneficial people, events and things, we will feel happy and have some inner peace.
If we put our attention on negative things, tension, worry, and discomfort follow. We go into the fight, flight or flee response, or just feel bad. “Energy flows where attention goes.”
Mindfulness Breaks™ generate the relaxation response so our energy flows in a positive direction. The Buddha called this “yoniso manasikara” or appropriate attention. This corresponds to a statement by Father Eli,
“Happiness is a state of mind in which our thinking is pleasant a good share of the time. Notice that HAPPINESS IS NOT AN EMOTION – it is a state of mind.”
– Father Eli, The Second Book of Wisdom
I like the way Lissa Rankin, MD put it in her Inner Pilot Light email today:
Pay attention to things that raise your vibration and light me up.
Dance?
Nature?
Intimate conversations with trustworthy friends?
Certain kinds of music?
Veggies and green juice?
Gathering in spiritual community?
Snuggles?Now pay attention to things that lower your vibration and dim me.
Road rage?
Gossip?
Board meetings?
Alcohol?
Cheetos?
Complaining?
Overtime?
Criticizing others?
Criticizing yourself?What will you choose today?
Ready for a bonfire,
Your Inner Pilot Light
I would add news channels, racism, and Trump to the list of things that lower your vibration. Just stop reading and watching the news for one week to see if you experience any relief of tension in your body. I know that when I used to pay attention to the jerks on commercial TV, I would get all anxious and I could feel it in my body. I stopped the news and I stopped the anxiety.
So what will it be? Happy, relaxed emotions like love and compassion? Or tense, conflicting emotions like anger, stress, hatred? The choice is up to you.
You might want to try my Stress Relief Mindfulness Break!
MP3: $9.97