Solitude

How to find happiness? Ayurveda believes ‘Sattva’ as the secret of happiness. When the mind is in the state of Sattva, it is calm and peaceful, you enter the state of untainted, pure happiness. So what is it that you must do to attain the coveted state of Sattva? It is simple, you do not […]

You may not have neuropathy yourself, or the type of neuropathy that causes severe pain. Yet, you may relate to the challenge of sitting to meditate when your body is wired and tense, or when you just don’t feel great. This can be extremely frustrating, especially when you’re a yogi. When my nervous system went […]

Yvonne Tally was doing what she does most mornings—putting on her makeup. She was about to walk out the door to do what she normally does, teach Pilates, wellness and healthy-eating classes to clients desiring a calmer, more fulfilling and longer life. But she didn’t make it out the door. At least not on her […]

Saudade is a key emotion word for Portuguese speakers. Though akin to nostalgia or longing, the term has no direct equivalent in English. As the Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil sings in ‘Toda saudade’, it is the presence of absence, ‘of someone or some place – of something, anyway’. One can have saudades (the singular and […]

In recent decades thousands of books and countless articles and research reports have been published exploring the essence of authentic happiness and myths related to it. One such myth is that money brings happiness. In fact, there is no scientific and proven positive correlation between money and happiness; multiple research studies have shown that an […]

In Leave No Trace, isolation bonds a father and daughter—and drives them apart The brokenness of life is almost unbearable in Leave No Trace, a movie inspired by a true story. Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) live in the woods of a large public park near Portland, Ore., hiding from discovery […]

Sometimes we can learn very helpful life lessons from unexpected places. I had an interesting conversation with one of my nieces about her acting class, and began thinking about how the skills she is working on there might apply to all of our lives. She was sharing with me how she is learning to (1) […]

Motivation gives people the extra push to get things done. When you are struggling to do something, you need to encourage yourself in order to avoid giving up before finishing. And in case you desire to attain a long-term plan, you must set a clear and achievable goal in order to maintain your motivation all […]

It is Monday afternoon. I sit with my book beneath an enormous oak tree on the lawn outside of Peirce, the early October breeze rustling each page as I annotate furiously. Around me, bursts of laughter and frantic conversation mix with the chimes of the 4 p.m. bells ringing out across Middle Path. It is […]

The idea of stepping away from my cushion and finding meditative stillness in the motion of the world appealed to me, and so I started paying attention. Here are some of the unlikely ways I find meditation away from the cushion: Making the best peppermint tea in the best mug and sitting on the front […]

Much like its physical counterpart, mental clutter causes us to feel overwhelmed. It inhibits our ability to focus on the things that matter. When your mind is busy, thinking clearly can be a challenge. When you declutter your mind you have room to think, room to consider your options without distraction. You’ll also find that […]

With the rise of personal development and a generation of people who want more meaning from life, topics like passion and purpose permeate our thinking. The question burns in your mind — you want to figure out what to do with your life. You have tons of options–maybe even too many. You want to make a decision, […]