Summer is here, and there is so much to celebrate. Travel season is finally open, the weather is amazing and I feel light, energetic and hopeful. People around me are smiling, I live in the South of France and the combination of rivers, mountains, beach (and the aperitivo) is simply intoxicating. All of life’s regular challenges seem […]
You’ve probably heard that in order to arrive at a state of inner peace and deep relaxation, first, you have to connect fully to the present moment, the ‘here and now’. That’s why I like to call meditation the Practice of Presence. There are various techniques to connect to the present moment and to exercise […]
Want Peace? Embrace The Conflict. The paradox of the compassionate heart A Tibetan monk, who had spent more than 18 years in a Chinese prison labour camp, told the Dalai Lama that on a few occasions he really faced some danger. So, he asked him, ‘What danger? What kind of danger?’, thinking he would tell […]
1. Spend as much time in nature as possible and oxygenate the brain and body. This might seem obvious but in this world of urban living and busyness, we spend too much time in our isolated, unventilated homes. Commit to going on daily short walks and going into a natural park for longer periods at […]
What is the difference between compulsive thinking and voluntary thinking, and how can we get out of the loop of repetitive thoughts that we don’t benefit from? How can meditation help us separate our ego from our true nature? Shastro shares his insights from a lifelong practice of meditation, explaining the ego’s role in obsessive thinking, desire to control the future, and why we identify with our thoughts.
What happens when we make big plans and life goals, and a year later we realize none of them got carried out? How can we avoid falling into patterns of perfectionism, how do we let go of ingrained ideas about how things should or shouldn’t be and simply live in the ‘now’? Read what Marije has to say about having cake for lunch, letting go of unnecessary planning and learning to love what is already there.
