Arnie Kozak's Blog, page 2
November 16, 2016
Mindfulness Matters
I've been writing about mindfulness for almost ten years now, practicing it for almost thirty (a few years shy of that). Despite the fact that there are too many mindfulness books in the world already, I can't help myself--I keep writing!
My two mindfulness-focused book are now a lovely matched set--each a collection of 108 short chapters. These books are gifty in that sense that they don't need to be read straight through. You can keep them on your night stand and dip into them as you...
My two mindfulness-focused book are now a lovely matched set--each a collection of 108 short chapters. These books are gifty in that sense that they don't need to be read straight through. You can keep them on your night stand and dip into them as you...
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November 14, 2016
2017 Workshops
The early part of 2017, I'll be presenting workshops, two with my friend and spiritual brother, Jaimal Yogis. Most of these are on the East Coast and I am also excited to be teaching in California with Jaimal. Please join me or us for some mindfulness training, solitude, and the opportunity to develop some resilience, inner strength, and equanimity in the...
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November 13, 2016
After the Election
I've heard it described in various ways this week, from "seismic waves" to "I don't want to to talk about politics." All the same, the election did occur and we must all live with the results. My friend Jaimal Yogis put it eloquently:
What do we do with despair, anger, fear, frustration? How do we let these massive waves exist in their own right without letting them turn to hate? Without losing compassion for all beings? How do we find wise action in a stormy world and rise above mere...
What do we do with despair, anger, fear, frustration? How do we let these massive waves exist in their own right without letting them turn to hate? Without losing compassion for all beings? How do we find wise action in a stormy world and rise above mere...
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October 11, 2016
Appreciate Change: The Colors of Fall
Peak foliage is here in Northern Vermont and the landscape is a ubiquitous reminds of the change that is always present.This change is most visible now, dramatic, showing itself off.
Yet change is the order of things. Nothing is fixed, even though we may wish it to be so.
Appreciate the colors around you and if you are in a place with little fall foliage, you...
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October 4, 2016
A Thief in the Night
I was recently in Southern California and saw this message plastered on a car. I thought to myself, "this is not the best metaphor." I didn't realize at the time that it is a quote from the Bible.Now that I know its ecclesiastical credibility, I still don't think it is the best metaphor.
We can think of metaphors broadly as the process of understanding one thing...
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September 24, 2016
How To Stay Married When You’re An Introvert And He’s An Extrovert
Brittany Wong, Divorce editor at the Huffington Post recently asked me about mixed introvert and extrovert couples. You can read her interesting article here.
If you are an introvert in relationship with an extrovert or an extrovert in partnership with an introvert, there is no need to despair. There are ways that you can make your differences...
If you are an introvert in relationship with an extrovert or an extrovert in partnership with an introvert, there is no need to despair. There are ways that you can make your differences...
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September 10, 2016
Why I Meditate
I awoke at 4:30 this morning to darkness and silence. The dogs reluctantly got up too, although they would have preferred to sleep in. My journey over the next seven hours would not include them and they would quickly re-establish themselves in deep sleep on the couch.At 5:00 after coffee, I began meditating. My intention was to sit seven 45-minute periods separated...
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August 6, 2016
Man Versus Deer Fly
Some notion of non-harmfulness is a key feature of religious, ethical, and philosophical systems. In Buddhism, it is called ahimsa. Summer in Northern Vermont is a battle between human and insect. The Deer Flies are especially active this time of year. If you are not familiar, deer flies are a triangle shape (very similar to a stealth bomber) and when...
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August 1, 2016
What Would the Buddha Think of the Mindfulness Movement?
I am connecting with mindfulness colleagues on LinkedIn (thank you!) and I am impressed, no, flabbergasted by the amount of people who have embraced mindfulness, made it the central focus of their lives.It is humbling. My one voice in a chorus of multitudes. I am no one special. I would say, though, that my interest in mindfulness predates the current bandwagon by...
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July 18, 2016
Freedom From Insult
The Buddha knew a thing or two about non-contingent self-worth. He recognized that we actively participate in the generation of feeling insulted. Words may be issues, yet without some kind of assent, acceptance, or appropriation, they cannot affect us.This non-contingent sentiment is made beautifully clear in this passage from the Samyutta Nikaya. The Buddha creates...
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