Shame. It’s a loaded word and an emotion/experience that underlies so much of our individual and collective suffering. Unlike guilt, which is a belief that we’ve done something bad, shame is a feeling that we are bad. As described by Dr. Chris Germer, clinical psychologist and international expert in mindfulness and compassion, “Shame is an inner, invisible energy.” However, shame is certainly something we feel inside our heads, hearts and bodies.

Habits are conditioned responses that we have, well, habituated. And, any addiction that someone develops is, in essence, a habit. Whether that be as potentially benign as caffeine every morning or as complex as an alcohol or substance abuse disorder that is increasingly adding to personal and collective suffering, addiction, as extreme behavior, habitually pulls us away from the middle path or the middle way.

In my last blog, Using Wise Effort To Live As Your Best Self As We Move Through The Holidays And Into The New Year, I focused on applying a firm hand of kindness and wise effort as defined by the Buddha in the noble eightfold path to guide us in moving away from over-efforting, as so many of us do, while kindly and compassionately using a firm hand of kindness to help keep us accountable to those aspects of our lives that help us live as the highest version of ourselves.

The holiday season—while it brings invitations to spend time extra with loved ones, give and receive, practice gratitude, celebrate, and cultivate joy—can also feel stressful, overwhelming and lonely for some, especially if this season of lights feels dark.

Compassion is having a sensitivity to the suffering of self and others, with the intention of finding ways to prevent or at least mitigate it. This sounds great as no one wants to be in distress, but how can we bring increased kindness and care into our daily lives?

I recently got a new pair of glasses, which showed me, quite literally, that I’d not been seeing reality clearly. This realization came as a bit of a shocker as I soon began to see with more clarity all that I had been missing.

Water is essential for life. It’s needed for cleansing, to purify and to sustain our human existence. Water can also teach us a lot about how to approach our lives, especially if it’s our desire to live with more fluidity, flexibility and a gentle and patient strength.

Loving the self is a helpful technique to combat the anxiety that invades individuals with an anxious or avoidant attachment style. Let's explore this idea together.

When you’re in a relationship with a distant person, learning how to securely attach to yourself is essential. Here are some helpful tips.

Plenty of things give us joy and fulfillment in life — but there is no greater indicator of a life well-lived than having secure relationships. Here’s a look at this dynamic and how you can pursue it.

Few would have thought three little words could serve as a powerful skill for acceptance — but they do. Here's how it works.

Proper breathing should come naturally — but it doesn't to us humans. Here's helpful insight to inspire you to pause and breathe.

When you're in a relationship with an avoidant partner, it's easy to feel anxious — but you can stay calm and support your love, too!

We each connect with others uniquely, and our childhoods greatly impact how we connect. Here are some telltale signs of anxious attachment style.

How we survive isn't always about being the toughest — at least, that's the theory explored in today's post. Let's talk about friendliness.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic felt almost "apocolyptic?" For many, the pandemic's impact has only been negative — but there's a positive twist, too.

If you or your partner have an avoidant attachment style, it can create issues in the relationship. Here are ways to navigate this style successfully.

Anyone can learn to develop a secure attachment — but what does it look like? Here are thoughts on the subject, especially how it relates to the lockdown.