Buddhist practice is based on nonviolence, and this extends to our breathing. Rather than trying to alter your breath by breathing slower or more deeply, just breathe naturally, in and out. Notice how good that feels.
Author: Joanne Deck
Joanne M. Deck, MBA, SPHR is a certified human resource professional, educator, public speaker, and author with expertise in leadership, education and training, careers, spiritual direction, and healthy dating relationships. She has over 20 years of corporate experience as an trainer, leadership coach, human resources director, wellness and management consultant, and customer service manager and was a Toastmaster, having achieved the levels of ACS and ALB. Joanne is also the author of Sane Sex for Singles, a three-time winning dating guide for the new millennium. Joanne was born in Rochester, NY and graduated from the University at Albany, NY with a degree in math and an MBA in human resources. She is the mother of young adult twin daughters and lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her husband, Roger. Joanne is currently working on her next book, Learning to Receive with Grace and Ease, aimed at helping people become more comfortable and skillful receivers. Her observation is that most people have the giving side of the equation down, but struggle with receiving.
Unexpected Blessings
Hanging out with caregivers and church-goers, I am frequently surrounded by people who love to give. Giving is one of the most powerful ways to receive, and sometimes the gifts we get are tangible and life-changing. I received one such blessing over ten years ago when I volunteered to walk a marathon in Amsterdam for […]
Journal Your Way to a Healthy Weight
If losing weight is one of your New Year’s resolutions, keep a food journal. People often underestimate how much food they eat and do a poor job estimating many calories they’ve consumed. Check out www.myfooddiary.com, www.myfitnesspal.com, or www.my-calorie-counter.com to get started.
We Are One
Thanks to the wonderful Rev. Dr. Mitzi Lynton, Congregant Care Minister at Creative Living Fellowship in Phoenix, I have the habit at year-end of choosing a word for the New Year. This year my word is “One.” (If you would like help in selecting a word for yourself for 2013, I invite you to join […]
A Season for Nonviolence
A Season for Nonviolence was founded by Arun Gandhi and Michael Bernard Beckwith and celebrates it sixteenth anniversary in 2013. The Season runs annually from January 30 through April 4 with the intention to “bring interfaith communities together to teach personal responsibility for creating peace in our world.” Its website notes that nonviolence is “a […]
Promoting Nonviolence
Despite the cheerful decorations and ubiquitous holiday music, my heart is heavy today; perhaps yours is too. The shocking news of children gunned down and terrorized by another young male is all too familiar. It has led me once again to reflect on the pervasive violence to which we’re continuously exposed and its role in […]
Thanks to Wayne Dyer
“You are important enough to ask and you are blessed enough to receive back.” Wayne Dyer If you subscribe to Science of Mind magazine, you’ve probably seen that Wayne Dyer is featured in the January 2013 issue. This got me to reflecting on how much he has given to me over the years. I’d like […]
Time to Update the Safe Sex Message
I was asked recently what my bigger-than-I-could-ever-imagine-happening dream is. I’m happy to say that I was able to answer immediately: I’d like to see the safe sex campaign updated for the new millennium and replaced with a sane sex movement. For decades, the government and health officials have been encouraging people to practice safe sex. This means […]
Does Your Food Suit Your Mood? Part 2
By Anita Rangaswami (Guest Blogger) Are we paying close attention to the “negative effects” of certain foods that are consumed on a daily basis? Here is an example that may sound a little too familiar and clearly illustrates these “negative effects”. An ice cream treat can be an earned reward after a particularly stressful day and […]
You Are Not What You Feel
As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago, many spiritual teachers caution strongly about the ways we phrase things. While I agree about avoiding limiting language, I do think the issue can be taken too far. For instance, when it comes to weight loss, some say we should “release” weight, not “lose” it, […]