This past Sunday, Catholics around the world were treated to a reading from the First Epistle of John. This letter, likely written between 95 and 110 A.D. in Ephesus, is addressed to believing Christians and covers themes of love and genuine fellowship with God. The excerpt read at Mass this week, 1 John 2:1-5, covers precisely these topics, with a focus on learning to recognize when God—and by extension, love—truly abides in a person. This is an important subject that […] The post TO WALK THE SAME WAY HE WALKED: A reflection on John’s first letter appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

Coltrane You enhance the shoppingexperience of my life. You aremy essential oil, a delicate glazeon my ribs, that secret blendof spices that strokes on myguitar strings that sound so right; you linger in my mind long afterthe song has ended. You are myanguish, my handwritten notes bythe coffee machine, and the bodylanguage that makes me want tocry with you and make love to youand install art with you and stir shit up with you. To let go ofdistractions and connect […] The post POEMS BY GEORGE PAYNE: Coltrane, Where the Sky Touches the Earth and more appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

Quantum entanglement is one of the most beautiful and observable phenomena of contemporary physics. Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance” because it demonstrates how two particles can be linked together no matter how far apart they are in space or time. As Paul Levy explained, “When two quantum entities interact, they become intermingled in such a way as to remain forever linked together….Exhibiting a form of contagious magic, each seems to telepathically “know” what the other is doing….Their […] The post SOULMATES, SYNCHRONICITY AND TELEPATHY: Who are you entangled with on your lif ..read more

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of falling in love. It’s what prompts songwriters to work their craft. The pursuit of love brings us to movie theatres for rom-coms and fills conversations with our friends. Fairy tales instill in us the hope of finding that one special someone who will make our heart flutter with their mere presence. With love, everything is possible. Life is endlessly beautiful, calories don’t count, and when you’re in it, you believe it’ll last forever. […] The post STOICISM ON LOVE: Follow your heart—and the 4 virtues appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

WELCOMING BEGINNER’S MIND: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature Gaylon Ferguson [Shambhala, 248 pages] As I’ve explored Buddhist philosophy over the past few years, I’ve found richness in reading books by experienced practitioners because each one provides their own interpretation of basic teachings. Diving into Gaylon Ferguson’s newest book, Welcoming Beginner’s Mind: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature, has been a rewarding reading experience. Ferguson is a longtime Buddhist practitioner and has […] The post WELCOMING BEGINNER’S MIND: Ze ..read more

There’s an old story about two boys whose father was an alcoholic. They grew into young men. One son became an alcoholic. “What choice do I have?” he said. “My father is an alcoholic.” The other son never touched a drop of alcohol. “How could I?” he said. “Look what it did to my father.” From this simple story, we can see how perception is subjective. Two people sharing the same experience can perceive it very differently, and thus it […] The post CONSCIOUS PERCEPTION: We have the power to shape our own reality appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

It was 2008. At this point in my life, I was still confused about how things we think about become our reality. When people seemingly created miraculous things in their lives, I would stare at them perplexed, wondering, How did they do that? I knew I wanted to live an extraordinary life. I craved peace of mind, security, safety and a feeling of wholistic well-being. I just didn’t know how to make those desires my reality. Take, for instance, one […] The post UNTAPPED MAGIC: This 5-part negativity detox will help you find yours appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

The Ukelele Player Under the hidden moon sings the old mansoftly. The forgotten songs ribbon acrossa purpling sky. Those who pass do not glance his way,unmoved are they by his faltering lilt.Yet the shadow of his voice rises to the moonand suspends us all utterly. Sturgeon Moon There is a narrowing in my chest tonight as I wrap myself around myself, folding inward.But then I sense the coruscating gaze of the sturgeon moon—its resonant splendour cracking me open. I cannot […] The post POEMS BY OLIVIA HAJIOFF: The Ukelele Player, Sturgeon Moon, Moonplace appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

“Remember the blue sky. It may at times be obscured by clouds, but it is always there.” Andy Puddicombe, Headspace co-founder I remember not wanting to get on my Yoga mat the very first time I was preparing myself to do Yoga. After 30 days of consistent practice, however, I was refreshed and nourished and didn’t regret doing it at all. This was during the 30-day Yoga challenge with Adriene Mishler, an experienced and well-known Yoga instructor on YouTube. While […] The post THE 30-DAY YOGA CHALLENGE WITH ADRIENE MISHLER: 5 reasons to try it for yourself appeared first on The Mindful Word ..read more

I’ve been watching the dysfunctionality of our world, including death, starvation, illness, delusional thinking, dishonesty and disregard for the needs of fellow humans. I’ve watched the ravages of unnecessary wars in which women, children, families and communities have been killed, and life (as it was known) is no longer. Throughout these wars, there has been no water to drink, no food to eat, no electricity and no medical care for the ill and the maimed. For the most part, these […] The post REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S POLITICAL REALITIES: We can prevail over ignorance, lies and Trump appeared fi ..read more