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There Is Much More to Mindfulness Than the Popular Media Hype

January 31, 2022

Most of the public enthusiasm for mindfulness stems from the reputation it has for reducing stress. But scholars and researchers who work on mindfulness, and the Buddhist tradition itself, paint a more complex picture than does the popular media.

Mindfulness of the Body

January 20, 2022

The first foundation of mindfulness is contemplation of the body (kayanupassana). When you learn to listen to your bodies and stay with sensations, you can become more grounded and less reactive. Contemplation of the body helps you make friends with your body, and accept the fact that this body is not "your" body, but rather just a temporary form. A large body of scientific research suggests that simply paying attention to your body helps ward off disease, improves cognitive and emotional functioning, and much more. However, simply staying present with the sensations in your body is as simple as it is challenging.

Mantra and Movement

January 18, 2022

Chanting mantras can help us bypass the mundane matters and mental chatter of daily life. I am offering a new weekly class called "Mantra and Movement" that combines the yoga of sound (nāda yoga) with the yoga of movement (asana) to support your physical health and spiritual development. You can choose to sing or listen to the sacred sounds, join in the movement or just sit. No prior musical or yoga experience is required for this class, and people from all belief systems are welcome.

New Classes at Minnetonka Community Education

January 9, 2022

After taking a long period to work on my own practice, I will be offering some new classes at Minnetonka Community Education in the coming months. Gentle Flow Yoga on will take place on Mondays in January and February. Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation will be on Saturday, January 22

Meditating with Music

November 29, 2021

Man wearing headphones meditating on a yoga

Most people who try meditation probably think of it as an activity done in silence. They might learn the common meditation technique where they observe sounds that happen to arise and notice the temporary nature of those sounds, but they probably would not expect those sounds to continue throughout their meditation. In other words, sound is understood to be a departure from the "real work" of sitting — or struggling to sit — peacefully in silence. Fortunately, there is more than one way to meditate and there isn't some rule that the only allowable "meditation music" is repetitions of John Cage's 4' 33".

The Psychology of Why Sad Songs Make Us Feel Good

November 17, 2021

Photo by marcen27 from Glasgow, UK, CC BY 2.0

It isn’t obvious that we should like sad music. Sadness is usually a feeling we try to avoid. An alien might expect us to find such music depressing and dislikable. Yet, sad music pulls us in and lifts us up. So, why does hearing sad music feel so good?

Learn How to Tame Your Wild Mind with Mindfulness Meditation

November 15, 2021

Curious about mindfulness meditation? Perhaps you have heard the hype or seen the long lists of benefits. Maybe you are wondering how mindfulness meditation can be such a powerful tool for becoming more present in daily life or how "just sitting" causes people to develop more compassion for both themselves and others. Or perhaps you would like to develop deeper insight into the nature of your mind and the world around you.

Yoga, Sleep, and a New Bedtime Yoga Routine

September 28, 2021

The CDC, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Sleep Research Society, and many other sleep experts agree that adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night. Children need even more sleep. Further, sleep experts advise that a lack of sleep can lead to a wide variety of negative consequences. One "Consensus Statement" from representatives of these organizations warns:

How We Compare: Leaderboards and Related Comparison Metrics in the Drupal Community

September 22, 2021

This article focuses on three attempts to compare people (and organizations) in the Drupal community: Certified to Rock, DrupalCores, and the Drupal Marketplace page. It explores how these methods were useful, where they might have been lacking, and what we can learn from related academic research into leaderboards.

Grand Reopening on Sunday

September 10, 2021

This Sunday, September 12, will be the grand reopening of the new Spirit of the Lake studio at 6140 Lake Linden Drive in Shorewood. There will be free outdoor classes and in-studio classes running throughout the day, as well as chair massages, free hourly give-aways, and an opportunity to connect with the Spirit of the Lake yoga community. Sign up online to save your spot as the indoor classes are limited.