In the Footsteps of the Buddha pilgrimages with Shantum Seth across India and South Asia. Other spiritual journeys that transform. Mindful travel.
Mindfulness |
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Making our way through a sea of green
In my continuing quest to bring mindfulness to all that I consume, I've met more than a few roadblocks. As Organic! Green! and Eco-friendly! labels scream at me from the aisles of my grocery store the process has become increasingly exasperating. Further confusing me, the "Healthy Living" section of my local supermarket recently renovated their floors, replacing linoleum with polished wood to simulate the feel of an organic health food store. Detergents, toothpastes, fruits, and even potato chips now come in green packaging with grassy knolls, woodland creatures, and falling leaves decorating their labels. It all adds to my mounting confusion. More » -
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Falling in Love and Feeling Lonely
As an intern at Tricycle, I am also a degree candidate at the New School University, where I am the cohost of a radio show called Sex, Lies & Radiowaves. My partner-in-crime is a gorgeous, free-spirited female with hair that enters the room before she does, and a laugh so infectious it reaches your blood stream instantly. And guess what… I’m falling in love with her, which is entirely organic and something that I didn’t see coming. However I must confess, there’s a catch. More » -
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Mindfulness and Consumption, where does it end?
In a recent blog post concerning mindfulness and our consumption of food, I asked readers to consider ways in which we can be mindful as consumers. Tricycle blog reader Alan, building on the initial question, posted the following: Your question, "is it possible to remain mindful of all that we consume?” has a simple answer: No. Consider the *simple* act of posting this message: I have no clear idea as to the environmental costs of computer manufacture, internet usage, etc., nor can I, but I consume anyway. That said, I think your question makes an excellent point because so much of the advice we are given, “be mindful about consumption,” might seem to imply otherwise. Perhaps a better approach would be to ask, “Given that full mindfulness of all that we consume is impossible, how can we approach consumption most skillfully? More » -
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Mindful Consumption?
This week, Magnolia Pictures releases its new movie Food, Inc. in theaters across the US. The film, which follows in the footsteps of recent films like Fast Food Nation, focuses on the shadowy and unchecked food industry that has grown in the US over the past 50 years. But while the film targets the handful of large corporations that control much of what appears on the shelves of grocery stores, it also suggests that our blissful ignorance as consumers who toss frozen chicken breasts and packaged lettuce into our grocery carts, actually makes us complicit in the ugly underbelly of the multi-billion dollar food industry. I was lucky enough to catch an advanced screening of the film which manages to be simultaneously troubling and hopeful as it exposes the history and future of American's food consumption. More » -
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Who's the happiest man in the world?
According to an opinion piece by Daniel Goleman in this morning's New York Times ("Sitting Quietly, Doing Something"), Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is. And the reason is no secret: So how did he get that way? Apparently, the same way you get to Carnegie Hall. Practice. Buddhist meditation practice, that is. According to Goleman, Mingyur Rinpoche is an "Olympic-level meditator," logging more than 10,000 hours on the cushion. Goleman cites neuroscientist Richard Davidson's studies on meditation's effect on the brain to explain why these spiritual athletes are so cheerful. There is a strong correllation, Goleman explains, between committed meditation practice and increased activity in the areas of the brain associated with positive moods: The more lifetime hours of practice, the greater the increases tended to be. More »
