Learn the Art of Wu Wei
In Chinese Zen, there is a practice called wu-wei. Although it means not doing, it does not mean doing nothing. It is about a certain kind of awareness, a certain attitude toward the doing. Often, when we do something, our mind is elsewhere. Brushing our teeth in the morning, we are thinking of the next thing we have to do, and the next thing, and maybe even the next thing after that. Brushing teeth in the spirit of wu-wei means coming back to the present. It means being aware of brushing our...
Patiently Untie the Knots
A major life issue is like a large, tight knot. A difficult knot must be tugged at here, pulled on there, gradually loosened, bit by bit, until it unravels. Then at some point, the solution emerges. Issues reaching back into childhood or involving years to reach their present state of complexity are seldom resolved in a quick way. Instant answers are suspect. You may recall the legend of Alexander the Great and the Gordian knot a knot that no one had been able to untie. Alexander simply drew...
Bring Mindfulness to Your Schemas
Mindfulness can help us identify and alter our schemas. First of all, as we become more mindful, as we learn to calm ourselves and look deeply, we become more aware of these patterns. For example, if you have an unrelenting standards schema, you start to notice how hard you are on yourself. If you have a mistrust and abuse schema, you may begin to notice how unsatisfying your relationships are and how self-protective you feel around others, as though at any moment they would try to hurt you....