Sometimes (all the time), we are our own worst critic. We talk to ourselves in ways we would never tolerate anyone else speaking to us. We believe our own criticism and we have a hard time believing our own — or other people's — praise.Today, Todd talks about this baggage from our past that we carry with us, and how to set it down. The past can never be negative. It was…
One person recently asked me, "Why do I get extreme tingling in my face and fingers when meditating?"The fact is, it is not uncommon for a wide variety of sensations and reactions to occur when we meditate. It's not the meditation that caused it. It's the meditation that allowed this buried feeling/trauma/pain to come to the surface and start to heal.No matter what comes up in meditation, allow it to…
Jealousy can be one of our most insidious emotions that can end lifelong relationships. Instead of feeling happy for others' success, we feel negative emotions for which we put up walls so as not to feel it, but really we're just closing ourselves in and blocking everyone else out.We can't fight our subconscious emotions because they are a part of us. But, we can use higher self, our conscious awareness,…
Q: Dear Todd, I got separated from someone I truly liked and every other minute a good or bad memory of him comes up. It's been 4 months now. I didn't know what happened. It was a shock for me and then I had to guess and accept what might have happened, but I can't seem to stop thinking about him. All emotions, and thoughts arise from that incident and…
Because most people can't sit down and instantly clear their mind, they think they might be doing it wrong. Or worse, they think they just can't meditate and that meditation is not for them. But if I were doing something my entire life – thinking – and suddenly tried to stop, it might not happen as fast as I'd like it to.Luckily, meditation is not about clearing your mind of…
Do these thoughts sound familiar when you've began to try meditation: This is taking forever! How long til I feel something? Am I even doing anything?!?! Our normal, thinking mind will grasp at anything to latch onto, and so most of us will have had thoughts like these. But meditation is a very profound practice and benefits can be gained right away. In this episode, I talk about what can…
Q: Dear Todd, so when we feel fear or experience suffering is that always the ego? Or is it an unhealed part of ourselves? Or both? TODD ANSWERS: Both and neither. These feelings of fear are merely evolutionary traits we have developed to stay far away from tigers and the edges of cliffs. Suffering is what tells us not to put our hands in the fire. But today, it is…
Maybe predators smell fear. Maybe it's sensed. Or maybe there is some quantum mechanics going on. But for whatever reason, when people see themselves as victims, they're more likely to become victimized. This has been demonstrated by people walking down the street. They are more likely to be attacked or robbed if they think they might be. In contrast, people who exude a calm confidence don't get bothered as much.…
Most of us have a voice in our head that constantly searches for something to obsess about. It scavenges and scavenges endlessly. There is just no seeming endpoint for this thought-chaser. No matter what happens, our mind will try to label, judge and analyze it forever and ever. Why won't our minds just do what they're told?!This inner voice disrupts our inner peace and usually creates problems where none existed…
Today, Todd talks about whether or not we can meditate while focusing on nothing. The thing is, being unfocused is just our normal state of mind. We typically go about our days just responding to whatever we perceive and whatever thought pops into our head. We are a slave to our impulses. Learning to focus, by practicing focus, is taking control of our mind. It's using your intentions to guide…
“I thought my biggest fear was growing old and dying in prison. In truth, my biggest fear was growing old and not knowing myself.”
- Rick Smith, Albama inmate
Path to Peace - A newsletter not just for your mental health but also for your spiritual health.
