There are many people who have unpleasant experiences when they first try meditation. This is not uncommon. It's only natural that when we've lived our whole lives busy and always doing things, the first few times where we put away all distractions and turn our attention inwards can be unpleasant. There may be repressed emotions and negative thoughts for us to confront. This episode explores the causes of these negative experiences,…
How Can Beginners Start a Daily Meditation Practice Congratulations on taking the decision not to settle with having a stressful mind. Learning to meditate is about more than just learning to sit still with your eyes closed. It’s about learning to be present and to see things as they really are. Our constant thoughts, judgments, and opinions are like a fog that obscures our view of reality. The more we…
There are many more questions that envelope the idea behind meditation and spirituality. But one of the major questions that everyone asks is can meditation help fight depression? Depression is one of the most common yet most debilitating forms of mental illnesses a majority of us are suffering from today.The idea is that with meditation, you can begin your journey towards healing from this demon of depression. But what is…
This is the story of how I cured my ADHD with meditation. When I was 13 years old, being a bit impulsive and a bit of a dreamer, neither of which was too pleasing to my school teachers, my parents took me to a place with many doctors and experts in lab coats who specialized in diagnosing children with various behavioral disorders. I didn’t really understand what was going on…
Why did you choose New Zealand?During a meeting with the high Buddhist lama, Karmapa, he asked me which forest I was going to meditate in for 50 days and if there were any bears or tigers there, as he was living in India which has both. I told him I was thinking about New Zealand and that they did not. “Very good,” he said. That really sealed the deal for…
Q: Dear Todd, how can I practice stillness?TODD ANSWERS: It is much better to practice watching your breath because your breath is always with you. You don’t have to try to freeze, because your brain will always be receiving information (light, sound, etc…). But what you can practice is stilling your focus.Focus on one thing very intently, whether it’s your breath, a mantra, or a flower. And just practice extended…
If we were to put all of our focus on one little ant, that ant would take up all of our attention and awareness. Similarly, even though there’s always so much happening within us and around us, if we put all of our focus on our thoughts, those thoughts will become the only things that exist to us. Similarly, when we become triggered because of traumatic events in our past, we…
Meditation is amazing for managing our emotions, calming our mind and body, and reducing stress. But, unless it's lunchtime, most of us can't escape our jobs to go meditate anytime throughout the day. So the question is, how can we practice mindfulness at work. In this episode, Todd goes into great detail about how to practice mindfulness at work, and most importantly, how to stay mindful at those really difficult…
Q: Dear Todd, I have many bad habits. How can I transform myself?Todd Answers: My best advice for you, as someone who used to have many addictions, is to be patient and start with the addiction that is most disruptive (it was alcohol for me). Then work your way down from there one at a time. Trying all at once can often be impossible. If you fail, keep trying and…
Lately, it seems about a million new types of meditations have been invented and popularized. I get asked about a lot of them and while I don’t address every single one, Humming Meditation is one that seems to come up time and time again.Unlike a lot of other new-age types of meditation, using the voice in various ways — such as chanting, singing, or saying a mantra — has been…
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