Notes From The Mindful Inner Journey

In this episode, Jeff more fully explores about the benefits of being aware of how our minds can sometimes get lost in "wondering what's next" instead of just being present in each moment at work. He digs deeper into the subject of how in the world of work (and in our lives away from work), it can be very tempting to be envisioning and thinking about one or more steps ahead of where...

In this episode, Jeff takes a deeper look at working with various "habits of mind" and how mindfulness practice can help. He shares some stories from his life to illustrate how these various habits of mind can cause a considerable amount of unnecessary suffering for ourselves and for others around us unless we practice being more aware of how we are reacting internally to what we are fee...

Jeff talks about how mindfulness practice has changed his perspective on the importance of connecting with others in a more genuine way despite dealing with chronic depression and being naturally introverted and inclined to isolating himself sometimes. He shares stories about how his practice has enabled him to more deeply understand what goes on in his mind when he is in the company of others and...

Jeff reflects about a very powerful example of effective coping that he experienced recently. He explains how what he witnessed taught him that sometimes, when things are extraordinarily difficult, we have to resort to stronger ways of coping and how it takes practice in order to "weather the storm" without self-destructing emotionally. He revisits how mindfulness practice can prepare us...

Jeff talks about how sometimes we feel empty, dissatisfied, or anxious about how things are in some moments and how we can fear times when it seems like "this is all that there is" and what will happen next and what if things never change and we find ourselves stuck there. He discusses how one of the greatest realizations along the spiritual journey was that life has a way of being what...

Jeff talks about what is referred to as experiencing the "meditative witness and how it is beyond what is theoretical and how it is something that cannot be understood intellectually but can only be experienced. He shares about experiencing this "meditative witness" during a difficult period in his life and what he has learned from it and how it has changed his life and practice. He...

Jeff talks about the importance of not getting caught up and mired in just the fine details of what we are struggling with or what is causing us pain as it is also very important to pause and take a look at the "bigger picture" of our lives, where we are, and where we are headed. He explains why it is so easy for us to lose touch with the "here and now" and remain "inside...

Jeff talks about one of the most difficult "emotional hooks," which is the role of the victim. He explains how all of the "emotional hooks" all work the same in that they entice us into taking on a role or an identity that is not really who we are. He then talks further about the various lenses that we can choose to look at our lives through that actually cause us to see things...

Jeff talks about the different types of feelings that can cause us distress, fear, and anxiety and how instead of trying to analyze what caused them and instead of trying to avoid them, it is much more beneficial to let ourselves just feel these feelings and then release them. He acknowledges that there are many effective ways to heal from this, but it's up to each person to figure out what w...

Jeff talks about going through a recent loss and about realizing that he was causing additional suffering for himself by harboring hopes and expectations for how things would go even after he had already accepted that loss was imminent. He elaborates on how it is so human for us to continue to cling to hopes and expectations for things to "go our way" when they clearly already aren'...

Jeff talks about how we have a choice in the way that we interpret our own suffering and the suffering of others and about how we can learn to stand outside our own thoughts and feelings about what is happening. This "different perspective" of the pain and difficulties that befall us can actually open up new doors for us to more deeply experience what is truly happening in each moment an...

Jeff talks about how mindfulness meditation doesn't just happen "on the cushion" in a formal practice....it can happen anytime that we are living life and dealing with our everyday challenges. He talks about how the whole idea of mindfulness practice is to allow us to be more aware of when we get caught up in reactions and in taking our thoughts and feelings too seriously and to ret...

Jeff explores where the work really is in our practice and why he continues to engage in it daily.....it's not something that can be worked on for awhile and that can be internalized without the need to do the work daily. It's about continuing to practice letting go of the need to believe everything that we are thinking and feeling about the present, past, and future as there are ongoing...

Jeff presents an analogy to help explain what mindfulness actually looks like in the moment as we are dealing with life internally and/or externally. He presents a powerful visual representation of what it looks like when you imagine two screens with different "programming" The first screen shows what is going on inside your mind in response to external and internal stimuli (Screen A), w...

Jeff speaks about the importance of utilizing the techniques of mindfulness practice when finding oneself in a stressful situation. He reviews some of the ways in which we can "catch ourselves in the act" of losing touch with what is really going on and how we can "mindfully back out of the trance" of believing any unpleasant emotions.