Brad4d Savasana

Social media and reality TV seem to enjoy mimicking the drama of narrative fiction. Rather than live the mundane, live in moderation, they thrive on extremes. This isn’t reality. What happens is many of us are looking for the next viral moment. Our media teaches us that living a balanced life doesn’t get the attention we desire. However, spiritual traditions tell us to seek moderation, balance, an...

I’m still reeling at the rainbow of emotions I’ve experienced the past four days. My dog received the care he needed in spite of a $4000 hospital bill. Social media might receive criticism for inciting cynicism and rage, but I was reminded how it also can be used for good. I’m thankful that my family and friends could reach out to me in my time of need.

It’s remarkable how keen our focus is during moments of great suffering. All our senses, thoughts, and actions are directed towards the present moment. We cannot think about anything else, even if we want to. These moments teach us how to accept each moment, either good or bad. I’m headed to the vet emergency room. Say a prayer for my dog.

In a country that praises the freedom of speech, we don’t practice much discernment in the consequences of our words. All spiritual traditions tell us something about how we should speak and receive one another. Rather than use words to “win,” we use words to further truth, not profit or power. Our words do matter, and we should not be surprised if unhealthy conflict results by using words that in...

How crazy people can be claiming their culture, their identity, their God as “theirs,” as if it’s something they can possess? We even see our material possessions as “mine,” not “yours.” When we consider things from a spiritual perspective, we all belong to one another. We all belong to God. Rabindranath Tagore makes an interesting metaphor—that we are all rivers longing to meet the sea.

Many cultures emphasize more—more power, more wealth, more things. We’re easily led to believe that bigger is better, and we should seek to expand our acquisitions. But joy can start as small as a mustard seed. It can sprout from simple things. Rather than spread wide, joy can spread deep, taking root within.

The story of the magi who visited Jesus is one of my favorites. What would inspire these men—of course we’re not sure there were three OR they were all men. The magi had seen in the stars that a king had been born. They traveled a great distance and brought gifts to an infant. They knew something others did not—that there was something magnificent happening. I always wonder what great things are h...

Many of us couldn’t wait for 2020 to be over, as if putting up a new calendar will magically change things. Beginning a new year is only a shared mental construction. If we wanted, we could have begun a new year a month ago. If we see each day, each moment as an opportunity to begin again, we can experience the freshness each moment has to offer.

In times of great change or great stagnation, we face the fear of uncertainty. We easily get caught up in the panic and don’t pause for the teaching each moment has to offer. There is a unity in all things, and that unity whispers us a promise: “Everything will be ok.”

When everything is quickly available at the flick of a fingertip, we struggle and ache when we have to wait. When our desires aren’t immediately gratified, we don’t see what preparation is necessary for us to receive. If we skip steps and receive our gift prematurely, the outcome might not be what we desired.

The internet allows our words to spread all over the world. Some words, particularly those that arouse controversy, are amplified, contributing to pain rather than peace. Rather than speaking without consideration, Khalil Gibran tells us to let the spirit guide our tongue and shape our words. Those are words that pierce the heart and endure well beyond the conversation.

Perhaps one of the reasons I’m still single in my 50s is that I spent most of my 20s and 30s chasing after men who were wrong for me. I was addicted to the thrill of the chase and the brief exhilaration of acquisition. With most of these relationships, I would be left broken-hearted and empty-handed. When we live in a state of clinging and acquiring, we aren’t free. The object of our desires impri...

We often talk about the “stress” of the holidays, but can we complain about that now? Instead, we mourn NOT having our many social gatherings. Just think—you probably won’t have to battle holiday weight gain in January! Yet still, we are uneasy when we can’t find peace in being alone. However, Henri Nouwen writes that by finding our quiet center, we can develop a sense of authenticity that we carr...

Although meditation has become popular in mainstream society as a means of stress reduction, it’s important to understand where it progresses. Yes, it calms the waves of stress, but we eventually recognize that these waves are part of the large ocean of connectedness to others. We develop a sense of authenticity that implores us to manifest this in the world.

Can you gaze upon something you love without a running mental commentary? Evelyn Underhill, in her writing about contemplation, implores us to experience Reality without labels or frames. Instead, we immerse ourselves in loving the object of contemplation, such as an animal or flower. This immersion not only connects us to the object, but also to the rest of the world.

We get easily caught up in our routines to the point that we live life on autopilot, lacking awareness. We assume everything is taken care of, and we take things for granted. But do we know where we’re going? Is this taking us in the right direction? The Katha Upanishad reminds us that we allow our senses to drive our lives out of control. Rather than living life on autopilot, we live moment to mo...

This is a visualization I recorded for InsightTimer.com. Visualization can be an effective way to guide the mind, particularly when the mind wants to dart off in various directions. This meditation takes us to the mountains, where we listen closely to what messages they want to communicate with us. Fireplace and mountain wind sound effects by SoundIdeasCom and sounddogs, respectively, available at...

What do we do when we encounter something beautiful? We might want to take a picture or compare it with other things. We shower it with excessive rhetoric rather than experience beauty for what it is. This is a call for mysticism, or experiencing reality untainted. Evelyn Underhill’s “Practical Mysticism” calls us towards mysticism.

I honestly wonder how many people, particularly business and political leaders, can look at themselves in the mirror while lying and breaking laws. Unless you’re a psychopath who has no regard for right and wrong, our conscience elicits our sense of guilt. If we shrug off our sense of guilt, we continue down a slippery slope of hurting others and eventually ourselves. A healthy balance of guilt mo...

Oftentimes we hear “Dark Night of the Soul” as a euphemism for depression. Although the symptoms are very similar, the Dark Night of the Soul is means of spiritual growth. You might not recognize it until you’re on the other side. St. John of the Cross wrote about this spiritual maturation in his book, Dark Night of the Soul. It is a time when your old ways no longer give you sensory pleasure. You...

When life always goes the way we expect, we don’t see the many things we take for granted. It is when things fall apart that we’re forced to piece together some semblance of normalcy. We recognize that all things are in a continual state of change, and so are the things we take for granted. Therefore , this moment-to-moment awareness can show us certain gifts that we don’t slow down enough to see.

We love our traditions because they give us comfort in the midst of chaos. COVID-19 has upended many of our traditions, creating a lot of additional suffering and uncertainty. However, this might be a good moment to ask ourselves what traditions need to change. Have we become so attached to the routine of our tradition that we forgot what’s at the heart of it? This time might open us to new tradit...

When life gives us trials, it can be difficult to endure. The noonday demon tells us to quit—that it’s not worth it. When the end seems too far in sight and the noonday demon tempts you, remember that you’re building resilience. You’re building mental strength to endure future races. Visualize the finish line in mind, shrug off the noonday demon, and finish the race. The world is counting on you.

Thomas Merton sums up much of my life’s perspective in his book, “New Seeds of Contemplation.” His words ring true today. He writes that when we see the world as divided, it’s only a projection of our internal division. In battling others, we’re only compromising our own values. We might not recognize it because we don’t spend enough time in solitude. Solitude allows us to reconnect ourselves wher...

The serenity prayer adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous is one we all can employ during our times of struggle. It’s important not to suffer twice by resisting what is happening. Instead, we examine what can be done in each moment. In some cases, there is a small thing we can do. In others, we accept what it is without adding more anxiety. It might seem overwhelming to think about how long you can endu...