The Quiet Mind · 静心
Meditation, Mindfulness & Inner Calm
Still the mind. Find your center. Live with intention.
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Chinese Tea Meditation: A Complete Guide to Cha Yi
Read more: Chinese Tea Meditation: A Complete Guide to Cha YiChinese Tea Meditation: A Complete Guide to Cha Yi In this article: What Chinese tea meditation is, its history in Chan Buddhism and Taoism, how it works as mindfulness practice, and a step-by-step method to begin. The Cup That Holds Stillness Of all the mindfulness practices you can adopt, few are as accessible — or…
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Wu Wei: The Taoist Art of Effortless Action
Read more: Wu Wei: The Taoist Art of Effortless ActionWu Wei: The Taoist Art of Effortless Action In this article: What wu wei is, why it is one of the most powerful and counterintuitive ideas in Eastern thought, and how to practice it in work, relationships, and meditation. The Paradox at the Heart of Taoism The Tao Te Ching, the foundational text of Taoism,…
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Buddhist vs. Taoist Meditation: What’s the Difference?
Read more: Buddhist vs. Taoist Meditation: What’s the Difference?Buddhist vs. Taoist Meditation: What’s the Difference? In this article: How Buddhist and Taoist meditation differ in worldview, method, and goal, where they overlap, and how to choose the approach that suits you. Two Ancient Paths, One Practice Called Meditation If you have explored meditation for any length of time, you have probably encountered two…
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Qi in Meditation: Understanding and Working with Life Energy
Read more: Qi in Meditation: Understanding and Working with Life EnergyQi in Meditation: Understanding and Working with Life Energy In this article: What qi is in the Chinese tradition, how it relates to meditation, common practices for working with it, and a balanced, skeptical-yet-open approach. The Energy You Cannot See but Can Feel Stand quietly for a moment. Close your eyes. Notice your hands. After…
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The Tao of Meditation: Lao Tzu’s Path to Effortless Stillness
Read more: The Tao of Meditation: Lao Tzu’s Path to Effortless StillnessThe Tao of Meditation: Lao Tzu’s Path to Effortless Stillness In this article: What the Tao is, how Taoist meditation differs from other styles, and practical ways to bring its principles of softness and naturalness to your practice. The Way That Cannot Be Named “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.”…
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Chan Buddhism: The Chinese Root of Zen Meditation
Read more: Chan Buddhism: The Chinese Root of Zen MeditationChan Buddhism: The Chinese Root of Zen Meditation In this article: What Chan Buddhism is, how it arose in China, how it became Japanese Zen, and what makes its approach to meditation distinctive. The Tradition Behind Zen Most Westerners who encounter Zen Buddhism — the minimalist, meditation-focused tradition of Japan — do not realize that…
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Bedtime Mindfulness: How to Wind Down and Sleep Deeply
Read more: Bedtime Mindfulness: How to Wind Down and Sleep DeeplyBedtime Mindfulness: How to Wind Down and Sleep Deeply In this article: Why bedtime mindfulness matters, how to wind down a racing mind, and practical evening practices to help you fall asleep and sleep well. The Nighttime Mind That Will Not Stop You lie down, tired, ready for sleep — and your mind wakes up.…
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Mindful Gratitude: How to Practice Gratitude That Actually Changes You
Read more: Mindful Gratitude: How to Practice Gratitude That Actually Changes YouMindful Gratitude: How to Practice Gratitude That Actually Changes You In this article: What mindful gratitude is, why most gratitude advice falls short, and practical ways to practice gratitude that genuinely transform your mind. The Practice That Sounds Too Simple to Work Of all the practices studied by modern psychology, few have as much evidence…
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Mindful Parenting: How to Stay Calm and Present with Your Kids
Read more: Mindful Parenting: How to Stay Calm and Present with Your KidsMindful Parenting: How to Stay Calm and Present with Your Kids In this article: What mindful parenting is, why it is so hard, and practical ways to bring more calm, presence, and connection to family life. The Hardest Job, Done on Autopilot Parenting is wonderful and terrible, often within the same hour. The toddler melts…
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Digital Mindfulness: How to Use Technology Without Letting It Use You
Read more: Digital Mindfulness: How to Use Technology Without Letting It Use YouDigital Mindfulness: How to Use Technology Without Letting It Use You In this article: What digital mindfulness is, why our phones fragment our attention, and practical strategies to use technology on your own terms. The Attention Economy — and You Are the Product The average person checks their phone 96 times a day — roughly…
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Mindful Journaling: How to Use Writing to Calm the Mind
Read more: Mindful Journaling: How to Use Writing to Calm the MindMindful Journaling: How to Use Writing to Calm the Mind In this article: What mindful journaling is, how it differs from a diary, practical techniques to try, and how to build a sustainable journaling habit. The Power of Putting Thoughts on Paper The mind is a noisy place. Thoughts swirl, loop, repeat, escalate. Worries multiply…
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Mindful Listening: How to Truly Hear Others (and Yourself)
Read more: Mindful Listening: How to Truly Hear Others (and Yourself)Mindful Listening: How to Truly Hear Others (and Yourself) In this article: What mindful listening is, why most of us are poor listeners, and practical ways to become someone others feel truly heard by. The Listening We Almost Never Do Think of the last conversation you had. Chances are, while the other person was speaking,…
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The Mindful Morning Routine: How to Start Your Day with Calm
Read more: The Mindful Morning Routine: How to Start Your Day with CalmThe Mindful Morning Routine: How to Start Your Day with Calm In this article: Why the first hour of your day matters, what a mindful morning routine looks like, and how to build one that fits your real life. The Hour That Shapes the Day How you start your morning sets the tone for everything…
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Mindful Breathing at Work: How to Stay Calm and Focused at Your Desk
Read more: Mindful Breathing at Work: How to Stay Calm and Focused at Your DeskMindful Breathing at Work: How to Stay Calm and Focused at Your Desk In this article: Why mindful breathing at work matters, simple techniques you can use at your desk, and how to build micro-moments of calm into a busy day. The Hidden Cost of the Workday Modern work is hard on the nervous system.…
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Mindful Walking: How to Be Present While You Move
Read more: Mindful Walking: How to Be Present While You MoveMindful Walking: How to Be Present While You Move In this article: What mindful walking is, how it differs from formal walking meditation, and practical ways to bring awareness to your everyday walking. The Most Underrated Mindfulness Practice You already walk. Every day, you walk from the bed to the bathroom, from your car to…
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Mindful Eating: How to Enjoy Food and Eat Less Without Dieting
Read more: Mindful Eating: How to Enjoy Food and Eat Less Without DietingMindful Eating: How to Enjoy Food and Eat Less Without Dieting In this article: What mindful eating is, why it transforms your relationship with food, and practical steps to eat with more awareness starting today. The Meal You Did Not Taste Have you ever finished a meal and realized you barely tasted it? A bag…
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Yoga Nidra: The Sleep-Based Meditation for Deep Rest
Read more: Yoga Nidra: The Sleep-Based Meditation for Deep RestYoga Nidra: The Sleep-Based Meditation for Deep Rest In this article: What Yoga Nidra is, how it differs from other meditations, what a session looks like, and how to use it for sleep, stress, and recovery. The Meditation You Do Lying Down Of all the meditation practices, Yoga Nidra is probably the most relaxing —…
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Noting Meditation: A Simple Technique to Steady the Mind
Read more: Noting Meditation: A Simple Technique to Steady the MindNoting Meditation: A Simple Technique to Steady the Mind In this article: What noting meditation is, where it comes from, how it works, and a step-by-step method to bring this technique into your own practice. The Power of a Simple Label Here is a familiar scene: you sit down to meditate, focus on your breath,…