Spiritual Archives

The Top 2 Techniques for Everyday Meditation

Do you want to meditate every day but don’t know how to fit it into your schedule? Does everyday meditation have real-life applications? In his book 10% Happier, meditation convert Dan Harris says that one method to incorporate meditation and mindfulness into everyday life is to use the RAIN technique. Similarly, psychologist Elisha Goldstein proposes the STOP technique. Continue reading to learn about both techniques to help you improve your everyday meditation practices.

3 Ways to Practice Being in the Present Moment

Do you often find yourself lost in thought about the past or the future? Are you disconnected from the present? In his book The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris refers to being in the present moment as “connection.” Harris writes that connection is the practice of using our observing self to shift our attention away from the past and future in order to be fully engaged in the present. He offers the following three exercises for developing the skill of connection.

Ray Dalio: Meditation as a Tool to Generate Ideas

What are the benefits of meditation? How does meditation help with creativity? According to Ray Dalio, meditation can help sprout new innovative ideas by reconciling the two yous: the conscious you and the subconscious you. When you are only engaging your conscious mind, you are missing out on the fountain of creative ideas buried in your subconscious, Here is how meditation can help you unleash your creative potential.

Dan Harris’s Meditation Journey: Skeptic to Teacher

How did author and former news correspondent Dan Harris go from being a meditation skeptic to writing a book on mindfulness? What sparked his change in mindset? Dan Harris is best known for his on-air panic attack that sparked his long journey from drug addict to self-help author. Dan Harris’s meditation and mindfulness book, 10% Happier, explores his personal journey while providing the advice he learned along the way. Harris hopes to help others overcome anxiety and addiction by providing instructions for easy, everyday meditation practices. Continue reading for an overview of Dan Harris’s journey.

Debunking the Top 4 Mindfulness Myths

What are the top myths surrounding mindfulness? Have you let those misconceptions hold you back from practicing mindfulness? Author Dan Harris is no stranger to the myths surrounding mindfulness and meditation. Harris was a former skeptic and critic himself. In this post, Harris, the author of 10% Happier, explores the most common mindfulness myths and debunks them. Let’s take a closer look at the four most common myths.

How to Use Meditation for Success

Do you believe the myth that meditation can hinder your success? Is there a way to use meditation for success? In his book 10% Happier, former meditation skeptic Dan Harris said that he used to believe that mindfulness and ambition could not coexist. He thought that if he took up mindfulness meditation, he would need to sacrifice his career. As it turns out, he was able to find a balance between the two. Here’s how you can make your meditation practice work with your career.

How to Craft Defining Moments in Everyday Life

Can you think of a defining moment from your past? What made it so? More generally, what makes a defining moment? There’s a common misconception that defining moments in life are large milestone events—such as the birth of your child—or simply happen as a matter of pure serendipity—such as going to a café and bumping into the woman you’ll marry. However, according to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments, most defining moments happen in small, everyday events, and what makes them stand out is how you shape them by investing your time, effort, and strategic

The 3 Major Personal Life Choices We All Must Make

What are the biggest personal life choices that everybody must make? In what ways does expanded choice affect these decisions? In his book The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains that there are three major personal choices that we all must make in life: relationships, religion, and identity. Schwartz says that these already difficult decisions are complicated by the fact that people today have more options than ever. Here’s an overview of Schwartz’s discussion on personal life choices.

How to Generate Self-Insight: Risk Failure

What is self-insight? How can you prompt self-insight on demand? Self-insight is your metacognitive understanding of your psyche and behavior (your thoughts, feelings, motivations, etc.). According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments, the best way to gain self-insight is to put yourself in situations that expose you to the possibility of failure. Keep reading to learn how risking failure translates into valuable self-insight.

Find Your Values to Escape the Cycle of Dissatisfaction

Do you know what your values are in life? Why does Jay Shetty say it’s so important to find your values and live by them? Can you change your values? In his book Think Like a Monk, former monk, author, and life coach Jay Shetty discusses the importance of setting clear values for yourself. Once you’ve set those values, it’s your job to examine your life and your choices and decide whether your current life and decisions align with your values—if not, it’s time to make some changes. Here’s how to clarify your core values in life.