Our inner experience is simultaneously the most unique thing about ourselves, and yet also a complete mystery to us. Mindfulness practices are built on paying attention to this inner experience. Through quieting the mind in meditation, we learn to watch our thoughts without letting them run away with us. With grounding practices, we become aware of our direct experience of warmth, sound, taste — and do our very best to experience it without describing it or narrating it inside our heads. But...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
expanding minds + hearts by amanda sue briggs Growing up, I didn't know much about the meaning behind the season of Lent. I knew my Catholic friends got ash put on their foreheads, and for some reason that happened the day after Mardi Gras. The one year I remember participating was when I was 12 or 13, and I gave up gum for Lent. Now, that was a pretty big deal for me at the time! I don't recall feeling closer to Spirit after the experience. If anything, it left me with the impression that...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
expanding minds + hearts by amanda sue briggs By now, 99% of people have given up on their New Year Resolution. Me? I didn't set one. Here's what I do instead. January is my favorite month though (and only partly because it's my birthday month). The new year (based on the calendar or the moon) brings a feeling of fresh opportunity. Renewal. Transformation. And yet this month I have been noticing two themes in my life and the lives of my community: Conversations that don't exactly turn out how...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read