Oakville Zen Meditation
480: Optimal relaxing breathing technique Dec. 31 23

This breathing technique is used by the US Navy Seals **as an anti-stress relaxing technique during drills or even in covered missions. By stimulating our parasympathetic nervous system, this technique is a great anti-stress tool by slowing down the heart rate and consecutively blood pressure. It is a derivative of the so-called "Vasalva manoeuver", a […]

Read More
#479: The Sunlight of Awareness Dec.24th 23

  The Sunlight of Awareness Imagine awareness being a powerful headlight shining on your body such as breathing, physical pain, what you are doing, what you are thinking including feeling, and your immediate surroundings.  For a few seconds, and under this silent shining bright light, observe, mindfully,  them as they are no analysis, judgment, or decision. […]

Read More
#478: the First Noble Truth by Miranda Dec. 9 23

The First Noble Truth Life is challenging…While navigating its ups and downs, we try hard to hold on to whatever pleases us and push away that which causes discomfort. As a result, life becomes a constant struggle. Even when things are going reasonably well, we are inherently aware of the impermanence of everything and our […]

Read More
477 Awareness: The essence of meditation Dec. 2 -23

    The essence of meditation The essence of meditation can be summarized in 1 word: awareness. Incorporating active awareness in one sentence:  Meditation is the practice of mindfulness-based active awareness to experience the surrounding realities of the present moment.  In other words: active awareness is moving away from your permanent daydreaming state. Let me go through […]

Read More
476: Why it is so hard to meditate regularly Nov. 25 23

 Why is it so hard to meditate every day? Our Western culture is imposing on us to be busy. Our ego also loves to be busy because it implies “ I am indispensable, important, I am not lazy, and I don’t want to be bored”. To the question “ How are you doing? most of […]

Read More
475: Letting go Nov 19th 23

                                   Letting Go This is Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching about the practice of nurturing serenity using letting go. Taken and largely edited by myself from  his book: “No Mud, No Lotus.” One method of creating /maintaining serenity is to leave behind, to accept.  There is a kind of joy, and liberation that comes […]

Read More
473 Emotional suffering Nov. 12 23

Sounds familiar?                                                                                                                              Emotional suffering begins when you mentally label a person, a situation, or an event  as negative such as: 1- Either coming from Desire: ..............meaning not getting what you want. 2- Or coming from Hatred: ..................meaning getting what you don’t want  3- Or coming from Illusion/delusion: Not being able to differentiate realities of life […]

Read More
#472 Creating gaps in the stream of your thinking by Miranda Nov. 12 23

Creating gaps in the stream of your thinking Discover inner peace by creating gaps in the stream of your thinking. Without those freedom gaps, our thoughts are repetitive, uninspired, and devoid of creative spark, and decisions.  They are just daydreaming stuff made of desire, hatred, illusions, delusions, positive & negative feelings, or just navigating in […]

Read More
471 What is Awakening Nov 1st 23

                                                               What is Awakening? Awakening is a shift of consciousness from ongoing thinking to active awareness, allowing awareness to take over our constant daydreaming thinking in which we are trapped and lost, and what Zen calls. “Day sleepwalking” or “Thinking zombie ”. Awareness, as a direct consequence of Awakening, is experiencing surrounding concrete realities of […]

Read More
470 Mini meditation by Miranda Oct 21st 23

 MINI MEDITATION  There is a lot of hype around mindfulness and related practices these days; as a result, it’s common for many of us to get excited when we are first introduced to them. We arrive at our first formal meditation practice very hopeful, only to find out how hard it can be. Our minds […]

Read More