practice

two men practicing mindfulness meditation

How to Practice Mindfulness: A Guide for Beginners in 2026

Mindfulness practice has been around for over 3000 years. Sometimes people use “mindfulness” and “meditation” interchangeably. We can think of “meditation” as a more formal practice, as in practice that requires a form – such as sitting in a cross-legged position – and mindfulness as a more relaxed way of practice, something we can do […]

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apps on smartphone

The Verdict Is In: Social Media Is Detrimental to Your Mental Health

Facebook was founded in 2004, Twitter (now “X”) in 2006.  The Apple iPhone was launched in 2007.  Since those seminal years, wireless devices and social media have dramatically changed the world.  Glowing screens dazzle our eyes. Our devices have become extensions of our bodies, reshaped every facet of our lives, from classrooms to newsrooms, from dating to cooking.  More

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man among rubble

What is Mental Health in a Time of War?

The past year has been tumultuous for the world. In a span of weeks, things seemed to have further fallen into disaster. Carnage, destruction, chaos spread like vicious ripples across the globe. Conflict in the Middle East has seen widespread bloodshed, environmental devastation, disruption to commerce, political upheaval, and a stupendous shock to oil prices.

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screen doors and garden

The Grass is Greener on this Side of the Fence: Gaining Perspective on Life.

My wife and I have a favourite pastime. We take leisurely walks through unfamiliar neighborhoods, admiring the houses that we pass. Minimalist, modern homes tend to catch our attention. From the sidewalk, we note the architectural motifs, the complementary landscaping. Sometimes, if the home has large windows, we peer inside and appreciate the warm lighting,

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The Zen of Rock and Roll: Life Lessons from Playing Guitar

I picked up the guitar at the age of 17. As a teen, I loved hard-rock music: Bryan Adams, Steven Curtis Chapman, Eric Clapton, Metallica, and many more.  The brawn and sizzle of an overdriven guitar was the soundtrack of my youth.  My mother bought me my first guitar and amp: a black Squire Stratocaster, and a

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New Mind for the New Year: Reclaiming Our Scattered Attention

When Bankei was preaching at Ryumon temple, a Shinshu priest, who believed in salvation through the repetition of the name of the Buddha of Love, was jealous of his large audience and wanted to debate with him. Bankei was in the midst of talk when the priest appeared, but the fellow made such a disturbance

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Living a Beautiful Life: Habits for Mental Health

People come to counselling because they are hurting. Something has gone awry. A relationship ends, a career stalls, health declines. Clients come in search of healing and repair in the throes of adversity. Counselling therapy can be helpful as we navigate the difficult passages of life. However, if therapy is only for times when things

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I Love Coffee, and By That Very Fact, The World

Thomas Merton once wrote: “I love beer, and, by that very fact, the world.” This statement is at once whimsical and puzzling.  How does a fondness for pale ale stray into a confession of love for the world?  Perhaps Merton suggests a fundamental relationship between the mundane and the sublime, the miniscule and the cosmical.  Ask a brewer

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“I know. . . but. . .”: Notes for Those Who Wrestle with Themselves.

In my clinical practice, I often meet clients who are at odds with themselves, caught between one commitment and another. They wrestle between aspiration and duty, self-care and care for others. There are teenagers who struggle to assert independence against the authority of their parents, lovers who cleave to each other despite the call of

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Can’t Sit Still? What To Do With Restlessness in Meditation

Every meditator experiences ebbs and flows in practice. There are times when awareness arrests us, engulfing us in crystalline stillness. Other times we brace against squalls of the anxiety. Sometimes our discipline is sharp and square; we practice without waver. Other times we are reluctant to drag ourselves to the sitting cushion, depleted by the

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