Meet two friends, Megan and Beth. Megan and Beth are good friends and both in their early fifties. They live on the same street, share similar diet and lifestyle habits, and know many of the same people. Megan is happy, in superb health, has a great relationship with her husband, and has plenty of friends and money. On the other hand, Beth has a different sort of life. She battles poor health including chronic fatigue and debilitating pain, has a difficult…

Prelude: Walking meditation is an important practice in many Buddhist traditions. The basic idea is to continue the focus on the breath that is the core tenet of sitting meditation, but to do so while walking. This article illustrates the power of walking meditation in difficult situations, when the level of pain and suffering can make sitting meditation almost unbearable. Allow me to introduce Irma, who practiced walking meditation for many years…

Let’s be real. There are days when one gets a little weary of the continual message to ‘Think Positive’. Since the release of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale many years ago, the advice to keep one’s thoughts positive and upbeat has pervaded self-help books too numerous to mention, and it is even a cornerstone of certain spiritual disciplines and practices.

First, is it really worth the effort?…