Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing Body and Spirit

Waking up this morning I smile. I have twenty-four hours to live. I vow to live them deeply and learn to look at the beings around me with the eyes of compassion.

Only because we imprison ourselves in the idea of a small self do we create a state of darkness, narrowness, anxiety, and sorrow. According to our narrow view of a truly existing self, life is just my body, my house, my spouse, my children, and my riches. But if we can extend beyond every limit we have created for ourselves, we will see that our li

When sadness or restlessness arises, I can sit still or lie down and remain still in order to be present for it. I recognize the old tendency to grab a book or to look for someone to talk to, in order to fill up that void or to distract the buzzing of my mind. But I practice to be still because I no longer wish to run away from myself.

“This space is very important. This is the ground, where everything will grow—the flowers, the grass, and the animals. You need to accept that this space exists inside you. Do not run away from it. Sometimes when the suffering is not in balance with the joy, you may feel this space as a vacuum. You may feel lifeless. Be there to embrace it.” Thus,