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How a simple reflection transforms your attitude towards food

Is that chanting or just a chore? Wh en I spent time in Thailand in a monastery (Wat Pah Nanachat), we had our meals just once a day at around 8.30 am. And right before every meal, we sat down and chanted a food reflection in Pali. To be honest, it felt kind of strange and back then, I did not yet fully grasp the full power of this chant. Or maybe it was just the hunger creeping up on me after 23 hours and 30 minutes of fasting that clouded my brains. So here goes the chant in my favorite translated version: "With wise reflection I eat this food, n ot for fattening, not for beautification, o nly to maintain this body, t o stay alive and healthy, t o support the spiritual way of life. Thus I let go of unpleasant feelings, a nd do not stir up new ones. Thereby the process of life goes on. b lameless, at ease, and in peace." It felt like an empty chore. And I just took it as just one of the things you have to do. A month later I left the monastery and went on a 10 day silent re...

The 3 meditation books to keep your practice fired up on a deserted island

What happens to a stone with sharp edges on the top of a mountain? Let's play a little mind game here. You are stranded on a deserted island. Nobody is around except wildlife and beautiful flora and fauna. My first thought is: Great! These are perfect conditions for relaxation and enlightenment! There is just this little issue. Who helps me to stay on the right track towards the unconditioned? In the past I had a dream of living an hermit lifestyle, somewhere remote, alone. With all the time on my hand to focus on spiritual growth. But reality will kick in pretty fast. I talked to a monk in a Thai monastery about it, as I was so frustrated with the ordinary monastery lifestyle of duties, work and little time for formal practice. He gave me a little simile: "What do you get, when you put a rock with sharp edges on the top of the mountain? You get a rock with sharp edges even afer decades of weather heavily wearing and tearing it. But what do you get when you throw a rock a wit...

How to start your meditation practice? Just do it!

So you are motivated to start your first meditation, but somehow you can't get yourself to sit down on a cushion and to close your eyes? Here is a little secret that the NIKE brand has used for decades as a marketing slogan: "Just do it!". There is no away around pushing yourself over the edge to get the deed done. Here are 8 tips, how to get yourself over the hump: 1) Make a strong resolve to do a meditaton today. Right after you wake up and get up out bed, think about the things you want to achieve today. And make sure you include meditation in your planning. It could be something like this: "Today, I want to sit down and meditate." 2) Pick a specific time, when you want to meditate. When you do the strong resolve, make sure you include a specific time, when you want to do it. So it should be something like: "I want to meditate today, when I get back home after work." or "I want to meditate at 10 p.m.". Being specific helps your brain to...