I love the lightbulb moments at retreats. Ya’ know that moment where everyone nods together and starts writing down what the teacher said? If you’ve been to a Namchak retreat, or probably any type of class, you know that moment. The simultaneous group smile like,...
Namchak Community Blog
Sleep is Self-Care
Self-care and the holidays don’t seem to go together. Rather than trying to add a new activity to our schedules this month, let’s try to improve an already existing habit – sleep! One of the best things we can do for ourselves is get some good sleep. For most of us...
3 Reasons to Volunteer This Holiday Season
When the busyness of the holiday season comes around, it can be easy to get pulled into the “hurry up!” that it brings. From checking things off our to-do lists, prepping for the holidays and attending parties, we can lose sight of what’s important: spending time and...
Mindfulness of Phenomena
We’ve covered the first three Foundations of Mindfulness: body, feelings, and mind. That leaves Mindfulness of Phenomena, the fourth and final Foundation of Mindfulness. The first three involve investigating within ourselves. Investigating phenomena asks us to shift...
Let Your Mind Wander
Lama Tsomo helps us understand what to do with our wandering “puppy” minds while meditating, but what about the mind-wandering that occurs in our everyday lives? In a recent conversation with Lama Tsomo, Dr. Richard Davidson, neuroscientist and founder of the Center...
The Neuroscience
Why meditate? Well, to put it simply, because it works. Neuroscience research shows that when the brain is trained with meditation practices that our habits become a little bit different—and for the better. See below for some recent and exciting meditation research...
The Everyday Difference
Despite our efforts to keep life manageable, the world is overwhelming. The issues we deal with in our personal lives – health, relationships, work – are further compounded by those affecting the global community. War, poverty, injustice, and environmental degradation...
Trying Something New? Try Bite-sized Pieces
When Lama Tsomo was asked how she tackled the prodigious task of learning Tibetan, she had this to say. (The parallel to starting a meditation practice may surprise you!) "The first thing I did was give up. I was in my 40s when I started studying and I thought, 'This...
Nine Meditation Retreat Myths
With so many retreats out there, deciding which one to attend can be tough. You can go to a retreat for meditation, writing, yoga, running, and more. You could probably even find one retreat to do all of those in one week. Everyone’s schedules seem only to get busier,...
Three Keys to a Daily Practice
The following is an excerpt from Lama Tsomo’s book, Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? First Key to a Daily Practice: Working It Into Your Schedule This is a key to success in your practice, so let’s spend some time on this one. It’s best, but not essential, to do...
Recommended Articles
What is Karma in Buddhism?
Karma: Urges, Actions, and Results Explained Karma is one of the most complex and misunderstood topics in Buddhism. We’re here to shed a little light on it! Translated from Sanskrit, it means “action.” Generally speaking, karma refers to the...
The Path to Happiness
In her book Why Bother? An Introduction, Lama Tsomo discusses why she bothered with meditation and the benefits she has experienced
The Compassion in Action Fellowship 2022 in Review
The Three Jewels of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Each jewel holds an invaluable place on the path. Today we’d like to take a moment to reflect and hold dear one particular segment of our Sangha or community; the Compassion in Action Fellows.