Namchak Community Blog

The following is an except from Lama Tsomo's book, Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling? The entire time I was growing up, I was exposed to another Western tradition for exploring the world: science. My father had a passion for it. Often his “bedtime story” for me was a lesson on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, or the construction of atoms, or...

It’s time to throw out the notion that play time is only for kids. As adults, we often cling to the idea that we need to be serious. Turns out, research shows that playtime is a healthy way to reset, grow creativity, and build community for us adults, too! Here are some tips for including play into your routine: Include Play Every Day. Since play...

This piece is part of a series meant to give readers an inside view of the Clearing the Lens Retreat held in June. Participants cultivated awareness within themselves while engaging with others to deepen Sangha while gaining tools to live happier and more meaningful lives. The workshop was led by Aaron Stern, president and founder of the Academy...

Being grateful can be difficult when we’re on the precipice of the unknown. It can be a struggle to go from our current mental state to one of gratitude when we’re encapsulated in fear and anxiety. We’ve all heard that gratitude cultivates more gratitude, but is that really the case? Here’s what science says about the benefits of gratitude and...

When I first met Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, I wasn’t expecting to. In fact, I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone. It was my first solitary retreat, for ten days in the desert outside Santa Fe. I was working on the first two sections of the Preliminary Practices—the Ngöndro—a set of very foundational Vajrayana practices. I’d made great progress on the...

It’s easy to talk about transitions, like a cocoon becoming a butterfly or some similar beautiful analogy. However, times of transition may include anxiety, grief, and simultaneously joy, which is a lot to feel all at once. The cocoon-to-butterfly process is not smooth or simple. In order to fly, the butterfly has to break out of the cocoon....

Resiliency is an ambiguous term that’s used a lot these days, particularly around the themes of adversity and transition. What exactly is it and why should we care? How is resiliency good for us and how can it help our workplaces thrive? To craft a resilient workplace, we need to start understanding resiliency and how cultivating it can send out...

Taking some inspiration from the Buddha himself, let’s enrich our practice with a little springtime mix-up. Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince. As an adult, he secretly left the palace to begin his journey to enlightenment. He traveled for about six years, learning from monks and religious teachers. Eventually, he sat beneath the Bodhi tree for...

Let’s talk about projection. Not the old way our grandparents used to watch movies, but the way we tend to project our insecurities on those close to us, often seriously damaging our relationships. It’s fairly easy to know when someone is projecting on us. Most likely we feel as though we have been grossly misinterpreted, or that someone’s...

One of the unique aspects of Buddhist practice is the freedom to challenge the teachings. Buddhism invites us to question our own perceptions and convictions, even question ancient wisdom and insight. Questioning encourages us to be active in our own awakening, and demands that we fully engage rather than operate on blind faith. This experiential...