Namchak Community Blog

Back to school is often a frenzied time for families with children in school. Back to school looks a little different this year. For a lot of us, the normal excitement has been replaced with tough decision making and anxiety. How we wish we could provide a blanket solution for all parents juggling their child’s or children’s education, safety,...

It is true that compassion has the power to increase your happiness and that of others. But there is a caveat. First, you must feel like you are being compassionate to yourself. However, this doesn’t mean you have to engage in overly self-indulgent activities in order to practice compassion. Here are some ideas for quick and small acts of...

Lama Tsomo and Khen Rinpoche describe mindfulness simply as remembering what we are doing. How often are we walking through life without paying attention to the fact that we are walking or taking in the sights around us? Often it seems that we are moving too fast to notice what we are doing. For most of us, back to school time or life transitions...

Whether you’re looking for your next camping trip read or preparing your “to-be-read” pile for fall, here are three of Lama Tsomo’s most recent book recommendations. Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald (Penguin Random House) We’re very conditioned to see the world in clumpings that are unconsciously...

Intellectualization is a defense mechanism by which reasoning is used to block confrontation with unconscious conflict & its emotional stress

Let’s talk about implicit bias. First, the definition: Implicit biases are the thoughts and feelings we hold towards others that are unconscious or mistaken. This means we’re very conditioned to see the world in ways that allow us to easily maneuver and navigate in society. Whatever biases are around us, we soak up unconsciously. It can be easy...

With the way of the world in a state of constant flux these days, it’s important to focus on our mental and physical wellbeing. One way of doing that is by attending an online meditation retreat with Namchak, where you have access to incredible teachers and important teachings from the comfort of your own home. Probably you’re already spending so...

Let’s begin with a simple definition from Wikipedia, spiritual bypassing is a "tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks". The term was introduced in the early 1980s by John Welwood, a Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist....

The following blog is an excerpt from a conversation between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason on June 6, 2020. Konda Mason, an accomplished businesswoman, community organizer, activist, and meditation teacher, is a dear friend of Lama Tsomo. Konda: You know, when we ignore that which is whole, it’s costs us our humanity. That's the cost. It seems like...

The following blog is an excerpt from a conversation between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason on June 6, 2020. Konda Mason, an accomplished businesswoman, community organizer, activist, and meditation teacher, is a dear friend of Lama Tsomo. Konda: There’s so much going on in my heart and mind. It’s just bubbling. Being a Buddhist teacher, a leader in...