Some Recent Highlights from the Mindfulness Blog

• When Meditation Becomes Problematic. Interview with Leigh Brasington about what happens in meditation when emotional issues come to the foreground, and the problems that can pose.
• A brief profile of Mahasi Sayadaw (1904-1982) an influential Buddhist meditation teacher. Links to a number of his books and writings in pdf form, for the interested. Includes Practical Vipassana Exercises and a link to a Buddhist Geeks piece.
• Kenneth Folk coined the phrase “contemplative fitness.” Here he Takes A Stab at Defining Meditation. Short and sweet.
• Shamatha Retreat with B. Alan Wallace an accomplished author and interpreter to the Dalai Lama. Here are roughly 12-hours(!) of instruction on this concentration meditation. Each session is separated into bite-size files.
• Something Lacking in the Secular. A first-person musing on not being religious, but finding secular meditation somehow disappointing.
• A brief profile of and quote from Bhante Gunaratana, author of Mindfulness in Plain English. The post includes links to this and titles by the author, in free, downloadable pdf format. The aforementioned text is a great place to start.
• Positive review of Pema Chodron’s How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind. The subtitle is the key to the book. Recommended.