This post is an adaptation of a journal post I wrote for myself in February 2019. Yoga is the physical practice of a fundamental principal. There are two basic attitudes: relaxation and tightening or grasping and letting go. A position that requires tightening is always incorrect. A position that allows release is the right one.… Continue reading Yoga
Intentions
My intentions are good, always. Perhaps I hurt someone’s feelings from time to time, but it’s never on purpose. When questioned I will offer an explanation or a different light in which to view my behavior, so that others may also come to see how I did not, in fact, mean badly. Should others fail… Continue reading Intentions
Don’t be the judge
Humans are social animals. As such, we have evolved to place massive value on social acceptance. We have a strong desire to fit in. To be accepted. From an early age we are taught what is appropriate behaviour and what is not. The people around us will provide feedback when we stray too far from… Continue reading Don’t be the judge
Know thyself
Know thyself Advice inscribed on Apollo’s temple by the ancient Greeks. Pretty good advice too. But how exactly should I go about getting to know myself? Well, if you want to know your mind… sit down and observe it! In other words: meditate. People think of meditation as an arcane mystical endeavor with some vague… Continue reading Know thyself
Stop knowing
We will have to change the way we see the world. We have to change soon and radically. We will need to see the world in a way that allows us to work together, to develop trust, to base our worth on who we are. Not on what he have or do. We have let… Continue reading Stop knowing
On equanimity
How does equanimity get made? Frustration, irritation, annoyance and many other disturbances to our equanimity are frequent and just sort of happen to us. Can we not have them happen to us? And if so, how do we make them not happen? When we’re meditating we get distracted. Often. Usually, we don’t just bring our… Continue reading On equanimity
Chop chop
The world is quite a large place and there’s a lot going on. We have 5 senses to take it in and a tiny brain to process it with. How on earth do we make sense of everything? We don’t. We filter out almost everything, zoom into some level of detail, apply a model or… Continue reading Chop chop
Iedereen kan er niks aan doen
Everyone can do nothing about it. We all feel that we have ‘free will’, the ability to make choices, to decide how to act, to do or not do something and to choose how and what we think. Our free will is what gives us responsibility for our actions. It’s what blame and praise are… Continue reading Iedereen kan er niks aan doen
Not to be
Allegedly being is the central question. At least if mr. Bill Shakespeare is to be believed. But what does it mean when we say that something ‘is’? To be is probably the first verb that we learn in any language. It is one of the most used verbs as well. And yet, it is also… Continue reading Not to be