Mindfulness Round-Up

What I’m using for my mindfulness practice: Insight Timer

I like the timer on this app. You can set the amount of time you want to meditate for, and set your desired bell tone (I’m partial to “Basu”) to start/finish the practice as well as background noise (mine is set on Zen guitar). It tracks your days and also has a host of recordings to help with stress, anxiety, sleep, you name it.

Favorite podcast at the moment: Ten Percent Happier

Dan Harris, a former ABC news anchor who had a panic attack on live TV, used his experience to develop this stellar podcast. He delivers some amazing interviews with experts in many fields from Buddhism to attention researchers. I loved episode 388 interviewing Dr. Amishi Jha, who has researched how meditation has impacted people in high stress jobs. A little sneak peak: turns out meditating for only 12 minutes, four to fives days a week is when you start to see the beneficial effects, according to her studies.

Favorite quote of the week: “Smile, my dear, you have arrived. There is nowhere else to go.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Chinese Medicine saying that I’m mulling over this week: “…when [attempts at] restoring order are initiated only after the disorder has full developed, this is as if a well were dug when one is thirsty, and as if weapons were cast when the fight is on.” ~Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, Paul Unschuld translation

Kidney tonifying foods to incorporate:

• Anything kidney shaped: most beans

• Black and dark foods: blueberries, black beans, dark leafy greens

• Seeds and nuts: walnuts, flax, black sesame seeds

• Bone broth

Other tidbits: The Chinese New Year starts this week. February 1st, 2022 starts the new year, the year of the water tiger.