The primary intent of Buddhist psychology is to live within a framework that seeks to reduce suffering for all beings, living with awareness and an intent to choose actions meant to be of benefit for ourselves and others. This is why the Buddha pointed us toward intentional awareness, which requires our attention, and is at the very center of mindfulness. 

In its most simple definition, mindfulness means to pay attention on purpose with a kind and interested awareness. We cultivate intentional attention—mindfulness—so that we may nurture a feeling of friendliness, kindness and curiosity AND strengthen our staying power to remain connected to whatever it is that NOW is calling on us to notice and be with. 

To get into the fifth hindrance of skeptical doubt, I’ll begin with the infamous story of the Buddha, whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha was born into an extremely wealthy family, which he left to become an ascetic monk, seeking answers to why there is suffering and how to remove it. The story goes that after having lived a history of having too much of everything in wealth and then living a renunciation of all material things, including barely eating anything, he finally felt ready to sit in meditation to encourage—to become—enlightened, awake, and fully present…

In sloth and torpor, we’re moving too slowly to put energy into anything and not awake enough to engage in the present moment; and in restlessness and worry, we are without peace and our energy too excitable and turbulent to allow us to relax into and clearly see what is actually occurring. In more current psychological terminology, sloth and torpor represent many aspects of depression and restlessness and worry are similar to anxiety. In this post, Dr. Karen Walant delves into these hindrances and offers ways to skillfully work with each.

As a hindrance, ill will arises when we don’t like something, or a quality/behavior of someone else or ourselves, and we want it gone. In the throes of this hindrance, we might experience pain, discomfort, disgust and even rage. We fixate on the focus of our ill will, trying to push what we dislike away; however, in ill will, we are like water that is heated to a boil, bubbling over. Filled with heat, the pushing away only creates more boiling bubbles and steam, and we are unable to see with clarity. 

Sensual desire, or kāmacchanda, is the first of the five mental obstacles that prevent awakening, freedom and our ability to see clearly that which is actually occuring in the present moment. Psychotherapist and meditation teacher Dr. Karen Walant helps us understand and skillfully work with this hindrance that focuses on fantasy and often manifests as the constant pursuit of pleasure, fuels addictions, and keeps us stuck in habits and “chanda, which literally translates into “wanting.” 

Psychotherapist and meditation teacher Dr. Karen Walant delves into the five hindrances and offers insight into how to begin to work with each.

With the summer solstice recently passed, we’re now officially in summer, the most yang, high-energy time of the year. During these long days of sunshine and warm summer evenings, we get to enjoy time in and on water, long evening walks, celebrations with family and friends, fresh local fruits and vegetables, and all sorts of play and games. Summer, for most of us, is a time that we associate with fun—even if it’s an idea that we carry from childhood. Yet, as I’ve been thinking a lot about fun, play and pleasure this past month, I wonder, as adults, how many of us are actually having summertime fun? 

It is known that the Buddha began his search for enlightenment by giving up all indulgent experience. After living a life of wealth in which he was provided with everything he wanted—and more—he joined a group of ascetic monastics who ate and slept very little. Having renounced all worldly pursuits to fully devote themselves to spiritual work, these monks believed that giving very little to the body would reduce desire. The Buddha, while interested at first, found that this experience did not encourage transcendence any more than did living a life of comfort and pleasure. It was then that the Buddha came to understand the power of the middle path. This path of not too much and not too little is a path of just right-ness. And, it is in that just right-ness that we can find contentment. 

I think it’s fair and safe to say that each of us has encountered a person or group of people that we find it difficult to be around, communicate with and find common ground with. And, it’s also likely that each of us have been harmed, perhaps very deeply, by another who we may hold resentment and ill will toward. There are actions and behaviors that are terrible and so very challenging to forgive. And, there may be people who the mere idea of offering compassion and loving kindness is impossible to do right now and feels unjust. This is a very normal reaction, and the idea of offering kindness to someone we feel has harmed us can feel like a very big ask.  The invitation is always to start small and work with someone who is far, far less problematic for you.

The focus this month is on cultivating compassion. For ourselves. For our loved ones. For those we do not know. For those we find difficult. And for all sentient beings. 

The blog posts this month, which is Mental Health Awareness month, will focus on how to practice infusing our awareness with a loving presence and offer ideas, tips and practices to help introduce/strengthen the concept and experience of feeling into the loving, internal presence of the inner nurturer. We'll also explore the idea that self-medicating can be life-affirming when the medicine we use is loving kindness rather than poisonous substances or destructive thoughts or actions.

In alignment with this month’s theme of decluttering to create spaciousness, this post is about forgiveness. Mainly, it details how we can embark on a journey of practicing forgiveness to explore any resentments, wounds or mistakes we’ve made that are stuck in our hearts and how we can bring these persistent hurts into present moment awareness and work with them, ideally letting them go to create more presence, spaciousness and freedom in our lives. When we’re aware of what is happening within our internal landscape, we can begin to see that there are ways to re-work what has happened in our lives and gain wisdom from a re-visit and re-view of what we may be still holding too tight to, which can be of great benefit to our day-to-day, moment-to-moment wellbeing. 

With the weather getting warmer, I was recently rummaging through my front hall closet, looking for a less heavy jacket to wear. Trying to find a light jacket, I had to push through many coats. Some of these coats are still ‘good friends’ that I enjoy wearing, some are from earlier iterations of my life, and some are my husbands, currently used or, as with some of mine, from previous periods in our lives. I realized that, while the closet is not huge, it would appear bigger and feel more spacious if we cleared out the coats that are no longer of use to us, but could be to others.

I’m writing this blog on the eve of the spring equinox and cannot think of a better time to continue with this month’s theme of feeling into the reverence of NOW. 

On both the spring and fall equinoxes, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere receive equal amounts of sunlight—12 hours each—bringing balance between light and dark on the Earth. 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the universality of breath as sacred and how it is a common source of awe and wonder in many religions and ancient societies. I chose to focus on the breath this month because mindful breathing—and the sacred relationship that we can cultivate with the breath—can aid us in strengthening our ability to see, feel and, ideally, deeply connect with, celebrate and hold reverence for all the magnificence that surrounds us each day, as best we can, given what our life circumstances are.

A couple of weeks ago I had to exit a NYC subway station by riding an incredibly steep escalator. As some of you may know, I have a longstanding  fear of heights. This escalator was not only pitched at a dramatic incline, but it was a nearly 90 foot ride to get to street level! As soon as my feet were on the stairs and my hand had grasped the railing, I noticed my immediate impulse to get off. And yet, of course, I had to hold myself onto this slow-moving staircase. As I held myself there, I had a choice. A choice about how I was going to handle the anxiety that was bubbling up from within. Many years ago, a not-so-kind inner critic might have arisen, ridiculing me for feeling challenged by doing something that people do everyday. However, I didn’t let that inner critic in. Rather, I called on my inner nurturer, talking to myself in a soothing way, being with myself, and using all of my skills.

This month, the theme is on relationships, attachment and connection, which we can bring into our mindfulness, meditation and intention practices to help us foster thoughtful, nourishing and mindful relationships. When I speak of relationships, I’m referring to the relationship we have with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. 

The Buddha invites us to begin each meditation by reminding ourselves of what it is that we are intending. He suggested there are three main categories to focus an intention meditation on that will grow our heartmind in the most beneficial manner. These are kindness, compassion and showing resolve in the face of cravings. When we are able to remember our intention, we can remain focused on what we are seeking.