but a mind full of what? A mind full of awareness. A mind full of attention and the open space to receive it. A mind full of intention, the wish to be present to yourself, to life as it is in this very moment.
 
And what about its opposite, "mindlessness"? Mind-less? Perhaps this could be perceived as a mind that is not fully functioning at its best; a mind that is off somewhere, caught up in distraction, or void of awareness altogether. Present-moment attention lost in a blur of confusion, your good intentions for clarity having disappeared.
 
You can always reclaim yourself from this state of mind. Refocus your attention and energize your intention. With awareness and choice, you can back to a full experience of being here ... right now. And, when you do, you’ll discover that ease is yours once again.


​©2026, Janice L. Lundy

It is healthy to slow down, to give yourself well-deserved R & R—rest and relaxation. Author Robert Gerzon explains in his book, Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety, that our bodies are not intended, nor constructed, for such fast-paced living. 
 
As a passenger on the train of life, you may often move through your days at breakneck speeds. And when you do, this speediness is felt in your mind as racing thoughts, stress and anxiety. It manifests in your body as health disorders —heart arrhythmia, headache, neck and shoulder pain, digestion woes, and more. When you slow down, you immediately feel better; your body and mind tell you so. 
 
The only thing we really need do is slow down and listen—intently, deeply—and trust our body's wisdom. We'll instinctively know what to do or not do to be well. But first we must slow down enough to listen. Are you listening today?

©2026, Janice L. Lundy

It takes practice to notice the nature of our thoughts; to gently guide them in a more skillful direction. One technique that can help is to connect with a phrase that calms you. 
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This phrase can be an affirmation, a song lyric, a scripture, a mantra, a positive "something" that holds your attention, something that has meaning for you.
 
Engage this process not from your head, but from your heart. Drop your awareness down into that deeper place; allow the phrase itself to "breathe" through your heart. Say it silently, repeat it again and again for as long as it takes for you to settle down.
 
Today what would be your mind stabilizing, heart-opening phrase?

©2026, Janice L. Lundy

​You can begin to create greater harmony in your life by paying close attention to what your body is trying to tell you in any given situation, honoring that revelation, then making choices that foster your well-being. 
 
You can do this by literally listening to your body through the vehicle of your senses. Pay mindful attention to what you are seeing and hearing. Note your body's response. Ask yourself, 'Is this experience creating feelings of peace and well-being in me, or is it causing me stress, worry, or fear?'
 
When we listen mindfully, we can make healthy, new choices for ourselves—choices rooted in loving-kindness. 

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

With a constant bombardment of noise and images characterizing our days, the simple things, the delicacy of a flower or the song of a bird, can go unnoticed. Step away from the cacophony of life and reconnect with the joy of simple things. It only takes awareness to do so.
 
Wherever you are, pause, and heighten your senses. Pay attention on purpose. What do you hear? Notice how different you feel when you experience life with heightened sensory awareness. You will likely feel more calm, happy, and appreciative of the world around you
 
Isn't it amazing how the simple things in life can provide such soul satisfaction?

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

​There is no way to annihilate the ego, nor should we strive to. There is only one way to loosen its grip upon us, by tapping into the most powerful "virtue" of all, compassion. We can cultivate compassion for the ego because it is so insecure, rooted in fear; compassion for others because they are struggling with their egos just as we are; compassion for ourself because, in our humanness, we will fall prey to the ego again and again. It is inevitable that this will happen. The ego holds the blueprint for what it means to be a human being. We cannot exist in a body without it.
 
The practice of mindfulness can help us notice when the ego is present; we can see it clearly for what it is—an ego. The practice of compassion enables us to let go of any self-negating feelings we may have about getting "caught" or stuck in ego once again. Compassion invites us to love ourself as we are, then to aim higher so we make the wisest of choices.

​©2025, Janice L. Lundy

How fast do you walk and talk? Are you rushing through your day to get things done? Are you living by the clock? 
 
Rushing creates stress and stress creates tension, which creates more problems than we can name. Rushing also makes us miss the magic of the moment, including the joy of intimate conversation between friends and family. 
 
Consciously slow the pace of your day. Walk more slowly. Speak more slowly, more intentionally. Remind yourself to "Breathe, go slowly, and smile," as Zen monk, Thich Nhat Hanh advocates. Take time to smell the roses.

​When your thoughts race and you feel out of control, it is prudent to pause, breathe, and connect your body to the good earth. 
 
Bring your awareness to how your feet feel upon the ground. Root your attention in body awareness: arms, legs, and trunk. Feel how solid you are. 
 
Grounding yourself in this way can shift your experience of busy mind to settled mind. It simply takes remembering to do so.


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What do you do when your wisdom eludes you? When you feel overcome with emotion or ill equipped to handle life as it is? According to Buddhist teacher and author, Thich Nhat Hanh, our safest course of action is "indirect embracing."
 
Most of us have a difficult time embracing all of our emotions, especially the volatile ones. It is a genuine spiritual practice to embrace anger, greed, jealousy, and the like. But we can, with the help of our breath and an attitude of loving-kindness.
 
Thich Nhat Hanh suggests that you recognize the emotion by simply saying hello to it, offering it a slight smile, just like you would someone you're not fond of, but don't want to be impolite to. Allow this hello and an inner smile help you rest into your breath with gentleness. Relief can be yours.

©2023, Janice L. Lundy

Many years ago I did a kind thing for myself. I stopped trying to create balance in my life. Instead I made a kinder choice: create inner harmony.

Balance, by its very nature, is impossible to achieve. Nothing is ever balanced (I'm thinking of the see-saw [teeter-totter) of my childhood here ...). It's either up or down. Too much or too little. Trying to achieve balance for me was a self-defeating choice because no one can ever get anything "just right." I experienced trying to get my life in balance as pressure, resulting in failure (of course!)—a misguided attempt at perfection. 

But harmony, oh, that had a lovely, gentle ring to it. It reminded me of musical notes coming together in a pleasing way. More like rhythm. A delightful blending of elements that just flowed.  Now this I could get behind. I decided to pitch balance and opt for harmony instead. 

Instead of striving for and struggling with balance, how can we shift our efforts to focus instead on creating inner harmony? Here's  an idea, a simple starting point. 

You can begin to create greater harmony in your life by paying close attention to what your body is trying to tell you in any given situation, honoring that revelation, then making choices that foster your well-being. 
 
You can do this by literally listening to your body through the vehicle of your senses. Pay mindful attention to what you are seeing and hearing. Note your body's response. Ask yourself, 'Is this experience creating feelings of peace and well-being in me, or is it causing me stress, worry, pressure or fear?'
 
When we listen mindfully, we can make healthy, new choices for ourselves—choices rooted in loving-kindness. 

And new choices are easy to make and implement when they are sourced in self-kindness. 

​©2024, Janice L. Lundy