Merry and Light Holy Days

Quickened by a soul-longing, urgently pulling her in a temporary new direction, our host is taking to heart this quote from a reflection in a recent Science of Mind magazine: "I am inspired to exemplify a joyful, rich, and playful existence, so I may better serve the world". And while she's away, getting her groove back, the podcast will be on hiatus for the next few months.

How meaningful it would be to live our lives in such a way that others felt safe, protected, and nurtured by warm-hearted compassion—kindled through our meditation practice. That's the jumping-off point for our 2022 Compassion odyssey, with episode guest Timothy Harrison from the CBCT®️ Emory Center; who also guides listeners in a practice designed to connect us more deeply with nurturing feelings of compassion for ourselves and others. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org/ For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers 

Poised at the threshold of our 'Living a Life of Compassion' series, we dedicate this episode to the late Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. And, before engaging in his 'Breathing In, Breathing Out' meditation, we'll be inspired by Thay's beautiful story about a river. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers 

When our host's sister passed away unexpectedly last year her deferred dreams died right along with her. So, with a big birthday looming, our host was inspired to designate 2022 as the year of Sweet Intentions and mindfully start checking intentions off her Bucket List...while there's still time. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers

We've engaged in some amazing meditative and mindfulness practices during our year "Living a Life that Matters". And, as we review the journey, it's amazing to discover just how many of these also happen to be spot-on tools for cultivating 'peace pauses' during the Holiday Season. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers

As we sojourn through this year's season of Holy Days, with its various 'Festivals of Light' celebrations, this episode's candlelighting meditation brings us back to the true meaning of some of the hallmark symbols and icons that make Christmas merry and light. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers

There's no question that Gratitude is a deepening practice… Unless it's posing as false positivity to merely paper over cracks of unfelt emotions. Then it doesn't work as well. So this episode's meditation cultivates a space in which to evoke a less pretentious attitude of gratitude. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers

Yes. We're going 'there'. In context of our annual theme: "Living a Life that Matters,' we're talking about one of the most feared and taboo topics in our Western society—Death. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers

In part two of this mini series called When Words Matter, we put pen to paper—or fingers to the keyboard—to reveal mysteries of our heart and, with a written mandala practice, emanate peace to humanity. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers

In a world that's all about speeding everything up, this episode's practice is the exact opposite of that. In this two-part series called When Words Matter, we slow our roll to mindfully engage in the art of sacred reading. View the website for more: https://www.touchingthestillness.org For this month's Affirmative Prayer, go to https://www.touchingthestillness.org/affirmative-prayers