Having been intrigued by the Venerable Nick Keomahavong’s morning routine, it’s only a small step to wondering what’s the deal with a Buddhinst Monk’s evening routine. Similar to morning routine, most evening routines are focused on increasing productivity the next day. But the Monk’s purpose is to bring the mind back home to stillness and […]
Monk’s Morning Routine
Not sure what I was searching for on YouTube when I came across a new to me take on the morning routine – the Buddhist Monk’s routine as demonstrated by the Venerable Nick Keomahavong. I found it interesting because morning routines are usually focused on productivity; squeezing as much into the day as you can. […]
The Significance of Sighing
DB commented the other day that I’ve been sighing a lot. I had no idea. But now that he’s mentioned it, I’m noticing I do it all the time! So I decided to find out why. The Medical Explanations According to Fiona MacDonald, you sigh every five minutes or so – it’s a reflex! But […]
The Day Seems Bleak
We’ve had FIVE covid related lockdowns. Full of long, bleak days. So many that even I, an introvert who works from home, has about had enough. I find myself staring slack jawed out of the window, idly watching the turtledoves scramble around the deck looking for any seed the parrots might have missed. Now and […]
The Time Flew By
Have you ever lost yourself in some kind of activity and wondered where the time went? You say, “oh my gosh, the time flew by, I have no idea where it went!” Toseland recently created an emoji to represent himself. It’s an old man. I suggested that he wasn’t that old, and he should consider […]
Stop and Smell the Roses
In September last year, I wrote about tiny little things. How spending the smallest of increments of time on the smallest of inconsequential matters (like stopping to smell the roses) might help you feel a little bit more in control. It does for me at any rate. I recently came across an old post by […]
The Three Wise Monkeys
Have you heard of the three wise monkeys? Hear no evil See no evil Speak no evil In the modern west, it’s often used in the sense of ignoring something morally wrong. But in the original Japanese context, it’s about not doing or being morally wrong. The other day, I heard a dramatic political statement, […]
Henchmen
Who knew there was a reason henchmen (aka henchers) are called henchmen?
The Dance of Death
Don’t know about you, but I’ve been preoccupied with death. Shouldn’t be much of a surprise to you, I’ve written about death and momento mori before. The lists of Covid-19 infections, deaths and recoveries make grim, yet compulsive viewing as I grapple with the scale of it. And when you add the scams on top, […]
On Not Perpetuating Sexist Language
I recently read an interesting piece by Alison Flood, who reports Oxford University Press (OUP) are replacing the sexist language in example sentences in the Oxford English Dictionaries (OED). If you don’t know, the OED is the source used by Google and Apple. So when you look up words on those platforms, chances are, that’s […]
The Pleasure and Pain of Healthy Habits
My last Transplant Clinic appointment was less pleasant than I’d hoped, and now I’m back to contemplating the nature of choice and healthy habits. And complacency. It seems that after my last transplant biopsy, a small piece of vital information slipped through the cracks. Not that I can honestly say it would have changed much, […]
How to Respect All People
Respect politeness, honour, and care shown towards someone or something that is considered important Cambridge dictionary When I was young, all the people I came into contact with were “ordinary” people, just getting on with their lives. I didn’t think surviving to adulthood was anything that commanded respect, so I didn’t see why I should […]