Left Brain Buddha
the modern mindful blog
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Open Up to Life As It Is
{Normally, we try to make our Mondays mindful around here, but since Monday is a holiday for many of us, we're starting our week with a mindful Monday/Tuesday. And what a great thing to be grateful for ~ starting a short week after a restful long weekend!} Words for a...
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Bouquets of Sharpened Pencils
Words for a Mindful Moment with the Breath "The Future is Now" The practice of mindfulness doesn't forbid us to plan for the future. It's best not to lose ourselves in uncertainty and fear over the future, but if we're truly established in the present moment, we can...
The Audacity of Vulnerability and Authenticity
{Finish the Sentence Friday} “I wasn’t really myself when I…” … sat down to write this post. Normally, when I read a Finish the Sentence Friday prompt, I search my brain for a thoughtful response to the question, and my neurological search engine usually returns...
CTFD: The Tao of Parenting
With wisdom from Lao Tzu, the Buddha, Rousseau, and parents from around the world, here’s a new version of CTFD: Cultivate Trust, Freedom, and Downtime
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Thankful for Summer!
Words for a Mindful Moment with the Breath “Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgement of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, great and small. Gratitude is the confidence in life itself… As gratitude grows it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to...
What a Renaissance Man Taught Me About Identity
As my husband got up to shower, I scooped up the little new addition to our family. Normally, I would have been doing my pre-mama morning “things I love” ~ reading the paper, enjoying coffee, or, most likely, sleeping in. Instead, I went downstairs as I held my sweet...
Back to School: E-Courses You’ll Truly Love
I know it's still the middle of August, but Back to School is everywhere! As a teacher, I love back to school season. Freshly sharpened pencils. Brand new notebooks ready to be filled with ideas and inspiration. Unblemished 3-ring binders with fresh sheet protectors...
What Your Mommy Blogger Wants You to Know: She’s Not Perfect
The other day, I noticed a lot of people finding my blog via Pinterest. I am not on Pinterest, so I followed the link and found a picture linking to my post about creating mind jars with my children. Someone commented on the link, “I kind of wanted to punch her, but I...
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Embracing Change
Breathe: Words for a Mindful Moment Smile: Moments of Gratitude I suppose it is only natural to begin pondering change and impermanence as we transition into August and the final weeks of summer. The cooler temperatures {at least in Minnesota!}, the back-to-school...
Bad Habits and Blurred Lines
I hesitated to share this post today. This post is about controversy, feminism, and frustration. None of the things I envisioned when I created the mission and purpose of Left Brain Buddha. {I have a habit of overanalyzing things.} But feminism is a fundamental part...
5 Mantras for Mindful Parenting
Yesterday I enjoyed one of the outings mothers dream of: I went to Target by myself. As I sorted through my coupons at the checkout counter, I heard a screaming child. A nasty tantrum. My first thought was that it sounded exactly like the screams from the terrified...
Suspended in Webs of Significance We Ourselves Have Spun
The Around the World In Six Weeks Parenting Blog Carnival continues today! Over the next several weeks, Deb of Urban Moo Cow, Jessica of School of Smock, Lauren of Omnimom, Stephanie of Mommy, For Real, and I will be writing about our reactions to Christine...
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Fundamental Richness
Breathe: Words for a Mindful Moment "Fundamental Richness" by Pema Chodron "Fundamental richness is available in each moment. The key is to relax: relax to a cloud in the sky, relax to a tiny bird with gray wings, relax to the sound of the telephone ringing. We can...
What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?
When I saw today’s Finish the Sentence Friday prompt, “My bucket list includes....”, I sat back in shock. I, a queen of list-making, did not have a bucket list! I think part of the reason is the morbid nature of a bucket list. And I don’t like the phrase “kicking the...
Learning to Say “No”
We’ve all heard this advice, haven’t we? We need to learn to say “No,” to scale back our commitments so that we aren’t so overstretched that we don’t have time for ourselves and our family. And sometimes, that advice is really easy to follow. Coach my daughter’s...
Mindfulness and Gratitude: Travel, a Journey, and BlogHer
I sat down in the cab taking me away from the Chicago Sheraton and the BlogHer Conference, and I wanted to cry. Those tears that are a crazy mixture of sadness, exhaustion, emotional overload, happiness, and even gratitude. The tears that come after an intense,...
Sharing the Love!
Happy Lovely Friday! I am in Chicago today for the awesome BlogHer Conference ~ and I LOVE that I am meeting many of the amazing bloggers that I link up with every week for Finish the Sentence Friday! This week our posts are about the best and the worst parts of...
Mindful Parenting: Everything Old is New Again
Mindfulness. Meditation. Mindful Parenting. From the boardroom, to the classroom, to the nursery room, mindfulness is everywhere these days. But it's not really "new." The Buddha was teaching mindfulness 2500 years ago! Mindfulness is about paying attention. Being...