Shame can be crippling, but empathy and self-love restore us. You can strengthen your connections with either of these 2 practices.

Bringing this practice to these days of the capricious and sometimes very damaging or deadly virus, it is still important to nurture my mindfulness and acceptance of the state of my mind at any moment.

Here’s a 6-minute video on waking up the senses, becoming sensual if you will, in the present. With something as ordinary as a cup of coffee.

Here’s a small offering for our essential workers in medicine, delivery, transport, utilities, food and many other essential jobs that keep the rest of us afloat. May you know you are blessed by a higher reality.

Stinking thinking brings unhappy, confused, anxious times. It doesn't have to be that way.

We understand. You may have tried many ways to stop the thinking, and felt even worse after failure.

But you probably have not learned our special kind of mindfulness.

Announcing 3 Days of Mindfulness -- Freely Given. Attend days of mindfulness led by trained mindfulness teachers, in mid-town Manhattan. The dates are March 28, June 13 and November 11. Good for beginners or dedicated meditators. The days include lots of guidance and mindful movement as well as sitting. For details see www.LearnMindfulnessNYC.com or call Donald Fleck 917-202-5148.

Does negative thinking lead to emotional distress, for you or a friend? If so, applying mindfulness for health may give the relief you need.

The Mindfulness Workshop has helped 350 people in New York City lead happier lives. It’s based on Mindfulness Based - Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a combination of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You’ll learn to catch early warning signals that emotions are going downhill and then implement mindfulness and cognitive strategies to keep you in balance, to keep you open to happiness.

Learning mindfulness can be frustrating. Here’s a way to experience an empty mind in 4 minutes. It involves noticing the spaces between thoughts, what is called spacious awareness.