Namchak Community Blog

“Look at all those people sitting there with their eyes closed. I wonder what they’re doing,” I thought to myself as I ran past a big, pink ramada at the nearby park in Buenos Aires. I went home that day, researched the benefits of meditation and soon after, purchased a book called “Los Tres Pilares del Zen.” That was my first interaction with...

Courage – it’s not just a word to describe people who commit to larger-than-life acts of bravery. We can turn the lens of courage on ourselves by reframing not only how we define it, but also how we cultivate it. Since meditation allows us to come to self, it can create an inner resiliency that allows us to be more courageous. Here are three ways...

To learn more about Namchak’s Shamata retreats and what to expect when you attend, we spoke with Alley Fontenot, Namchak Community Steward. How can I prepare for the workshop? "The event is very well supported, so there’s nothing you need to do to prepare. All you need to have is an open mind. Set the intention to give yourself this weekend to...

Lama Tsomo often uses the phrase, "clearing the lens," or "cleaning your windshield," to describe focusing our thoughts and training our mind to see what is true. Ever wonder where that comes from? In Buddhism, the word for enlightenment is "sangye". "San" meaning clearing away the delusions and bad habits of the mind and "gye" meaning developing...

Volunteering is a fantastic way to become engaged with the community we live in – and even those we don’t! Below are a few ways volunteering can help us become more mindful. When we volunteer we tend to focus outwards on others which can help give us a sense of purpose. This singular focus gives us a chance to remain fully present in the moment....

Regret can cause not only pain and grief, but it can negatively affect our mental and emotional health. When in the throes of regret, our tendency to shove it to the side or suppress it can be hard to resist. Instead, we can use meditation to keep us present and to process the regret so it can leave our bodies. Developing a self-compassion...

Shamata, or the practice of Calm Abiding, helps us cultivate a calmer and more centered life. It provides us tangible ways to embody compassion, joy, and courage to show up as our best selves in all areas of life. Shamata can benefit not only us, but our co-workers, too! Below are three exercises to broaden our and our co-workers’ capabilities to...

Stress gets to all of us and can build up over time, whether it’s work stress, life stress or just stress in general. Here are a few ways meditation can help with managing stress. Add movement. When we’re stressed, it can be hard to come to self on our cushion, especially if our worried mind is locked into the cycle of rumination. In this article...

Relationships require us to grow, adapt and change. How can we use those aspects to develop our relationships into ones filled with a greater capacity for love and connection? One way is to use the tools that meditation teaches us to make our relationships flourish. More Compassion Compassion is about feeling so connected to someone that we’re...

Meditating solo can be daunting. It’s hard to know if we’re on the right path or who to ask if we have questions when we don’t understand a practice. That’s where the benefits of a meditation retreat can help! Retreat is a powerful tool to deeply develop our meditation practice and get those questions answered, all while enveloped in a warm...