“Stop thinking—about all the things that could go wrong in your career. Notice your breath. Be your best and do your best.”

“Stop thinking—about your workday when you are with your family. Notice your breath. Love them now.”

“Open Awareness Meditation, also known as “open attention,” “open monitoring,” or “soft focus,” is a form of mindfulness meditation in which you allow the many things present in your consciousness (sounds and other sensory input, as well as your thoughts and emotions) to arise in your awareness and then naturally fall away as they are replaced by different sounds, thoughts, etc.”

“The ancient concept of yin and yang refers to the two fundamental sides of nature—both spiritual and physical, both feminine and masculine.”

“Yin is the feminine aspect of all things and is associated with that which is expansive, open, and receptive, while yang is the masculine aspect of all things and is associated with that which is precise, active, and specific. Every person has both yin qualities and yang qualities,”

“Attention is the yin to concentration’s yang. Attention (mindfulness) and concentration (focus) work together to provide a full, rounded experience of being both focused on the task at hand (whatever it may be), as well as having a complete awareness of, and an open mind to, the many aspects of the moment you are in.”

“This sixth sense of thought often comes to the foreground in mindfulness practices like meditation.”

“Thoughts provide important information, but they are not fundamentally different from or more important than, say, the taste of a pear or hearing a Mozart symphony.”

“When a thought comes to mind, note the thought and return to the practice. Notice where your mind goes when it wanders—“Oh, I’m thinking about work”— then bring your focus back to the breath.”

“Before practicing zazen, set your intention: “I will practice breath awareness as a form of meditation for five minutes, counting each breath. When my mind wanders, I will return to counting the breath, beginning again with one.”

“Stop thinking—about anything other than what you are doing right now. Notice your breath. Enjoy all that there is to this moment.”

“Stop thinking—about your upcoming plans when you take time to read. Notice your breath. Take in each word and allow the information and ideas to settle in.”

“Stop thinking—about what you are going to say next while someone else is still speaking. Notice your breath. Hear them out, open your mind, and listen.”

“If you investigate the matter deeply enough and widely enough, you will find that happiness eludes nearly all men despite the fact that they are forever seeking it. The fortunate and successful few are those who have stopped seeking with the ego alone and allow the search to be directed inwardly by the higher self. They alone can find a happiness unblemished by defects or deficiencies, a Supreme Good which is not a further source of pain and sorrow but an endless source of satisfaction and peace.”

“To advance spiritually requires a method of practice & determination to carry it out.”