Meditation and the Mind

Nishil and Kids make funny face during donation project

How To Live a Better Life

January 20, 2022

Backpacking in Southeast Asia quite literarily was a life-changing trip for me. This trip was meaningful not just because of all the things I saw, the food I ate, and the bucket list items I checked off, but rather the lessons I learned during the experience. In fact, after leaving the region, I felt like I had found the secret sauce to a meaningful, purposeful, and happier life. Here are three important lessons I learned and how they created the formula for a better life.

Lessons From a Meditation Retreat Part 3 – The Art of Handling Suffering

May 18, 2020

Understanding Suffering Buddha Sak, the head monk of Thailand’s International Meditation Center, would say that during meditation, one’s mind will wander as if it is

Lessons From a Meditation Retreat Part 2 – Object Happiness

April 12, 2020

Life without any of our five senses wouldn’t feel like life at all. We are constantly bombarded by sensory stimulation. The smell of flowers, the sight of a sunset and the taste of an overcooked meal; Senses are the soldiers that feed our brain information. Though senses are arguably our biggest gift in life, they also can guide us in the wrong direction if we don’t understand how they are processed in our minds.

Lessons From a Meditation Retreat: Part 1- When it Rains Close Your Windows

March 24, 2020

Part 1 of a 5 part series detailing lessons I learned during a week-long meditation retreat. Lesson 1-When it Rains Close Your Windows

Vipassana Meditation Retreat: The Incredible Benefits

February 23, 2020

Meditating for 6-8 hours a day for 7 straight days while not being able to talk, use my phone, listen to music, read, write or engage in any other distractions, was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.

Research The Mind: Hartanto Gunawan

February 19, 2020

I had the pleasure of meeting Hartanto Gunawan on my second day backpacking across south east Asia. Getting to talk to him and hear his incredible life story was eye opening. He was one of the more interesting people I have met on any of my travels and had tons of great insights into life and the mind. From CEO to being dropped off on an Island to becoming a monk, Gunawan has an incredible story. Here it is:

The Ultimate Guide to Mount Koya

April 24, 2019

Mount Koya is an isolated town in the Koyassan Mountains that serves as the home for Shingon Buddhism in Japan. The area has extremely important religious significance and houses many Buddhist temples. The town itself is small, only 6km x 3km, but the small region is home to some of the most important Buddhist teachings in the country.

Tea Master holds up a poster with the Japanese characters for Ichi Go Ichi e

Ichigo Ichie: The Meaning Behind the Powerful Japanese Phrase

April 11, 2019

Ichi-go Ichi-e, 11 letters that I resonated with in Japan. The phrase, in rough translation, means to treasure the moment, it may never come again. It is the perfect way to describe the way I’ve tried to live my life and the way I believe many people should. When I heard this phrase used by a tea master in Japan, I instantly formed a deeper connection with the country. It wasn’t just a nice sounding phrase, but one that actually seemed to represent the Japanese culture.