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Joy – it’s contagious

We get it from our dogs. This Christmas I received a present of a 3 month-old “lobero” (wolf-dog) puppy from Diego, my son-in-law. We already have Haku, a two year old wolf-dog. Some of you reading this will already have met him if you have visited us in Cantabria. For both Rhea and I dogs have been a source of joy throughout our lives. Although for many years we were involved in horses and riding, dogs have always been an integral part of the extended family. Having a dog in the family is an interesting phenomenon as there is no real justifiable, rational reason or need for it. Our dogs…

Gratitude brings happiness

It is not happiness which brings gratitude; It is gratitude which brings happiness. Amongst the practices and attitudes we can adopt and practice, gratitude is probably the most effective. It might, at first glance, seem soppy or religious. However, science has shown that grateful people are happier. If that isn’t enough, it also reduces harmful stress, improves your immune system, improves your sense of wellbeing, improves relationships, improves quality of sleep and heart health. I have often mentioned the two (principal) parts of the mind: The Rational Mind (ie the “voice” in our head – that constant flow of thoughts) and the Observing Mind – that part of the mind…

Are you successful?

If your definition of success is very narrow, for example, getting into the Guinness book of records for eating the most hotdogs or having the longest fingernails, whilst a bit weird, it is essentially harmless. But if, for example, a business has profitability as it’s only measure of success, then it will sacrifice the wellbeing of both its workers and customers to achieve this. Sadly, there is no shortage of examples of this. If we are awake to the reality of connection, then success must be defined as something that is good for not just you, but for others too. What is the point of success if we have to…

Grief and Impermanence

People attend our retreats in Cantabria for many reasons. One of the more common reasons is to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. In our society our experience of death is quite limited, so when it comes, it comes as a shocking, painful surprise. Unfortunately, we don’t generally talk about death. We receive no training and we do our best not to think about it which means it always catches us unprepared. The Buddha said that life contains inevitable suffering: birth, sickness, old age and death. None of us can avoid these events; they are as inevitable as the sunrise, as breathing. In this we are…

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