Making a tough drive in hazardous conditions cultivates a sense of awareness and concentration. It’s a good practice for living.

As many people’s New Year’s resolutions begin to wane, we can always begin again. Rather than setting a date to do something, why not start now? If you don’t succeed today, take heart—you can always start again tomorrow, or in an hour.

Certain places can exude magic if you tune in. I found a blissful connection visiting Concord, Massachusetts, especially Walden Pond. This is a short passage from Thoreau.

We can try to prove someone wrong, we can argue our point of view, or we can throw a tantrum or bully others to get our way. It means nothing if it doesn’t bring us together. Our political, religious or cultural views may differ, but we can remember that we are all connected through our spirit.

Rather than being aversive to pain, ask it what it can teach you. Iyengar tells us that “pain is your guru” in his book, “Light on Yoga.”

During our daily grind, taking a brief moment of pause pulls us out of a state of reactivity and into a state of receptivity. Tara Brach writes about the Sacred Pause in her book, Radical Acceptance.

Ram Dass’ Love, Serve, Remember Foundation keeps his spirit alive by reposting his blogs, articles and archives. This is a letter of encouragement to keep our hearts open to compassionate action in the world.

This passage from the Mundaka Upanishad honors how deep, how wide is the Lord of Love. Although this part of Indian spirituality, it resonates the Psalms of David. This translation is by Eknath Easwaran

In our hurried and distracted world, it’s important to find moments of silence. Thomas Merton writes about silence in his book, “Love and Living.”

Most of us might be aware of our physical bodies, especially when we experience pain. Have you developed an awareness of your “inner body?” This passage from Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth” gives us a simple method of becoming aware of our energy body.