Ed and Deb Shapiro

Loving Just This Moment

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Given the state of the world today it’d be totally understandable if we were dreading the holidays, the new year, or whatever might happen next, instead of feeling joyful and full of anticipation. Yet this new year has a very special effect: it makes us believe we have the chance to start over, to do […]

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Change – the Essence of All Life

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The world around us, and who we are now, is not the same as it was just a few months, weeks, days, even a few moment ago. People have died, clouds have passed overhead, flowers have bloomed and leaves have fallen. Already we have changed, some of our cells have died while others have been […]

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Let’s Make Compassion Fashionable

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If we genuinely want to end hatred, bigotry, racism and abuse, if we genuinely want to bring real change to the world, then there is only one place to begin. We have to stop the war within ourselves by opening our hearts to ourselves and to all others, equally, for there will never be peace […]

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Making Friends With Panic

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Making Friends With Panic   Through Covid-19 we have been launched into the great unknown. It no longer seems relevant or even practical to make long-term plans, as everything is subject to such indeterminable change. The truth that all things are impermanent and can change in a flash has never seemed so real. But for […]

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The Myth of Freedom

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Ed was part of the flower power love generation of 1960’s hippies, the essence of which was the freedom to be ourselves. The explosion of yoga and meditation began then, as Ed and others headed to India to learn with Eastern gurus. In the process, we learnt a very important lesson: no one else can […]

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The Amazing Wisdom of Mindlessness

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Where mindfulness is all about being aware, being present in the moment, noticing and paying attention to thoughts, feelings, behavior, and everything else, mindlessness is anything but, dominating all those moments when you are least aware. As such, mindlessness is the most amazing teacher ever: become aware of when you are unaware and hey presto, […]

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If There Is No Solid Me, Then Who Am I?

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The future is a concept—it doesn’t exist! There is no such thing as tomorrow! There never will be because time is always now. Alan Watts When Deb was a teenager in London, her mother was editor of The Middle Way, the journal of the British Buddhist Society. As a result, Deb met some fascinating people, […]

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Why Meditation Can Appear So Challenging

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What is it about something as simple as sitting still and watching our breath that evokes panic or even fear? No matter how much information there is proving the mental, emotional and physical value of meditation, there seems to be as many people who resist giving it a try. No doubt meditation can be challenging, […]

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What’s The Big Fuss About Mindfulness & Meditation?

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It’s really happening! Mindfulness and meditation are infiltrating our lives like old friends. But this poses a conundrum. With health reports saying we would all benefit practicing mindfulness and meditation, and with classes easily available, why do many of us ignore this or find excuses not to try? How ironic that the best things for […]

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Is There A Difference Between Mindfulness and Meditation?

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Nowadays, mindfulness and meditation are often used to mean the same thing, which can be confusing, while not many of us are clear on what ‘mindfulness meditation’ is and how it differs from either of the above. So here’s our version: Mindfulness is being aware. It’s noticing and paying attention to thoughts, feelings, behavior, and […]

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