Once upon a time, there was a wise Zen master. People traveled from far away to seek his help. In response, he would teach them and show them the way to enlightenment. On this particular day, a scholar came to visit the master for advice. “I have come to ask you to teach me about Zen,” the scholar said.
Soon, it became obvious that the scholar was full of his own opinions and knowledge. He interrupted the master repeatedly with his own stories and failed to listen to what the master had to say. The master calmly suggested that they should have tea.
So the master gently poured his guest a cup. The cup was filled, yet he kept pouring until the cup overflowed onto the table, onto the floor, and finally onto the scholar’s robes. The scholar cried, “Stop! The cup is full already. Can’t you see?” “Exactly,” the Zen master replied with a smile. “You are like this cup—so full of ideas that nothing more will fit in. Come back to me with an empty cup.”
From the book: "Don't believe everything you think" by Joseph Nguyen
A tough, brawny samurai once approached a Zen master who was deep in meditation. Impatient and discourteous, the samurai demanded in his husky voice so accustomed to forceful yelling, “Tell me the nature of heaven and hell.”
The Zen master opened his eyes, looked the samurai in the face, and replied with a certain scorn, “Why should I answer to a shabby, disgusting, despondent slob like you? A worm like you—do you think I should tell you anything? I can’t stand you. Get out of my sight. I have no time for silly questions.”
The samurai could not bear these insults. Consumed by rage, he drew his sword and raised it to sever the master’s head at once.
Looking straight into the samurai’s eyes, the Zen master tenderly declared, “That’s hell.”
The samurai froze. He immediately understood that anger had him in its grip. His mind had just created his own hell—one filled with resentment, hatred, self-defense, and fury. He realized that he was so deep in his torment that he was ready to kill somebody.
The samurai’s eyes filled with tears. Setting his sword aside, he put his palms together and obsequiously bowed in gratitude for this insight.
The Zen master gently acknowledged with a delicate smile, “And that’s heaven.”
From the book: "Don't believe everything you think" by Joseph Nyugen
(A Zen Story About How Thinking Is The Cause Of Our Own Suffering)
A long time ago, a young Zen monk was living in a small monastery that was located in a forest which was near a small lake. The monastery was occupied by a few senior monks, while the rest were newcomers and still had much to learn. The monks had many obligations in the monastery, but one of the most important ones was their daily routine where they had to sit down, close their eyes, and meditate in silence for hours at a time.
After each meditation, they had to report their progress to their mentor. A young monk had difficulty staying focused during his meditation practice for a variety of reasons, which made him very mad. After the young monk reported his progress, or rather the lack of it, to his mentor, the elder monk asked the young monk a simple question that contained a hidden lesson: “Do you know what is really making you angry?” The young monk replied, “Well, usually as soon as I close my eyes and begin to meditate, there is someone moving around, and I can’t focus. I get agitated because someone is disturbing me even though they know that I’m meditating. How could they not be more considerate? And then when I close my eyes again and try to focus, a cat or a small animal might brush past and disturb me again. By this point, even when the wind blows and the tree branches make noise, I get angry. If that is not enough, the birds keep on chirping, and I can’t seem to find any peace in this place.”
The elder monk simply pointed out to his pupil, “I see that you become angrier with each interruption you encounter. This is exactly the opposite of what is the point of your task when meditating. You should find a way not to get angry with people, or animals, or any other thing around you that disturbs you during your task." After their consultation, the young monk went out of the monastery and looked around to find a place that would be quieter so that he could meditate peacefully. He found such a place at the shore of the lake that was nearby. He brought his mat, sat down, and started meditating. But soon, a flock of birds splashed down in the lake near where the monk was meditating. Hearing their noise, the monk opened his eyes to see what was going on.
Although the bank of the lake was quieter than the monastery, there were still things that would disturb his peace, and he again got angry. Even though he didn't find the peace he was looking for, he kept returning to the lake. Then one day, the monk saw a boat tied at the end of a small pier. And right then an idea hit him: "Why don't I take the boat, row it down to the middle of the lake and meditate there? In the middle of the lake, there will be nothing to disturb me!" He rowed the boat to the middle of the lake and started meditating.
As he had expected, there was nothing in the middle of the lake to disturb him and he was able to meditate the whole day. At the end of the day, he returned to the monastery. This continued for a couple of days, and the monk was thrilled that he had finally found a place to meditate in peace. He hadn't felt angry and could continue the meditation practice in a calm manner.
On the third day, the monk sat in the boat, rowed up the middle of the lake, and started meditating again. A few minutes later, he heard some splashing of water and felt that the boat was rocking. He started getting upset that even in the middle of the lake, there was someone or something disturbing him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a boat heading straight towards him. He shouted, "Steer your boat away, or else you will hit my boat." But the other boat kept coming straight at him and was just a few feet away. He yelled again, but nothing changed, and so the incoming boat hit the monk's boat. Now he was furious. He screamed, "Who are you, and why have you hit my boat in the middle of this vast lake?" There was no answer. This made the young monk even angrier.
He stood up to see who was in the other boat and to his surprise, he found that there was no one in the boat.
The boat had probably drifted along in the breeze and had bumped into the monk's boat. The monk found his anger dissipating. It was just an empty boat! There was no one to get angry at!
At that moment he remembered his mentor's question: "Do you know what is really making you angry?" And then he realized: "It's not other people, situations, or circumstances. It's not the empty boat, but my reaction to it that causes my anger. All the people or situations that make me upset and angry are just like the empty boat. They don't have the power to make me angry without my own reaction."
The monk then rowed the boat back to the shore. He returned to the monastery and started meditating along with the other monks. There were still noises and disturbances around, but the monk treated them as the "empty boat" and continued to meditate peacefully. When the elder monk saw the difference, he simply said to the young monk, "I see that you have found what is really making you angry and overcome that."
From the book: "Don't believe everything you think" by Joseph Nguyen
1. The Pizza Story (The More You Push, The More It Comes)
A teacher told his students: “For thirty seconds, do not think of pizza.”
They tried, but the more they resisted, the more pizzas popped into their minds—cheese pizza, veggie pizza, every kind of pizza.
The teacher smiled and said: “This is how life works. When you push away your thoughts and emotions, they bounce back stronger. Acceptance is the key. Let the pizza come and go.”
Moral: Resisting thoughts only feeds them. Accept and let them pass.
2. The Gym Walk
A man drives to the gym and wants to park right at the entrance. If he finds a faraway spot, he grumbles with every step: “Bad day, too far, unlucky me.”
Yet once inside, he climbs onto the treadmill, walking happily, step after step: “Good for my health! My money is well-spent!”
The walk outside and the walk inside were the same. Only his attitude changed.
Moral: Suffering or happiness is not in the walk—it is in the mind’s perspective.
3. The Diamond in the Broken House
A poor man lived in a leaking, broken house. He struggled through cold winters and hot summers, never knowing that hidden in his home were 10 kilos of diamonds.
One day, a friend told him, “These stones you ignore are diamonds!” Slowly, the man realized the truth. He exchanged a single diamond for a beautiful house by the mountain, filled with food and warmth.
Yet whether he was in the broken house or the new one, the diamonds always belonged to him.
Moral: We all carry inner treasures—awareness, love, and wisdom. Recognition makes the difference.
4. The Sky and the Clouds
A son complained of panic attacks. His father said:
“Your true nature is like the vast Himalayan sky. Panic is just a passing storm. The storm never harms the sky—it comes and goes, but the sky remains pure.”
The son realized he didn’t need to fight the storm. He only needed to stay connected with the sky.
Moral: Thoughts and emotions are clouds. Awareness is the unchanging sky.
5. The Three Ways of Drinking Water
A teacher showed his students a glass of water and said:
First way: grasp tightly—“I must drink this now!”
Second way: reject it—“I hate water, maybe tomorrow.”
Third way: relax, follow the flow, and simply drink.
Everyone agreed the third way was best. The teacher said: “Yet often we live in the first or second way—too tight with craving, or too loose with aversion.”
Moral: Balance and awareness make life natural and joyful.
Meditation Anytime, Anywhere: Discovering the Diamonds Within
Good morning. Today I want to share a simple yet profound truth: meditation can be practiced anytime, anywhere, with anything. It doesn’t require a cushion, a monastery, or even silence. All it requires is recognition—recognition of our inner potential and the qualities we already carry within us.
The Two Purposes of Meditation
Meditation, at its essence, has two main purposes:
To discover our innate potential.
Beneath all our worries, fears, and limitations, there is something unshakable within each of us. It doesn’t matter who you are—everyone carries this same inner diamond.
To learn how to recognize it in everyday life.
We don’t have to wait for perfect conditions to meditate. We can connect with this awareness anytime, anywhere, with anything. Even a sound, a thought, or an emotion can become the doorway.
When we connect with this, meditation becomes self-liberation. And the benefit doesn’t stop with us—peace inside naturally creates a positive influence outside, touching our family, friends, coworkers, and beyond.
The Three Inner Diamonds
Within each of us are three treasures, three qualities that never leave us:
Awareness
Love and Compassion
Wisdom
These are our inner diamonds. The problem isn’t that we don’t have them—it’s that we don’t recognize them. It’s like having ten kilos of diamonds in your house but mistaking them for stones. Once you recognize what they are, your entire life changes.
My Journey: From Panic to Practice
I didn’t come to meditation through peace, but through panic. Years ago, I suffered from severe panic attacks. At first, I thought they were heart attacks. But my teacher explained something life-changing:
Fighting panic only makes it stronger.
The real problem wasn’t the panic itself, but my fear of panic.
He gave me an example: “Don’t think of pizza.” Immediately, your mind fills with pizza! This is what happens with fear and aversion—the harder we push away, the stronger it comes back.
The secret, he said, was not to fight the panic, but to connect with the sky of awareness behind it. Storm clouds don’t change the nature of the sky; they come and go, but the sky remains vast and open. In the same way, thoughts, emotions, even panic are temporary clouds. Our awareness is the sky.
The Three Steps: View, Meditation, Application
Every authentic meditation practice rests on three foundations:
View – Recognizing the inner diamonds of awareness, love, and wisdom.
Meditation – Experiencing them directly, even for a few moments at a time.
Application – Bringing that recognition into daily life: at work, with family, while eating, walking, or even scrolling your phone.
If we only have one of these three, transformation is limited. Together, they can change our lives.
Awareness: Always Here
What is awareness? It is the simple knowing quality of the mind—the ability to see, hear, feel, taste, smell, and think. It’s always present, whether we notice it or not.
When you hear a sound and recognize it, that’s awareness. When you realize you’re distracted, that too is awareness. Awareness is like gravity: it doesn’t matter if you believe in it or not, it’s always there.
The practice is simply to recognize it, again and again.
Practical Meditation: Sound and Breath
Let’s try two simple practices:
Sound meditation: Close your eyes and just listen. Air conditioning, footsteps, birds, coughing—whatever is there. When you notice you’ve drifted into thoughts, gently return to the sound.
Breath meditation: Notice your natural breathing. Inhale, exhale. Don’t force or change it—just watch.
The essence isn’t to stop thoughts or create calm. The essence is awareness. Calm, peace, and joy are natural byproducts.
From Craving and Aversion to Freedom
In meditation, we learn three lifelong skills:
Being okay with not-okay.
Transforming aversion into acceptance and compassion.
Returning again and again.
Instead of being pulled away by craving, we come back to the present. This makes us the leader of our own mind.
Seeing reality as it is.
This is wisdom—experiencing life directly, without distortion.
These three skills—compassion, awareness, wisdom—transform suffering at its roots.
Everyday Meditation
You don’t need hours. Start with just five minutes a day of formal meditation—no phone, no TV, just sit and breathe. Then, sprinkle informal practice throughout your day:
Savor the smell and taste of your food.
Notice your breath before sending an email.
Listen to the sounds around you instead of getting lost in thought.
Meditation is not about escaping life—it’s about living it more fully, with awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
✨ Remember: The diamonds are already within you. Awareness, love, and wisdom are always here. Meditation is simply the art of recognizing them, again and again—anytime, anywhere, with anything.
Hakuin was a Zen teacher, known for his quiet way of living.
He didn't seek attention. But over time, people began to admire him.
Some said he was a man of deep wisdom.
Others just said he seemed settled. He never argued with either.
In the same town, a teenage girl lived with her parents. One day, they discovered she was pregnant.
They demanded to know who the father was, but she refused to speak. She was afraid.
Her parents were furious. They went straight to Hakuin and accused him to his face. He listened. Then calmly he said, "Is that so?"
That was all.
Finally, under pressure, she gave them a name. She said, "Hakuin."
Word spread.
People stopped speaking to him. His reputation disappeared overnight. No more visitors, no more gifts at the door, no more respectful greetings.
Hakuin didn't complain. He kept going.
When the child was born, the parents brought the baby to him. They said, "Take it, this is your responsibility now."
Hakuin accepted the child.
He asked no questions. He fed the baby, kept him warm, and raised him without comment.
Neighbors watched, unsure what to believe.
A year passed. One morning, the young woman came back. Her head was down. Her parents were with her. "I lied," she said, her voice small.
"I was scared. I gave them your name to protect myself. I'm sorry."
The parents asked for forgiveness. They asked if they could take the child back.
Hakuin didn't scold them. He didn't explain anything. He handed them the child. Is that so?
And that was the end of it. You see in life, in your life, there will be moments when the world misunderstands you, when judgment falls unfairly, and your truth feels unseen. But like Hakuin, you can choose to meet it with calm, to hold your peace without needing to fight for or explain for. Because true strength lies not in changing others, but in staying steady within yourself. And the truth can take care of itself.
Thank you so much for reading and stay blessed.
What are the key lessons from this story?
Of course. This powerful Zen story about Master Hakuin offers several profound lessons for navigating life's challenges.
Here are the key takeaways:
## Equanimity and Non-Reaction
The core of the story lies in Hakuin's simple, repeated response: "Is that so?". This isn't a statement of agreement or denial. It is a profound act of equanimity—a state of mental calmness and composure in the face of difficulty.
Lesson: Instead of reacting with anger, fear, or defensiveness when faced with accusations or dramatic events, we can choose to simply observe the situation without getting emotionally entangled. We acknowledge the other person's reality ("Is that so?") without letting it dictate our own inner peace.
## Detachment from Reputation and Ego
Hakuin's reputation was destroyed overnight, yet his behavior didn't change. He didn't fight to clear his name or lament his lost status. This shows that his sense of self-worth was not tied to the opinions of others.
Lesson: True strength comes from an internal foundation, not external validation. Praise and blame are temporary and often based on incomplete information. Attaching your identity to what others think of you makes you vulnerable; finding peace within makes you resilient.
## Compassion and Responsibility in Action
When the baby was brought to him, Hakuin didn't argue or complain about the injustice. He saw a being in need and took compassionate action. He accepted the responsibility placed upon him and cared for the child with diligence.
Lesson: True wisdom isn't passive. It's about responding to the needs of the present moment with compassion, regardless of the circumstances. Instead of getting lost in "what should be," Hakuin focused on "what is" and did what was necessary.
## The Power of Letting Go
Just as easily as he accepted the child, Hakuin handed him back when the truth was revealed. There was no bitterness, no "I told you so," no demand for apology. He held onto nothing—not the injustice, not his reputation, and not even the child he had cared for.
Lesson:Non-attachment is a key to freedom. By letting go of grievances, a need to be right, and even positive attachments, we can move through life with greater peace and flexibility.
## Trusting That Truth Will Prevail
Hakuin never felt the need to defend himself. He lived his truth quietly and consistently. In the end, the external truth aligned with his internal integrity without him having to force it.
Lesson: Living with integrity is its own defense. While it's not always easy, having faith that the truth will eventually surface can free you from the exhausting battle of trying to manage everyone's perception of you. 🙏
One day the Buddha was sitting with some of his monks in the woods.
They had just come back from an almsround and were ready to share a mindful lunch together. A farmer passed by, looking distraught.
He asked the Buddha, “Monks, have you seen some cows going by here?”
“What cows?” the Buddha responded.
“Well,” the man said. “I have four cows and I don’t know why, but this morning they all ran away.
I also have two acres of sesame. This year the insects ate the entire crop. I have lost everything: my harvest and my cows.
I feel like killing myself.”
The Buddha said, “Dear friend, we have been sitting here almost an hour and we have not seen any cows passing by. Maybe you should go and look in the other direction.”
When the farmer was gone, the Buddha looked at his friends and smiled knowingly. “Dear friends, you are very lucky,” he said. “You don’t have any cows to lose.”
...
Taken from the book by Thich Nhat Hanh: No Mud, No Lotus. The Art of Transforming Suffering
One day, a lioness died, while giving birth to a cub.
At that time, a herd of sheep was passing by.
The lion cub joined the herd accidentally.
The sheep also thought him to be part of their herd.
And so, the cub was brought up by sheep.
While living with the sheep, the lion cub believed himself to be a sheep.
Since he was growing up among sheep.
So, it was natural for him to live like them.
He was living with the sheep, and believe that he was one of them.
He became vegetarian and started eating grass, with great joy.
He had no conception of what a lion was.
He had no idea, not even in his dreams, that he was a lion.
How could he have, all around him were sheep, and only sheep.
He had never roared like a lion.
He had never lived alone like a lion.
With the passage of time, the cub grew up.
Slowly, he became a beautiful and young lion.
The sheep became accustomed to him, just as he became accustomed to them.
But one day, while the herd of sheep was eating grass in a field.
Another lion, attacked their heart.
When he saw this young lion among the sheep, he could not believe his eyes.
He had never seen such a scene.
He was astonished to see a young lion grazing among the sheep.
Neither were the sheep afraid of him, nor were they aware that, a lion was in their midst.
Forgetting the intention of hunting a sheep.
The old lion decided to catch hold of the young lion, and find out what was happening.
The old lion, attacked the flock of sheep to capture the young lion.
Seeing him, all the sheep started running to save their lives.
The young lion, also ran away to save his life.
Although, the young lion ran very fast.
But the old lion somehow caught him.
The old lion said to him, you fool.
Why are you running away from me?
The young lion, was crying and trembling.
He said, please leave me.
I am a poor sheep, please let me go.
He was shivering with fear and bleating, like a sheep.
It did not take long to the old lion, to understand what was happening.
He dragged the young lion, to Ward a nearby lake.
The young lion resisted, and was reluctant to go.
He thought, he was being taken to his death.
He was crying and pleading.
But the old lion, would not let go, he forced him to the lake.
The lake was calm, like a mirror.
The old lion, made the young lion look into the water and said, look at my face and look at your face.
Look at my body and look at your body in the water.
The young lion, looked into the lake, with tearful eyes.
As he saw his reflection in the water, he was astonished.
For the first time, he realized, he did not look like a sheep.
But he looked like a lion.
In that instant, he understood the truth.
He was not a sheep, but a lion.
And within a second, a mighty roar, erupted from his throat.
Hearing his roar, the whole forest trembled.
The sheep scattered and disappeared, and a lion was born that day.
He was, a totally different being now.
He recognized, his true self.
His identification with the sheep, had been an illusion.
Just a mental concept.
Now, he had seen reality.
His strange energy, surged within him.
As if, it had always been dormant.
He felt, a tremendous power.
Living among the sheep, he had always been weak and humble.
But now, all that weakness, all that false humility, evaporated in an instant.
The story teaches us, a deep truth.
The young lion grew up among sheep.
And because of the environment around him.
He started believing that, he too was a sheep.
In the same way, many of us, spend our entire lives, carrying a false identity.
We live with people, who constantly doubt themselves.
And slowly, we also begin to think that, we are no different.
Their fears, become our fears.
Their weaknesses, become our weaknesses.
And without even realizing it.
We bury, our true strength, deep within.
Just think about, what undiscovered talents and abilities, could be lying, hidden within you.
You too could be a lion, surrounded by a bunch of sheep.
That are leading you, to believe that, you are much less than, you really are.
There will always be people around you, who will make you feel that, you cannot achieve anything great in your life.
And because, you live with them.
You start believing, the same lie, about yourself.
But the truth is, you are not weak, you are not ordinary.
Deep within you, lies a roar of strength, courage, and greatness.
That is, waiting to come out.
You have to stand out, from the crowd of such people.
And recognize, your true potential.
And the day, you recognize, the potential of that lion, within yourself.
No one in this world, will be able to stop you from rising, from achieving and from becoming, what you are destined to be.
So never let the world convince you that, you are less than, what you are.
Your true identity, is not weakness, or failure.
It is power, courage, and determination.
Awaken the lion, within you, and let the world, witness the power, courage.
And greatness, that was always hidden, inside you.
Mahamudra and the Path Beyond Suffering: Removing, Transforming, and Transcending
In the Mahamudra tradition of meditation—often called the “Great Seal”—we begin with a profound view: the essence of all phenomena, of ourselves and others, is pure. This is sometimes called pure perception. At our core, each of us possesses a basic innate goodness.
Yet, despite this purity, we are often clouded by what Buddhist philosophy calls obscurations. These are layers of ignorance, craving, aversion, and other afflictions that prevent us from experiencing our true nature. Imagine the sky: vast, open, and unchanging. Clouds may pass through, sometimes thick and stormy, but they never alter the sky itself. Similarly, our innate goodness remains untouched, even when obscured.
The Five Kleishas: Roots of Suffering
Buddhist teachings describe five fundamental afflictions—called kleishas—that create suffering:
Ignorance – Not seeing reality clearly, mistaking impermanent conditions for permanent truths.
Aversion – Hatred, fear, or rejection of unwanted experiences.
Craving – Attachment, fixation, and endless grasping.
Pride – Inflated self-image or fragile self-esteem.
Jealousy – Resentment of others’ joy or success.
From these five roots, suffering branches out into countless forms: anxiety, panic, depression, loneliness, and disconnection.
For example, in my own life, I once experienced panic attacks. Ignorance made me believe they were permanent—that my life was doomed. Aversion made me fear the panic itself, creating a “panic about panic.” Craving arose as I desperately wished for a calm state of mind, which only intensified the struggle. Pride and jealousy joined in, as I compared myself with others who seemed happy and free. This web of kleishas amplified my suffering.
But the Mahamudra path offers a way through.
Three Techniques: Removing, Transforming, and Transcending
The lineage of Mahamudra practice teaches three approaches to working with kleishas:
1. Removing
At times, we need to change our behavior or environment directly.
If your phone keeps you awake, remove it from your bedroom.
If alcohol or smoking dominate your life, step into environments (such as rehab) where those triggers are absent.
On a mental level, this means cultivating the opposite of each kleisha:
Replace ignorance with wisdom.
Replace aversion with compassion.
Replace craving with awareness of impermanence.
Replace pride with humility and reflection.
Replace jealousy with rejoicing in others’ happiness.
Removing isn’t about denial—it’s about skillfully clearing space to heal.
2. Transforming
Instead of resisting, we can turn poison into medicine. This is the practice of alchemy: obstacles become opportunities, pain becomes fuel for wisdom.
In my case, panic attacks transformed into supports for meditation. They became teachers of awareness, compassion, and presence. The very energy of suffering, when embraced, can reveal wisdom.
3. Transcending
At the deepest level, we look directly into the nature of suffering itself. Waves may rise and fall, but their essence is always water. Clouds may obscure, but their essence is space.
In the same way, the essence of panic, anger, jealousy, or depression is awareness, compassion, and wisdom. Seeing this directly, we transcend suffering—not by removing or changing it, but by recognizing its true nature.
This is liberation: when poison liberates itself, when suffering is no longer an obstacle but an expression of wisdom.
The Journey Forward
These three approaches—removing, transforming, transcending—are not rigid stages but complementary tools. Sometimes, removal is best. Sometimes, transformation is possible. At the deepest level, transcendence shows us that we were never separate from our own innate goodness.
Like learning any new skill, this path takes patience and practice. Step by step, we discover that our obscurations are temporary clouds, and our true nature is as vast and pure as the sky.
Humming for 5-10 minutes daily can significantly improve heart and brain health.
Humming increases nitric oxide release in the body, enhancing blood flow and oxygen circulation.
This simple habit can boost alertness, mood, and promote relaxation by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Humming is rooted in ancient traditions and now has scientific backing for its health benefits.
It requires no special equipment or time commitment and can be easily incorporated into daily routines.
The Surprising 5-Minute Habit That Boosts Your Heart and Brain Health: Humming!
In our busy lives, we’re always looking for simple ways to stay healthy. While meditation and exercise are great, there’s an easy habit you might not have thought of that can do wonders for your heart and brain—humming! Yes, just humming for five to ten minutes a day can make a real difference to your health.
Why Humming Works
When you hum, your body naturally produces more of a gas called nitric oxide. This might sound technical, but it’s actually really important. Nitric oxide helps your blood vessels relax and widen, making it easier for blood to flow. In fact, research shows that humming can increase nitric oxide in your nose by up to 15 times compared to just breathing quietly!
Better blood flow means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard, and your brain gets more oxygen. This can help you feel more alert, improve your memory, and even lift your mood. Some scientists also believe that the vibrations from humming can calm your nervous system, helping you relax and de-stress.
A Tradition Backed by Science
Humming isn’t new. Ancient cultures have used humming and chanting (like “Om”) for centuries to bring calm and balance. Now, modern science is showing us why these traditions work. The simple act of humming really does have a positive effect on our bodies and minds.
How to Add Humming to Your Day
The best part? Humming doesn’t need any special equipment or extra time. You can hum while you’re cooking, taking a shower, or even getting ready for bed. Start with just five minutes a day. If you enjoy it, you can go up to ten or fifteen minutes. The key is to do it regularly—your body will get better at making and using nitric oxide over time.
A Simple Step for Better Health
If you’re looking for a natural, easy way to support your heart and brain, give humming a try. It’s free, it’s relaxing, and it could help you feel better both mentally and physically. Of course, if you have any heart or breathing problems, check with your doctor before starting any new health habit.
So next time you’re feeling stressed or just want a quick health boost, remember: a little humming can go a long way!
The middle of life can be one of the most stressful and confusing times we face. By now, many of us have moved out of our parents’ homes, begun our careers, and are caught in the whirlwind of responsibilities, deadlines, promotions, and competition—not only with colleagues but with entire companies. Alongside work, there’s the search for love, the quest for “Mr. Perfect” or “Mrs. Perfect,” and the desire to build a life that feels whole.
But here’s the truth: there is no such thing as Mr. or Mrs. Perfect. At best, we can hope to meet a “Mr. Okay” or “Mrs. Okay,” someone with whom we can share balance and growth. The search for perfection is exhausting; what we really need is balance.
The Three Styles of Drinking Water
I often use a simple example: imagine you want to drink water. There are three styles of doing it.
Too tight. You grip the cup as if your life depends on it. Your muscles are tense, and even lifting the cup becomes difficult. You may spill the water, and drinking it isn’t easy.
Too loose. You give up. The cup slips away. You procrastinate: “I’ll drink tomorrow.” The water remains untouched.
Balanced. You relax your hand, hold the cup naturally, and drink with ease.
Most people say they want the third style. But in practice, many of us live in the first or second style—either too tight or too loose. Balance is the key.
Finding Purpose in Work
How do we find this balance? It begins with purpose. Every profession—whether you are a doctor, engineer, teacher, businessperson, or salesperson—has meaning. Unless the work directly harms others, there is always a positive contribution.
What matters most is intention. Ask yourself: Through my work, how am I benefiting others? Even if your company doesn’t align fully with your values, you can still bring positive impact through your actions.
Results may not always match our efforts. Some days we succeed; other days we fall short. Life, like the stock market, goes up and down. The highs bring joy, but the lows bring growth. Problems can become solutions, and obstacles can open new opportunities.
If you face a wall in life, don’t only think of smashing through it. Maybe you can climb over, go around, or even find a new path altogether. Don’t give up—just let go of rigid expectations.
Managing Stress in Daily Life
Balance also means managing our time and energy. Stress grows when every day looks the same: home to office, office to home, the same road, the same routine. Life is impermanent, and change is natural. Bring small shifts into your daily life—take a new path to work, spend a weekend in nature, exercise, or simply rest.
Sleep is essential. Without proper rest, we risk becoming machines, living only for deadlines, promotions, and money. And when we lose touch with sunlight, friends, and family, we lose life itself.
Even five minutes of meditation—watching your breath, noticing sensations in your body, connecting with gratitude and compassion—can change your entire day.
Midlife Crisis and Transformation
Many people face a “midlife crisis,” a sense that everything they have done is useless, leading to the temptation to throw it all away. But changing your environment won’t help if you don’t transform inside. Stress will follow you wherever you go.
The real solution is to connect with your inner well-being—awareness, love, compassion, and wisdom. You don’t need to abandon your responsibilities or retreat into a monastery. Instead, integrate your spiritual practice into daily life.
Personally, I juggle many roles and projects, yet I find joy because my work connects to my heart. My meditation practice—formal in the mornings and informal throughout the day—helps me bring awareness and compassion into every task. That way, even in stress and challenges, there is contentment beneath the surface.
Closing Thoughts
Life in the middle years is intense. Careers, relationships, responsibilities, and crises all converge. But balance is possible.
Don’t grip life too tightly or let it slip away.
Find meaning in your work and intention in your actions.
Embrace impermanence and allow for change in routine.
Nurture your inner well-being through meditation, rest, and compassion.
Stress will come and go, but with balance, every obstacle becomes an opportunity to grow.
