Pneuma with Daniel Finneran

"What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; the luscious clusters of the vine upon my mouth do crush their wine; The nectarine and curious peach into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons, as I pass, ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass." A short, poetic meditation brought to us by Andrew Marvell. Most suitable for Spring!

Trapped in a line in the checkout aisle of the grocery store? If so, I can think of no better opportunity to practice mindfulness! Let's share fifteen thoughtful, reflective minutes as we wait for this line to move.

Shall we become Saunterers, one and all? The word is beautifully derived from idle people who roved about the country, in the Middle Ages, and asked charity, under pretense of going "à la Sainte Terre"--to the Holy Land. Eventually, seeing so many travelers pass along their crowded streets, the children exclaimed, “There goes a Sainte-Terrer”, a Saunterer, a Holy-Lander. Every walk, so long as it’s properly done, should bring you to some Holy Land; every mile, an inch closer to an apotheosis; to a hill stretching up from Jerusalem to heaven, to a grand elevation touching the stars. Join us, Thoreau and me, in practicing the "art of walking"!

“The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. You should be awakened by your own newly acquired force and aspirations from within, accompanied by the undulations of celestial music—to a higher life than that from which you fell asleep”. Hark! Can you hear that divine music, to which only the most sensitive ears of morning are attuned? This early symphony fills the air, if only you’ll listen... Listen to this episode, and transform into a "morning person" at once!

"If a man should stand by a limpid pure spring, and curse it, the spring never ceases sending up potable water; and if he should cast clay into it or filth, it will speedily disperse them and wash them out, and will not be at all polluted. How then shalt thou possess a perpetual fountain?" How will you be pure of mind, wholesome of spirit, unblemished by nonsense, and cleansed of the corruptions by which your equanimity is stained? You must look within, and dig your own fountain.

Immerse thyself in mindfulness as you soak up the glories of a shower.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way”. If your attitude is such that it never consents to be bothered, unbothered you shall be.

“Nor ever fold our wings, And cease from wanderings, Nor steep our brows in slumber’s holy balm; Nor harken what the inner spirit sings, ‘There is no joy but calm!’" Remember well, there is no joy, but calm.

Few are the certainties in life on which you can absolutely depend: that death will greet you, that taxes will bleed you, and that you will fail from time to time. Let's focus on how to respond to failure, the third of these ineluctable things.

Begin your day with this brief, energized, insightful practice--a session by which your level of arousal will be raised, and your temperament steadied.

'Tis true--we never repent of having eaten too little. Of having eaten too much, we cannot but feel ashamed. A moratorium seems to have been placed on our moderation, and we indulged on bubbly drinks and savory delights! Worry not. Let us meditate our way back to a healthier state of body and mind.

A restful body scan with which to ease your descent into sleep.

How much of our lives we spend thoughtlessly behind the wheel! Join me in this episode, and we'll make every mile meditative and rewarding.

"Nature seems to have implanted gratitude in all living creatures. Culture, on the other hand, which brings luxury and selfishness, has a tendency rather to weaken than promote this affection" - Samuel Johnson. Let us fix this unnatural imbalance, and work toward gratitude's promotion.

To some, hunger is a terrible affliction, for which the antidote of food is ravenously needed. To others, it's a ripe and ready prompt to stir your meditation. Join me in this episode as we think about hunger.

Is there any benefit to be derived from the mean people in your life? Are they necessarily a force for bad, and never one for good? Join me in this session, and learn how to benefit from these people.

"O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stained with the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit beneath my shady roof..." And I shall walk beneath your chilly vault. A walking meditation for autumn.

Is it even possible to think about politics in a dispassionate way? Can we employ mindfulness in our approach toward this topic? I believe that it is, and I'm certain that we can. Join me in this practice to see how.

How much we think of eating when the hour to dine is still not near, yet how little we appreciate the food with which, when the proper time arrives, the plate before us is set. Let's agree to include mindfulness in our table manners.

A moderately vigorous stretch with which to begin your day. Increase your blood flow, heighten your arousal, loosen your bones. No prior flexibility nor fitness required.

Is there not someone in your life with whom you find it difficult to get along? Is there not one person (perhaps there are many!) with whom, no matter what you do, you simply can't see "eye to eye"? This episode will help you to deal with these difficult people.

How much of our lives do we waste thinking about the opinions of others? We're profligate spenders of that most precious commodity--time--of which we'll not be given more.

A simple, gentle stretch with which to begin your day. Appropriate for all levels of flexibility and fitness.