Pat Samples

I like to experiment with being in my body. Sounds simple enough, I realize. Where else would I be but in my body? But, funny thing is, I find myself more often feeling like I'm out in front of my body than in it. My attention, my energy, my sense of being is out there in the future, rushing ahead to the next thing or two I've got planned.

If I stop and check in with my body, I feel tension in my shoulders, my belly, my facial muscles. I'm straining to get something done, and my whole body feels the effects.

I've recently been making a point to stop often during the day to settle back into my body, paying attention to how this rushing out ahead of myself is affecting me. I enter a state of mindful, compassionate attention. I begin with my feet, noticing how the feeling of life is flowing through them, also noticing the space inside my feet. Then I move my attention to my ankles, noticing and feeling the aliveness and space inside them. And so on, up to my skull. This is a gentle process of noticing without judgment and without the need to change anything. The simple act of noticing - becoming aware - is powerfully transformative by itself. Read more…

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Young at Heart is the most entertaining and inspiring film I’ve seen in quite a while. I laughed and cheered often and sometimes cried while watching this documentary about a singing group, ages 75-92, who perform punk rock music, James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” and other music that breaks all stereotypes for this age group. Nothing showy or rock-star imitation about this group though. They look and act like folks from down the street and they sing with all their heart – the words clearly articulated so you can understand them. They made me “feel good.”   Read more…

With obesity now an epidemic -- and dieting rarely a solution, what's a person to do when the pounds pile on? Not snack so much? Sure, that might work. Cancel your reach for chips, donuts and cookies, and you'll see a major decrease in calorie intake and a corresponding reduction in waist size. But why is giving up such snacks so difficult?

We can find lots of places to place the blame for that. Snacks taste so good. They're everywhere. The ads constantly entice us to eat them. They're handy, convenient, quick. Yup, all good reasons why snacks seem to almost involuntarily show up in our hands and slip between our lips. Read more…