MSI Press Blog

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from   Pathways to Inner Peace  by Diane Dreher, currently available on pre-order. TAKING A MINDFUL MOMENT WEEK 1, DAY 2 We’ll begin this week’s practices by mindfully bringing our attention to the present moment. Mindfulness, according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, “is awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a sustained and particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (2012, p. 1). So much of life can pass us by when we are disconnected from the present moment. Becoming mindfully present is simple, but not easy, especially in our Western world that emphasizes external accomplishments and offers so many distractions. The present moment embodies the Taoist concept of wu-wei— being, not doing. When we’re in a state of being, we are present, in touch with our feelings. We’re not distracted, not emotionally numb, not driven by stress or feeling disconnected and alone, but present in this moment, connected t...

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from   Pathways to Inner Peace  by Diane Dreher, currently available on pre-order. The Path of Mindful Presence   PREPARATION WEEK 1, DAY 1 One reason we can feel so disconnected and distressed is that we’re often not present with what we’re doing. Research (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010) has found that nearly 50% of the time most of us are doing one thing while thinking about something else.  Does this sound familiar? Let’s imagine that it’s Monday morning. Your alarm goes off, and you wake up thinking about everything you have to do today. You’re caught up in planning, worrying about the report you’re giving at work and everything that could go wrong. You get up, head for the bathroom, brush your teeth, and splash cold water on your face. Then, you go to the kitchen to make coffee. Sitting by the window with your phone, you scroll through your email, barely tasting your coffee as you deal with announcements, a...

  Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from   Pathways to Inner Peace  by Diane Dreher, currently available on pre-order. Introduction If you’ve been longing for a deeper sense of connection, you’re not alone. We are living in challenging times. Years of rapid change, the COVID pandemic, natural disasters, and political uncertainty have disrupted our lives. Many of us have lost loved ones, connections with friends and colleagues, familiar routines, and a sense of personal security. Psychologist Pauline Boss, PhD, says that we’ve suffered “the ultimate loss: the loss of trust in the world as a safe and predictable place” (2022, p. 4; Dreher, 2023). There’s an epidemic of loneliness in our world and a dramatic rise in anxiety and depression ( Murthy & Chen, 2020; World Health Organization, 2022, 2024) . An increasing sense of loneliness and disconnection has rippled through our world, with disastrous consequences. Research has found that loneliness actually can...