Sharon Salzberg is one of my favorite meditation teachers. I mentioned her in a previous blog when I discussed metta or loving-kindness meditation and her approach to the practice resonates with me. She, along with Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield, is known for being one of the earliest teachers of meditation in the West. In […]
Wellness
The Conductor as Yogi: Our Invisible Practice
Welcome back to The Conductor as Yogi! I took a break from blog writing this summer to create some space to breathe, be with my family, explore other writing projects, and to enjoy the summer’s long days and what nature has to offer. I hope you, as well, had a chance to make some space […]
Midweek Meditation: Putting the Practice into Practice (Part 2)
How did a choir director, meditation teacher, and bagel maker go from a quiet, content life in Lincoln, Nebraska to a job as a Visiting Professor in Shepherdstown, West Virginia? First, let me dispel the incorrect notion that meditation breeds apathy and/or passivity. While the Buddha noted that attachment was a primary cause of human […]
Midweek Meditation: Putting the Practice into Practice (Part I)
As the summer draws to a close, so, too, does my six-part series on mindfulness and meditation. I have enjoyed putting my thoughts about meditation into words, and I hope you have found my posts to be thought provoking and inspiring. Moving forward, I’ll be blogging once a month, a “Monthly Meditation,” so this last […]
Midweek Meditation: the Power of the Pause
Charles Bruffy is one of my favorite conductors (and people). I’ve known Charles since 2008 when I attended the Westminster Conducting Institute and sang Duruflé’s Requiem with him. Since then, I’ve observed him conduct professional groups, collegiate groups, church choirs, and high school festivals, and watched him work with conductors in masterclass settings. I’m proud […]
Midweek Meditation: Visiting Professor of Impermanence
The concept of impermanence is one of the foundational principles of Buddhism. The idea of impermanence can be summarized in the statement, “Everything changes, and nothing lasts forever.” Acceptance of this premise may lead one to enlightenment, while denying it is considered one of the primary causes of human suffering. In my academic career, for […]