Fragile Ego, by Michelle Welch If you’re a writer and you’re trying to do anything but self-publish exclusively, you’re going to have to face rejection. My first agent hunt involved 8 rejection letters; my second, four. I have a raft of rejections from years of submitting short stories to publishers. Most of them are polite … Continue →

Book Review: 10% Happier, by Dan Harris Review by Michelle Welch If I hadn’t made my way to a meditation center before reading this book, I certainly would have after reading it. Now I want to keep copies at hand to give to everyone who asks me what the heck is meditation and why would … Continue →

All Over the Internet, by Michelle Welch   I’ve been reading and listening to a number of online resources as I explore Buddhist thought, and I’d like to share some of them.   Shambhala Times: Shambhala’s official community news hub includes articles by and about the Sakyong, featured news, and posts by Shambhala members from … Continue →

Meditation and Irony, by Michelle Welch   I’m a writer, for those who don’t already know. There’s a big dichotomy between being a writer and being a meditator, namely that writing requires you to be stuck in your head, conceptualizing everything, nearly all the time.   Over the last few weeks I had a specific … Continue →

How other religious traditions explore non-attachment Post by Michelle Welch I love to read Patheos.com. The website is a compendium of religious information – from Catholic and Jewish to Pagan and Atheist. A wealth of definitions and dogma can be found, from basic tenets to in-depth discussions, but I especially enjoy reading the blogs. Practitioners … Continue →

Review by Michelle Welch This is another Buddhist-related book that took me much too long to read. I remember seeing the professional reviews when it was published and being interested, but it wasn’t until Loretta at our sangha mentioned it to me again that I finally checked it out from my library. From that point … Continue →

Killing Ants – Exploring Compassion – by Michelle Welch One morning last summer I went into my kitchen and found it was covered in ants. They were everywhere – all over the floor, on the walls, on the countertops, in my vegetable basket, in the cats’ food bowls. I immediately shut the cats up in … Continue →

Review by Michelle WelchBefore I get to the book review, I want to mention a new app that has been released by Shambhala for iPad/iPhone users. A free meditation app is now available in the iTunes store. The Shambhala Meditation App is designed to provide a clear way for people to learn more about the … Continue →

Review by Michelle Welch When I began reading books about Buddhism, I looked for ebook offerings from my library. I saw Dharma Punx come up several times before I finally checked it out, and I’m actually glad for the delay. Having spent some time with my practice and experienced the two-steps-forward three-steps-back feeling that it … Continue →

by Michelle Welch This month’s Shambhala Sun features an article by Pema Chödrön about waking up. Ani Pema, of course, is one of our most beloved teachers, and I’m sure most people who’ve read this article have had responses to it. I’d like to talk about my response to her second key: “Make Friends with … Continue →