Sitting meditation gives us a way to move closer to our thoughts and emotions and to get in touch with our bodies.

When we are willing to stay even a moment with uncomfortable energy, we gradually learn not to fear it.

You are the sky. Everything else - it’s just the weather.

This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it's with us wherever we go.

Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss, or tranquillity, nor is it attempting to become a better person. It is simply the creation of a space in which we are able to expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deceptions, our hidden fears and hopes.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.

The essence of bravery is being without self-deception.