One of the biggest challenges faced by people wanting to meditate is a very simple one: where do I start? When during my busy day should I do it? How can I make the time? And now that I’m sitting in a quiet room, what meditation practice should I use? My book, Why Mindfulness is...
Author: David Michie (David Michie)
Why Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate – read the first chapter here
I am delighted to be sharing the first chapter of my book, Why Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate right here! For readers in USA, Canada and UK, the book is called just Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate. It has a different cover, but the same mouth-watering content! CHAPTER ONE All of human unhappiness is due...
The Great Gatsby and The Dalai Lama’s Cat
In a previous blog I mentioned some of the references in The Dalai Lama’s Cat to one of my all time favourite novels, The Great Gatsby (see: http://davidmichie.com/blog/2013/12/03/the-dalai-lamas-dog/) In this blog I’d like to share a little snippet about the exchanges between the Dalai Lama’s Cat (HHC) and Mambo, her love interest. Mambo is a...
Why I began to meditate – and how I discovered it was working
Why would a busy PR person working in central London decide that meditating is a good idea? And how might he discover that it was having beneficial effects? In this three minute video I reveal all! ************ I hope you found this useful! Here’s a few things you can do: Sign up for my...
What Pussy Riot can teach us about compassion
One of my favourite words in Buddhism is ‘realisation.’ It’s used a fair bit – ‘May you have many realisations’ – but it was a few years before I discovered what it meant. My teacher explained, with his usual elegant practicality, that a realisation is ‘when your understanding of a subject deepens to the...
One New Year’s Resolution is enough!
As we approach that time of the year when New Year Resolutions are talked about, I’d like to share an insight from one of my favourite books, Willpower, Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney. To summarise, while willpower is a quality we can – and arguably should – all develop...
The Dalai Lama’s Cat and The Out of Africa connection
Part of The Dalai Lama’s Cat dedication reads: In loving memory of our own little Rinpoche, Princess Wussik of the Sapphire Throne. She brought us joy; we loved her well. Readers of the Dalai Lama’s Cat books will already have formed a good idea of His Holiness’s Cat’s distinctive, quirky and adorable personality –...
The Dalai Lama’s Dog
As readers of The Dalai Lama’s Cat will know, I am a big fan of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald – and more specifically his novel The Great Gatsby. There are a number of allusions to this in The Dalai Lama’s Cat – so much so that one blogger entitled his review ‘The Great Catsby,’...
The Art of Purring: Read the Prologue and Chapter One
I am pleased to be sharing the prologue and first chapter of The Art of Purring. Prologue Oh good, you’re finally here, though you’ve taken your time about it, if you don’t mind my saying so! You see, dear reader, I have a message for you. Not an everyday message and certainly not one...
David Michie on ‘The Art of Purring’
I’ve recorded a video about The Art of Purring: how I came to write it, what other authors inspired me and some of the themes in the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk1hs4slgaw (4.45 minutes) If you’d like to receive future blogs and vlogs from me, please click the ‘Follow’ button on the bottom right hand of your screen...