At secondary school I had a maths teacher who encouraged us to be “intelligently lazy.” Appealing to the subversive instincts of her adolescent students, she would show us mathematical short-cuts which we would gobble up, eager to get the same result as other kids for doing less work. So cunning was Mrs. Gaunt that we hardly even noticed she was...
Latest Blog Posts
Drumroll … Please vote for your preferred cover!
My favourite time of the publishing process – apart from the book lauch itself – is sharing cover design options with you, my readers. It’s always wonderful to receive your feedback! While it’s true that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the fact is that we all do – especially if we don’t know an author. First impressions...
Watch these wonderful messages of nature!
This week I received a really special, six minute video: “Reconnecting with Nature,” which I want to share with you right away! It was filmed and produced by Dr. Shelley Plumb of PlumbTalk Productions in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA (https://www.plumbtalkproductions.com/) Over the past few years, Koala and I have got to know Shelley and her husband Jon on our...
Please help me solve a dilemma!
Some years before I started writing about meditation and Buddhism, I wrote three thrillers. These were published in the early 2000s by Time Warner, a mainstream, London-based publisher. They have nothing at all to do with inner growth or spirituality and they haven’t been in print for some years. But they keep coming back. They pop up on amazon quite...
Is Buddha more Western than you think?
Years ago I was in one of those undercover markets, where you never know what kind of stall is round the next corner. I came across a beautiful statue of the Buddha. As I stood admiring it, the stallholder told me, “Of course, Buddha never wanted images of himself to be made.’ ‘Didn’t he?’ It wasn’t a subject I’d ever...
Unlock your own resilience and capacity to heal
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, I have written an introductory booklet about Medicine Buddha – a powerful, healing practice we use in Tibetan Buddhism. You’ll find the first two sections of the booklet below. I hope you find this inspires you to tap into the limitless capacity for wellbeing which we all possess. You can download the booklet, free...
What is the mindful response to coronavirus?
What’s the mindful response to coronavirus? Amid the turmoil, is it possible to create peace? Is it all just a horror show, or may it be that somewhere in the experience we can find a silver lining? Mindfulness of hand washing I must begin with a confession. I recently read an article offering medical advice on living in the age of...
Join David Michie in Europe – July 2021
I’m really thrilled to announce my first ever ‘Meditate in the Mountains’ retreat in Europe from Monday 19th – Friday 23 July 2021. This had to be postponed from summer 2020 because of Covid 19. Just like the Mindful Safaris I lead each year to Africa, our ‘Meditate in the Mountains’ experience will take us to the heart of nature,...
Giving to others on Mindful Safari
I’m often struck by the sad truth that most of us think of ourselves as ordinary people. When we wake up in the mornings and go about our lives, we usually do so on the basis that we’re pretty normal. We may even sometimes think of ourselves as unlucky when things aren’t going the way we wish in terms of...
Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary – A Place to Call Home
After Mindful Safari and our Meditate with Elephants experience this year (see blog: https://davidmichie.com/the-magic-of-meditating-with-elephants/) a few of our group had time before flying home to visit The Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary just outside Harare. When I think of Twala, that famous quote of Mahatma Gandhi often comes to mind: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be...
The Dalai Lama’s Cat and the Four Paws of Spiritual Success. Prologue and Chapter One here!
Prologue Are you curious, dear reader? If you were to find yourself padding past an alcove concealed by a curtain, would your every instinct be to tug back the fabric—or, indeed, push under it—to see what lay behind? Making your way down a familiar street, if you came to a door which, for your entire existence, had been closed, but...
Attaining insights: Buddha’s wisdom of the three bowls
When we read a book, or listen to a teaching about personal transformation, we are doing something out of the ordinary. We are not simply wishing to acquire information or be entertained – although both of those things may happen. Instead, we are seeking insights to help us experience life differently. To bring an end to whatever unhappiness afflicts us. ...
