Caribbean Beef Rolls with Papaya Salsa (4 servings)

Ingredients

1 Cup diced seeded peeled papaya
1/2 Red bell pepper, diced
2 Scallions, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 Teaspoons lime juice
1/4 Teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 Teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons apricot preserves
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 Pound beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
8 Large green leaf lettuce leaves

Instructions

1. To make the salsa, combine the papaya, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, crushed red pepper, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the preserves in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Line the broiler rack with foil; preheat the broiler.

3. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons preserves, the hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger in another bowl. Add the beef; toss to coat. Thread the beef on 4 (8-inch) metal skewers. Place the skewers on the broiler rack. Broil 5 inches from the heat until the beef is browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the skewers.

4. Place the lettuce leaves on a work surface. Divide the beef and salsa evenly among the leaves. Fold the two long sides of each leaf over the filling. Starting from a short end, roll up each leaf to enclose the filling.

Garlicky Lamb Chops with Snap Peas (4 servings)

Ingredients

6 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
4 Teaspoons olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon salt
4 (1/4-pound) boneless loin lamb chops, trimmed
2 Cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
1-1/2 Teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic, herbes de Provence, pepper, 2 teaspoons of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the lamb chops; refrigerate the chops, covered, 2 hours or up to 1 day.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb chops and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of each chop registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit for medium 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a plate and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, put the peas in a steamer basket set over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam until the peas are bright green and tender about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl and toss with the lemon zest, dill, and the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with the lamb chops.

PER SERVING (1 lamb chop and 1/2 cup peas)

Pomegranate-Glazed Shish Kebabs (4 servings)

Ingredient

1/4 Cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 Large mushrooms halved
1 Green bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
1 Red onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 Zucchini, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 Cup pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)

Instruction

1. Spray the broiler rack with nonstick spray; preheat the broiler.

2. Combine the broth, pomegranate molasses, and salt in a small bowl.

3. Thread the beef and vegetables on 4 (12-inches) metal skewers, alternating the beef and the vegetables. Brush with half the broth mixture. Place the skewers on the broiler rack and broil 5 inches from the heat for 4 minutes. Turn and brush with the remaining broth mixture. Broil until the meat vegetables are browned and cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Garnish with pomegranate seeds if using.

Learn the "BASICS" of insight meditation

THE PRACTICE OF INSIGHT MEDITATION, or vipassana, reveals what has created our present conditions and allows us to more fully live in the present moment. This is so valuable for our ability to make conscious choices to better our lives. It is why the Buddha said that living twenty hours with mindfulness is more worthwhile than living a hundred years without it.
We start our insight practice with the BASICS:

Begin with breath and body 
Take a seat and notice how your body breathes itself without extra effort. No need to force your breath or to breathe in a controlled fashion. Usually, we take our breath for granted. In insight meditation, we make visible in our lives what has previously been invisible.

Allow awareness into activities
Expand your awareness into walking, movement, and eating meditation practices. Experience the sensations of simply eating a salad or piece of bread, which you might usually consume while doing other activities. While walking to the restroom at work, do so mindfully. If you have a limited or different range of motion, allow that to guide where your mindfulness needs to be, without judging anything about your experience. Know that your mindfulness is not dependent on those conditions. It can include all of your experience.

Support the sacred in your life 
Whether you are secularly or spiritually minded, pay attention to how people treat each other in terms of kindness, compassion, ethics, and integrity. These values are not the monopoly of one lineage or one spiritual tradition. They are what make us human.

Invite all of yourself into awareness 
We are the products of different lives, backgrounds, families, occupations, roles, cultures, genders, orientations, physical abilities, and economic and education experiences. Invite all your aspects and identities into your insight practice.

Cultivate continuity and consistency 
Develop a daily sitting practice. Be realistic. If it feels difficult, try the Five-Five-Five method: meditate five minutes a day, for five days a week, for five weeks. If you feel its benefit, you will naturally increase your practice time. Continuity and consistency lead to concentration, clarity, and calmness. Bring your awareness practice into your workplace, your relationships, your creative endeavors- nothing is outside of mindfulness.

Support through community
I advise you also to practice with others. Gather with spiritual friends, meet in weekly sitting groups, and join daylong retreats. If you cannot find these group in your geography area-get like-minded and like-hearted friends to sit with you. We never walk our spiritual path alone, and the teachings show us that we actually awaken together.

How I started to wake up (Part 2)

ABOUT 2600 YEARS AGO, an Indian prince named Siddhartha was born amid many favorable signs. His father, the king, was determined to protect him against the reality of suffering, and the prince grew up within the walls of the palace with every luxury one can imagine.

Around the age of twenty-nine, Siddhartha began to feel dissatisfied with his princely life and deep feelings of unhappiness began to grow. He longed to explore the world and convinced his reluctant father to let him leave the palace on an outing. This gave the gods and spirits the opportunity to arrange a series of signs that would help Siddhartha wake up and see the truth of life. These signs have become known as the four heavenly messengers, and they changed the course of his life.

The first messenger that he encountered was a very old man, covered in wrinkles, bent over, and barely able to walk down the road. His father had only allowed young and beautiful servants in the palace, and this was an unfamiliar sight. Siddhartha now realized that his youth would some-day end and he too would grow old.

The second heavenly messenger the prince encountered was a very sick man. He was covered in bloody sores, lying in pain on the floor of a mud hut. Because his father had forbidden sick people from entering the palace, the prince had no experience of illness and disease. Now he realized that he and all others would eventually become sick, and his heart was filled with compassion.

The third heavenly messenger was a large funeral procession. A corpse, wrapped in cloth, was being carried to the charnel grounds for hours watching the body slowly burn and disappear, and he realized that death awaits us all.

As Siddhartha continued traveling along the road, he saw the final messenger: a radiant monk dressed in very simple robes, carrying a small bag and a bowl. The sight of this peaceful monk awakened the deepest yearning Siddhartha had ever known. Following the call to awaken of these four heavenly messengers, he rode his horse to the edge of a beautiful forest and, on the banks of a river, ordained himself.

Good question about meditation

"There are so many different terms for Buddhist meditation, like shamatha, vipassana, zazen, vipashyana, mindfulness, awareness, calm abiding, insight, just sitting, etc. What's what?"

There are nuances in the way different school approaches it, but basic Buddhist meditation comes down to two fundamental practices: concentration and insight. There are also called mindfulness and awareness. Most of the terms you see above are names for one or both of these practices. Buddhist practice always starts with meditation that calm and concentrate the mind, such as following the breath. that's because an unstable mind that flits from thought to thought and perception to perception cannot take the crucial next step- insight, seeing deeply into the nature of reality.

While many religions practice some form of concentration, insight is Buddhism" unique specialty. With the stable, focused, and fully present mind you have developed in your mindfulness practice, you investigate the nature of reality. You may discover it is impermanent, has no solid self, and is marked by suffering. these are called the three marks of existence. You could also turn your focus on your mind itself, if you can find such a thing, and investigate its true nature. But it's better not to think too much about what you might discover, because of words. concepts and of hopes will only get in the way of direct experience. the journey of insight is a personal and individual one. We wish you great joy on yours.

Questions about meditation

"What should I do with my eyes when I meditate?"

In some schools of Buddhism, you meditate with your eyes open and in others you keep them closed. If your eyes are open, what you do with them depends on the kind of meditation you are doing. Generally, you look downward and shorten your gaze when you are doing meditations to calm and concentrate the mind. You lift your eyes and expand your gaze when you are meditating on openness and the environment around you.

A good approach to calm abiding (shamatha) meditation is to look slightly downward, letting your gaze fall about six feet in front of you, keeping it in soft focus and relaxed, neither too tight nor too loose. You can also use your eyes to help with obstacles when your mind is scattered, lower and shorten the gaze: when your mind is dull, raise your gaze and take in more space.

"And how about my hands? when I see pictures in the press of people meditating, they usually have their palms up with their index fingers and thumbs making a circle. Is this the right-hand position for Buddhist meditation?"

HAND POSITIONS ARE CALLED mudras, they are meant to encourage certain states of mind. the hand position you see depicted is widely taught in yoga to promote deep diaphragm breathing and concentration. In Hinduism, it symbolizes union with the divine. We are not aware of it being used in Buddhist meditation.

There are two mudras commonly used in Buddhist meditation. In the first, called "resting the mind", you place your hands face down on your knees or thighs, with the upper arms parallel to the torso. This allows your hands to relax and promotes a straight but not stiff back.

The other common hand position is the "cosmic mudra", which is widely used in Zen. In this mudra, your right hand rests in your lap facing up and your left hand sits lightly on top of it. The thumbs gently touch each other as if holding a piece of paper, forming an oval just below the navel. Since this is considered the spiritual and energetic center of the body, the mudra is called cosmic because we gently hold the universe in your hands. More practically, the circle often starts to collapse as our attention wander or we get drowsy, which is a helpful reminder to wake up.

Your meditation foundation

Just follow along and you will be doing basic breath meditation, also known as “ calm abiding”, shamatha, or mindfulness meditation, the foundation of Buddist meditation practice across traditions.

First, you ‘ll want to find a quiet and uplifted place where you can do your meditation practice. Once you’ve done that, just follow these simple instructions. See if you can allow yourself 5 minutes. You can revisit this practice and increase this amount over time.

Step 1: Take your seat

Seat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, or if you prefer, on a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor, without leaning against the back of the chair. In either case, your hips should be higher than your knees. You may wish to place a pillow or other cushioning on your chair t achieve this effect.

Step 2: Find your sitting posture.

Place your hands palms-down on your thighs and sit in an upright posture with a straight back-relaxed yet dignified. With your eyes open, let your gaze set comfortably as you look slightly downward about six feet in front of you. You’re ready to start meditating.

Step 3: Notice and follow your breath.

Place your attention lightly on your out-breath, While remaining aware of your environment. Be with each breath as the air goes out through your mouth and nostrils and dissolves into the space around you.  At the end of each out-breath, simple rest until the next in-breath naturally begins. For a more focused meditation, you can follow both the out-breaths and in-breaths.

Step 4: Note the thoughts and feelings that arise.

Whenever you notice a thought feeling or perception has taken your attention away from the breath, just say to yourself, “thinking”, and return to following the breath. No need to judge yourself when this happens; just gently note it and attend to your breath and posture. Keep going for the time allotted.

Step 5: Well done! You’ve just had your first experience of meditation.

After completing your meditation practice period, see if you can consciously allow any sense of calm, mindfulness, or openness you’ve experienced to remain present through the rest of your day.

The practice at a glance:

1. Sit comfortably, but solidly

2. Incorporate your hands and eyes, with restful awareness, into the sitting posture.

3. Notice and follow your in and out-breaths.

4. Note arising thoughts and feelings.

5. Finish the meditation after the time you’ve allowed, doing your best to retain any positive qualities it’s helped cultivate.

What is Buddhist meditation (What meditation Is - and Isn't)

"The practice of meditation is not so much based on becoming a better person, or for that matter becoming an enlightened person. It is seeing how we can relate to our already existing enlightened state." _Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche_

As meditation teacher Sylvia Boorstein has quipped, "it's not what you think." So let's take a look at what it is- and what it is not.

Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard busts the myths and explains why beginning to meditate is like embarking on a great adventure.

Continue reading below to see Matthieu Ricard explanations of what is mediation and what it is not.

In our modern world, we are consumed from morning till night with endless activity. We do not have much time or energy left over to consider the basic causes of our happiness or suffering. We imagine, more or less consciously, that if we undertake more activities we will have more intense experiences and therefore our sense of dissatisfaction will fade away. But the truth is that many of us continue to feel let down and frustrated by our contemporary lifestyle. But no change can occur if we just let our habitual tendencies and automatic patterns of thought perpetuate and even reinforce themselves, thought after thought, day after day, year after year. But those tendencies and patterns can be challenged. That's where meditation comes in. Its aim is to transform the mind. Every one of us has a mind and every one of us can work on it.

WHAT MEDITATION IS

Meditation is a practice that makes it possible to cultivate and develop certain basic positive human qualities in the same way as other forms of training make it possible to play a musical instrument or acquire any other skill.

Among several Asian words that translate as "meditation" in English are bhavana from Sanskrit, which means "to cultivate", and its Tibetan equivalent, gom, meaning  "to become familiar with." Meditation helps us to familiarize ourselves with a clear and accurate way of seeing things and to cultivate wholesome qualities that remain dormant within us unless we make an effort to draw them out.

The traditional Buddhist texts say that every being has the potential for enlightenment just as surely as every sesame seed contains oil. Despite this, to use another traditional comparison, we wander about in confusion like a beggar who is simultaneously rich and poor because he does not know he has a treasure buried under the floor of his hut. The goal of the Buddhist path is to come into possession of this overlooked wealth of ours, which can imbue our lives with the most profound meaning. The goal of meditation, specifically, is not to shut down the mind or anesthetize it, but to make it free, lucid and balanced. 

WHAT MEDITATION IS NOT

Sometimes practitioners of meditation are accused of being too focused on themselves, of wallowing in egocentric introspection and failing to be concerned with others. But we cannot regard as selfish a process whose goal is to root out the obsession with self and to cultivate altruism. This would be like blaming an aspiring doctor for spending years studying medicine before beginning to practice.

There are a fair number of cliches in circulation about meditation. Let me point out again that meditation is not an attempt to create a blank mind by blocking our thoughts - which is impossible anyway. Nor is it engaging the mind in endless cogitation in an attempt to analyze the past or anticipate the future. Neither is it a simple process of relaxation in which inner conflicts are temporarily suspended in a vague, amorphous state of consciousness. there is not much point in resting in a state of inner bewilderment, There is indeed an element of relaxation in meditation, but it is connected with the relief that comes from letting go of hopes and fears, of attachments and the whims of the ego that never stop feeding our inner conflicts.

Meditation is not, as some people think, a means of escaping reality. On the contrary, its object is to make us see reality as it is, right in the midst of our experience, to unmask the deep causes of our suffering, and to dispel mental confusion. We develop a kind of understanding that comes from a clearer view of reality. To reach this understanding, we meditate, for example, on the interdependence of all phenomena, on their transitory character, and on the nonexistence of the ego perceived as a solid and independent entity.

Meditations on these themes are based on the experience of generations of meditators who have devoted their lives to observing the automatic, mechanical patterns of thought and the nature of consciousness. Then they taught empirical methods for developing mental clarity, alertness, inner freedom, altruistic love, compassion. However, we cannot merely rely on their words to free ourselves from suffering. We must discover for ourselves the value of the methods these wise people taught and confirm for ourselves the conclusions they reached. this process requires determination, enthusiasm, perseverance, and what the 8th-century monk and scholar Shantideva called "joy in virtuous ways."

Thus we begin by observing and understanding how thoughts multiply by association with each other and create a whole world of emotions, of joy and suffering. then we penetrate the screen of thoughts and glimpse the fundamental component of consciousness: the primal cognitive faculty from which all thoughts arise.

ADVENTURE TOWARD HAPPINESS

If we consider that the potential benefit of meditation is to give us a new experience of the world each moment of our lives, then it does not seem excessive to spend at least twenty minutes a day getting to know our mind better and training it toward this kind of openness. The fruition of meditation could be described as an optimal way of being, or as genuine happiness. This true and lasting happiness is a profound sense of having realized to the utmost the potential we have within us for wisdom and accomplishment. working toward this kind of fulfillment is an adventure worth embarking on.

The Yoga Path to Self-Compassion

Are you too tough on yourself? Would your inner voice talk to a friend the way it talks to you? If you can't remember the last time you forgave yourself for a mistake or appreciated your body, try this sequence of moves - with every breath, you'll bring more kindness into your day.

The way many of us talk to ourselves is not particularly kind. Our mental conversations are full of criticism - perhaps about how we look, a blunder we made at work, or just generally not being or doing enough. But beating yourself up is exhausting, and it usually does not work to change behavior, research has shown. The good news: It takes just a little repetition to make self-compassion a rejuvenating habit, and yoga can help. This sequence of gentle moves by Sara Clark, a yoga and mindfulness teacher based in New York City ( You can subscribe to her classes or sign up for a free 15-day trial at yogaglo.com ), is designed to help you appreciate your strong, beautiful mind and body and all that they do for you.

Fair warning: This practice may change your whole outlook, says Clark, as your mindset gradually shifts and being nicer to yourself permeates your everyday life. "These moves focus your awareness on your heart, which is the seat of compassion, empathy, and love," she says. Research shows that self-compassion is strongly linked to overall well-being, especially in women. Repeat these words to yourself before each move: I am enough. Because you are - and you deserve to feel like it.

1. Mountain Pose:

Place your hands on your heart. With your feet hip-width apart and parallel, and stand rooted and tall. Keep your chest lifted, and make sure all four corners of each foot are planted on the ground. Hold for 10 slow breaths.

What it does: Pausing at the start of your yoga flow gives you the chance to observe how your body is feeling without judgment, while slowing down the breath and enjoying the present moment. It also encourages good posture as the spine lengthens upward.

2. Cow/Cat:

Come onto all fours, with knees directly underneath the hips and hands directly underneath shoulders (If desired, fold a blanket and place it on the yoga mat to cushion your knees).
Cow: Inhale and lift your chest and tailbone toward the sky, relaxing your belly toward the ground.
Cat: Exhale and round your back, gently tucking your tailbone and bringing your chin toward your chest. That's 1 rep. Do 6 reps, inhaling and exhaling with each transition.
What it does: Moving between these two poses warms up your spine, arms, and wrists. It turns your focus toward your heart as you lift your chest and open up in cow pose and then return to "hug" your body in cat pose.

3. Low lunge:

Step your right foot to the front of the mat, keeping the left knee down. Gently shift your hips forward. Your right knee should be over your right ankle. Place your hands on your heart, lifting your chest, Hold for 10 slow breaths; repeat on the opposite side.

What it does: This pose grounds the body, support balance, and strengthen your legs and spine. By placing your hands on your heart, you focus on the center of compassion.

4. Pyramid pose:

Place your right foot at the front of your mat and step your left foot back, keeping legs straight. Position your left foot at a 45- degree angle and keep your right foot pointed straight ahead. Fold your upper body over your front leg, placing your hands on yoga blocks or stacks of books if they do not reach the mat. Direct your gaze a few feet ahead of you on the floor. Hold for 5 to 10 slow breaths; repeat on the opposite side.

What it does: As you bow toward the ground, you create a moment for introspection and gratitude. Take this opportunity to thank your body for all it does in lifting, bending and propelling you forward.