It’s not as morbid as it sounds. In fact, it’s not morbid at all. I have asked Death to be my teacher, to teach me how to live, and, when the time comes, how to die. When I was practicing taekwondo, I did not like sparring at all. Padded up like Pillsbury dough boys, we […]
My Apprenticeship with Death Read More »
A recent visit to a dark sky sanctuary magnificently illustrated the challenge many of us recognize in our meditation practice. There we were, my two friends and I, lined up like sardines in our cozy sleeping bags on a blanket spread on the ground under a vast night sky. I live in an old neighborhood
Satellites in the Starry Sky Read More »
Breathe deeply, until sweet air extinguishes the burn of fear in your lungs and every breath is a beautiful refusal to become anything less than infinite. ~D. Antoinette Foy Lately, I’ve been feeling some anxiety. Not debilitating or overwhelming, but anxiety is not something I typically experience, so I’ve noticed it and wondered about its
I just ran across a blog post I wrote at the end of 2023, a year that began with a prayer for liberation “whatever it takes.” The universe answered my prayer with cancer, not exactly what I had in mind, and yet it was the perfect opportunity for me to decide if I really meant
Remembering Gratitude Read More »
Years ago, I was standing on a sidewalk in Paris, close to a line of cars parked along the curb, chatting with some friends. Suddenly a deep voice bellowed from the car closest to me. “Step away from the car! Step away from the car!” I didn’t just step, I leapt several feet, crashing into
I am never upset for the reason I think. ~A Course in Miracles What happens when we feel disturbed? The mind starts thinking. Emotions flood the body with sensation. At least that is what happened to me recently when I got upset after a conversation with someone. I was upset about what the other person
A Disturbance in the Force Read More »
Rest in peace. This is something we often say to or about the dearly departed. It’s a lovely sentiment, so lovely that I wonder why we wish it exclusively to those who have died. Wouldn’t it be nice to rest in peace while we’re still alive? Some might respond with the familiar saying “I can
When Love crashes through mind’s familiar understanding of how things ought to be, mind can only cry out, “That’s a miracle!” “No,” Love answers, “that’s just the way I am.” ~Emmanuel’s Book III This whimsical quote always makes me smile. Love, apparently, has some attitude, and delights in expressing itself, sometimes to everyone’s surprise. Yet,
That’s the Way Love Is Read More »
Regardless of your position on any particular spectrum – religious, political, or other – it’s hard to deny that there is a lot of emotion churned up in today’s world. Many people are caught up in “big feelings,” as my daughter would say. The polarized division of “us” and “them” has become a powerful force
Seeing through a Wide Angle Lens Read More »
All life is your guru. There is absolutely nothing that does not reflect the perfection of creation and the power of love that created it. The very cells of your body vibrate in harmony with all that is. Your understanding or your lack of understanding changes nothing. But your experience changes everything. Once remembrance is
All Life Is Your Guru Read More »
Everything we hold on to will be relinquished. The people we love, the things we have, the beliefs we defend, the identities we treasure, the bodies we inhabit – all will be left behind. Like the great closing sale of life – everything must go! Every loss we fear will come to pass. What does
Before enlightenment chop wood carry water. After enlightenment chop wood carry water. ~Zen saying Reflecting the wisdom of this saying, Jack Kornfield titled one of his books “After the Ecstasy, the Laundry.” The point of both the saying and the title is that we might have peak mystical experiences of awakening, but then it’s time
The Ecstasy Is IN the Laundry Read More »
Several years ago, the desire to know, to merge, with the Divine Beloved was so strong within me that I knew without that union, nothing else would ever be enough. And so I wrote this prayer: BelovedOh to feel your touch of graceI ache for your embrace of compassionTake me to yourselfLose me in the
An Answered Prayer Read More »
I haven’t had a word of the year for a decade. In an illustration of cosmic humor of the universe, my last word of the year was in 2013 and my word was “wait.” But as 2013 came to a close, no new word came for 2014. Now, ten years later, as 2023 drew to
The Power of Being Willing Read More »
[Note: I’ve been trying to update something on my subscriber service, and apparently my last post got resent one or two extra times to some people. If that happened to you, I apologize for the annoyance. Hopefully, everything is fixed now.] Someone complained to me recently that she had gotten away from her spiritual practice
Everyday Life as Spiritual Practice Read More »
Many of us have had the experience of hearing our name called as a teacher or group leader goes down the list. The typical response is usually “Here!” or “Present!” Sometimes this is accompanied by a raised hand to help identify ourselves. The person calling the roll is not asking anything of us at that
The Roll Call of Life Read More »
I was chatting with my daughter about a situation involving my grandchildren. I can’t even remember what we were talking about, but at one point my daughter paused and looked at me. “You’re a ride or die Nana,” she observed. I had to look that up. A ride or die person is someone who will
I’ve had the pleasure lately of working with several folks practicing basic principles of taiji and standing meditation. These basic principles integrate body, mind, and spirit to help us live our lives functioning as our whole selves, or, as I like to say, firing on all cylinders. Different people will of course have different ideas
Three Qualities of Integrating Body, Mind, Spirit Read More »
While I was sitting by the creek at my forest cabin over the weekend, I learned a new breath meditation. The creek taught me to breathe like water. Admittedly, this takes a bit of imagination, but give it a try. I begin by imagining that my breath pours into me from the top of my
Breathe Like Water Read More »
Each breath a death And then new birth Into this moment Exquisitely alive To die again in sweet release And be reborn in wonder