I just finished a 5-day contemplative care training at our local Zen center. Some people refer to this as death doula training. It was moving, poignant, and heart-wrenching in the best way. And needless to say, I shed more than a few tears as we confronted some of the more fragile parts of ourselves. Directly […]
The Way of the Wise Woman
It is not the perfect but the imperfect that is most in need of our love. – Oscar Wilde Over the last 28 years, I’ve done tens of thousands of hours of spiritual practice. I’ve sat in long silent retreats without moving a muscle. In those times, I’ve felt grace and light flood my mind […]
The Guest House by Rumi
Do you ever have one of those moments when a poem, a song, or a piece or writing just pierces your heart and hits you square? Recently I was taking a meditation training and someone shared a remarkable poem. Somehow, it seemed to encapsulate our entire retreat. Yes, it’s about mindfulness, and about being kind […]
Shattering Paradigms: Expanding Beyond What We Believe is Possible
When we are navigating transitional thresholds and expanding beyond our perceived doorway of what is possible, it is normal for our deepest fears and core wounds to surface. As we begin to move beyond the old paradigm of our conditioning, it is natural to contract and reach back towards what was known and familiar. In […]
Letting Go In Meditation Isn’t As easy As It Sounds
The profound opportunity of meditation is to completely let go of any adherence to your current interpretive framework. All of the experience we have, every sensation that runs through us passes through an elaborate and largely unconscious interpretive mechanism. Our experience doesn’t just show up. It shows up as something. It shows up predefined, but of […]