Author Archives: TerraLea

What do I see in the blood red sun?

As I walked down the hall, a surprising light shone in the window, staining the floors with a streak of orange. I went to the window to investigate; the sun hung just above a bank of cloudy mist, a blood orange ball. I remember the sun appearing this way in the polluted skies of China,Continue reading “What do I see in the blood red sun?”

What is yoga?

Nearly 20 years ago, I taught creative movement at an arts focused magnet school within a public school district. While I was amazed and delighted at the creativity and openness of staff, families, and students, the place I felt resistance was when I used the dread word—- yoga. One afternoon, after the buses left, theContinue reading “What is yoga?”

Dear Breather, This is easier than you think.

It was the first big family gathering for my husband and I in more than 2 years, and I escaped into a quiet hallway to breathe. For a highly sensitive introvert, these breaks from social energy is necessary. It gives me the quiet I need to relax and get back in there. To me, beingContinue reading “Dear Breather, This is easier than you think.”

Excuse me, is this kale on my pizza?

I didn’t actually ask the waiter that, because I knew there were would be kale on my pizza.  I ordered it anyway.  So, as I munch a slice of vegan kale mushroom pizza— which tastes better than it sounds, at least it isn’t gluten free—I ponder the strange relationship I have with this tenacious vegetable. Continue reading “Excuse me, is this kale on my pizza?”

Remember the light.

The author reminisces about their childhood fears of bed monsters intensified by their cats’ behaviour. Those fears now influence their sleeping habits and safeguarding during nightly walks. They observe that shared societal fears and anxieties seem to darken the skies, reflecting troubled times. However, they diplomatically navigate fear using grounding practices and appreciating simple joys like morning coffee, and their dog Emma. Despite persistent fog and grey clouds symbolizing lingering unease, they find comfort and peace in the changing light, nature’s cycles, and the promise of a new day.

Coach Lasso and Buddhist Pema Chodron Agree: Be a Goldfish.

In one of the first episodes of Ted Lasso, Coach Lasso takes aside a despondent player —who just missed a great shot—and says, “Do you know what the happiest animal is?”  The player looks perplexed, “No.”  Coach says, “The goldfish. Wanna know why?” The player stares at him. Coach smiles, “Cuz goldfish have a tenContinue reading “Coach Lasso and Buddhist Pema Chodron Agree: Be a Goldfish.”

A Space of Maybe: Lifting the chokehold of ‘othering’.

We talk now of the word other as a verb; othering–used to define treating people as different or inferior based on personal opinion, belief, or culture.  It is that judgey social media voice that you find everywhere; from cooking blogs to twitter feeds; keeping the narrative all about who is  right and who is wrong, what isContinue reading “A Space of Maybe: Lifting the chokehold of ‘othering’.”