May I… we use polite language with others, but do we treat ourselves with the same respect and courtesy? Do we ask, May I?
Tag Archives: Lovingkindness
be excessively gentle with yourself.
John O’Donohue, Irish poet, priest and philosopher, offered prescriptive wisdom for the tumult of these times. In the Blessing for The One Who Is Exhausted, in his beautiful book of blessings; To Bless the Space Between Us, he writes, “weariness invades your spirit. Gravity begins falling inside you, dragging down every bone, … something withinContinue reading “be excessively gentle with yourself.”
Gratia is grace + kindness
I could feel the excitement rising as I walked down the wooded path. I had a bag of candles in one hand and my cell phone in the other. The path was covered with a layer of big leaf maple leaves, brown and gold and wet, so no crunch as I walked over them. ItContinue reading “Gratia is grace + kindness”
Cleaning the Gook on the Window. Or, how to love myself with integrity.
The window I face during morning meditation has a streak of bird poo on it. High enough that when I am seated and focused, I don’t see it. When I get up, I do see it, but I choose not to. I literally look through the gook on the window at the beautiful autumn leaves,Continue reading “Cleaning the Gook on the Window. Or, how to love myself with integrity.”
Looking into the face of fear
I know it’s not Halloween yet, but I couldn’t resist. Pretty awful illustration of a terrifying squid, right? Only a mother could love. One day I was talking to a friend about fear; I asked what she was afraid of. She said, “Nothing, I’m not afraid of anything!” And the truth is, she is prettyContinue reading “Looking into the face of fear”
Happy face sticker on an empty gas tank?
“I’m fine.” “No, really, I’m fine.” “Just fine. Really.” I don’t believe it, do you? Our American culture teaches us to play ‘nice’, pretend all is well, that we are ‘fine’, when we are not— cuz’ nobody wants to be around a drag. Nobody wants ‘bad vibes’. And the truth may be that we areContinue reading “Happy face sticker on an empty gas tank?”
The Sacred No: Resist rather than resent.
I listened to a NY Times Opinion podcast interviewing a 19 year old teenager in Brooklyn who has become a leader in a resistance movement. What are these activists up to? NY Times, “ Started last year by another Murrow High School student, Logan Lane, the club is named after Ned Ludd, the folkloric 18th-century English textileContinue reading “The Sacred No: Resist rather than resent.”
A place of Maybe.
“You mock my pain!” Exclaims the Princess in that lovely classic fantasy farce, Princess Bride. Farm Boy/Pirate Roberts replies, “Life is pain, Princess. Anyone who claims otherwise is trying to sell you something.” This isn’t bad news. We are born into a life that will be marked by loss; impermanent, imperfect, and painful. But thisContinue reading “A place of Maybe.”
Let’s decide together to be Aliens.
When I was doing my student teacher training almost 20 years ago, I was mentored in a class of eight and nine year olds. One day, a student wrote me a note that started— Dear Ms. Alien, and he told me thank you for being his student teacher. The note was sincere, didn’t seem tongue-in-cheekContinue reading “Let’s decide together to be Aliens.”
The Music of the Pause.
As an independent, traveling yoga teacher, who spends a titch too much time on social media noticing all the events and workshops and retreats other yoga teachers offer, I put stress on myself by feeling the need to offer workshops and events in addition to the classes I teach. I do enjoy offering these eventsContinue reading “The Music of the Pause.”