Slash of pain, blood at my fingertip, then drips on the cutting board as I quickly wrap my finger in a paper towel, all the while berating myself for stupidly cutting my finger while chopping carrots. I paused the running narrative between my ears, thanks to years of mindful training, now I am getting aContinue reading “Embracing Pain: A Journey to Self-Reflection”
Tag Archives: mindful life
This is such a slog. And, a journey of inspiration and inner peace.
1,800 foot elevation gain, highest altitude 7,123 feet, 7.4 miles of varied terrain, from lovely alpine meadows to melting glacial snows. This is the Skyline Loop trail on Mount Rainier, arguably one of the premier mountain hikes in the world. This lovely active volcano in the Pacific Cascade range south of Seattle boasts unparalleled flora- someContinue reading “This is such a slog. And, a journey of inspiration and inner peace.”
What if…(some good thing)
When I was a public school teacher, if I described something new that would be happening, the student reaction was the same whether it was a good thing; field trip, kickball game, or party—or a possible bad thing; test coming up, new unit, new kid. When I asked, “Questions?” Pause. Then, almost without fail, “WhatContinue reading “What if…(some good thing)”
Welcome today with a spirit of wonder.
May I… we use polite language with others, but do we treat ourselves with the same respect and courtesy? Do we ask, May I?
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”
Stirring the Dark: Episode 2
What became of Little Red Riding Hood? This podcast episode, another retelling of an ancient tale, meditative storytelling for adults. We begin with a journey back, to the development of our identity at age 7-9 years old, and breathing into that identity, sending intention and compassionate energy to that version of our young selves. SnuggleContinue reading “Stirring the Dark: Episode 2”
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.”
Stirring the Dark: Pandora’s Gifts
Through history, humans asked, ‘why suffering? Why can this life be so rife with violence, illness and disease?’ Why do good people suffer?” The answer is that all life is peril and possibility. The way to wisdom is seeing all life, all experience as material with which to practice presence, kindness and patience as we grow. All is sacred.
The Only Way OUT is IN.
Rhythms of the elements echo in our bodies, breath, and blood. Elemental air, water, earth, wood and mineral reverberate in every tissue, organ, and cell. These building blocks of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, sodium— all inform our human growth and development from first breath to last. The more we tune in to our earthiness, the moreContinue reading “The Only Way OUT is IN.”