Blog
COVID and Self-Compassion
March 2021 We are always in a state of change, moment to moment. But sometimes change happens in a more radical way. COVID has altered all of our lives. Many have lost loved ones and many have suffered from the illness. It may have interrupted our work and projects. But
Well Being
January 2021 There’s been a shift. Can you feel it? Since a new administration has moved into Washington, a sense of sanity has returned. Plans for dealing with the ongoing pandemic and many other pressing issues are taking shape. The shortest day has passed and the days are getting longer.
Become Whole
As we’ve passed the shortest day of the year, we move into a new phase. Many things are about to shift and change, and we can contribute to that change simply by our way of being. It’s easy to get taken over by what goes on around us—by something like
Sending and Taking
Thanksgiving is here again, the traditional US holiday when families gather to celebrate togetherness and aspire to feel grateful for their blessings. Of course, this year is different. Due to the pandemic, people are being discouraged from traveling and gathering in groups of any size. For those who have few
Accept What Is and Carry On
In one way, life is full of limitations; and these days, these limitations have increased. With the ongoing crisis due to COVID, most of us have had to learn to cope with additional constraints—such as not seeing friends or family, not traveling, not going to the theatre or anywhere except to
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Bob Dylan wrote the song “The Times They Are A-Changin” in fall of 1963, a pivotal time in US history. Martin Luther King had just delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in August of 1963 at the famous March on Washington, and the civil rights movement was at its
Change
It feels like it’s been a long summer. I spent most of it inside or taking long walks. But I also have been meditating, doing yoga, writing, coaching, and preparing for the teaching I do remotely. At the end of each day, I gratefully slip into bed and reflect. Not
Seven Ways to Deal with Uncertainty
Dear Friends, In this strange and trying period, each of us is dealing with our own situation, our own set of circumstances, and our own specific challenges. There are no easy solutions, yet in order to maintain a sense of well-being while walking on our unique unfolding paths, we have
Create from your Inner Light
During this time of great change, patterns have been broken and it’s up to us to create new ones. The truth is, we can’t do all of the things we used to do in the same way we used to do them, and we can’t expect that the outside world
Leave Space for the Unknown
In this period, it’s difficult to make any plans for the future, or even to know what “future” means anymore. Everything has been upended. Plans we made have changed or been cancelled; dreams we held onto have been adjusted; the identities we clung to have shifted. We are not who
Light in the Darkness
Sometimes things seem to stay the same for a long time, and then there comes a sudden change. However, nothing really stays the same from day to day, and in fact there are constant changes taking place every moment in our bodies and in everything around us. It’s just that
Dealing with Fear
In this time of great fear and uncertainty, we all recognize that what is happening now is not limited to any one country, nationality, race, or religion. This is a global event, and is an equalizer. We need to find new ways of being in the world, as one. For
Helping Others
Altruism is defined as “the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.” Altruism is also the title of a book written by French scientist turned Tibetan Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard. The concept of altruism is often mentioned by spiritual teachers of all traditions. Simply
Hero’s Journey
As we begin a new year—and a new decade—I thought it would be a good time to review Joseph Campbell’s mythic tale of the Hero’s Journey. Joseph Campbell studied the great myths of many traditions the world over and found that they all contained common elements. Sometimes when we use the
The Light Within
Whatever religious beliefs, nationality, or cultural affiliations you may have, there is no escaping the Christmas time mood that descends during this season. Depending on your personal situation, you may be either filled with happiness or plunged into despair—or more likely, something in between. It’s a time when family and
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving, as we all know, is a holiday celebrated in the United States in November, and in a few other countries on various dates. It’s said that that the US holiday commemorates an event that took place in 1621 when Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated together. The story goes that
Meditation and Creativity
Meditation has many benefits, such as reducing stress, calming the mind, enhancing focus, accessing deeper sources of wisdom and ultimately, perhaps, arriving at a state of omniscience. But meditation can also enhance creativity. Here are a few ways: Meditation frees you from habitual thinking. Through practicing meditation, you come to
Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star
There’s a song called Celluloid Heroes by the Kinks, one of the most influential rock groups of the 1960s and early 70s. They wrote so many great songs. But this one is particularly apt for our time, I think. Films used to be made of a material called celluloid, and the
Incremental shifts
September is around the corner, and many of us consider it the beginning of a new phase. This is when school starts again, the weather changes–at least where I live– and we begin to reassess where we are. You may wonder, where am I at this point in my life?
Follow your inspiration
Do you ever read the news and feel despair? I do. There is so much trouble in the world. Yet we still have to live our lives and follow our dreams. Mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote that we should “participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world.” Although we live in
