What makes it hard to be compassionate to yourself? What did you learn growing up, from school, work, your family, or community about being compassionate to yourself? Did you hear things like; ‘Get going’, ’you’re just feeling sorry for yourself’ or ‘you’re just having a pity party’. ‘be strong’, ‘be…
I recently had a request from some group members to talk about resistance because it was becoming noticeable in many of their sittings and their lives. They wanted to know what to do about it. These are some of the questions I asked: Resistance is biologically driven especially against the…
While I was on vacation, I made a concerted effort to limit my news intake. It was easier because I was on the beach or in a new town and wanted to explore the area, go to restaurants and museums, or take a hike in a nature preserve. I regularly take…
I’m writing this after my 3rd day in New Port Richey, Florida where I’m staying at a lovely house called The Mermaid’s Cove. There are dozens of statues of mermaids throughout the house of all sizes including a 10ft metal sculpture of a mermaid holding a pearl and her tail…
There is a book written in the ’40’s called “The Living Mountain”. It was written by a Scottish woman named Nan Shepherd. She spent her life exploring a mountain in a small area of Scotland in the Highlands and wrote a book about what she learned. She apparently spent hundreds of days…
Time is so elastic. Sometimes it feels like it goes so fast, at other times it drags. This is how it’s been for me this month—-getting over a bad cold, holiday preparations, and getting ready for a trip all in the same month. Time was galloping along. But I didn’t want this month…
As humans, we are hungry to be heard. In fact, we will do anything to accomplish that—scream, yell, cry, beat the walls, post graffiti, you name it. It’s so essential to our well-being that when we’re not heard, it’s physically and emotionally painful and results in loneliness, anxiety and depression. Our…
Spring was a while ago in Michigan and summers usually arrive here in full force, but I want the season to change slowly. It moves too fast. From one day to the next, morning to evening, there are changes in the trees, the flowers, and the grass. Everything sprouts—too fast and…
This past week or so has been very difficult for me with all the news about the war in the Middle East. I imagine it’s the same for you. Thich Nhat Hanh encourages us not to look away from suffering, and at the same time we need to recognize our…
What is a sacred cow? What is the value of our beliefs? How do we know what is unchanging and what is impermanent?