Most of us don’t usually think of joy as something to practice. We might imagine that joy lands on us if we’re lucky, like a bird alighting on our shoulder. And sometimes it does. But amazing things happen when we also take responsibility for inviting joy into our lives– we can practice creating the conditions that foster joy: habits, choices, and mindsets that put us right in the flight path of that joy-bird.
Read MoreThe other day I was sitting out by the lake near my apartment in the early morning. In the low light before sunrise, I can only see the silhouettes of the birds that pass by. Mallard goes by, wings flapping very quickly. Seagull soars over. Later Great Blue Heron moves across my field of vision, in a straight graceful line, unhurried. It came to me that, living by this lake for seven years… I know them. I recognize my neighbors.
Read MoreIn a couple of days, I depart for adventure -- camping with my husband, and my first backpacking trip with a friend. It is hard to describe how excited I am. Extremely. And, because this is California in addition to anticipating stunning locales, I am also tracking wildfires and air quality, feeling and releasing anxiety.
Read MoreAs I looked back through my journals from the last couple of years, I can see that cultivating a more restful way of being has been in my consciousness for a long time. Why does it take so long? Because I am shifting attitudes, beliefs, and ways of being that are very ingrained. These did not start with me, but have generations of conditioning behind them.
Read MoreQh, how we need REST! The body is tight from sitting in a chair. The mind is foggy from work, soggy from screens. The spirit is clouded from the interactions and experiences of our days.
Read MoreAugust in Flourish & Bloom Collective, has us exploring, “Knowing Who You Are.” I didn’t want to write this post. I put it on my calendar. I moved it to another day. I busied myself with other tasks… Why? Because the topic, “Knowing Who You Are,” is so BIG that it intimidates me. What about you? Do you feel like you know who you are? Does this feel like too big a question to ask?
Read MoreWhy is it important to show up for yourself? Because you matter. You are a person on this earth, living (as far as we know for sure) your one and only life. You, just like all beings everywhere, want to be happy, fulfilled, and fully alive. Showing up for yourself is foundational to this important work. As a human being on this earth, you deserve to be nourished and supported, most of all by YOU.
Read MoreLast week, I had a meaningful and fun conversation with Julie Fogh and Casey Erin Clark of Vital Voice Training. We talked about mindfulness, and especially about practices and ways of being that are useful RIGHT NOW. This one is for everyone, and those on the introverted, highly sensitive side may feel especially”seen.”
Read MoreThe practice of mindfulness is a living, breathing thing. It isn’t something that only happens while meditating in a quiet room: some of the most vivid and lasting learnings are those that are discovered with our eyes wide open in the course of our everyday life.
Read MoreI've been thinking a lot lately, ideas and notions passing through and coalescing underneath the skrim of daily life. One of the thoughts that keeps coming up in this initial time of shelter-in-place is about our practice of equanimity and flow.
Read MoreI'm reading in various places lately about different people's perspectives on crossing into a new year, thoughts about what we should do: Make resolutions. Don't make resolutions! Set intentions. Choose a mantra. Pick one word of the year. Don't do anything— the beginning of the year is just an arbitrary day, and you are fine as you are. Well, this is confusing!
Read MoreThis moment, right here, is what exists... like it or not. Sometimes we find ourselves fighting to get out of this moment, wanting to be somewhere else, sometime else. What happens when we choose, willingly, to surrender?
Read MoreMeditation isn't about achieving a perfect "blank slate" mind, a state of perpetual calm... no matter how attractive that might sound. In meditation, we are opening— opening to the curiosity of "What is happening now?" "What is unfolding in this moment?" Come take a seat in the river of this moment and have a look at what is floating through.
Read MoreAre things feeling busy right now? They are in my corner of the world! Let's explore how we can respond and adapt to the circumstances of the moment, with the time and energy that's available. Bringing wise compassion into this moment allows us to release judgment and take a broader view.
Read MoreFLOW is the opposite of resistance, and often in times of challenge, when things are not unfolding in the way we expect, FLOW is exactly what we need. When we flow, we accept and open to what is occurring and we work with it rather than pushing (futily) against it. By letting go, we have access to more peace and ease. Join me for this exploration and meditation on flow.
Read MoreI am feeling a distinct pull inward, to recharge, refresh, re-set. And as you will hear me explain in this video, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m listening in to my intuition. I’ll be taking some time to travel, which offers time away from the routine, to look at things with new perspective, to lean into my own practice, growth, and learning.
Read MoreThe movement of the breath is not so different from the movement of waves: there's steadiness and a soothing quality to the movement... and within this movement, there is also change ever-present. Take a few moments at the beach with me.
Read MorePema Chödrön writes that to stay with the shakiness is the path of true awakening, the path of the warrior. Join me in sitting with emotion and sensation, in offering kindness and compassion to your own dear self.
Read MoreBeing in nature refreshes our whole being. Have you ever gotten a teaching from nature? Maybe it's to be rooted and calm like a tree, to flow like water. I invite us to slow down and pay attention in order to really absorb all the goodness of nature.
Read More