showing up as your REAL self

Posted by on May 2, 2011 in cultivating peace, relationship to life, relationship to self, relationships, this i believe, Uncategorized | 11 comments Twenty years ago this year, I moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to east Tennessee.  For me, it was a bit of a challenging move.  For all its conservativeness, the culture of Salt Lake was balanced by an open-minded contingency of people.  There were lots of yoga studios, drumming circles, alternative approaches to mental and spiritual well-being.  I fit in. I had a thriving practice and active...
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sacred threads ~ coats of many colors

Posted by on Sep 21, 2010 in relationship to life, relationships, sacred threads | 8 comments I’ve been re-reading a translation of the Shiva Sutras, an text from the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism.  One of the sutras reads, “Nothing exists that is not Shiva.”  Shiva, of course, is another name for all-pervasive consciousness, God, the Great Mystery, Allah, Shiva, The God of 10,000 Names.  This teaching is echoed in Psalm 139 in the Holy Bible, “Whither shall I go...
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sacred threads ~ wisdom in the present

Posted by on May 3, 2010 in mindfulness, power of now, sacred threads | 10 comments There is a beautiful story by Leo Tolstoy that further illustrates the sublime practice of the present moment, “The Emperor’s Three Questions.”  This story is replete with teachings about recognizing and serving the Divine in each other as well as practicing the present moment to experience the Presence.  In Tolstoy’s story, the emperor sent out the decree that he would richly...
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sacred threads ~ nature’s doorway

Posted by on Nov 11, 2009 in mindfulness, sacred threads | 0 comments If’ you’ve been reading for a while, you know by now that I find comfort in exploring my spirituality from multiple vantage points including diving into esoteric spiritual texts from a variety of cultures and human experience.  One of these texts is the Vijnana Bhairava. This book is a collection of dharanas, centering techniques.  These techniques not only center a seeker, but...
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sacred threads ~ searching for faith

Posted by on Nov 5, 2009 in sacred threads | 1 comment “The trees and rocks will teach you that which you cannot hear from masters.” ~ St. Bernard of Clairvaux For many seekers, contemplating Nature opens the door to a mystical life of untold beauty and spiritual bounty. What secrets might we learn in the contemplation of Nature?  What comfort might we find in its embrace?  Across traditions spiritual aspirants are encouraged to have faith in...
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