freedom in the holidays

Posted by on Nov 30, 2010 in relationship to life | 4 comments For many people, the holidays is fraught with stress and disappointment.  For me, the tragic part of this tale is that such disappointment and stress is imminently avoidable.  But here’s the paradox, if you let yourself feel any disappointment without dissolving into it and if you let yourself reflect on the sources of stress, you are more likely to be able to restore yourself to a sense...
read more

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...
read more

follow your nose days

Posted by on Aug 2, 2010 in mindfulness | 7 comments I love love love ‘follow my nose days.’  I aim to have a ‘follow my nose days’ at least once a week.  These days were inspired by one of my long time favorite books, “The Secret River” by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. These are the days I wander through my life, following my nose.  It feels like finding and re-aligning with the Current of Life moving through me...
read more

slow down

Posted by on Apr 26, 2010 in mindfulness | 4 comments Last night I had a really funny dream about a friend and me.  She was convinced that we just HAD to get tickets to an upcoming RUSH concert, because it might be our last chance to do so.  First, I know I’m an oddity, but I’m not a big fan of concerts.  Second, I’ve never seen Rush in concert, nor have I wanted to. When I told my friend about the dream, she laughed (via...
read more

cleaning windows

Posted by on Apr 8, 2010 in relationships | 3 comments Someone for whom I care deeply has been very very busy for months now and has had little time to devote to our relationship.  At first I took it personally and was very hurt.  I thought it meant that she did not want to spend time with me.  I cleared that out of the way and no longer felt hurt.  I stopped taking it personally.  Then I got mad because I thought she “should” make...
read more