(Note: I wrote this in September, 2010, five years ago. Seeing the life I have created since then, I know it’s because I committed to a plan.) I was never one for having a long-term plan. When people asked “what are your goals for 5 years, 10 years?” I’d look at them blankly. I had no idea. I would tell myself, I live in the...
Read MoreHow to Walk in the River
It is my last full week here in Asheville, NC. Next Wednesday I begin the journey westward. And so it is a balancing of staying present and planning forward, without getting too far ahead of myself. I am consciously choosing to get my feet in the river every day, to connect with the energy of the moving water, to do my modified sun salutations and...
Read MoreThe Power of a Word, reprinted from Heart Sparks, the book
Every year I choose a single word as a compass, a guide, a solid reminder of what I want to manifest for myself. The word serves as a touchstone for me as I make choices through the year. I post the word in my bathroom and acknowledge it daily, asking myself “how can I be that today?” The first year I chose the word BE. Because I was always planning,...
Read MoreWherever You Are Is Where You Begin
Wherever you are is where you begin. Right here. Right now. Never mind how you’ve tried it before, done it before, been there before. You are here. Now. Standing in this present moment. While this may be an easy concept to accept abstractly, it is not as easy to embrace when we are attempting to do something we used to be so good at. I used to...
Read MoreBeginner’s Mind
In Zen Buddhism, Beginner’s Mind refers to “having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.” (Wikipedia) Children are a perfect example of living in Beginner’s Mind. They approach every new experience with curiosity and...
Read MoreToo Quiet To Think
It’s too quiet to think! This is what so many of my clients tell me when I ask them to sit in stillness. They are uncomfortable. Fidgety. There is nothing to distract them from the silence. Even with all of the scattered thoughts running through their minds, it becomes too quiet to think. And this is exactly where I am hoping they get. Because...
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