You are my teacher, you are my student

All life and learning is an energy of giving and receiving. We encounter others on our path to exchange this life force. In an instant, we recognize ourselves in the other; a giving reflection of a world we need to see. This is our world that we see, a creation of our thoughts and our […]

What is the point? From Self to Others

I woke up this morning thinking, “Why?” and “What is the point?” It is not new, this interrogation into the purpose of life. The well known German-Austrian psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl, posits that meaning comes from three sources: 1) loving a person 2) purposeful work/ project 3) surviving adverse conditions with dignity. Each of these things […]

Sustenance: The Artist Way

“WHAT NEXT? My ‘future’ is the darkest thing in the world to me, but as there still remains a great deal for me to do, I suppose I ought rather to think of doing this than of my future, and leave the rest to THEE and the gods.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra: A book […]

How Do We Return to Society?

In Zen training we start with The Search for Ox, the Ox being our true nature. With diligent practice over time, we move through stages that lead to an enlightened return. Examining the evolution of Zen training is essential when we think about how a commitment to mindfulness meditation can positively influence society and encourage […]

Rite of Passage

The following is a transcendental guided meditation experience. It offers you a sound journey designed to move your attention inward so the mind can settle into its natural quiet state. This meditation is a powerful tool if you’re experiencing stress and anxiety associated with grief and letting go. It aims at unblocking the root chakra. […]

It’s Time

Breathe in this forced pause. Breathe out the smell of death, grief and sunken family. Look around and see it’s so much less but more. Feel the hot turmoil under your skin. Think, my brother died and say aloud, “Again.” Such great tenderness unveiled in moments. A rush of love begins. “You’re hurting me,” I […]

Say Yes to Yourself, Then Others

“Living is not breathing. Breathing is only the possession of a possibility. Or of all possibilities.” Antonio Gala, La soledad sonora You can find me on a solitary journey somewhere between the great metropolitan city and the coast, a long and winding highway that passes through perfectly distributed olive trees that dot the swooping orange […]

La Petite Mort

When I was giving birth to my son, I remember feeling that in my pain I understood famine, war and death. It was as if my mind-spirit left me and traveled to all of history. I experienced human suffering. I shared this feeling afterwards but in the telling it was impossible to communicate what I […]

How To Be Alone

The sun burns your skin and you are alone. Turn toward the mountain and you are alone. Turn toward the sea and you are alone. Say, this being alone is me. Watch the seagull fly high in the sky. In that flight, remember the story of a man. Think about fear and courage and making […]

Clearing Space

There are three teachings that I aim to apply to my daily life and work that are especially complicated when I’m stressed and dealing with trauma. I put them under the headings: Love, Loss and Letting Go but they are all interrelated. Love is about authentic presence. It’s learning to be in alignment body, mind […]