RENUNCIATION WITH OPEN HANDS
OFFERING ATTACHMENT
After years of study, training and ascetic discipline, the Buddha began a 49-day yogic meditation fast. During this time, he gained mastery over his body and attained relative mental clarity. But, as he was at the point of death, he did not have the strength to fully cross over into awakenment. Perhaps knowing … Read the rest
PATIENCE AND TRUST
DEVELOPING ELEGANCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Patience and trust are talked about in many ways. But I want to look at them from an energetic perspective. How does patience feel? How does it feel when we trust ourselves?
Usually, our stream of thinking runs with a great deal of momentum. The faster we move the more … Read the rest
AWAKE IN TROUBLED TIMES
CREATING THE SAFE SPACE OF LOVINGKINDNESS
Living in turbulent times we sometimes find it challenging to remain present. This may be because living in our turbulent minds it’s equally hard to be present. Yet remaining present is the key to actually participating in life. Life is significantly more rewarding when we are an active … Read the rest
WHO’S RUNNING THIS SHIP, ANYWAY?
The great farce played upon our thinking is the uninvestigated assumption that we exist. Or more specifically, that we believe ourselves to be a permanent, independent being. Despite evidence that life is unpredictable, we act as though this was not the case. We just assume we are as we think we are. And that assumption … Read the rest
THE BURNING CHILD
HEALING THE BROKEN PLACES
The child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down just to feel its warmth.
– African proverb
In a culture conditioned to a linear understanding of causes and conditions we assign blame to a problem, focusing our ire on the object of blame. In extreme cases, we … Read the rest
GIVING UP CONTROL
… and Stepping Beyond Fear
One of the ways we rob ourselves, and reduce our life is by demanding ownership of our experience. And ownership implies controlling the process and the outcome of what we own. But our life is not property. Life is a self-existing dynamic with our past and our world, unfolding naturally
PROGRESS ON THE PATH
The OG yogis, in their old-school yoga days, referred to their path as leading to the perfection of human experience. Okay. But what is meant by perfection? And according to whom and what metric?
A worldly path to perfection is quantifiable in comparison to our world. As vicious as it may be, it is comforting
AWAKENING
AWAKENING TO EMOTIONS
Every moment we become aware is a new beginning. Each time we come back to ourselves and the moment we are inhabiting, we have a fresh start. Although, most of the time the “stains” or attachments of our previous moments linger. So we enter our new moment with some baggage. Have you … Read the rest
THE UNRELIABLE WITNESS
We are not what we think.
This is frequently heard in meditation circles. The path of meditation serves to uncover the fickleness of our thought process so that we can see beyond ourselves. Our thoughts don’t define us, as much as keep us entertained. If we give ourselves over to the path of meditation, we