“Waiting insistently in front of a tightly closed door is unfair to all of the open doors! Give a chance to the open doors!”Mehmet Murat ildan A few posts ago, I told you about the meditation chairs I finally let go of. The chairs that seated our art, meditation, and women's gatherings comfortably through the … Continue reading Don’t be afraid of an open door: follow up to the chairs
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there."13th century Sufi poet, Rumi Years ago, I belonged to a small group of women who met every full moon to meditate together and receive insight. During one such meditation in my home studio, my long-time, dear friend received a great insight indeed. … Continue reading I’ll meet you in the garden
"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."Alexander Graham Bell This quote, etched in a small glass frame, sat on the counter in my home studio for over a decade. Last year, I opted to allow it to … Continue reading Sometimes a door closes slowly
“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan It's easy to overthink every detail, to over-plan and over-prepare. But sometimes, you just have to trust in the intelligence of life. When I used 99 Designs to explore the book cover design for An Accidental Awakening: It's not about … Continue reading A leap of faith
"You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day. Unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour."Old Zen saying It works that way, it really does. One of the best things I have found in my life is a meditation practice. Now let's talk about the crazy that is often my … Continue reading When practice feels difficult
"Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones."Bruce Garrabrandt The muse can be conjured. Invited. Invoked. One of the mantras that has stayed with me all these years, is the mantra of creativity. Not just for painters and writers, cooks and potters, but for anyone who … Continue reading The Mantra of Creativity
Tonglen (Tibetan: གཏོང་ལེན་, Wylie: gtong len, or tonglen) is Tibetan for 'giving and taking' (or sending and receiving), and refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism. Tong means "giving or sending", and len means "receiving or taking". Tonglen is also known as exchanging self with other. Wikipedia I first encountered tonglen years ago in Sedona. Though the … Continue reading Insight in unlikely places
On this day, the Bell Let's Talk day for mental health, I encourage you to do 2 things: 1. Nourish yourself Even if that means all you can do today is take a bath or a shower and get dressed. Do that. And know that it is enough. I never expected to spend a good … Continue reading Room to Breathe
I have been waiting all year to say goodbye to the year of Earth Pig. At the start of each Chinese New Year, I listen in to the energy forecast of the coming year from one of my teachers, Master Chunyi Lin. I use his forecast to feng shui my home according to the incoming … Continue reading 5 things I learned from the year of Earth Pig.
While loading the dishwasher yesterday, I turned on the TV to see Valerie Bertinelli on the Today Show. I love Valerie. She was part of my childhood. Who here grew up with One Day at a Time? I paused to listen to what she had to say. She talked openly about her struggle with emotional … Continue reading Emotional Eating
