At some point I realized that I often thought of karma when someone pulled a fast one. The thought that would come to mind was "Bad karma, you are attracting bad karma." I also realized that I didn't often think or hear anyone say "He/she has the best karma!"

As human beings, many of us have been so conditioned to go to the down side that we see the negative impact of our thoughts or actions rather than count our blessings or see the good that comes to us is in response to our choices! Making a gratitude list is a task to be done rather than something that flows through our hearts and minds as naturally as our breath flows through our bodies.

Many of us have been taught from a very young age not to acknowledge ourselves openly because that is being prideful or arrogant. Is it? Or do pride and arrogance come from a need to overcome a lack of self-love and self-respect? I am sitting at my desk typing this. When I stop and look at my little home, I smile...

Many years ago, I was a committed member of a bible study group that offered a great deal of loving support. I was a young military wife and the mother of two toddlers, living in a very remote part of the world. These people were my heart's community. One of the women came to a decision to always speak the truth which sounds noble and wise. She lacked the wisdom and compassion of life experience that brings balance to this choice and her "truth" became a battering ram. It was painful to witness and, even more painful when on the receiving end. When questioned or challenged, her answer was always the same: I'm only telling the truth.

I sit here forty years later and, as I remember those experiences with her, my heart rate increases slightly and I also remember the anxiety and discomfort her truth created. Intense.

I now know that an authentic expression of truth results from balance throughout my energy system. The chakra centers below and above my vehicle of expression, which...

There is, in meditation, a blessed opportunity to experience and expand into the Oneness of All That Is. When I first sat in silence, I didn't know I was meditating. I was experiencing organized religion and began each day with my "quiet time." There were moments when I felt the Divine Presence so completely that my body seemed to float. It was twenty years before I decided to try meditation. Wasn't I surprised!

Taking yoga and sitting in silence at the end of the practice brought me to a different experience of meditation. My awareness began to expand and more and more often I melted into what I came to call "that sweet place." Still I thought much of this was really outside of me. I was living in the bible belt of the south and, believe me, there were few yoga classes and even fewer enlightened teachers. I met New Agers (love them!) and those learning and following Native American traditions (oh yes, love them too!). I studied it all. People loaned or gave me books by Deepak...

I am grateful for the clear and ongoing guidance I am receiving from medical authorities as glimpses of personal freedom begin to peek out from behind the clouds of this past year. A close friend made this comment when told I had received the first dose of protection against COVID:  "Thank you for being willing to contribute to herd immunity." It had not occurred to me that I was doing that and I didn't know how to respond. She reminded me of the importance of that and I realized she was sincere. I wasn't just doing it for myself; I was contributing to the welfare of others.

I know quite a few people who will refuse the shots and it is, after all, a matter of personal choice. Some will do so because of their past experience with flu shots and others have conditions that don't allow them to receive the shots. Those who believe the entire past year has been a lie or hoax will continue refusing to accept any medical guidance or opportunities for preventative treatment. I may not...

Almost 12 months ago, I cancelled a trip to Las Vegas. I was going to meet my daughter for a long weekend and attend my dear friend's St. Patrick's Day party. I canceled because of COVID-19. The challenge became to find adequate toilet paper and food before stores ran out or closed completely. To say it was an upsetting time falls short of the reality we all were experience in the early months of 2020. Then we thought it would be a month or two, right? Now we are in the early months of 2021. I am having groceries delivered because it is safer. I faithfully wear a mask when I leave my home. By summer, it will have been almost 18 months since I have been with my daughter (we usually are together 3 times a year). I am fortunate to live in the same city as my son & his family. We spent 8 months apart. After following all of the necessary protocols, including testing, I am now in their bubble and it has made a huge difference in my mental/emotional health and wellbeing. In another 5...

When all else fails, go upside down.

In yoga, an inversion is defined as hips above heart, heart above head. When laying on your back, placing a thick folded blanket under your low back (4 inches is enough) elevates the hips above the heart and the front of your heart is above the back of your head. This is the most gentle of the inverted positions. Postures like downward dog and forward fold are more intense inversions. Shoulder and head balance are the most intense.

But why go upside down? The full inversions require our muscles to engage in the opposite direction, lifting and holding the lower body up rather than the upper body. (Full inversions are not recommended unless you have developed a consistent practice and know you are strong enough to do them safely.) This stimulates the vascular system, nervous system and muscle fiber to function differently and all of this challenges the brain and awareness as well. The blood flow to the brain through the upper body, neck and head is...

“The most fortunate are those who have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy.” ― Abraham Maslow

When I decided to begin with this quote, I read it at least ten times. I discovered it many years ago and it still touches my soul because I have known this state of being. As a child, teenager, and young woman, this was me through and through. People around me told me, quite regularly, that I needed to grow up and face reality. I was criticized for seeing life through rose-colored glasses, for believing that people were basically good and that the world was a beautifully wonderful place.

At some point, I decided it wasn't safe to manifest my True Self. To protect that tender, precious part of myself, I began to adopt facades and personas that allowed others to be more comfortable around me. I knew I needed to love and be loved and there was no one to teach me how to achieve...

I am not always the best listener. Even as I quickly approach my 75th birthday, I find myself now and then more focused on what I want to say than on what another person is saying. Intellectually, I know that listening is more important than planning my response. Listening allows my brain to process another's viewpoint with respect for both of us. It is obviously more respectful to the speaker because it confirms that I am present in that moment and hearing what they are saying. This is even more beneficial when I ask questions about what they think or feel before "taking my turn."  The next respectful choice is to say something like, "Let me think about that a moment." This gives me time to organize my thoughts and be sure I am clear and ready emotionally as well. If I am experiencing intense emotions, it may be wise to breathe through some of that intensity in order to create an atmosphere where the listener wants to hear me. Once I feel ready to speak, I monitor the...

We struggle with and against that which seems to contradict what we consider to be The Light. We are often taught to overcome the flesh or sin. Literature, Film, Art is often dominated as well with images of the clash between light and darkness, good and evil. Conflict surrounds us. And yet many of us, in seeking peace in the midst of the conflict, come to realize the fallacy of these opposing forces. We begin to reside and rest in the Oneness of All That Is. We find our Wholeness within as we discover True Self, the Soul that gives life to this form, to body, mind and emotions.

I have probably mentioned before that I am drawn to black and white photography. In speaking with an artist about this, he responded by telling me that I was responding to the definition that shadows bring to the clarity of the light. He told me that the edges of the darkness define and call attention to the light.

Can you feel the power of that?! My spiritual mentors have taught me to release the need...

Have you ever been to Crazy Town?

I suppose there are as many definitions of Crazy Town as there are people who live or visit there. My son brought this awareness to his sister and myself by responding to something by saying "Well, now you're just going to Crazy Town! Is that where you want to be?"

Crazy Town exists in our heads, in our thoughts. Given enough energy and validity, Crazy Town can begin to take form in this reality however. I have witnessed a few instances where people brought Crazy Town to life in their homes or jobs. It is best left and dealt with at the thought level and not a place I prefer to visit at all if I can help it.

Crazy Town looms on the horizon when I am distracted from True Self, whether I have fallen into old thought patterns or whether I am overwhelmed by the choices others make. My mind begins to have a heyday as I am sucked into anxiety, shock, or fear. When I was a young woman, this was a rather common pattern in my life and the people in my...