It took me a while to learn that getting along with others could be easier, simpler than I realized. Here is one of the things I have learned:

When someone, anyone, asks me what I think about an idea or decision they are about to make, the most powerful response is:

I hear what you are saying.

What do you think is best for you?

or

What do you want to do?

If they ask if I would make that same choice, my response can be:

Truthfully, it doesn't matter what I would do.

What do you feel is right for you?

I would also remind my friend that I love her/him and will be supportive. Why do I find this powerful? Because my relationship with that person is more important to me than being right.

May you be abundantly blessed as your day unfolds.

Contact me with questions, appointment requests, or whatever is on your mind and heart:   [email protected]            Please consider joining my online meditation group 

Emerging from the isolation of the pandemic is a challenge for many of us. Others seem to just go for it in spite of the emergence of another variant. I am in the first group and it isn't out of fear for myself. I am fully vaccinated and healthy. My youngest grandchild will be 5 in April which will bring wider freedom to our family because we will all then be vaccinated. And now the holidays are here in earnest, along with challenges of time, transportation, energy, etc. I have always preferred simple, quiet holidays with more emphasis on the spiritual meaning of each one so I am somewhat surprised at myself this year. Why?

Because I want to go to the store and buy my gifts! And yes I have waited until supplies may be low and crowds large. Oh well. I'm retired and I know how to double mask if that feels necessary. I want to feel normal or, at the very least, experience this year's "normal" in person and not just hear about it on television. I am not a recreational shopper; I shop...

The Inner Stillness that I Am dwells in the very depths of my being. It is that sweet place that remains peaceful even when my mind, emotions, body - or perhaps all three - are in chaos.

During a particularly challenging time in my life, I let myself collapse in primal tears in the middle of my dining room. My mind and emotions were filled with fear, frustration, anger and disappointment. My body shook with the intensity of it all and my tears erupted into screams. In the midst of this I became aware of this oasis of peace in the core of my body, behind my naval. It felt so weird to be in both experiences at once but it told me that I was okay; I wasn't losing my sanity. Chaos was clearly under-girded by deep abiding peace.

I now understand that the Inner Stillness is the essence of my Being; it is True Self. My practice now is establishing me in this Inner Stillness so that I may live from this place: consciously, peacefully, powerfully live from the Essence of my Being, from the...

The importance of mindfulness and being aware of the present moment are no longer new ideas yet being aware of our own level of awareness is an ongoing practice. Mindfulness is easier in a yoga class because the teacher calls us to our breath and to what we are doing and experiencing in our bodies. In meditation, we are invited to focus on the flow of our breath and to notice our thoughts. How do we take what we are learning and practicing in a class off of the mat?

I first noticed my own awareness levels when my first yoga teacher's voice began to live in my head. I would hear her guiding me to feel my breath or notice my thoughts when my mood shifted. Everyday things became lessons in mindfulness.

It took awhile but, at some point, I began to notice my first thought of the day. Rather than jumping up as I awoke, I would turn onto my back, place my hands on my belly, take a few slow breaths and notice my first thought. Some mornings, my first thought was soft, peaceful and...