As the Buddha was about to become enlightened, his enemy Mara - and Mara's forces - arrived and shot 40,000 arrows of doubt at him. Who was he to be awakened to the Truth of Our Existence? I have heard two stories about what happened next. First, the Buddha calmly looked upon Mara and the [...]
I have been plagued by food cravings since I was eight years old. You might say my drug of choice was toast with cinnamon, sugar and butter. Ugh! Yet these cravings serve as a path to enlightenment. Lately, I have been putting into practice a meditation technique that has lead to a deep awareness within [...]
Throughout my years of yoga practice I have heard instructors say, "Suck in your stomach" to students. It resonates back to childhood and parents telling children, "Stand up straight!" I want to learn to be the best inhabitant of my body, right here, right now. As I have moved through meditative yoga this week, it [...]
Valentine’s Day is the designated push for sweethearts. It's a day for heart-shaped boxes, long-stemmed roses, and cute cards. Every February 14th, we flock to florists and chocolatiers like ducks to water in order to engage in what has become the almost ritualistic practice of honoring an individual (or individuals) we romantically admire. But what [...]
In yoga and meditation this morning, as I wrapped my arm around my waist from behind, I hugged myself. Yoga teachers call this "bound." After today, I will always think of it as "hugged." I felt awash in love for myself, for continuing to practice meditation and yoga day after day after day, even when [...]
This morning in meditation, I was doing deep restorative yoga. I breathed in compassion to myself. Kindness toward the light, lovable parts of me as well as the darker, self-loathing parts of me. As I envisioned a warm yellow sunlight enveloping my middle, I heard the words, "Yoga... is a hug." Hug me. I went [...]
If you made a New Years' resolution and have already slid back into an old behavior, then you may be ready to consider powerlessness. Up until the late 1930's, many people died of alcoholism. Some still do, but 12 step programs have changed the face of treating the once hopeless disease. [...]
I haven't written here in a long while. I wrote a book and re-wrote the book. Then, I set it aside because horses and work and dogs got in the way. I got tired of words, words, words. It feels as if with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest as if everyone has become their own boutique [...]
Bodhisattva. For the non-Buddhist, it is almost certainly a foreign term. Maybe you recall the name of an old Steely Dan album, at best. Put simply, bodhisattva is “a Sanskrit term for anyone or anything motivated by great compassion.” It is a combination of two separate Sanskrit concepts: Bodhi—meaning awakening or enlightenment Sattva—meaning existence, reality [...]
The integration of The Twelve Steps with Buddhism has become increasingly popular, as mindfulness continues to cross over from "spiritual philosophy" to practical, every day self-care. This morning, it dawned on me that the words Buddha spoke upon his awakening were very much like those of people in 12 Step programs who have taken the 2nd [...]
