I have a theory about intimate relationships that is not very popular. I think they often bring out the darkest, worst parts of ourselves. It is as if a ghost child, comprised of both partner’s inner kids, grows up between them. Not everyone encounters this, but many do, and statistics report that couples get to [...]
I taught psychological theory in a graduate program for a dozen years. Every time I taught a theory, I learned more than I had known previously. My introductory lecture was Freud & Jung. Every quarter, I became more acutely aware of the mechanisms of the ego, a sadly misunderstood part of us that is the [...]
Today in my meditation, I was gazing at my Jizo and he was gazing back. The thought drifted through my mind that money is not money. Money is not money. Money is not money. It flowed through my mind, once, twice… I took a deep breath and as I exhaled, I heard Money is Perceived [...]
If we could be still, in a quiet place, for even three minutes each morning, we might begin to hear our innermost selves. These states of being live beneath the mask/persona we have developed in order to be loved. We wear a psychological suit, unconsciously, in order to be accepted by those around us. [...]
Do you ever wonder who you might be today if, when you were very young, the adults around you had encouraged you to be authentic with them and yourself? What would life be like if had been acceptable to feel anxious, or cry because we felt we needed to, no matter how annoyed our parents were? [...]
As I contemplate new and more effective ways to travel the path of the Jizo Bodhisattva, I find myself encountering more and more astonishing suggestions for “How To Live.” I found a Sufi teaching that goes something like this: […]
Enlightenment is to be awake. When we sit in meditation, we begin to hear our thoughts, feel our feelings with greater clarity. As we observe our minds with compassion, we are able to distinguish between what is our personal ego and what is the ineffable part of us that is connected to all sentient beings. [...]
Chibi, which means “little one” in Japanese, is the main character in my books, “What I Heard & What You Said” and “Why a Fly?”. I created jewelry designs from my first illustrations, a childlike figure floating on a chain that can stand upright, lie down sideways or do a head stand. […]
In order for us to develop a relationship with our innermost self, we need quiet time. Many of my patients laugh when I suggest that they get up early enough to try meditating consistently. “Getting and staying quiet is impossible,” the ego says. […]
This took me a long, long, long time to learn and will surely take only a moment to say here. Tension causes a huge number of physical ailments and confronting yucky feelings can help release tension. How do we do that? The mind wants a quick trick, a fast way to be better. But this [...]
