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. […]
When we have a thought, do we respond to it as though it were true? Do we believe that our feelings tell us what is true about the world? Two big buzzwords these days are Emotional Dysregulation. It assumes that normal is, say, in the range of middle C, within an octave either higher or [...]
For me, the wisdom to know what is and what is not acceptable has been one of my greatest challenges. I cannot force solutions. I can speak up for myself. I can have boundaries. There IS unacceptable behavior. The big picture is remembering that when I sit back and don’t force things, when I wait [...]
A few years ago, children’s books started to pour out of me during meditation. For about eight weeks in a row, at least once a week, a sweet and slightly rhyming story would appear. I have been a writer since I was eight, so I am happy whenever poetry arrives, fresh off the universe, minimal [...]
It took me five years of intensive yoga to get into Trikonasana, also known as triangle pose. My hips would not open up. My lower back screamed “No!!” And I had to listen to that no because I kept injuring myself when I didn’t. My vow is patience. Yoga, like wisdom, takes a long time. [...]
Hello. I am Valerie’s Ego and I am writing my first blog EVER. AREN’T YOU IMPRESSED? YES, WE JUST GOT BACK FROM YOGA AND I AM READY TO ROCK! Big breath. Let it pass. My mind is a yoga class in constant session. I hate the asana, I love the asana. I hate the teacher, [...]
Take a deep breath… and as you exhale… please pause. Notice where your shoulders are. Take your shoulders down to where they fall naturally. Feel your breath enter and leave your body, feel your belly rise and fall. Notice your thoughts. Listen to the ticker-tape chatter, the Monkey Mind, the galloping Idea Horse. Smile as [...]
For me, J.D. Salinger was a bit of a Zen Master. […]
There is something wonderful about old guitar strings. They have character. They hurt my fingers when I haven’t played in a while. They are edgy, at least for me. And it’s even more amazing when one breaks. POP! It is a great sound. […]
In my understanding of Buddhism, hell is being stuck in a state of desire, of craving, of wanting anything other than what is right here, right now. Jizo is the bodhisattva whose role it is to help us out of these realms, making a vow to evolve to a higher state. […]
