A Lenten Metta Meditation
My friend and colleague, Julie Kaus, recently shared this version of Metta meditation found in Pocketful of Miracles by Joan Borysenko: "May I be at peace, May my heart remain open, May I awaken to the light of my own true nature, May I be healed and may I be a source...
Lent: the classic question…revised
Lent starts up this Wednesday. For us Christian/Catholic folks that usually means we ask the classic Lenten question: "What are you giving up for Lent?!" We say things like our beloved indulgent "chocolate" or our social lifesaver "Facebook." It is a lovely practice...
Love’s Quietness: My Husband’s Everyday Valentine Gift
“True inward quietness…is not vacancy, but stability—the steadfastness of a single purpose.” -Caroline Stephen Last night I felt drawn to go back and read some journals from years past. I happened to pull out the one from my first semester in graduate school, the fall...
On Our Son’s Fourth Birthday – Let Your Light Shine!
Our son turned four today. Our “baby” is a little boy! After a day hanging with grandma and grandpa, blowing out the candles, opening presents and tucking my little superhero into bed, I sat down on the couch, exhausted but content, to read a few emails. My friend...
NOT Now
I have dreams. Big dreams. Before kiddos, I dreamed of creating the Barefoot Barn. I wanted to build a barn and retreat center in a beautiful spot surrounded by something vast in nature, create a community of like-hearted folks, and offer workshops and retreats to...
Tips for Everyday Mindfulness #5: How fear dissolves
Last night I had this strange dream. Someone I am close to (not someone I know in my waking life) and I were in prison. Some other inmates were planning to gang up on us and things were about to get ugly. I’ll save you the details, but as things were heating up and I...
My “word for the year” in three: soften, strengthen, forgive
Living with my husband over the years, I have come to see that the ultimate of power and strength comes from gentleness. It sounds like an oxymoron. In this culture, we often get messages that tell that “getting ahead” or “being successful” are a result of brute...
Meditating on Dying: Arriving at “Thank you”
A little while ago, the whisper came across my heart to do a meditation on my own death. This may be odd, given that during this time of year, with Christmas and the start of a new year, many of us are focused on birth, hope, and new beginnings. But for me, there is...
Mindful Moment: kindness in a cup of water
The other morning I woke up with some stomach bug. As I was running for the toilet to throw up, our three and a half year old comes to me and says, “Mommy?” Me: “Yes baby?” . I think I thought he’d ask me what’s wrong, why I was throwing up, or something like that....
Tips for Everyday Mindfulness #4: Breathe
Every client who comes into my office experiences the power of a simple technique that we do together... Mindful Breathing. Whether you are in rush-hour traffic, tending to a screaming kiddo, giving a presentation at work, or having a "discussion" with your partner,...