“He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived.”  -Chinese Proverb  Assigning blame for our own mistakes and shortcomings works as a defense mechanism, which means, by definition, it is done unconsciously. When we do it, we

A phrase repeated for inspiration and to bring us change is an affirmation. A word or phrase that we repeat in meditation for its vibratory properties is a mantra. They are similar, but a world apart. Each can help us grow, center and deepen. Let’s take a look at them both. When I was in

We have been educated and conditioned to think of certainty as a kind of positive arrival. We’re taught to reject other competing  ideas and alternatives, arriving at what we decide to be the best, or only right way of relating to our situation. We do so in our own subjective way with a conviction that we

“The many ways to listen have been reaching into me for years. To enter deep listening, I’ve had to learn how to keep emptying and opening, how to keep beginning. I’ve had to lean into all I don’t understand, accepting that I am changed by what I hear.”     – Mark Nepo “Deep listening is miraculous

As children, when we did something that our parents (or those representing them) considered “wrong,” the consequences were unpleasant by design: When we were punished for our alleged transgressions, the response from whoever was in authority was not supposed to feel good – and it did not. The same model continues into adulthood. When we

“(Our) materialistic technology and commercial acquisitiveness (has led to) a loss of spiritual culture.”  “We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.” “The situation the earth is in today has been created by unmindful consumption. We consume to forget our worries and

In our seemingly endless pursuit of meaning, we are constantly evaluating. Everything we encounter becomes grist for the mill; we are always trying to make sense of the aspects of the world with which we interact. It is quite clear that we are all doing it, but what is less evident is how well we

“Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.” – Thich Nhat Hanh When we bring mindfulness to a seemingly mundane act, it can acquire a “holiness.” The reason for that is because something happens to how we are

“Connection is the antidote to the isolation that trauma creates. Through connection, we find safety, support and.the possibility of healing.” A trigger is a stimulus that causes a reaction, often an emotional response, related to unpleasant past experience. It can cause panic, anxiety, negative self-talk and despair. A trigger reacquaints us with the feeling that

“Notice what you love and let that guide you.” “When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment.” This is not the world I would create if