Halloween is an occasion that has taken some time for me to get used to, since I did not grow up in the United States. Wikipedia mentions that this is the “time in the year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and faithful departed believers.” It is also a time for guising (dressing …
Another extraordinary experience this summer was the gift of silence. I went for a nine-day silent retreat (which I have done every year for the last several years). There was no cell phone, email or any other contact with the outer world and minimal eye contact with others on the retreat. It was a rigorous schedule …
I gifted myself some time off from teaching mindfulness this summer. It was a summer to learn, grow and smile. I spent a few weeks with my parents in India. Perhaps you know that my mother lives with advanced Alzheimer’s at home, with my father as her primary caregiver. I try to go and spend 3-4 …
Cultivating wisdom and insight and a tender heart Read More »
As I stop to look around me, I become aware of the incredible signs of Spring. Flowers are blooming, the air is becoming more humid and heavy, the wind blows branches and leaves, and the sun seems more crisp and bright. I also notice stirrings in my own life. Areas are beginning to bloom, brighten, and grow. And …
It’s a cold rainy day in Austin, Texas – with “not a sky in the clouds” as my friend likes to say. I know there are parts of the country that are much colder as we welcome February into 2015. I am sitting by the window, listening to the rain and sipping a hot …
