I was pondering today how much grief we give ourselves through our expectations. When we think something is going to happen a certain way and it doesn’t, it paves the way for disappointment and resentment. We even feel totally justified in feeling this way, as if the rules of life were that things should always go the way we expect them to go. How often is this at the very core of disputes within relationships? We expect that someone will meet our needs in a particular aspect of life. We expect that they will be loyal to us, love us from head to toes, agree with the things that are most important to us….and when they don’t, we feel let...
What would you do if you wanted to share about a great Tibetan Master, and you found two completely different accounts of his life? One account speaks directly to your heart, and is the story told by an enlightened master from India. The other is the academic version told in Wikipedia and other websites, which has been passed down from human to human, and which speaks to the intellect. Which story would you tell? The answer speaks for itself. None of us know the truth behind either story, however I am going to tell you the heart story, for hidden within this story are the keys to open the door of wisdom, a door buried not in...
If I ask you “What is meditation?”,what would your answer be? Many people would answer “stillness of the mind”. But is this the truth? This is like saying that working out at the gym is all about strength. Well, it is and it isn’t. We work out at the gym in order to build strength. It’s an ongoing practice to take our muscles in directions they may not ordinarily roam, and strength is the ultimate outcome. This is a great analogy for meditation. Like working out at the gym, meditation is a practice. It’s not designed to be done once and perfected. Instead, like the gym, it puts the “muscles” of our mind into activities that they don’t normally do, in...
What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity? This month our affirmations come from author and spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer. His famous book 'The Untethered Soul' takes an in-depth look at how to let go of negative thoughts and emotions, in order to live a simple life, free from attachment and fear. Are you ready to discover which statement has chosen you this month? Intuitively pick a number between 1 and 9, and see which affimation and oil blend is choosing you today: 1. No matter who we are, life is going to put us through the changes we need to go through. The question is: Are we willing to use...
As I look around at my friends, my family, my spiritual brothers and sisters and beyond, I can’t name one person who isn’t struggling right now. For some, that struggle is with physical challenges, or heavy diagnoses for themselves or their beloveds. For others, it’s relationship break ups or unsettling dynamics within their relationships. And others just feel an overwhelming sense of darkness and struggle. It’s not that we can’t see the light and be grateful for it. It’s quite easy in these times of darkness to look up and see the blue sky and the sun shining and the birds singing. But then we look down, and can’t find our feet because they’ve disappeared into this black bog that...
