oh, how you shine!

As the fuss and fluster of the end of school season settles, a calmness that comes from being back in the quiet space of my own making moves through me, like a welcome summer breeze. The rare treat of a second, unhurried cup of morning coffee is accompanied by reading a work of fiction while…

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everything is practice

    On the mat. On the cushion. In the kitchen. In relationships. Everything is a path.       These paths are an education in how to be:   responsive instead of being reactive open to what’s really happening less fearful of how things might turn out less clingy to how you wish things…

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stop, drop and breathe!

Have you ever noticed that there seems to be a common reaction to moments of sudden increased tension, unexpected news, or times when we’re nervous, frightened or otherwise overwhelmed?  We hold our breath.   You might recognize that you tend to hold your breath in the following situations: ~ a car stops suddenly in front…

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want not, get not

Deep down to your very core, what is it that you truly desire? Peace and solitude? Fame and fortune? Love and acceptance? Fun and distraction? Freedom from any pain or discomfort? Competence and efficiency? Knowing you are warmly valued by another? To make a difference in your world? Appreciation for what you produce and share?…

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withholding judgment (revisited)

  In a small exam room, I was overseeing a group of students who, due to any number of physical or cognitive challenges, were being assessed in a smaller, quieter space away from the large auditorium of exam writers. Some of the student behaviour I witnessed was completely expected and predictable for this demographic of…

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withholding judgment

here comes the judge This is, by far, the most challenging part of my practice, currently. And my life.  Since forever. My reaction is often swift, heavy-handed and, in my own distorted mind, is completely justified because it is based solely on principle. The principle according to me.   i had hoped practice would help…

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making hills out of hills

  Him:  “No wonder you’re tired. You worked much harder than I did.” Me (thinking): I did? How? We both biked about 30 km on a gorgeous fall day. So how was I working any harder than you? Me (speaking): “What do you mean?” Him: “Your bike is heavier than mine. You had a backpack on…

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life is not messy

  Life is straightforward; a continuous cycle of beginnings and endings. That’s it.   It’s not messy.  It’s not neat.  It’s not complicated or controllable.  It just is. We’re fond of saying “life is messy” when we forget that. We show that we have forgotten it when we concretely label the ups and downs of…

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nowhere to go. nothing to do. no one to be.

It’s hard to believe that it was seven years ago now when I crossed a line. It was the day I removed my shoes and socks and stepped my bare feet over the border of my comfort zone and joined a community yoga class. Once there, I was continually stretching and stretched in more ways…

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