Practicing Presence

Lying on a yoga mat, cued by the voice on the recording, I slowly inhale and exhale. I draw my attention to my body, reorienting my mind from a multitude of swirling thoughts to focused attention on my body, my breath, and this moment. Recently I’ve been taking a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, created…

Read More

Still Soaring

Am I where I’m supposed to be? Do I have the inner strength, gentleness, and wisdom to venture out once again into the unknown?

Read More

Love Came for Me as a Bug

I walked out the door into late morning sunshine. The soft ground, soaked by overnight storms, gave way beneath my bare feet. Attending an all-day retreat as part of a Mindfulness and Self Compassion course, we’d been sent outside for a Sense and Savor Walk. The goal was to practice mindfulness in every detail of…

Read More

The Essentials

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. – Mary Oliver A few evenings before Christmas I moseyed into my daughter’s bedroom where my husband had set up camp, ferociously wrapping the stocking stuffers he’d purchased from the dollar store. I’d finished most of my preparations for the holidays, and the kids were…

Read More

More Often Than Not.

These days, more often than not, I get to the end of a day feeling like the day ran me, not the other way around. The digital clock on my phone clicks to 10:47 pm; I do a double take, and then I throw myself on my bed. Remaining moments tick away as I open…

Read More