I watched a TED talk recently by one of the leading experts on stress, Kelly McGonigal. She confessed to her audience that she had it all wrong about stress, that stress is not the enemy she’s made it out to … Continued
As a young girl growing up, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. Either that or a Zamboni driver. Either one would do. Girls didn’t do that in the 1960s, but I was a weird kid, and very close … Continued
I love the idea of gratitude journals and if you don’t keep one, I suggest you give it a try. These written records of what you are grateful for help you to focus on the positive aspects of your life … Continued
I took time to play this past week. I played like, well I played like a 13 year old, because I spent a few days on a road trip with my grandson. First time, he and I, and we are … Continued
Ok, that’s not the traditional way that most people say that phrase, but words count and the thought of skinning a cat makes me squeamish. I changed to something a little more palatable. And when something happened that caused me … Continued
Have you ever heard the phrase “if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space”? This quote has been attributed to various people, including Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest. He certainly knew … Continued
As a meditating novice at a ten day silent meditation retreat in 2013, I kept hearing the word “equanimity” along with it’s more descriptive form “equanimous.” I had no idea what that meant. For whatever reason, I wasn’t getting it … Continued
I love me a retreat! I love going to retreats, I love leading retreats, I love planning retreats. In short, I love everything about them. I’ve written before about planning your own home retreat, and that can be effective, however, … Continued
Thanksgiving was this past week and that means we are now “officially” in the holiday season. While this Thanksgiving brought many blessings – distant family, a bountiful feast, even perfect weather – I endeavor to remember to give gratitude every … Continued
It’s king tides week on the Oregon coast. King tides happen around the planet and are exceptionally high tides caused by everything being in alignment. Because of the geography of this area, rocky cliffs reaching down to the sea, it’s … Continued