Every Day Zen
We have a cushion to absorb life so that it lands a bit more softly. It’s an accounting of sorts, this cushion, a meting out of Zen.The future is its own, the past forever gone, and life is always now--a balancing act. Some days, I max out my Zen spreadsheet, squirreling away for the future.... Continue Reading →
A week from today I have my second hip replacement surgery. It means tapering off autoimmune disease medication. It’s always a tricky time. Physically, my cells shift to adapt to lack. In response, my mind releases words at whim. The challenge of the sentence looms. I remember the warrior butterfly— bodhisattva— who forsakes the firm... Continue Reading →
I may meditate every morning but it is not that I don’t hesitate. Especially on winter mornings when I would rather remain wrapped in my comforter. It is then my thoughts turn to the warrior butterfly— bodhisattva— who forsakes the firm ground for walking on air. Such dramatic change does not come overnight but over a... Continue Reading →
“Getting the knack of catching ourselves, of gently and compassionately catching ourselves, is the path of the warrior” (Pema Chodron). When it comes to warriors, I think of the monarch butterfly’s singular sense of solidarity. Somehow, each “knows” that a 2,500-mile migration is essential to its species survival. The monarch gives up one way of... Continue Reading →
Aim For Even: The Daily Dose 