try to re-create ourselves when things fall apart. We return to the solid ground of our self-concept as quickly as possible. (…) When things fall apart, instead of struggling to regain our concept of who we are, we can use it as an opportunity to be open and inquisitive about what has just happened and what will happen next. That is how we turn this arrow into a flower.” — Pema Chödrön A lot is being said these days. Clarity can be hard to come by, silence even more so. Overwhelmed by the cacophony of voices, I sat down to synthesize some perspectives that shine light on the corona crisis. Most of you will already have come across some of thos... posted on Apr 5 2020 (64,784 reads)

to the postage stamp to the buffering icon to Japan’s mobile messaging system deployed in the wake of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami — to explore how we can allay the durational restlessness of our lives. One of the most fascinating and pause-giving chapters of the book uses astrophysics as a lens on waiting — a field in which the greatest discoveries take decades, sometimes centuries, of incubation, prototyping, and testing in the laboratory of reality we call nature. (Take, for instance, the detection of gravitational waves — the most monumental astrophysical breakthrough in our lifetime and the greatest since Galileo — a triumph with a re... posted on Apr 7 2020 (7,484 reads)

lines. Tami Simon: You are explaining to me why I don't like writing that much. [laughs] I would rather speak. It doesn't seem anywhere like the kind of labor… Terry Tempest Williams: Writing…you are creating infrastructure. I think for community. So I think it is a very physical act. You show up and you have a task. On the other hand, writing is also a spiritual practice for me. It is how I come to know the world. It is how I make peace with my own contradictory nature. If I am honest, it is about creating community. And it is trying to make sense of the world that at times makes no sense at all. So that is the candle…that I want to attentive to what c... posted on Apr 12 2020 (7,932 reads)

COVID-19 emergency has exposed our societies’ failure to address the needs of billions of people. Simultaneously, we are witnessing a fundamental truth about human nature: There are those among us eager to exploit the suffering of others for personal gain. We can be reassured, however, by how few of them there are. Their actions contrast starkly with the far greater numbers at all levels of society demonstrating their willingness, even eagerness, to cooperate, share, and sacrifice for the well-being of all. The pandemic has also exposed extreme vulnerabilities in the global market economy, including its long and highly specialized linear supply chains, corporate monopolies shield... posted on May 2 2020 (7,966 reads)

over the previous thirty days. Pulling all of them together in one place was always overwhelming to write as well as to read. But I was angry again. I was writing these dispatches hoping they would wake people up to the crisis upon us, to the fact that we were already off the cliff and needed to begin adapting to our new world. And it was that energy I was taking into my book, thinking the writing would be something along the lines of 75% climate dispatch and 25% personal stories and nature writing. But Gaia had other ideas. When I began going into the field and writing the chapters—from the Amazon, the Great Barrier Reef, Denali in Alaska, and other magical places aro... posted on May 22 2020 (5,447 reads)

year old writer, consultant and activist Margaret Wheatley has studied the cyclical nature of civilizations throughout history and she is quite confident that the end of our civilization is closer than we might like to think. And she is doing something about it… something radical. Wheatley is building an army of 'warriors for the human spirit' with people who want to lessen the suffering in the world - whether it be from natural disasters, political strife, war, famine, or from the tyranny of daily injustices in modern life. Her warriors are trained as leaders with compassion, kindness, servitude and generosity as prime requirements. Wheatley ... posted on Jun 17 2020 (9,509 reads)

to create a space where we are interconnected." I say, "actually we don't; we have to create an awareness." The interconnection is already there. We are interconnected with each other and the Earth. We're from the Earth. We are part of the Earth. We just fail to recognize that. I talk about four splits that are part of the United States and maybe Europe. The splits arose out of that period of racism, colonialism, imperialism, and exploitation. There is a split from nature; a split from the Divine; a split from the Earth; and a split from each other. The final split is the separation between mind and body. Each separation is a wound. Each needs to be addressed an... posted on Jul 18 2020 (5,981 reads)

then I see the incredible beauty of this Earth once more and am re-inspired to remember that the times are calling for us to wake up together.  How does gratefulness inspire you to make change in the world? This work, this practice, this calling, has awakened a feeling of gratefulness in me that has only gotten stronger and stronger as I have gone on. The beauty of life on Earth, this web of life that is so miraculous and so filled with wisdom, the innate wisdom of nature, the nature of life and how diverse and beautiful it is, fills me with humility and awe. I feel so grateful for the opportunity of this precious life to participate in the creative unfolding of... posted on Aug 2 2020 (8,850 reads)

So I think just this idea that there are resources deep within our nervous systems, but there are also resources in the otherness. So for someone like Jung for example, which is—who is represented in the book, the working with the otherness of psyche or the otherness of my ordinary ego consciousness is incredibly important for healing. So I think about the shamanic idea as well of sort of calling out to this otherness, whether we envision that as a friend or an animal or a part of nature.  But I think right now, on this planet, in this world, we could use some sort of high-voltage friendship from a source that might be able to see into what’s happening here in a w... posted on Dec 12 2020 (6,033 reads)

are awakening. And in the West, in contemporary spiritual culture, we really think of that as our relational field, those whom we’re involved with. And so the teacher, our friends that we meditate with, our parents, anyone that we’re in relationship with, can be part of that realization that we’re not separate, and that reminder of the goodness that’s here. Then the third gateway to refuge in the Buddhist tradition is refuge in awareness itself, refuge in our Buddha nature. And that refuge is revealed through the other two refuges. I mean, when we’re paying attention to what’s here in the present moment, what we discover is the awakeness and emptiness... posted on Jan 5 2021 (6,172 reads)

joyful picture was perfectly timed. It required only a steady hand and a willingness to tune in. It would be months before the implications of this seemingly ordinary assignment would fully dawn on me. Its daily rhythm was a reassurance; and the simple activity was salve to the spirit. I discovered joy lurking in the nooks and crannies of everyday scenes. A sandwich pictured with goldfish crackers was an ode to the kindness of a friend; the image of a pinecone, a reminder of nature’s mysterious depths. A snap of a day’s outfit was a nudge to keep going, a pair of shoes, a tribute to how far I’d come. Unable to limit myself to the requisite one pho... posted on Feb 14 2021 (7,461 reads)

too real. Either way the ego becomes a false self the moment we take it to be who and what we are. The great news is that we can, quite literally, wake up from the illusion of the false self and reclaim our essential identity. We begin by acknowledging the always and already present presence of awareness. This is the awareness that is cognizant of reading these words and wondering what they mean. That awareness, as ordinary and common as it may seem, is the doorway to awakening to your true nature of Being. It is the very awareness that is so easy to dismiss, because it is always present and more essentially you than you could ever conceive or imagine. Take one simple inward step away fr... posted on Mar 22 2021 (7,786 reads)

Kolams have actually caught the fancy of mathematicians and computer scientists who have attempted to use it to further their studies of array grammars and picture languages [8]. They were first introduced to the western world as a form of ethnomathematics (the intersection of mathematical ideas and culture) by the research of Marcia Ascher [9]. In her book, Vijaya further explores the mathematical underpinnings of the kolam, focusing specially on symmetry, their nested, fractal nature, their connection to the concept of infinity, their use by computer scientists as both picture languages that help in the programming of computer languages and as array grammars that function a... posted on May 20 2021 (18,194 reads)

and even sexual fulfillment, has come to be identified with what he calls here the “lust and thrust and restlessness.” [laughter] Tippett:I don’t think that was in the Herter Norton translation. Barrows:No. [laughs] Right. Right. We had a good time translating that. Tippett:[laughs] And what we’re talking about is the feminine aspect to humanity, right? Barrows:Yes, exactly. Tippett:This is not just about women. It’s about a fullness of human nature and human capacities. Barrows:Yes. Yes, exactly. Exactly. Tippett:I’m just curious, and Joanna, you’ve lived such a long time, you’re so amazing — I wonder ho... posted on Jul 9 2021 (4,635 reads)

mystical abstractionist is a result of the same ideas that influenced many of her contemporaries including Kandinsky, Mondrian, Klee and Malevich. Rather than rewriting the history of art by slotting her in as a hitherto unknown great woman artist, it is probably more useful to consider these ideas and their impact on her art. Scientific and mystical change The scientific discoveries of the late 19th and early 20th century encouraged many to question the very nature of the universe. In the 17th century, Isaac Newton discovered light was made of particles. In the early 19th century, Goethe’s Theory of Colours led many to see colour had sp... posted on Aug 17 2021 (6,775 reads)

sharing.” Then switch roles.  You can end your session now, or repeat the exercise with a different starter phrase.  After you finish, make an agreement: no sharing of what was read, and no referencing in the future, unless the reader himself or herself brings it up.  Speaking to the earth You may do this alone, or invite witnesses to silently hold the space for you. This practice is common among many cultures around the world.  First, find a space in nature that feels safe: a corner in your backyard, or a place in greater nature, like a forest, a creek, a beach.  Then dig a small opening in the earth or sand, large enough to speak (or cry)... posted on Oct 7 2021 (12,498 reads)

kind of joy. These tiny, jewel-toned birds are members of the Nectariniidae family and are often spotted with their slender, curved beaks deep inside the base of flowers. Some species hover above blooms while they drink nectar, others perch on a convenient branch as they forage, while some cheeky birds will puncture the base of the flower to gain access to the sugars, especially if they are imbedded deep within. Observing them is an uplifting experience that drives home just how beautiful nature can be. There are over 150 species of sunbirds in the world, “found in multiple habitats from evergreen and scrub forest to coastal mangroves, Himalayas, and areas of human h... posted on Oct 22 2021 (5,979 reads)

a milestone in my path toward recovery and healing.  Extreme self-care meant taking my care to a whole new level—a level that seemed arrogant and selfish, practiced by people who had an inappropriate sense of entitlement. It meant taking radical action to improve my life and engaging in daily habits that allowed me to maintain this new standard of living (…) the practice of extreme self-care forces us to make choices and decisions that honor and reflect the true nature of our soul. Cheryl Richardson  On a fundamental level, extreme self-care for survivors of suicide loss is about extraordinary self-compassion. It is about making conscious choices t... posted on Nov 27 2021 (4,671 reads)

the end of Craig Foster’s 2020 documentary film My Octopus Teacher, he shows his son the wonders of nature along the shore and in the sea. He says the most important thing to learn is a gentleness that thousands of hours in nature can teach a child. The word ‘gentleness’ suddenly stood out and could well be the best description of the film. It is a word rarely used today. One is more likely to hear the words ‘success’, ‘ambition’ or ‘being tough’ in an ungiving world. Today, the word gentleness is more likely to be used as a quality to sell face cream, pampers or bed sheets rather than as a spiritual value. Once a quality to be n... posted on Dec 22 2021 (5,244 reads)

follows is a transcript syndicated from On Being, of an interview between Krista Tippett and Jane Hirshfield. You can listen to the audio of this interview here. Transcription by Heather Wang  Krista Tippett:The esteemed poet Jane Hirshfield has been a Zen monk and a visiting artist among neuroscientists. She’s said this: “It’s my nature to question, to look at the opposite side. I believe that the best writing also does this … It tells us that where there is sorrow, there will be joy; where there is joy, there will be sorrow … The acknowledgement of the fully complex scope of being is why good art thrills … Acknowledging the fullne... posted on Jan 12 2022 (4,878 reads)