Every act of communication is an act of tremendous courage in which we give ourselves over to two parallel possibilities.
First, the possibility of being seen and understood, and of being accepted.
At the same time we are planting into another mind a seed sprouted in ours, and watching it blossom into a breathtaking flower of mutual understanding says Ursula Kroeber Le Guin in her book The Wave in the Mind
Feeling understood brings along a sense of validation that connects us to the other, […]
Challenges
Processing Anger with an Open Heart
Anger is an intense and primal expression of the life force.
It is a burning flame that cannot be ignored
Anger is the psyche’s alarm system, demanding attention to a boundary of ours that is being invaded, to an injury or pain that is being denied.
The function of anger is similar to the function of a fever. It helps to burn out unwanted, incompatible elements in our innermost Self.
Anger may also be protecting our vulnerability from what we perceive as an external threat. […]
Four Mindful Steps to Working with Your Challenging Emotions
The RAIN Practice
Many of us are striving to lead a healthy lifestyle making sure to avoid processed foods, eating veggies and fruit, and incorporating some vitamins, supplements and exercise in our daily routine.
However, in spite of all that care, many people still do not feel at the top of their wellbeing scale.
On the other hand, many other people are not careful with their diets, do not exercise and yet they experience joy and enjoy perfect health. […]
Why am I Feeling Unsatisfied with my Life?
Believe me, you do have more control than you think over how you feel
An old friend I had not seen for over 20 years called me last week. It was wonderful to catch up and share the different paths our lives have taken.
Unfortunately, the turmoil he has experienced regarding his relationships has sunk him into deep anxiety and depression.
He has not spoken to one of his siblings for over 3 years, […]
Making Friends with Yourself
Making Friends with Yourself is the Art of Self-Compassion
Life offers us so many opportunities for great joy and pleasure but it is our sorrow that can undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on our confidence and on our ability to trust who we are. It is in moments like these that we need to make friends with ourselves by cultivating self-compassion.
Challenging times are often accompanied by anxiety, impatience and a deep sense of uncertainty. […]
Dealing with Our Own Difficult Emotions
The end of June wrapped Annapolis with a blanket of deep sadness as we could feel so close to us, what the seed of hatred, resentment and violence could be capable of. This was right in our neighborhood. It happened to people whose names were familiar to the Capital Gazette readers. We feel deep compassion for them and their families, and even for the perpetrator who is obviously seriously sick to commit such a horrendous act. […]
Somehow I’m Always Held
In my short time on this planet, I have known great sorrow, plunged into the depths of oceanic despair, been thrown so deeply into my loneliness that I thought I would never return.
I have tasted the ecstatic joys of meditation, the fierce intimacy of love, the savage pains of heartbreak, the excitement of unexpected success and the blows of sudden failure.
There were times when I thought I’d never make it, times when my dreams had been shattered so thoroughly I couldn’t imagine how life could ever go on. […]
Laziness as a Personal Teacher
Also in Spanish ~
Rather than feeling discouraged by laziness, we could get to know laziness profoundly. This very moment of laziness becomes our personal teacher.
Traditionally, laziness is taught as one of the obstacles to awakening. There are different kinds of laziness. First, there’s the laziness of comfort orientation, we just try to stay comfortable and cozy. Then there’s the laziness of loss of heart, a kind of deep discouragement, a feeling of giving up on ourselves, […]
Falling below and rising above thought
When you are very tired, you may become more peaceful, more relaxed, than in your usual state. This is because thinking is subsiding, and so you can’t remember your mind-made problematic self anymore. You are moving toward sleep. You are moving below thought.
When you drink alcohol or take certain drugs (provided they don’t trigger your pain-body), you may also feel more relaxed, more carefree, and perhaps more alive for a while. You may start singing and dancing, […]
Relationships Exist to Make us Conscious not Happy
“Every crisis represents not only danger but also opportunity. As the egoic mode of consciousness and all the social, political, and economic structures that it created enter the final stage of collapse, the relationships between men and women reflect the deep state of crisis in which humanity now finds itself. As humans have become increasingly identified with their mind, most relationships are not rooted in Being and so turn into a source of pain and become dominated by problems and conflict. […]