Five years ago, Jack and I got up at 5AM to drive from Spirit Rock where we were teaching the Teacher Training group to a spacious private home in San Francisco. The team of fourteen monastics who took care of Thich Nhat Hanh while he received treatme... Read more

It was so surprising. Disarming, even. On the eve of President Biden’s inauguration last year, while watching the televised memorial for the more than 400,000 lives then lost to Covid-19, I felt a moment of grace. A moment of blessings and memory. Ki... Read more

Dear Friend, Thank you for stopping by. It’s 2022 - on the morning of December 31st, I sat down to write some wishes and aspirations for the new year but I felt tired and unmotivated. All I could discern was the exhaustion from a busy year. So I gave... Read more

As we bid 2021 a relieved farewell, once again I send you all my heartfelt appreciation for your participation at InsightLA. Your interest, curiosity, willingness to explore new ways to live on this earth have inspired me for almost 20 years now, ever... Read more

Winter Solstice time is here in the northern hemisphere! The longest nights are already growing shorter, bringing heartwarming certainty that the sun is shining a little  longer each day. The solstice and the winter holidays offer a time of goodwill, ... Read more

As the year comes to an end, the holidays arrive amid a pandemic that continues to unfold. Plans are uncertain, and while this season traditionally celebrates joy, peace and togetherness, you might not find yourself in a particularly cheerful or festi... Read more

PHOTO: In Celebration of Life of Katie-Jay Scott and Gabriel Stauring. To attend the celebration of life livestream for Katie-Jay and Gabriel this Saturday, December 11th 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM PT, please fill out the RSVP form. ______________   I’m dee... Read more

Last year as the lockdown wore on, I began to have recurring, dark thoughts that seemingly arose out of nowhere. They disturbed me to the point that I tried repeatedly to get rid of them through any means possible. But they persisted despite my best e... Read more

Did you create your self? Did you call yourself into being? None of us consciously did that. So we are born a gift, our existence is given to us as a gift. This is the generosity of life creating life. I feel a deep and primal gratitude for this life,... Read more

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow These are challenging times.  There is more fear and divisiveness than many ... Read more