There is a conundrum in spiritual practice. “I” practice meditation or Dharma to find peace of mind and that “me” must do something to get there. And yet, the very idea of me doing it, for myself, for my suffering, and the notion of “getting there” ar... Read more

My daughter Hilary and I just made a pilgrimage back to Cambridge where she grew up. Her children are launched now. We’ve had a few days together, just the two of us – such a rare opportunity. Seeing old friends, walking around Harvard Square in the r... Read more

Myself and Suzanne Smith offer a program that is geared toward caregivers and healthcare professionals; those working closely with death and dying, deep loss, and grief. ‘Meditation, Mindfulness and Coping with Death,’ is a daylong retreat offering to... Read more

Affinity groups are very helpful. It helps when people are able to gather with others who have the same unique experiences as each other. You feel less alone, and when you are with others going through the same things as you, you are able to come up w... Read more

Over a thousand years ago, the great yogi scholar Atisha created a mind training that is still helpful today. “Drive all blames into one” is a slogan that addresses the way human beings so often place blame on others when things go awry. When some... Read more

I arrived at a seven day meditation retreat feeling rattled and restless. Although I had been meditating for years and attended many silent retreats, this one felt different. I was unsure how to proceed. As a Zen student, I had plenty of experience me... Read more

I catch a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror and see my white hair and the growing wrinkles that line my face. Who is that person looking back at me? My internal sense of myself largely remains the same, yet the visual effects of the passage of time... Read more

(This article is adapted from Dr. Judith Orloff’s Affirmations for Empaths: A Year of Guided Journaling and Dr. Ronald Alexander’s Core Creativity: The Mindful Way to Unlock Your Creative Self) Empathy is when we reach our hearts out to others and... Read more

On a recent hike in Temescal Canyon, I passed a troop of summer campers. They were gathered around a picnic table, where their counselor was giving a brief lesson. “Repeat after me” he called out. “It’s ok to be afraid.” The kids joyfully responded: “... Read more

“We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.” -Henri Cartier-Bresson One of the great teachings of life is impermanence, the u... Read more