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

Those of us who started meditation in the 1960’s and early 70’s felt we needed to find an alternative to protesting the Vietnam war, injustice and the corporate consumer culture. We were activists who discovered we also had to change our consciousness... Read more

The full moon is waning now; silvery light splashes into my little room on retreat on Whidbey Island. Like the movement of ocean tides, women’s bodies are attuned to the rhythm of the moon cycle. Years ago in Massachusetts, I created “Women in Buddhis... Read more

Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. Now that it has gone mainstream it means different things to different people. My spiritual teacher Venerable Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, said mindfulness is when our minds are fully present. Most of the time we... Read more

“The medicine is already within the pain and suffering.  You just have to look deeply and quietly.  Then you realize it has been there the whole time.”  –Saying from the Native American oral tradition   One way to think of the pandemic is a ye... Read more

20 years ago, when the Twin Towers fell, many of us experienced some shared moments of suffering – confusion, shock, fear, anger, and grief (the ripples, reactions, and repercussions unfolding from that tragedy we’re globally still grappling with toda... Read more

Metta is a Pali word which is most often translated as lovingkindness.  It’s not a perfect translation because that’s not a word that is used in English.  Other translations used are benevolence, good-will, loving friendliness, universal love etc.  Me... Read more

The quintessential question of Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) is, “What do I need right now?”  That is, mindfully checking in with yourself, and if stress or struggle are present, showing up for yourself as you would a friend – maybe offering some so... Read more