I have suffered from major depressive disorder and anxiety for 22 years, since I was 18 years old. For the most part, I have managed to keep it under control. They have their cycles where they rear their heads and ask for attention, then die down and I regain my life again. While they are […]
On June 29, 2015 I got nauseous. I’ve been nauseous every day since. This incessant nausea has been with me for almost two years. Had I a dollar for every joke someone made about me having morning sickness due to pregnancy, I’d be a billionaire. The times I’ve had to pull my car over to vomit […]
In our society it is common to go about life with full force and to sacrifice our own self care for others, our job, or our community. It is often considered selfish to do something that supports our own well being. Many of us go about our daily lives completely ignoring ourselves and are unconscious […]
Life is very multifaceted. There is rarely, if ever a clear black and white distinction in many of the paths we must take in life or relationships. In Buddhism you will see many wrathful deities like Heruka and Yamantaka who signify our more angry, forceful types of compassion. Sometimes we need to be kind and […]
I love the stillness of a snowy winter evening. The quiet cacophony as each tiny snowflake lands with a small *tink* and, for a few moments, maybe a few hours, all is calm, still, yet expansive. I like to think that those small, quiet *tinks* of the snowflakes are the universe calling us to take […]
Gods: we project them first in the boldest of sketches, which sullen Fate keeps crumpling and tossing away. But for all that, the gods are immortal. Surely we may hear out the one who, in the end, will hear us. -Rainer Maria Rilke As I sit here in my overstuffed chair, I gaze across the […]
How much of our lives do we spend in sadness, anger, frustration, and worry? Probably quite a bit. Through observation of the mind, we can notice, at least for the typical being, a tendency to move in the direction of upset and negativity rather than peace and joy. But why is this? The Buddha spent […]
In Buddhism there is often mention of taking refuge in the Buddha. But what does this mean? In our every day, usual way of living, we are typically going for refuge, that is, seeking comfort and solace from the stresses of life, in things that don’t ultimately serve us. Things like internet addiction, alcohol, television, […]
In our society we are so fearful of change. We fight against it. We deny its existence. We treat it as a great misfortune. Look at how our culture meets death, the biggest change there is. We sterilize death. We remove it from our consciousness as best we can. Immediately, a dead person is taken […]
You are always, already whole and complete. This is a very important message to take to heart. You are constantly inundated with messages of lack, messages that tell you that you are not good enough, that you are not smart enough, that without this or that product, you are not whole. The outer world wants […]