I took swimming lessons all through my childhood, and by the time I was 12 I realized I was on my way to becoming a lifeguard. I spent endless hours in lifesaving classes, swimming lap after lap with dozens of other students. The choppy water made it harder to breathe, because when you turned your [...]
Tag Archives: personal growth
control
Posted in contemplation, mindfulness, minimalism, organizing, rituals, spirituality, wellness
Also tagged control, personal development
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soul whispering
Still from the 2011 documentary Buck, about the life and work of horse trainer Buck Brannaman. I ended up taking all of last week off blogging. It was restful and necessary and a smart thing to do, but it was also one of the hardest things I’ve done lately, because it triggered a lot of [...]
Posted in animals, bodywork, contemplation, mindfulness, soul, spirituality, videos, wellness
Also tagged 2011, abuse, animals, Buck, Buck Brannaman, documentary, horse whisperer, horses, personal development, soul, Sundance
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recalculating
I remember when my dad first got a GPS for his car. I would laugh whenever he took a wrong turn, and the machine would intone: “Recalculating. Recalculating…” Now I’m the one who’s recalculating. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I keep getting hunches that I should cut back on the time that [...]
Posted in contemplation, mindfulness, prayer, rituals, soul, spirituality, wellness
Also tagged personal development
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learning to trust the inner voice
I have a horrific headache as I’m writing this, so it may be very short. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about trust – and about trusting my inner voice most of all. It’s part of why I’m writing my book about ritual – I believe so strongly that it’s our connection to our inner [...]
Posted in contemplation, mindfulness, rituals, spirituality
Also tagged inner voice, intuition, personal development, Source
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scar tissue
As I’m writing this on Thursday night, it’s much cooler than it has been lately, and a soft rain is falling. I love how much it reminds me of fall. (And these introductory sentences don’t have much to do with the rest of the post, but I just felt like sharing.) I’ve been thinking a [...]
Posted in contemplation, mindfulness, relationships, soul, spirituality, wellness
Also tagged Byron Katie, childhood, inquiry, personal development, sexual abuse, survivor, The Work
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temporary home
On the weekend, when I was struggling with panic over my broken-down car, one of the greatest fears that kept rising up was losing my home. I rent a lovely apartment in a quiet, century neighbourhood. I love living alone. I love this place where I find myself. I love the beautiful and useful objects [...]
Posted in finances, home, interior design, kitchens, mindfulness, minimalism, spirituality
Also tagged apartment, fear, home, impermanence, non-grasping, panic, pantry, personal development, temporary
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nine lives
I am blessed by the companionship of two cats – three-year-old brothers from the same litter. They are beautiful and cuddly and annoying in equal measure, and last Friday I was afraid I might be losing one of them. The diagnosis? Urinary tract disease. Thankfully I was responsive to his signs of distress, and caught [...]
Posted in animals, contemplation, relationships, soul
Also tagged blockage, cats, companion animals, feline urinary tract disease, lessons, life teachers, personal development, pets, relationships
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glimpses of heaven
This past week has included one of the hottest days on record – ever – for my city. I’ve been sweaty and uncomfortable and crampy and cranky and headachey and many nights I haven’t felt like writing, but I’ve done it anyway. Strangely enough, this week has also been full of moments of pure bliss, [...]
Posted in animals, contemplation, soul, spirituality, wellness
Also tagged contemplation, inspiration, personal development, spirituality
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the ugly duckling
What’s your worst fear? For many, it’s being ridiculed or rejected – by their community, their family, or their loved ones. Do you remember the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling? A little creature emerges from an egg and finds himself in a nest of ducklings, but he looks… different. And the others pick on him. [...]
Posted in animals, contemplation, nature, soul, spirituality, wellness
Also tagged analysis, archetypes, belonging, Byron Katie, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, fairy tales, folk tales, inquiry, interpretation, Jungian psychology, personal development, soul, The Ugly Duckling, The Work, Theater of the Imagination
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pain, and the stories we tell about it
A couple of nights ago I was visiting a friend, and she brought up the work of Byron Katie. I’d never read any of Katie’s books, although I’ve been wanting to for a long time, so my friend sent me home with Loving What Is. Oh. My. Goodness. I have been needing this book, and [...]
Posted in body care, bodywork
Also tagged book, Byron Katie, Loving What Is, personal development, The Work
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