Life is difficult. Even in the best of circumstances, before a pandemic shut down much of the world, the pressures were great. Sometimes the demands were so great, my friends and I would switch into warrior mode. Like Navy Seals, we plotted and planned and pictured, mentally rehearsing the operations to be executed, how toContinue reading “PAUSE AS PRACTICE”
Tag Archives: Awakening
Thanksgiving as a Practice
“Today we have gathered and see that the cycles of life continue.” The Mohawk Thanksgiving greeting to the world is an extraordinary act of consciousness. They gathered (and still gather) together to notice and honor the living world around them. They offer thanks to the People, to Mother Earth and all her plants and herbsContinue reading “Thanksgiving as a Practice”
What Are You?
Soon after he attained enlightenment, the Buddha went walking. He was probably wild to stretch his legs because he was sitting under his tree for forty days, according to legend (some scholars believe this not a literal number but an ancient expression for “a very long time”—forty days in the desert, at sea, under theContinue reading “What Are You?”
Standing (or Sitting) in Our Personal Power
At times, everyone faces the darkness of the unknown. Practicing presence can help us connect to our personal power. Once at the Rubin Museum, I was asked to talk about power. And not just power but a specific embodiment of power. The image that was to illuminate my talk featured the Fifth Dalai Lama ofContinue reading “Standing (or Sitting) in Our Personal Power”
Wisdom from Martin, 2018
The Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn taught people to take good care of their anger, not to push it away but to hold it with kindness, as we would a wounded child. This is a pretty good description of the practice of mindfulness: we offer ourselves the gift of nonjudgmental awareness. This is awareness isContinue reading “Wisdom from Martin, 2018”
Forgiveness 2018
Why not begin 2018 with forgiveness? And why not start with you? Forgiveness, like gratitude, is a practice that can be cultivated one moment at a time. Forgiveness is the opposite of indulgence, grounding us, reconnecting us to humility and humanity. In forgiving ourselves, we remember that we are human, subject to causes and conditions.Continue reading “Forgiveness 2018”
Tracy Cochran 