The weather in the early morning hours has been pleasant for the last few weeks, so I’ve been going outside for my morning meditation. It will begin waning now, but that’s not why, on this morning, I stayed inside. I switched on the light beside my favorite chair and settled in with my first cup of coffee. After a few sips, I picked up the neglected book that holds my daily meditations; they’re each short and help me focus my thoughts.
Spirituality
Art For My Spiritual Life
“I don’t go to church every Sunday, but when I do…” I spend some time in prayer. Or at least I should. But sometimes I get caught up in the routine of my church-going and miss obvious opportunities for spiritual growth. Vivid Divina helps me get there …
Celebrating The Season With Kindness
In every tradition: Christian, Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikhism, Judaism, Baha’i, “Nones” and more – the message is the same – Be Kind.
Massage – More Than Relaxing
Can a massage be more than just relaxing – can it be an investment in sustained good health? Massage therapy improved my body’s ability to recuperate during that period of intense training. I don’t train as hard as I once did, but I continue to see Sara Vavra for massage sessions. Like Robin Sharma suggests, it’s an investment in my health and makes me feel better both while I am having it, and for days, sometimes weeks, afterwards.
Every Step Takes You Closer to Your Rainbow
Our young people are often criticized. “They always want more… They’re not grateful… They have their face in their phones…” But Generation Z, the iGens, are the first post 9/11 generation. They are the internet generation, the information generation. They access EVERYTHING faster, and they can move away just as quickly. They have inherited a new world in need of the unique rainbows only they will be able create. This story introduces you to one “iGen” rainbow maker …
Yoga has an older history in Charlotte than I knew
I can only scratch my head and wonder what people must have thought back in 1970 when Ann Owens began explaining the benefits of yoga to her friends. I know anxiety and stress were alive 45 years ago, but it all seems like a more simple time. Just the image of people from Myers Park – on mats – in a church – doing Downward Facing Dog is more than I can take in.
Pick Just One Tree
The maple tree was there all along; overshadowed by a tall oak growing a few feet away. When the oak got sick I was sad, but it had enjoyed a long life providing a home for generations of birds and squirrels and bearing witness to many changes to its surroundings. In many ways, the oak had become too privileged over the years …
Everything Is Never Clear Here
Jeremy says, “There are no answers here. Just stories.” Yet, I want answers in my life, not just stories. Answers help me plan my day and prepare my tomorrows. Answers help me sleep better. I stay tucked in with answers. Without answers, I work my sheets loose at night. One leg sticks out, kicking at the questions in the night.
Where Do You Go to Church?
Years ago, it was common to ask people where they went to church. Today, the question sounds more like “…do you have a place of worship?” or “…what is your faith tradition?” The question has changed because the choice of answers has changed.
Skunk Cabbage
Skunk Cabbage is the first sign of spring along the streams of Alaska. It sticks its green head up from under the melting snow to welcome the return of the breeding salmon. When you look closely at the plant, the inner most leaf, around the flower, is bright yellow and the plant has a flower on a tall stalk, like a staff. The Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska respect this special plant and understand how it is hitched to everything else.