Entries by Meg

Alchemy of the Heart/Tonglen

There’s a practice from 11th century Tibet called “tonglen”. It translates as “sending & receiving. It is a body centered heart practice that offers us emotional self regulation: it can relieve helplessness, loneliness, self pity, and self absorption. It deepens connection to ourselves and all other beings. It is a type of shadow work and […]

What it is to bear witness?

To bear witness is a potent act. To bear witness is an antidote to helplessness, it is a testimony to our interconnectedness, and it relieves us of complicity because we allow ourselves to actually see the suffering of the world everywhere. None of us are exempt from the trials of this life. We can’t say […]

Shoe Dropping

Many of us know the phrase, “things were going just fine and then the other shoe dropped.” But what if there are actually no shoes that drop at all? What if whatever happens along the way is life unfolding in all its messiness as all one piece. What if when upheaval happens in the middle […]

Where are you on the journey?

Beginnings imply endings, whether we are conscious of it or not. What’s challenging for most of us are endings and part of that difficulty arises because we aren’t aware that the ending process has phases. When we are disconnected from the natural unfolding of an ending, we are caught in linear thinking: “This will never […]

“No mud, no lotus” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

The lotus flower has a life cycle like no other: each night it drops back into the river water and arises again renewed and sparkling in the morning sun. Its stems are tough, strong, and submerged deep into the dark, rich mud. It is a symbol of feminine resilience and wisdom, regardless of gender. The […]

A Year of Pruning

On January 4, 2021 I went into a 3 week solitary at 8000 feet on the ancestral lands of the Ute and Navajo people in Southern Colorado. My life was upended by a move I didn’t want and family dynamics that were chaotic. I trusted the piercing silence and time out of time would restore […]

Healing we took birth for

With ongoing attempts to commodify our inner terrain via social media and 24/7 information coming at us, it’s easy to toss off the experience of “transformation” as just another experience. And yet, when we go through a difficult passage in our lives, it is an invitation to “the healing we took birth for” as Stephen […]

Cuppa Green Tea

“Making a cup of green tea, I stopped the war.” ~ Paul Reps I’ve loved this quote for decades and like all Zen koans, it ages well. How I’d say it now is: when I give full awareness to what is happening in this moment, I stop the war and my mind & body are […]

Avoidance is Not Peace

I grew up in a household with plenty of conflict, most of which was never worked through. Each of us was wounded and exiled in our own way. Some people are “conflict averse” and with good reason: people get hurt. What I’ve discovered is what can cause more harm is to avoid conflict. If the […]

Wabi Sabi Perfection in the Imperfection

Often when we are called to do our inner work, there’s a subtle but stubborn belief that we are “improving ourselves”: that we’re going to get rid of that old, tired, dingy self and come out with a brand new version. In fact a popular phrase is: “becoming the best version of oneself.” Honestly? I […]