I try so hard to be brave. My comfort zone feels like a distant home, a place I love to visit but where I no longer live. And a lot of the time that feels fine. I am excited about where I’m headed. I’m SO excited. But I’m also scared. And not confessing the fear […]
Archive | love > fear
Enough IS enough
I don’t know why I feel so compelled to publish a blog post; there is no reason that I have to. None. Nor is there any pressure. Not externally, at least. Internally, I admit, there is a voice warning me how easy it is to do nothing with my blog–just look at my track record […]
Self-care on the slopes
“Treating myself like a precious object will make me strong.” I learned that affirmation in Week 7 of The Artist’s Way, and I have made use of it often since. But last Sunday I felt strong already, and I didn’t want to listen to my bruising body. I wanted to treat myself like a sturdy object […]
Rightly wrong
I like to be right. I’ll admit it: Not being wrong feels amazing. But being right is not important. In truth, it’s acting rightly that matters, choosing to be “in accordance with what is just, good, or proper.” It’s actions that make a difference. And sometimes I act wrong. Just now, for example, I should […]
Better together
It’s important for me to feel okay alone, to trust that I am always loved and cared for, whether or not I’m connecting with another person at any given moment. But oh, man, it is nice to have company. Life is so much less lonely when I make the effort to build relationships. Reaching out […]
Brighter than my blues
I am so grateful for good music, for true sounds from the soul and the chance acts of fortune that lead me to them. I don’t remember how I found out about Noisetrade, nor do I know why I listened to Kelley McRae‘s album two years ago on a January day. Maybe because it had […]
More love, less fear
It’s the first day of 2013, and I have had an extraordinarily fulfilling twenty-four hours. I can without hesitation say this is the best January 1 I’ve ever personally experienced. The reason? Love. I don’t mean love in the romantic sense–I didn’t kiss anyone at midnight and that was fine by me. I mean love […]
Changing focus, moving forward
I never meant for ThisIsWheretheHealingBegins.com to be a yoga website. When I purchased the domain in 2010, I envisioned creating a destination where people who were in pain (aka everyone) could easily explore accessible, affordable ways to feel better. Yoga was certainly on the list of resources I intended to offer, but so were EFT, […]
Resting in unrest
I don’t always get what I want, but I always, always get what I need. The first time I heard the Rolling Stones sing something similar, I instantly related, though it’s taken me years to realize I can try more than sometimes, and there is no “just might” about it: I get what I need. […]
Time is telling
I’ve been struggling to compose a blog post. It’s been three months; an entire season has passed without my pressing the publish button. I don’t feel good about this, yet I also refuse to feel bad. I am being very honest with myself about what’s going on in my life, but it is harder to […]
In the meantime
As you may or may not have noticed, I have been taking full advantage of last month’s decision not to pressure myself into writing anything. However, inspiration is returning slowly but surely, and I do plan to post here again soon. In the meantime, I’ve just contributed to the Om Schooled blog, so if you’re […]
Asana raincheck
I was looking forward to yoga when I woke up this morning. I got back from traveling last night and am leaving for another trip tomorrow, so today was the golden day of asana opportunity. Knowing I’d be practicing after work, I dressed conveniently and came to the office prepared, toting my mat, water bottle, […]
Ahimsa toward self
I did the funnest thing last week—I recognized that I didn’t feel like writing a post for this blog…and so I didn’t! Such a simple solution to the pressure I was feeling, such a wonderful rush of relief when I set myself free. One of ancient yoga’s basic tenets, the first yama (which I’ve mentioned […]
Om Schooled Teachers’ Lounge
Ever since I took my kids’ teacher training back in May, the Om Schooled sangha (community) has been growing, and with it, the desire for communication and outreach. Enter: the Om Schooled Teachers’ Lounge, a forum for kids’ yoga teachers of all stripes to collaborate and share. I’m honored to be a contributor, and thrilled […]
Bad-guy Bikram
There was a time when I put Bikram Choudhury on a pedestal. I felt like he saved my life–and maybe he did. All I know for sure is that the sweaty hell he propagates forced me to confront my emotions in a way I’d never experienced, and the feelings I discovered were alarming enough to […]
Too busy to breathe?
Life has been busybusy lately, mostly good, but somewhat stressful. And because there’s so much on my plate right now, I fought with myself all day about whether to force a blog post. Today is my imaginary deadline—it’s a personal goal of mine to publish something once a week—and I hate hate hate breaking commitments. […]
Sometimes yoga is a poem
I went to my home studio on Monday, the place that officially trained me to share yoga. I was almost nervous on the way; I am certified to teach power vinyasa, and yet it’d been months since I’d had a vigorous practice. I felt sure that after class I’d be glad I’d taken, but during […]
Slow down and grow up
My increased awareness of “shoulds” in my life has made for an interesting week. I’ve caught on to a lot of judgment just by keeping an eye out for that one particular word, and it’s been a challenge to allow for what IS, as opposed to what I think SHOULD be. I was expressing some […]
Could = compassion
I’ve been thinking lately about discipline. More specifically, my lack of it. For about a week now my life has been indulgence central, and I haven’t cared. I haven’t made any seriously bad choices, but nor have I been acting in my highest good. Take, for example, the decision to attend a party on Saturday […]
Live love
Life is so great. So abundant and good and gracious. I know the tides turn, so this euphoria I’ve been floating in for days is bound to dissipate, but until it does I want to soak in the sensations and share them. I spent ten days in Texas and it was so, so, so good […]