A holiday gift: Quiet your holy mind
How many of our spiritual leaders — from Oprah, Deepak Chopra, Byron Katie, Marianne Williamson, His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Eckhart Tolle — tell us that when we quiet the mind we will attain inner...
View ArticleInner Peace: Soulful suggestions for the season
These winter months and holidays have always been a challenge for me. I start noticing a slight dread in October that grows as November and December quickly accelerate — with the shortened days of...
View ArticleMany holidays, all celebrating the Divine in us
Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Chalica, Boxing Day, Yule, Bodhi Day ...Yes, December is full of holidays and the list above is only partial. In Christian societies Christmas is well known and widespread....
View ArticleGive yourself the gift of inner peace
The article below was published on Christmas Eve 2008 as a guest opinion. It was the beginning of the Inner Peace column. George W. Bush ("43") was president at the time. Here is the article, updated...
View ArticleA walking meditation in Spain
Years in the makingmy path to Finisterreunfolds step by stepUnstructured spiritual paths, meandering as they tend to be, often prove most meaningful for many of us as we flee the strictures of...
View ArticleInner Peace: The Means Determine the End
“The end justifies the means” is a phrase attributed to Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) from "The Prince." He may not have said exactly these words, but he would have endorsed the meaning, defined this...
View ArticleKeep the voices of 'me too' ablaze for cultural change
The wake of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual allegations birthed a worldwide movement. Victims of sexual assault are speaking out. It is as if this "me too" has arisen from the deep belly of the Earth in a...
View ArticleThe woman in the blue coat (Part 1)
Certainly there isn’t a soul in Ashland who would have wanted Tasha (not her real name), a 42-year-old woman with a developmentally delayed disability, to be on our streets on her own during the recent...
View ArticleThe woman in the blue coat (Part 2)
(Continued from Part 1, Jan. 27, A4)I asked Tasha if I could give her a ride to the Starbucks inside of Safeway. It was 7:15 a.m. The Ashland Resource Center, physically located next to Safeway, opened...
View ArticleLove is calling — Will you pick up?
Love is calling. It is a pure omnipresent and omnipotent love. A love so rich, divine and pure; a love you can trust; a love that is unconditional. This love nurtures and pampers you. It accepts who...
View ArticleBeethoven: The creative genius in everyone
Among other famous winter birthdays we find Ludwig von Beethoven. Even if you don't love his music, it is undeniable that the man gave the world a great gift — soaring music in so many different genres...
View ArticleA life lesson in acceptance of negativity
The mediocre teacher tells.The good teacher explains.The superior teacher demonstrates.The great teacher inspires.— William Arthur Ward I was a freshman at the University of Delaware in 1954, where...
View ArticleInner Peace: A life well lived
It seems that the world wants us to measure our life against some predetermined set of standards. We learn this at an early age. We learn our initial values from our parents, schools, religions, and...
View ArticleAging Happens: How are your loved ones doing?
If you’re visiting friends or family this holiday season, you might notice that some things have changed. No surprise there, but when these changes have implications about a person’s well-being, it’s a...
View ArticleAging Happens: Three options for 'prepare to care'
My back “went out” recently. I’ve had back problems over many years, so I’m familiar with this painful event. I’ve addressed this condition through various medical and complementary approaches...
View ArticleAging Happens: All you need to know about falls
If I told you this was going to be another column about falling and fall risks, would you stop right here and skip it? In spite of all the information that’s out there on this topic, it’s still a heavy...
View ArticleFive ways hypnosis can help our minds
Most people have some understanding about hypnosis and mindfulness. But you might not realize all the benefits of these two modalities as aging happens. If I told you to think about hypnosis, would you...
View ArticleWhen you need care at home, who you gonna call?
When you know the time has come to bring in assistance for yourself or a loved one, to whom might you turn? For many people, it’s friends, neighbors or family. But if there is a need for ongoing,...
View ArticleAccepting what is, even after a tragedy
Two hundred million people were killed in World War II, 53,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands Vietnamese died in Vietnam, nearly 3,000 American were killed in the 2011 9/11 attacks and now 58 have...
View ArticleFrom dehumanizing to rehumanizing
“There is a line. It’s etched from dignity. And raging, fearful people from the Right and Left are crossing it everyday. We must never tolerate dehumanization … When we engage in dehumanizing rhetoric...
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