Chasing Rainbows
It was a typical day in the Pacific Northwest: overcast with spots of rain throughout the day. On the long scenic drive from one of my honey’s favorite annual rituals (an oyster festival) we were enticed with several stunning rainbows. There are few things that fill me with more child-like glee than rainbows. The…
Poem Bonanza
2017 feels poetic, doesn’t it? I remember learning poetry in school. Even when I could tell a poem was important, or powerful, I struggled to understand what it meant. From the lyric poetry of the Greeks, to Elizabethan sonnets, to Haiku, it always left me a bit… lost. I’m not sure if it was life…
The Art of Art
Dearest Friend, I gave myself the luxurious gift of two writer’s retreats in the past few weeks, and it was as wonderful as my highest expectations. The piece below was inspired by a rich conversation about the obstacles to writing, although the principles apply to any creative pursuit. I hope you find it useful, and…
What I Carry: Final Tales from Alonnisos
I carry the places I’ve been like a layer of fine silk that initially sits on the surface and eventually absorbs into the fabric of my being. I carry with me the sights of beauty and sometimes tragedy that I always fail miserably to capture on camera. I invite in the different flavors of…
Dispatches from Morocco, Part II
My two weeks in Morocco have been overflowing with new sights, aromas and insights into myself and the world around me. Splashes of color, care and sacredness touch everything, from shapes of doorways to the placement of buildings and the flavors of food. I keep diving deeper into the aesthetic around elaborate inner spaces, both…
Snow Day
“If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?” Rumi The scene outside my window is breathtaking. Never mind that I don’t really care for the cold, or that the surprise storm derailed my plans for the day. I am awed by the majesty and beauty around me. Perhaps you’ve heard me…
Body of Mine
I was a chubby child, an anorexic teenager, fitness-obsessed in my 20s, and Mama in my 30s. The yoga body with which I entered my 40s quickly expanded to accommodate the grief which would be my predominant emotion for many years. Now, I’m carried around in a body struggling to get back to the vision…
Art-n-Soul Retreat: Centering and Creativity
An artist and a yoga teacher walk into a bar… “Red wine for me”, says the artist, “and a martini for my friend here.” I’m tired, they both say with their eyes. “My life needs more color”, says the teacher. “What do you think of covering ourselves in body paint and ecstatic dancing on a…
I Am From…
Guest post by Sofi Ayling, age 10. I am from… I am from yoga mats From tea and herbs I am from the purple door Fuzzy PJs and organic food I am from daddy’s Japanese garden The dead chipmunk who I miss with all my heart I am kindness and wisdom From Ralphy…
Dance with the Divine
This piece was inspired by a recent trip to Alonissus, Greece, as well as a beautiful line by the famed poet Mary Oliver. So this is how you swim inward. So this is how you flow outwards. So this is how you pray. – Mary Oliver I have stripped off my dress, maneuvered across the…