My Blog
Musings of a Pragmatic Mystic
Discovering Treasures in Unforeseen Spaces (Part 2)
Here is the continuation of the treasures that I discovered through my husband’s leukemia diagnosis. Treasure #4: Be willing to share your fears and emotions – there is more risk keeping them bottled up. 2010: Our use of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) has been a huge blessing during this journey. Just three years ago, I would have withheld my thoughts, and associated feelings of resentment, anxiety and sadness from my husband … not wanting to burden him … fearful that he would blame himself. NVC has taught us a common...
read moreDiscovering Treasures in Unforeseen Spaces (Part 1)
As I re-read this particular article from April 2010, I found myself struck by just how much my husband and I have made these treasures part and parcel of our lives. Amazing how the fire that can be life can also forge strength of conviction! I’m weaving in a 2012 update into each treasure, so that I can share more recent morsels of insight. Rather than generate one HUGE blog post, I’ve divided it into two parts so that you can easily digest what I’m sharing. Treasure #1: Listen hard to those signs that your body is telling...
read moreAnd Life Goes On … 2 Years and Counting
As I flipped my wall calendar last week, I realized “it will be 2 years this month!” 2 years since my husband’s leukemia diagnosis and 2 years since embarking on my “Say Yes To Me” devotional practice, and writing the chapter that became part of the book “Speaking Your Truth: Courageous Stories From Inspiring Women”. Talk about lighting a fire under transformation! As I re-read my newsletter from back in the days when I did not have a blog, I can see that there is so much in there that is worth re-exploring from 2 years away....
read moreExperiencing Grace Through Brokenness …
You know what they say about “best laid plans …” Well, I had a different blog post scheduled for this week and was inspired to make this last minute change through grace in the form of the 24-hour flood of heart-felt responses that I received to last week’s post about the physical side to my love affair, and a newsletter which I will share below. There is no such thing as coincidence. The day before last week’s post went out, I began reading Cheryl Richardson’s book, “The Unmistakable Touch of Grace”. I had just...
read moreThe Physical Side of My Love Affair …
Lynda’s skilled hands found the tight spot along the left side of my neck. I felt a super intense sensation shoot down my left arm, which caused my left shoulder blade to come up off the massage table. My head, which was turned to the right, jerked. My eyes popped opened and my mouth opened in a silent scream. “Finally! This is IT!” In my previous blog post, I shared that for many years I’ve had difficulty feeling sensation. Translation, I have not had a libido since that second assault twenty years ago. When I begin to feel the...
read moreMy Latest Love Affair: My Voice
I recently did a Naked Voice workshop with my friend, Stella Davies. The idea of Naked Voice is that you can hear where you are out of resonance with your life force energy through your voice. More importantly, you are encouraged to allow your song to flow … without judgment about the quality of sound … as Stella puts it, “to let yourself be sung.” As a yoga therapy teacher, I feel embarrassed to admit this, but I have difficulty feeling sensation within my body. It is why I’ve trained deeply in yoga modalities, like Phoenix...
read moreFor a New Beginning by John O’Donohue
This is the second time that I’ve come across one of John O’Donohue’s poems at a time where he so eloquently describes what I myself am at a loss to express. There is a rhythm to his words … a cadence that mimics the subtle, slow dance that I’ve found myself engaging in … a dance with a previously undiscovered aspect of myself that is beginning to emerge … my Essence. I feel like I am on a journey of delight and discovery, mingled with twinges of frustration and befuddlement, with a liberal dose of awe...
read moreResolve for the New Year
Over the holidays, I came across this article that I wrote years ago and realized the timelessness of the theme. Have I really been wise and reflective throughout my sharings and musings with you? Knowing that “recycle, reuse, or repurpose” is a mantra that serves not just the Green Movement, but the Self-Ful Movement well, I am offering it again for your contemplation with some minor updates: ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Ask yourself the question, “What do I want to resolve in the New...
read moreLiving Out Loud by Iyanla Vanzant
I’m not quite sure whether this is a poem or a call to action or simply inspiration. Regardless, it sums up what I’ve been seeking to live through my intense healing over the past few months. In a very poignant way, Iyanla Vanzant perfectly describes the beacon that I’ve been steering myself towards. While the words themselves are powerful, they feel like a prayer for me when I read them aloud. So I’ve recorded a video blog entry to accompany this post. It serves as a prayer for what I hope you experience in the year...
read moreGiving thanks to you … a gift to empower your gratitude meditations
For a long time I used to think, “To make a change, I must do this every day for the rest of my life.” Notice how the Overachiever in me expresses herself! No wonder I lived life Overworked and Overwhelmed all the time! Let me share a secret with you. When it comes to a gratitude practice, you only need to do it once … but you have to make it count! Rather than write about it, I thought it easiest and most effective to share my personal experience with you via the video blog below. That way, you can get the full impact of why this...
read moreHealing With The Masters
