Lately, life seems to be guiding me to open to the presence of angels. One of the nudges happened a few weeks ago, when I listened to a Gabby Bernstein podcast called “How to Talk to Angels,” where she interviewed best-selling author Kyle Gray, a well-known “angel expert” from the UK. “Make no mistake,” Gabby said, “Your angels are always with you.”
Read MoreEver since my lap-top free Hawaiian vacation several months ago, I’ve been starting most mornings by reading Buddhist wisdom from a variety of dharma teachers before going online to engage with a frenzy of waiting emails. I love this new ritual. It slows me down, prioritizes peace, and strengthens my awareness of timeless truths.
Read MoreLooking back at 2022, one reason it was an extra-special year for me is that I embraced a delightful new hobby: I started playing the guitar! This was a huge leap for me because although I love music, I’ve always been convinced that I had no talent for it whatsoever. For decades, I’ve maintained that I have “the worst voice in the world.”
Read MoreToday, in our last newsletter of the year, I’m focusing on the theme of awakening joy. While life is always filled with both boundless beauty and deep pain—and for healing and health we must allow ourselves to feel and process all of our emotions—one of the biggest lessons my father continues to teach me is the power of consciously choosing joy.
Read MoreToday, during the peak of the holiday season, I’m happy to share a Take a Moment micro-meditation called the “letting-go breath.” This slow inhale through your nose, followed by an even longer, slower exhale through pursed lips sounds deceptively simple, but it will quickly leave you feeling more relaxed and settled in both body and mind.
Read MoreLast July, I shared some powerful poems by my dear friend, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, in two special blogs. The array of poems I chose related directly to the stories I was telling, so there was no place for me to include one of my all-time favorites, “Solstice.”
Read MoreI recently returned from a lovely vacation in Hawaii, and I’m pondering how to access “vacation mind” more often in my everyday life without having to travel far away. A big part of what makes vacations feel special is how much more attentive and present we are when everything is new and fresh, versus “ordinary” and routine.
Read MoreNovember is Native American Heritage Month, and today—the Friday after Thanksgiving—officially became “Native American Heritage Day” in 2009, when President Barack Obama signed the resolution. Still, many Native Americans feel slighted that our country’s most highly commercialized shopping day was chosen as the national day to honor their heritage and people.
Read MoreIf you’re at all like me—someone who habitually rushes through life and lives overly in the realm of thought—taking regular short pauses to stop amid all the busyness to relax and get grounded in the present moment can yield big results. That’s what inspired me to partner with mindfulness and meditation teacher, Katie Dutcher, on a new Quest for Eternal Sunshine free resource called “Take a Moment.”
Read MoreMusic is a universal language that can uplift, calm, comfort and heal—and neuroscience confirms this. Those who create music tap into a well of creativity that often transcends the mind. Before he passed, Nietzsche declared, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
Read MoreIn last week’s blog about using free-writing to untangle our deepest truths, I shared that I first tried this practice ten years ago, soon after my father passed, and how much it helped me process my grief and reclaim long-forgotten memories. Because people asked for more details, today I’m sharing some of the writing prompts I used back then.
Read MoreThis November marks ten years since I took my first writing workshop at Esalen Institute in Big Sur. It was called “Writing What You Can’t Remember,” and the exceptionally talented and insightful teacher was Laura Davis, the best-selling author of the groundbreaking book, The Courage to Heal.
Read MoreThis week, I’m happy to share an article I wrote for Spirituality & Health magazine about transforming our relationship to change that features profound insights from Diego Perez—the wise young man behind the pen name, yung pueblo, whose new book, Lighter, just debuted as #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Read MoreWhat is intuition and where does it come from? How does it differ from gut instinct or an idea that suddenly pops into our mind? When we tap into intuition, are we tapping into wisdom from other realms? When I brought these questions to Tina Powers—the extraordinary medium who is leading our free online afterlife event tomorrow—she told me, “We are all built with an inner compass that guides us. This guidance comes through our entire body and includes all our senses of perception, not just the physical.”
Read MoreI loved my recent conversation with author Diego Perez—the writer behind the pen name yung pueblo, whose eloquent, wisdom-dense words have become an Instagram sensation. Diego now has millions of social media followers and two New York Times best-selling books. His third book, Lighter, was just released this week.
Read MoreA few days before my father died, I began to feel his spirit sending me messages. Although it was hard to believe it was actually happening, the hospice nurses told me that they’d heard similar stories dozens of times. They’d also witnessed many near-death patients suddenly be able to hear words whispered far away in another room behind closed doors, as if they were no longer tethered to their bodies or limited by their physical senses. Even after my father passed, I continued to feel his presence.
Read MoreToday I want to celebrate my incredible father, Mendek Rubin. Last week was the tenth anniversary of his passing, and tomorrow would have been his 98th birthday. When I think of my dad now, what I remember most vividly is his boundless, unbridled joy.
Read MoreLeo—my family’s extra-sweet, affectionate and quirky fox-colored yellow lab—is about to turn three. After “Lessons from Leo” and “Lessons from Leo II,” I didn’t expect to have enough insights for a third installment, but Leo keeps teaching me important lessons just as I am ready to receive them—all without uttering a single word. Happy 3rd birthday Leo! Thank you for sharing your boundless love and joy, as well as essential life lessons.
Read MoreMy only memory from kindergarten is playing musical chairs during a class party. Two rows of chairs had been placed back-to-back down the middle of the classroom. Dozens of parents stood against the walls, encircling the chairs. I had never seen the game before and was unsure what the teacher meant when she said, “Remember the rules! You can only sit down when the music stops, not before.”
Read MoreForgiving people who have caused us pain is challenging. When I’m not offered an effusive apology, forgiving rarely comes easily for me. My emotional underbelly is very tender, and old wounds tend to keep their sting. That’s why I’ve recently turned to my father’s teachings about the power of forgiveness.
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