Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel’s powerful new book, Opening to Darkness, was written during the peak of the COVID pandemic, when the entire world was trapped in fear and there was nowhere to flee.
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Many of us on a quest to live more peacefully and joyfully have discovered the benefits of examining the beliefs and coping mechanisms we developed when we were young and vulnerable. Looking inward, we often find a frightened inner child banished to our subconscious, seemingly frozen in time.
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When it comes to my personal healing journey, I’ve been learning a tremendous amount from clinical psychologist and parenting expert, Dr. Becky Kennedy. Even though her book, Good Inside, A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be (a #1 New York Times bestseller), podcast, and Instagram posts are geared towards parents of young children, I can’t seem to get enough of her advice, and it’s taken me some time to figure out why.
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Today is Global Day of Unplugging—an initiative created by the Unplug Collaborative to encourage entire communities to take a break from technology. Their goal is to help people gain a better understanding of the role technology plays in our lives so that we can be better equipped to establish healthier tech habits going forward.
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I was introduced to this awareness test during a trauma healing class and found it fascinating. The teacher used it to illustrate how humans are naturally biased to see what we’ve been pre-conditioned to look for. If, for instance, our nervous system is wired to be hypervigilant about external threats because of past trauma, we may perennially scan our environment for danger, which results in us seeing it everywhere.
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Abby’s list not only resonates with me, it’s also inspiring me to remember and celebrate some persistent habits I’ve managed to change (like finally allowing myself to rest when I’m tired), as well as ponder which ones I could become more determined to free myself from.
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Have you ever considered how you use your voice, reflecting upon how often you feel safe and secure enough to speak honestly, truly uncensored? Are you confident speaking out, or do you regularly stifle your truths or modify what you have to say out of fear or deference to others? Can you trace your life back to a time when you spoke unfettered and used your voice freely?
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I’m thinking a lot about birth lately. My grandson Elián’s birthday was a few days ago, and next week marks the 33rd anniversary of when I gave birth to his mother—my first child, Marea. Marea and her wife Andrea are both midwives, and I’m excited to repost my #1 most shared blog ever, published just after Elián was born.
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Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day—a day to remember and pay tribute to the millions of victims of the Holocaust and reaffirm our commitment to always stand firm against all forms of racism and prejudice.
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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.”
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Ever 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.
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Looking 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.”
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Today, 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.
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Today, 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.
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Last 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.”
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I 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.
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November 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.
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If 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.”
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Music 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.”
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In 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.
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