Blog
Reconciling Racism with the Vedic World View
The underlying premise of the Vedic world view, one which I espouse whole-heartedly, is that we are all one thing, which is pure consciousness. Love. We are all unique, individual expressions of the same ONE thing, just like my pinky looks different and has a different function from my ear, but they are absolutely both a part of me.
My struggle with this world view is that this oneness is not the day-to-day experience of everyone in the world. A lot of people have it really, really bad in this world, to a point where they can’t even conceive of ‘it’s all one thing’. In other words, I can afford to have this world view because I’m white, educated, and was raised in a healthy, well-to-do family. Yes, I’ve worked hard, but I’ve also been given unfathomable opportunities- large ones, and daily micro-opportunities- just by virtue of being born into this body.
Confession: I’m a Well-Intending White Liberal, and I'm Racist
I spent this past weekend at a retreat in Highlands, North Carolina. Not as a leader, but as a consumer. A yoga retreat? A meditation retreat? Nope. I spent 4 days with 9 other white people and 2 fearless and incredible black leaders at an anti-racism bootcamp retreat.
How Meditation Helped Me Come Off Of Sleep Medications (Guest Blog by Sarah Kleiner)
I’ve experienced insomnia for much of my life, and can recall having difficulty sleeping for as far back as I can remember. My mother will be the first to tell you that I was always the child that had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep – even as a baby.
When I was 18, my father passed away and I experienced life changing depression and insomnia, unable to function in school or daily life.
How Menstrual Cramps Taught Me About the Mind/Body Connection
One of my missions in life, particularly in this post-medicine meditation stage of my career, is to help people understand the power of the mind-body connection. Too often in my medical career, both patients and docs interpreted ‘your symptoms are stress related’ as ‘you are a wack-job and a faker’. Here’s a personal story that I love sharing with my clients to illustrate just how much control we have over our bodies, and just how attached (consciously or subconsiously) we can become to our symptoms.
Pain vs. Suffering
Pain vs suffering. What’s the difference? Pain is inevitable. Pain can even be helpful. Our nerves provide sensations, so that we may avoid injury. Suffering occurs when we give our pain a personality, a cause and effect, a narrative. If pain is the physical sensation we feel, suffering is the story we tell ourselves about that pain (and what the pain says about us).
Because... John Clease
I’ve always been one of those people who beats themselves up about every little cringe-worthy thing I have said, or done. I’d cringe for years. One example that comes to mind is that, at the age of 12, I told a friend’s dad he looked like the actor John Clease (I had been watching a VHS recording of ‘A Fish Called Wanda’ nonstop). I could tell he wasn’t at all pleased by the comparison, and I felt foolish and ashamed of my comment for decades.
My new best friend: a printer.
I’d like to introduce you to my new best friend.
It’s an Epson WF 3640 printer.
Positivity is not a 4 letter word: 7 things that have gotten better since the 2016 election
So many emotions are still raging high since the election, many of which are even stronger in the last week since the inauguration, and even stronger since the immigration ban on Friday. People are riled up, man. So am I. Everyone has strong opinions. I get it. And even though I’m terrified and outraged when I focus on the details of what is happening, I also tend to see the current world events from a place of positivity. That optimism inspires some people. And it also makes some people really mad.
Instead of getting mad…
When I left for India, it was October. It was still dark in the morning. The Cubs hadn’t won a World Series since 1908, and early voting had just begun. I’m back home in Atlanta now, and all of a sudden the holidays are upon us. Holidays can be tough- time with family, stress about money, cold weather, loneliness, the list can be endless… and of course now the election results.