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Grief and Loss Mindfulness

A Season of Death and Rebirth

Today when I opened my eyes from my morning meditation, the first golden light had appeared on the trees. As I watched it turn to a brighter light of day, I was reminded that midwinter has passed, and the days are now gradually growing longer, the nights shorter. This is a season of death and […]

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Mindfulness

The Hour Before Dawn

Presence to dawn is a lovely practice to begin the day. This morning, I am present to the pre-dawn stillness in the season of approaching winter. There are no sounds. This is my favorite hour of the day, and I thrive on the enchantment of the quiet and blue hues of light. As I engage […]

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Mindfulness

Letting Go

Opportunities to let go exist every day. Two days ago while walking on the beach at Oak Island, I found a perfect little channeled whelk in the surf. The snail appeared to be dead, so I took the shell home. As I sat at my desk observing it, I wondered what magic this shell holds […]

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Mindfulness

The Comfort and Burden of Belongings

On several occasions this week, I’ve found myself looking around my living room, feeling comforted by my belongings and then feeling burdened by them. I’m fascinated by why people keep certain objects and what meaning they hold. When I was a young girl, my parents had an antiques business on the side, and they collected […]

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Mindfulness

Imperfection and Vulnerability

The gifts of imperfection and vulnerability exist in our everyday world if we open to receive them. It was bitterly cold at the beach today. I hadn’t been in days, and I felt a sense of longing to connect with nature. I bundled up in a down jacket, hat, and gloves, and headed out. Again […]

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Mindfulness

An Hour of Silence in Nature

Being in silence in nature is one of my greatest refuge. Yesterday I spent the day with a group of colleagues on a 100+ acre farm in the foothills of North Carolina. We’re all participating in a two-year program of study of presence and practice in nature.  Our teacher, Carolyn, instructed us to go outdoors […]

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Mindfulness

Everyday Sacred: Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Everyday sacred – I believe that there’s something sacred to be discovered in every day. When we bring mindful awareness to our everyday moments, we become more connected with the sacredness of each moment. Phil Cousineau, in The Art of Pilgrimage, writes, “What is sacred is what is worthy of our reverence, what evokes awe […]