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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]