Unwinding the Past ~ The Healing Medicine of True Apology
I have been interested, for a long time, in what it actually takes to heal the past. Not just to stuff it away and pretend that it’s gone, but to actually dissolve its power over us. As William Faulkner famously said, “The past is not dead. It’s not even past.” Easy to say, “Let it go, start again, it’s new moment.” Not so easy to actually inhabit the fresh bright energy in this radical place of new beginnings. Transforming our relationship with the past is the way we...
Read MoreThe Offering of Love ~ A wilder, deeper embrace
There is a possibility for us as humans, that I call ‘the way of love’. It asks us to learn how to give and receive love, the way that we breathe air, in and out. It’s a way known to very few of us, in our families, in our culture, in our world. It’s a way that has to be learned, practiced, committed to, very deeply. And it’s a way that asks us to unlearn the old ways of un-love, of judgment, of separation, and self abandonment. It helps to lay a clear foundation...
Read MoreA Global Course Correction ~ The Liberating Power of “I Can’t”
“We are coming down to earth, we will not arrive intact.” -Bayo Akomolafe A powerful and effective coach does not always encourage people to feel “I can.” This is not what real empowerment is. Our true power springs from a deeper place. It comes from our humility, and the courage we find to face our shadows and our limitations, as well as our gifts and our brilliance. When a client says to me, “I can’t do this by myself,” I feel my heart breathe a sigh of relief, as I say to...
Read MoreA Whole New Rhythm… and a new Earth
The times are urgent, let us slow down Bayo Akomolafe Eckhart Tolle speaks about a new Earth; I see that new Earth arising from a whole new rhythm that we begin to embody in our human lives. When times are as challenging, disruptive and chaotic as they are these days, the sense of urgency becomes acute. It can so easily activate our sympathetic nervous system: the impulse to fight or flee. If we don’t find ways to integrate these energies, our nervous system puts on what Stephen Porges...
Read MoreLiving with Heartbreak ~ The awakening of our feeling body
I had a conversation that impacted me deeply this weekend, with Keith Witt, an integral psychotherapist, teacher and author. We were talking about the #metoo movement, and his perspective on the root cause of the sexual violence, harassment and inequality that have been a part of so many women’s lives. “We haven’t taken care of our children,” he said. “A good parent raises a child who becomes a healthy adult. A healthy adult does not treat other people like this.” His...
Read MoreThe Soul’s Long Journey ~ Inside the Belly of the Whale
Thirteen people: one man, twelve boys, trapped in a cave, deep underground, water blocking all possible exits. The whole world has watched for the last two weeks, as this mythical, archetypal story unfolded in Thailand. Parents stayed by the entrance of the cave, praying day and night for the safety of their children, accompanied by Buddhist monks. The coach who led the boys into the underground labyrinth was a former monk who taught the boys how to meditate, to calm them, ground them and...
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