Intention: savor. Yesterday, I spoke of joy; today’s intention might feel similar but has a decidedly different flavor. The concept of savoring brings with it an understanding that whatever pleasure is currently being experienced will not last. There is an understanding of the temporary nature of all things, including the highest highs and the sweetest … More Travels, Day 17: The Road Home
Intention: ENJOY! I’m a little embarrassed to admit that “joy” doesn’t always fall high on my priority list. It’s not that I don’t think it’s important, but more that setting aside time just to — what, experience pleasure?! — is often hard for me to justify. So many other things feel more pressing; amidst a … More Travels, Day 16: Ngapali Beach Bliss
Intention: assertiveness. There is a wise teacher I know who identified four primary types of communication that we humans navigate between: passive, aggressive, passive aggressive, and assertive. Those first three are defaults for many of us (particularly in situations when we feel afraid, vulnerable, or attacked), but I’ve found that fourth one to be a … More Travels, Day 15: Ngapali Beach
Intention: non-attachment. Letting go of expectations: this is something I will likely be challenged by throughout my lifetime. And there is a scientific reason for this: our memories are programmed to recall “highs,” “lows,” and “endings.” There are so many times when I essentially completely disregard the process of something, fixating only on whatever emerged … More Travels, Day 14: To Ngapali Beach, we go!
Intention: honoring body, self, needs. How can you honor yourself and others, today? How can you listen to your body, attune to your needs, and be receptive and responsive? Phrased this way, it may seem a mighty endeavor; however, honoring can be as simple as taking a moment to pause and check in. For me, … More Travels, Day 13: Nyaung Shwe
Intention: balance. Balance. People who know me well know that this is a word I sometimes have an indignant aversion toward. To me, balance feels like inherently precarious; like it could be disrupted by a gust of wind, or an ounce more of weight. As a yogi, I think of balance as strength, but also … More Travels, Day 12: Inle Lake
Intention: “Be a Live Water.” This phrase, “Be a Live Water,” comes from a Buddhist story we were told by a Myanmar local. It can be roughly translated as a reminder to remain adaptable and flexible; open to life’s experience; softening, rather than hardening, in the face of fear. How can you be a Live … More Travels, Day 11: Nyaung Shwe Trek
Intention: connection. Cunnek-shun. When I’m in a good space in my life – however that might be defined – connecting with others seems to happen effortlessly and intuitively. In these times, I love sharing my truth with the people in my life who are close to me; love comparing “life notes,” bouncing ideas off one … More Travels, Day 10: Mandalay to Nyaung Shwe
Intention: curiosity and lightheartedness. Lightening up is, ironically, sometimes one of the hardest things for me to do. I spend a lot of my life in a relatively serious mode of inquiry; being honest and open often means to me “baring my vulnerable parts,” which is inherently a little scary. Not to mention, my vulnerable … More Travels, Day 9: Mandalay Day Trips
Intention: presence. Presence. This word to me sounds amorphous and, frankly, a little annoying. How many times have I heard presence touted as the Modus Operandi of all those questing toward “mindful living?” How many times have I rolled my eyes at someone telling me that learning to be Here, Now, will be the key … More Travels, Day 8: Mandalay Monasterys
The Generosity Chronicles 