So now I ask, “What makes you happy?”

Does that illuminate the signal?
It’s a search for the spark within you.

Or does it sound like something said from a great distance, where you can barely make out the words?

The biggest movements in our lives are governed by our deepest stories.

Imagine facing a major health crisis, like needing open-heart surgery, and six months later, accomplishing an incredible physical feat such as completing a grueling half-marathon that ascends 5,500 feet. This might sound improbable, but it is entirely possible with the support of holistic wellness practices, including acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Six months after heart surgery and two weeks after my 55th birthday, I will be doing the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb, a half-marathon that climbs 5500 vertical feet. From surgery to the mountain top marathon in six months to benefit the Ashland Community Food Bank.

Snark is, in my opinion, overindulgent irreverence. It’s a cheap thrill that we might think reveals the truth or changes someone’s mind, but doesn’t move the needle towards a more beautiful world.

Is my life in dangerin this moment, yes or no?

Your mind puts you in the box. It’s safe in there. You put up the walls, close the lid. Make it soft and cosy inside. All the latest technology. Why would you want to leave this box? It’s comfy.

Everyday presents an opportunity to restart something that we’ve neglected. There’s a new day to insert a few moments of practice - meditation, creative expression, attention to what’s bubbling up inside of us.

Most of what you think and feel, as well as the actions you take, come from your unconscious mind.

This is this is so incredibly important to try to bring into your system, is that the vast majority of the time - almost all the time - we are not actually under the threat that our system perceives that we are.

Everyone has a morning routine. Most do not have a morning practice.

In order to manage our nervous systems, reduce anxiety and overwhelm, and connect with a deep sense of purpose in our lives, we need restful, attentive, time with ourselves.

I like to think of meditation as a training ground for paying attention and managing the nervous system.