SUSAN’S
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Outer, Inner, and Secret

June 27, 2012   |   6 Comments

It could be said that meditation practice works on three levels simultaneously. To receive support for your practice, please join the Open Heart Project!

The Path of Hi

June 19, 2012   |   20 Comments

Hi! This morning, I went for a run at about 630a. The streets were mostly deserted but occasionally I would pass someone on the sidewalk. When I did, I said, “hi.” OK, I live in Boston. Boston is not a hi-saying town. I used to live in Austin, TX which is very much a hi-saying town–you say hi when you... READ MORE

New offering from the Open Heart Project: The Practitioner Newsletter

June 13, 2012   |   3 Comments

Thank you so much to those of you who have participated in the Open Heart Project, our wonderful, growing online meditation community. Some of you have been practicing for some months now, which is awesome. Please continue!! I’ve created a second newsletter (called “Practitioner”) for those who are ready to move beyond the brand new beginner phase and take the... READ MORE

The Power of Lineage

March 20, 2012   |   44 Comments

Pivers, circa 1930s               Marpa Your life is telling a story. Do you know what it is? If you reflect, you could see that your life actually has a narrative arc. Themes keep repeating. On any ordinary day, story lines are continually rising, arcing, fading. Some are big and some are small. Although you... READ MORE

The Power of Sorrow

March 12, 2012   |   61 Comments

I don’t know if you have noticed this about your meditation practice, but one thing that many people report is a kind of softening—to your own experience, perhaps, but also to the world around you. There is a sense of permeability, of walking down the street and receiving input in a more direct way than before. When you see a... READ MORE

On Working with Obstacles: 5 Suggestions

February 17, 2012   |   24 Comments

Next week is Buddhist New Year: Feb 22, to be exact. In the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, the week or so preceding the new year is called Dön season and is thought to be a time of obstacles, difficulties, and stuckness. I don’t know about you, but when I find myself feeling trapped and frustrated and “I need things to move!!!”... READ MORE

The Open Heart Project: A chance to meditate on life, love, and reality

January 26, 2012   |   2 Comments

What is it? Several years ago, I was wrapping up teaching a particularly moving week-long meditation and writing retreat. My small group (about 15 people) had committed to spending 7 days in the Rocky Mountains, learning to meditate and working on personal writing projects. There were no phones, no TVs, and no internet service. To cap off the sense of... READ MORE

I have a dream. What is yours?

January 16, 2012   |   18 Comments

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/35166702[/vimeo] I have a dream. That one day, we will live in a world where we recognize all beings as one family. I have a dream that on that day, when any one of my brothers or sisters, be they known to me or unknown, seen or unseen, animal or human, finds themselves in sorrow for any reason, a dark... READ MORE

Day Seven: On Being an Artist

January 4, 2012   |   Leave a reply

Art is a uniquely human endeavor, and act of genius. Art is what we do when we do something for the first time, do it uniquely, and do it to touch someone else. The generosity is built into the act. Painting might be art, pottery might be art, customer service might be art–but none of them are art if all... READ MORE

Day Six: What are your spiritual values?

December 31, 2011   |   2 Comments

Next week I will return to posting 2x per week. Today’s question, the 6th in our 7-question series is from moi-self. Tomorrow’s question, on being an artist, is from the beloved and be-respected Seth Godin. Question: Where, how, and with whom have my spiritual values manifested in 2011? Where, how, and with whom do I wish to express/manifest/share them in... READ MORE

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