From The Worst Horse A report from the UK’s semi-notorious Sun reports that Jagger is a regular visitor to Laos, where, says one source: “He spent hours with monks in the temples and chanted with them. He practises Buddhism and meditation every day. He says it’s the first thing he does when he gets up in the morning.” This may... READ MORE
Two days ago, out of the blue, someone who I really respect (but had never met) called to say he thought my work was awesome, that I was a “rock star,” and basically he just really appreciated my work. Amazing. Ridiculously cool. So affirming. My response? He must be psycho. That didn’t just happen. Then I burst into tears and... READ MORE
Writers’ retreat participants talk about the retreat experience: Have I mentioned how much I love to teach writers’ retreats?! It is like my favorite thing to do. For the following reasons. 1. I get to help people say the stuff they’d like to say. 2. I get to teach meditation. 3. I hear and see writing take shape. 4. I... READ MORE
I recently spoke with Ronna Detrick of RENEGADEconversations. Ronna hosts a members-only, online forum for women called A CONVERSATIONAL SPACE. Included in that space are monthly MP3s of Ronna’s conversation with women from all over the world. And this month it’s me. The MP3 of our conversation is usually exclusve to her site-members only, but by clicking here you can... READ MORE
Among the many difficulties that come with a breakup, the worst may be when the person who broke up with you will not discuss it and may even cut off contact altogether. I have one friend who was talking about marriage one day, and the next, literally, could not get her to take his calls. Eventually, he got a letter... READ MORE
I and Twitter pals Hiro Boga (@hiroboga), Mahala Mazerov (@luminousheart), and Jennifer Louden (@jenlouden) all wrote on the same topic today: The process of writing. For a kaleidoscopic view of this issue (storytelling vs truth telling), check them out. Hiro Boga: Tsunamis in the House of Wholeness Jennifer Louden: How to Be a Writer Who Loves the Gap Mahala Mazerov:... READ MORE
There are some things I’m good at, if I do say so myself. I know about generosity. I know from patience. I know how to try really, really hard. I’m devoted to the search for wisdom. However there is one skill that I truly suck at and, without it, all these other good qualities are considerably weaker than they could... READ MORE
Trungpa Rinpoche cuts right through to the core of our confusion and gives it back to us as wisdom. Thank you, thank you, thank you. “We must be willing to be completely ordinary people, which means accepting ourselves as we are without trying to become greater, purer, more spiritual, more insightful. If we can accept our imperfections as they are,... READ MORE
(handy for working with strong emotions in general) Nothing feels worse than a broken heart, the kind you get when someone you love ends the relationship. Feelings of shame, remorse, grief, rage, and terror can overwhelm even the most stable human being. Heartbreak has the power to reframe a workable life as a disaster. Surprisingly, Buddhism has a tremendous amount... READ MORE
Bindu Wiles, a blogger who brings a fresh, warm, down to earth voice to my favorite subjects: Dharma, Creativity, and Writing, interviewed me for her blog. The interview felt like talking to a sister.
I had such a wonderful time teaching from The Wisdom of a Broken Heart this past week in D.C., N.Y., Toronto, and Montreal (where the book is called La Sagesse d’un Coeur Brisé which makes it sound so pretty). Over and over, I’m struck by the deep well of tenderness that resides in each of us and how a broken... READ MORE
Read this today on Dennis Hunter’s thoughtful, helpful blog, One Human Journey, where he writes about his spiritual journey which includes hearing amazing talks from Ani Pema at Gampo Abbey. Click here to read the rest of the post. A few days ago, Pema Chodron gave a teaching at the Abbey in which she defined the aspiration of bodhicitta in... READ MORE
Get a new meditation from me every Monday morning