Was sitting up in bed this morning, listening to birdsong and enjoying the cool (ok, COLD — this is Wisconsin) breeze drifting in the windows…. ahhh…. when my cute little monkey mind noticed that my back hurt. Very slightly. In one spot. The pain had started in January and I’d finally done healing on it in May. My back has been recovering nicely since and doesn’t hurt anything like it used to. I’d slept wrong, though, Read the Rest…

This morning in church, the minister told the story of a young man who had found his absent father on facebook. (Or at least the man he believed was his father.) Imagine years of pain, wondering where your father is and why he left. Not to mention, let’s admit it, our young minds would probably wonder what we had done wrong to send him away. So the young man sent a message to the man Read the Rest…

Two weeks ago, I valiantly attempted to cut through the tough leaf stem of a particularly large houseplant, using a mediumish pair of desk scissors. (It was handy.) Though still not sure how, I managed to pinch the pad of my right middle finger between the handles. Hard. It made me dance. Not in a good way. The injury became a long thin angry blood-blister. Then it turned rusty and now it is slowly fading. Read the Rest…

I was just listening to another parent’s story of an out-of-control, unrecognizable teenager. It seems as if one day our kids are grinning lovingly at us, and the next they are sullen, slamming-the-door sorts of beasts. They don’t do what you ask them to, and they want to do things you don’t want them to do. You yourself go from the wizard who could kiss the boo-boo better to an idiot, or worse. Yeah, things get Read the Rest…

‎”Pain is a part of life, but suffering is optional,” said the guest speaker at church a few Sundays ago now, a Zen Buddhist spiritual teacher. Though I’ve heard it a zillion times, I love this saying. It reminds me that it is not life itself that is painful as much as my demands and assumptions about what happens (or should happen) that really makes me miserable. It’s not what happens but my grasping expectations and Read the Rest…

About 14 years ago, I enthusiastically started what may be an unusual spiritual practice, one that seems very simple yet has challenged me and fascinated me ever since. This practice also has brought tremendous relief and inner peace as it has helped me see the world as a nonduality or unified whole — a friendly place. I stopped believing in causality. Yep. This is such an odd practice, it may be hard to imagine at Read the Rest…

As you may know, last year I took a break from daily interactions with my business and went on an almost-sabbatical to rethink my book. One of the many gifts in stepping back was that when I returned to the daily details of running my business (only a few times a month), I could much more clearly feel and understand how I had gotten so burned out. One insight smacked me over the head during Read the Rest…

My friend is putting together a class on clearing clutter, and this perennial struggle has been top of my mind.  Then this morning, my meditation gave me an unexpected insight into the piles and disorganization we call clutter. As I sat in meditation enjoying an unusually deep peace and nothingness, I began to see myself sitting at my desk, as if my eyes were open. Oh dear. I’m still in the throes of removing the Read the Rest…

Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you have a romantic partner or not, let’s ponder and honor all the things that are so lovable about you! (Get ready for a long article.) Nah, scratch that. The details don’t matter. Here’s the truth of it: You are simply loveable. You were born lovable. Every bit of you. How do you feel about that? If you are having a hard time buying this idea, consider this: The divine essence Read the Rest…

Last weekend someone asked to come see me for some healing. They said, “How about Monday?” I gulped. Between clients and especially on weekends, the massage therapy table in my office can become like a kitchen counter — a magnet for stuff that’s “between locations.” This time, I knew, it was particularly full. The boxes and papers from my new computer were all over the table. I’m also planning to remove the large desk in my Read the Rest…

Continuing from last week, we are exploring an often misquoted saying from the Gospel of Thomas, which erroneously is quoted like this: INACCURATE: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”  (emphasis mine) In the last article, we considered what the first part of the official translations mean, as a writer, artist or Read the Rest…

A few months ago, I went looking for that quote from the Gospel of Thomas — the one that artists, writers, and healers love — the one that says something like: if you do not bring forth what is within you, it will just kiiiiiiiill you. Oh yeah. In the throes of our artistic angst, especially when not doing our art, our teaching, or our healing, we can identify with the feeling of slowly dying. But when I finally Read the Rest…

For 15 years I have done intuitive dream analysis and folks have loved it (just call me Joseph–lol!) I know there are a variety of theories about dreams, ranging from dreams being meaningful to meaningless. For some reason, my clients typically walk away with a big new self-insight and a new healing exercise to move beyond some aspect of their struggles. Recently I have been working on a new phenomenon — DAYdream analysis. You do not Read the Rest…

It is the job of poets, writers, artists, and healers to both uplift society in dark times and help them enjoy the good times. As a former resident of New Jersey, the photos and news of hurricane Sandy has been personally shocking and devastating. As a writer/poet and healer who came to love New Jersey and its amazing people in my 13 years of living there, here is my small contribution: Noble New Jersey Oh Read the Rest…

Over and over again in the spiritual journey, we encounter dark nights of the soul–periods when we get discouraged and bleak, despite our circumstances. This depression rarely makes sense: just last week you may have been totally upbeat about a certain project, with the world at your feet. Today, it seems hopeless. Even in the depths of a DNotS, you may be able to logically count many things to be grateful for and promising aspects Read the Rest…

Was your dad perfect? Mine was pretty good, but I can totally look back and spend hours listing things he might have done differently. Not necessarily because that would have been better, mind you, lol. Just because I am an expert criticizer! If you are reluctant to connect with your dad today, or if you are carrying old dad pain around, consider making this the year you decide to heal it. You have moved out Read the Rest…

I’m going on a pilgrimage, and have agreed to give up something of great value to me. Right now, it’s all swirling in my head. This is spring, a time of rebirth, newness, and growth. Perfect timing. A pilgrimage is a journey to a place of great value. I am going within, on a great 12-month scavenger hunt to collect all the parts of me I have left by the wayside, and rebuild my life Read the Rest…

Yesterday I had the most wonderful time at a writer’s group. I was productive, ate great quiche, met other writers, and enjoyed being with other people who spend all day writing or thinking about writing. Best of all, after working, we took turns reading some of what we’d written: two memoirs, a poem, a YA novel, and my nonfiction. And then we all commented on each other’s work. This is where my warm fuzzies went Read the Rest…

Yesterday I found myself consulting with a wonderful doctor. (Due to ironic school regulations, I had to drag a kid out of his sick bed to have someone else say, “Yep, he has a virus and should be resting.”) Here’s what struck me. Each time I said something positive (and true) like, “My kids rarely get sick,” she said, “Knock wood.” (And yes, she reached out and knocked on something.) Remember that? From childhood? What a Read the Rest…

“I come forth and from the plane of mind I rule.” I’ve just returned from facilitating another Radiant Life Retreat in Ojai, California. We dove deep and broke through to new, rich ground. What moved me deeply was the moment each woman chose to bust through into new territory. Can you imagine what it takes for a seedling to burst through the soil after winter? These women summoned everything they had to get a glimpse of Read the Rest…