4/7/26 I dragged myself to the gym the other morning, feeling tired, a bit dull and listless. At the co-housing community where I live, the gym faces west, with a sweeping mountain view just beyond the courtyard. As I walked in, the weight room was calling me. Yet I found myself drifting toward the windows—some small act of conscious procrastination. I glanced out into the courtyard and stopped. There, just below, was the memorial shrine created for Loretta, a longtime member

3/10/26 “We are always in transition. If you can just relax with that, you’ll have no problem.” — Lakota elder A Zen Buddhist walks up to a hot dog vendor in New York and says,“Make me one with everything.” The vendor hands him the hot dog and says, “That will be ten dollars.” The Buddhist gives him a twenty. The vendor puts it in the drawer and closes it. The Buddhist asks, “Where’s my change?” The vendor replies, “Change must come from within.” And speaking of change… We ju

Photo on Unsplash by Amanda Sofia Pellenz 1/15/26 One of my dear friends has an uncanny knack for sending me comedy clips at exactly the moments I need them most. My sister does this too. And then there’s one of my neighbors—someone I walk with early in the morning once or twice a week. During these walk-and-talks, we sometimes share what’s currently challenging us in life… and more often than not, we end up laughing our asses off at how ridiculous the mind can be—making pro

Pacific Palisades fire January 2025 1/14/24: I lived in the LA area for a little over 13 years, so hearing about the fires hit me hard....

9/10/24 In my early 30s, I often experienced profound states of bliss during meditation. Yet, ironically, my everyday life was riddled...

6/6/24 photo Unsplash Duane-Mendes Reading the word "patience" can often elicit eye-rolling and the familiar refrain, "I know, I know."...

December 2022 I had a friend who promised me something, then rescinded their offer after I had made plans around what was promised....

How to Lean Into Powerful Emotions Instead of Pushing Them Away I first landed in Crestone a few years ago, and by the fall of 2015 I had...

3/15/22 Even after fresh snow falls here in Louisville, the smell of burnt material still lingers in the air. The first time I walked on...