As adults in an achievement-based society, we can learn a lot about cultivating joy and presence when we humble ourselves, step outside of our comfort zone, and become beginners again.
I thought there was something magical about an adult ballet class in which grown-up people who had chosen one thing as a career, were consciously developing themselves in another area. It was so magnificent to me because it seemed purely internally motivated unlike so many things in our lives and society. Something about it was joyful.
The past weekend was a beautiful triad of experiences in nature. Each distinct, yet harmonious together. As summer transitions to fall, the outdoors were calling to be recognized. Sun and moon shine, day and night. For whatever reason, this weekend felt important and left me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the place I am in and the people I am with.
Yesterday I arrived home, after a couple very long days at work, to a large brown amazon package on my doorstep. My kitten, Zéb, was thrilled about the three layers of boxes now available to him as playspace. I was overwhelmed by a very generous gift from my Aunt and Uncle for my recent graduation …
I originally wrote this article to submit to an online yoga publication, but I’ve been thinking about what the practice of savasana looks like in our lives a lot lately and decided to revive it from my Microsoft Word draft. — We often start our physical yoga practice in child’s pose, folded forward over our …
Before the sun rises in the morning, the birds and cicadas sing a symphony at the full volume of their voices. Then, slowly, the sun paints the colors into the trees, leaves, branches, and stone pathways of The Yoga Forest. By this time everyone gathers for a morning meditation. On our first morning waking up …
My trip to Argentina began in a Sociology class last semester. We were studying alternative economic structures to capitalism (I know, you’ve already written me off as a communist at this point but try–if you can stomach it–to keep reading). The class was titled “Economic Social Justice from Below” and our main case study was the recuperated … Continue reading
An art professor from the US visited our program in India last fall and made a wonderful suggestion to us before we parted ways. She encouraged each of the students to find a new way of looking at Pune: a place that was slowly becoming familiar after 3 months of living there. She told us about her particular … Continue reading
Dear Ohio, I have to say I was a bit reluctant to move here four years ago. I liked the university and all, but I couldn’t help but think of all the Boston schools along the Charles River I had neglected in favor of this university in the dead center of flattened cornfields. It was a little … Continue reading
With only a few weeks left until graduation, I’ve been asked “What’s next?” with surprising frequency and consistency over the past couple of months. For most of that time, the question stressed me out and reminded me of the job applications I had floating out there in the world and the impending decision I would have … Continue reading
“In a sense it’s the coming back, the return, which gives meaning to the going forth. We really don’t know where we’ve been until we come back to where we were. Only where we were may not be as it was because of who we’ve become, which, after all, is why we left…” –Bernard Stevens, … Continue reading
Those of you who know me personally, know that my plans changed very suddenly this past week and my intentions of spending a relaxing spring break week at school–processing my experiences from India last semester and taking some time to catch up on work and sleep–were taken off the table very suddenly. On Wednesday two … Continue reading
I’ve been given a challenge. We’ll not so much a challenge as an insightful suggestion. After spending nearly 4 months in India, writing about some of my most meaningful experiences several times a week, I’ve now slipped back into the sometimes-comfortable, sometimes-overwhelming pattern of my final semester at college. Still grappling with reverse culture shock, … Continue reading
Hello again! Sorry for the big unexplained hiatus over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, I’ve been traveling with my family since the 26th to Galveston, Texas and Cozumel, Mexico. We returned home late a few nights ago to Boston after flight delays in Houston–with the temperature jumping from 70 and sunny to 30 and slushy. … Continue reading
This will likely be one of several nostalgic 2013 posts as the new year approaches. Today, I was looking through some of the photos I’ve taken this year and realized that I spent most of the big holidays and celebrations of 2013 outside of the country. Some of my favorite holiday/celebration photos are below. I … Continue reading
As the semester came to an end our conversations naturally centered around our excitement about going home: What’s the first thing you’ll eat when you get back? Who are you most excited to see? What will your pets do when you walk in the door? How nice is it going to be … Continue reading
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