The work of Julie Morstad on one of my all-time favorite albums, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood by Neko Case. The cover art is delicate and subtly macabre, which complements the sounds of the album. https://youtu.be/kYivP3gedCo What are the projections, misunderstood fantasies, scripts and externalized emotions that inhibit your ability to connect with a real dimension of wholeness? Understanding the[...]
Reflecting on Chaos Sometimes, I feel like we forget to be grateful for the chaos in our lives. My reflection of existence appears to be a collection of delicate moments that represent a chaotic narrative that define who we are, who we want to become and the pain we choose to hold onto. Reflecting on my pain has been a journey that I don't always venture into with grace - many times, my pain is an issue that I ferven[...]
Understanding our personal obsessions is an important aspect of overcoming our personal inability for acceptance. Sometimes, when I am in a dark place, I obsess over things that I can't control. One second I am pacing around the kitchen looking for the spatula and the next I am overworking my body thinking it is going to make me a better dancer. Today when I was in dance class, I had a real epiphany. I had gotten to[...]
Many times when we think about traumas and mental health, we think about the need for individuals to improve their own self-worth. Self-worth is a large part of why we overcome shame and guilt and begin to find a feeling of wanting to belong. Guilt is the idea that we have done something bad, while shame is the idea that we’re inherently bad. Although, shame and guilt are just as powerful as one another shame is[...]
I hate to think about the world in terms of hippy maxims or quantifiers like "you're killing my vibe, man" or "whoa dude where did that energy come from." However lately, I have really been thinking long and hard about a relative truth hippies get right. Your vibe is everything. Here is why. What is a Vibration? Your vibration is essentially your thoughts. What do I mean by this? In the recent studies by positiv[...]
A mantra is a simple phrase or a sound that resonates deeply within us. It is a phrase you repeat over and over again. One of the greatest mantras I’ve ever used is the Tibetan mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum. The phrase is perhaps one of the most widely used mantras in our world today and for good reason. For newly practicing yogis or mystics like me, a lot of confusion can arise when repeating the mantra. Little thoug[...]
Notes on Being Alone For some, being alone is the quickening sting that strikes the center of the heart with an icy frost. Paralyzed in fear they grab the nearest body to set themselves back on fire. For me, I’m like a mouse nibbling on cheese. Scared I hide in my cave and when the daylight permits I sneak out to grab whatever morsel I can manage. However, a life lived in solitude is a courageous path. It is in[...]
Grace is something that has always been a mystery to me. What does it truly mean to foster and live a life full of grace? Grace isn't a little prayer you say before every meal or for the betterment of others. It is a lifestyle. And incorporating grace into your day-to-day life is something that will make you more self-compassionate and empathetic to the daily hardships of others. I know that to live with grace mea[...]