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An established path of inner seeking It was well down an established path of inner seeking that I discovered yoga. Having been confronted by the death of someone very close to me at a young age I had always been hungry for the deeper truths of life. Seeking meaning in a world that seemed harsh, fickle and unpredictable. Many teachers I was blessed with many teachers through my 20s and 30s who each shared with me their own perspective on this wonderous spectre we call life; nuns, Jungian therapists, gestaltists, seekers from many different perspectives. And, in the world of [...]

“We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Lately I’ve been pondering the seeming contradiction between being already perfect as I am, and setting heartfelt intentions looking forward to being an improved me. How can those two things co-exist? I’ve found the metaphor of the cross really helpful in grappling with this.

As Rick Hanson says ... "Accepting criticism is inevitable and refusing to live under its shadow will free you up and make you happier … you can roll with it, take what’s useful, form your own conclusions about the person making the criticism, learn and move on." I have always been terrified of criticism – yes, terrified. Mortified at the thought of getting it wrong, making a mistake! So much so that the need to prepare and plan became a little obsessive.

Apprehending, that is, in the recognizing/perceiving/discerning kind of way - nothing to do with capture or arrest. In fact, that is the nature of joy – like mercury – hard to hold, but well worth the effort. Ugh! Even effort isn’t the right word. Joy resides in the present One thing is for certain, you will only find joy in the present moment. As Richard Miller reminds us “our desire for happiness is taking us away…….each moment reveals the great Mystery that joy and happiness are already the case.” It’s only in the now that we can apprehend joy, not [...]

One lifetime, a snapshot of time  Our world has changed so much in the last 100 years. When my Dad was born in 1916 (he almost made it to 100) most transport in Australia went by waterways. The first radio waves (the passion of his life) hadn’t even hit the airways.  Not everyone owned a car, information was in books (not on the internet) and life was a whole lot slower and simpler. Life is constantly changing. So are our attitudes. I remember as a young girl, my mum being really upset because she wasn’t allowed to go into a pub [...]

This title is problematic.  It reflects a paradox that is worth exploring.  So much of our lives are taken up with the pursuit of becoming something.  The ongoing self-improvement project.  This effort may take us away from our current experience, it may be an avoidance tactic, driving ourselves forward, always wanting to be somewhere other than where we are.  A way of distracting us from the present moment, which is after all, the only time or place where anything actually happens.  In our pursuit to become something other than who we are, we leave parts of ourselves behind.  These are [...]

There is such comfort in knowing what to do, in letting it flow and following an established route.  It is a beautiful design that allows us to maximise our efforts. Like a plate spinner, get one going, move on to the next thing, get it going, giving any plates that need a little momentum a quick spin now and then to keep it all going.

When I look back on these times of transition in my life, and there’s been a few – death of loved ones, divorce or the ending of a long term relationship, betrayal, loss of a role that I believed defined me – these are the times of the greatest growth, the times when I take a massive leap forward towards a more fuller expression of my Self.  There is a natural cycle if we trust it.  This is transformation at work.

There is nothing about you that is unacceptable. There is nothing that you have done that is unacceptable.  Perhaps these seem like radical statements to some?  The truth is in the acceptance of everything as it is.  The simple truth that what has happened has happened and that what is, is.

It’s funny that I can accept the mysteries of physical illness so much more easily than mental illness.  Why do some people’s bodies malfunction?  Sure there are the influences of genetics and environment, but somehow, when things go awry physically, there is less judgement, less of a sense of failure or inadequacy (although I’m not discounting that these feelings can accompany a physical illness).  But, socially, culturally, when something goes awry with your head there is a different response – these mysteries are somehow tainted with a sense of the unacceptable, badness, wrongness.  We hold our minds in such high [...]