Who’s Minding the Breath

Who’s Minding the Breath? Today a simple question stayed with me: Who’s minding the breath? I was practicing kapalabhati—active exhale, … More

Circles  Triangles  Squares

Yesterday I was thinking about the gap—that small window between what the brain has already started and what I become … More

Let Go of What You Want, and You’ll Get It

The subtle foundation of trying to get what you want is this: most of the effort goes into worrying about … More

At the Top of the Stairs Entering the River of Illusions

When I was a kid growing up in Bellerose, Queens, New York City, most houses were pretty much the same. … More

Four Flavors of Coffee

There’s a tendency to swallow the whole thing at once. Peanut butter and jelly isn’t just peanut butter and jelly. … More

The Ocean Above the Clouds

I enjoy living in Charlottesville—the mountains, the people, the wineries. But sometimes I remember something I miss from living in … More

The Bag of Masks

I started imagining one of those cake-decorating bags filled with icing. The kind with a small metal tip at the … More

Back From the Dream

Early this morning I woke up, but not all the way. I was in that in-between place—half asleep, half awake, … More

Reading, Eating, and the Cheeseburger Moment

At breakfast, the senior monk sat quietly, reading while eating. Two disciples watched, puzzled. “You told us to only do … More

Life With Cream & Two Sugars

I began with an image of a box. The box represented the background of emptiness. In one side of the … More