We’re On the Road to Nowhere

One of the principal reasons that I meditate is to develop a lookout for the person who is meditating. My last yoga teacher, Rod Stryker called this “witness consciousness.” I expect my witness to be able to discern whether my querulous internal search is drifting away from self-awareness towards self-absorption. I trust it to tell

Communication, Receptivity, Responsiveness, and Leaving the Room

What are your considerations when choosing between in-person conversation, phone calls, hand written letters, texts, and emails? During in-person conversation, nonverbal expression like eye contact and body language afford a depth of communication and empathy that is beyond the dimension of words. “Your face says it all” is a declaration that you can’t hide from

Memphis In The Meantime

The need for a change of scene arose a couple of weeks ago. I became road weary. My engagement with life in my motorhome was waning. I struggled with the feelings. I din’t want to be a quitter. But when sustained personal engagement ebbs, it’s time for a change. For some, fulfillment is the American

The Paradox of Mind and Emotions

A good friend recently asked how I’m doing in my head and in my heart. It is much easier for me to decode my head space than it is to pinpoint how my heart is riding the waves. The noise in my head is audible. My heart walks to the beat of a more quiet

Being Stymied

Stymie: To present an obstacle to or to stand in the way of. My first rig trip was at the beginning of May. I met friends David and Deborah in North Carolina. During our first two days we experienced 48 continuous hours of rain. Our campground became dank and drab. I remarked that I was

Roosters

I’m enjoying the company of a good friend that I’ve known for over 50 years. We are at a site near Asheville, North Carolina where the adjacent property is home to a donkey, chickens, and roosters. When we arrived yesterday, we were humored by their noises. They became less enjoyable at 3 a.m. when we

Mosquitos

I’m in middle Tennessee where this week’s weather has been under the influence of the trail of hurricane Ida. The mosquitoes have thrived in the aftermath of the rain. They’ve treated my legs as a delicacy. They like my back side second best, then my arms, and they’re thrilled when they make a score on

Psychological Freedom

I taught yoga for 20 years. I learned that, regardless of what I intended for the student to take away from class, the fruit of the practice was out of my hands. I could be teaching a class about loosening tight hamstrings, and the student might be processing their resolution of a decades old fracture

What Isn’t Said

Years ago I visited with a National Public Radio executive. He spoke about the hallmarks of good public radio. He first described their journalists as honesty watchdogs. He added that classical music is a key stimulant for emotion and cognition. They take a pledge of independent allegiance to the public. In a sharp contrast to

Lola

My well being is fueled by the company of my dog, Lola with whom I spend all of my time when there’s no human company. She’s an objective listener when my conversations are between multiple sides of me. Lola has adapted to the changes in my life. She’s a trooper, having ridden over 9000 miles