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

Don’t Let Friendships Lapse

I’m in Finland, Minnesota, a beautiful environment close to the north shore of Lake Superior. I’m one of a group of 9 people, 4 couples and me, who’ve gathered to have a one week play date outdoors. Sarla would have made an even ten. She is here in spirit, palpably represented by last night’s heart

Courage Is Fear That Has Said Its Prayers

Tim Ferriss is my favorite podcast host. Podcasts entertain and inform me as I travel down the highways. Several days ago I listened to Ferriss’ interview with author Anne Lamott. Lamott quoted Dorothy Bernard, actress of the silent movie era who said, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”  Several friends stated that I

A First Class Citizen on a Bicycle in a City

I’ve been riding a bicycle since my youth, first for fun, then for transportation, then for aerobic fitness. In urban environments, conflict often occurs when automobiles and bicycles share the road. Bikes and cars are like Republicans and Democrats…so few of them get along. The rules of order are typically unwritten. Bicyclists are often subordinated

Nature, a Friend, and a Fish Boil

Last week’s excursion was to Wisconsin, a state where I spent 10 summers as a camper and counselor in the 1960s and 1970s. When one is accustomed to the intense summer heat and humidity that comes with living in the south, the contrast of the cool climate of Wisconsin in July is a balm. On

Get Back On The Horse

When I was 17 years old, I was arrested when for underaged drinking at Ann’s Rib Shack in north Mississippi. I was taken to the Hernando DeSoto County Jail where I was placed in a cell with another offender. Me cell mate was incarcerated for possession of marijuana. He was serving a 90 day sentence.

Let It Be

In a YouTube video I recently watched, Paul McCartney spoke of the uneasiness of being suspended in the haze of the 1960s. His mother had passed away ten years earlier. She appeared in one of his dreams and reassured him that everything was going to be all right. He speaks of it as a miraculous

I Lead a Very Quiet, Calm Life Except for What Goes on in My Head

To what degree do I exercise control over the activity in my brain? Through my years of practicing yoga, meditating, and intentionally relaxing, I’ve gained a set of tools that help calm an otherwise bustling mind. Rod Stryker taught me the concept of “witness consciousness.” It’s a state wherein the observer in me attentively notices

How Am I Doing? How Are you Doing?

I’m frequently asked how I’m doing these days, and I often ask the same of others. While not inherently insincere, the question can feel pedestrian and the responses are often mundane. Response options include, “I’m living the dream, I’m well, I’m OK, I’m not so OK, and I’m uncomfortable.” The Rolling Stones scripture of 5