As a Zen practitioner in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, my study of his teachings and personal history provided a surprising lesson about the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This gleaming insight into their relationship renewed my appreciation and broadened my understanding of King’s legacy as it elucidated the global impact of his compassionate…
Category: from the vault: dharma yoga arts
archived posts from www.dharmayogaarts.wordpress.com
on kindred practices: prayer, silence + spacious awareness
“In Buddhism, simply resting in a relaxed, open, spacious state of mind without purpose and without a goal is considered the highest form of spiritual practice… This spacious awareness is considered both an advanced practice and a practice even the merest beginner can do. This seems paradoxical, but when a beginner does it, it has…
learning together: teaching as a collaboration
I begin every class by asking practitioners what their bodies need that day. I invite them to make requests: 1) for particular poses that they’ve either found helpful or challenging and wish to explore; and 2) for parts of the body that need attention, making special note of any new injuries or sensitivities. There are…
on mindful consumption: magic of deep listening + skillful speech
essential food nothing can survive without food. everything we consume acts to either heal us or to poison us. we tend to think of nourishment only as what we take in through our mouths, but what we consume with our eyes, our ears, our noses, our tongues, and our bodies is also food. the conversations going…
heart, sweetened with intention
toward which direction is your heart stretching? know that this organic force, opening and guiding your heart, is the seed of intention. what are you breathing life into? know fully that the breath is the fuel growing intentions into aspirations. connect with and align your thoughts, words and deeds with the seeds of intention blossoming…
